Today was another great day at camp. The weather was beautiful, warm, and sunny, with a slight breeze, and we had normal morning and afternoon clinics. We had a delicious roast beef dinner, with made-from-scratch garlic mashed potatoes, and then a lovely campfire with some alumni visitors. It was a great day, and tomorrow we have a VERY special day planned that will require a more narrative recap. Just to mix things up a bit, tonight I’d love to share some reflections on one of the great privileges of my work at camp.
For 25-ish years, I’ve had the honor of being the CIT director. Our CIT program is very centered on giving our young leaders an opportunity to enjoy the camp experience partially as campers, but also working side-by-side with the junior and senior counselors. This “apprenticeship” with our experienced role models really allows the CITs to watch firsthand how to build connections across our camp community and get first-hand knowledge and experience in the realm of working with the campers we serve at Timberlane.
Our CITs this year are in cabins 1-9 this summer, and I can tell you it is an amazing group of 16-year-olds. As part of our first meeting of the summer, I always share my opinion that it takes a special 16-year-old to get in the van to come up and give of themselves to our youngest campers for the summer, and I appreciate that they were willing to do it. By this point in the summer, they have proven that they each have their own ways of connecting to each other and their campers and counseling teams, and they are definitely here to give their best to their campers. In addition to being part of a counseling team, they sign up for activity periods and will leave for the summer as certified lifeguards.
Yesterday, I got to take the CITs to Noah’s Ark Water Park in the Wisconsin Dells for a day off, and it was a highlight of the summer, as it usually is with my CIT groups. One of my favorite parts of the day yesterday was when this group of young men, who have grown up at camp together and are like a band of brothers, paused before heading off to the waterslides to invite myself, our associate director Ryan, and their lifeguarding trainer and our waterfront director, Rich, to join them. They absolutely had the option to spend the day without the chaperoning adults (they do have to check-in throughout the day), but they chose to be inclusive, and it was yet another example of what a great future lies ahead for Timberlane when we have this type of young leadership. I will definitely miss these young men when they head home in a few weeks, but I am very confident we will see them all again next summer. The title “cabin counselor” is definitely one each of them wears extremely well, and is one I hope they continue to hold for many more years to come.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a great weekend in store!
With gratitude, benches up!
Jeff “Mel” Melrose
Assistant Director/CIT Director