Language is Important. Notes from Camp – February, 2018

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Hi Folks,

We can’t believe it’s already February!  Spring is coming soon, though it may not feel that way to those of you freezing in the Midwest and back east.

This month is exciting for us as we truly begin gearing up.  Several of us will meet in Orlando later this month for the ACA National Conference where we’ll network together and with our colleagues and learn what’s new in the areas of youth development and leadership training…among many other topics.  This time together helps get our staff training juices flowing, and that gets us so pumped up to start the season!

In this post, you’ll find:

IT OCCURS TO ME…

Language is important.  

Most folks are pretty thoughtful about how they talk with their kids, and how they talk around their kids.  We’re role models, of course, and we want our kids to not only use appropriate language themselves, but to also think about what they’re saying, what they mean, and how it’s being received.  They learn that as they listen to how the adults in their lives communicate.

We hear a lot of people talk about “having their voices heard.”  It’s a blended reference about having one’s opinions legitimized and one’s group recognized and valued.  It’s a very positive and hopeful expression, and it’s empowering for our kids to know their voices are worthy.  We may not always agree with them, but we always want to hear them.

Recently we’ve heard more frequent use of the expression “speak your truth.”  Most likely, the phrase is intended to have similar meaning to having your voice heard.  You speak your truth when you express your values and your interpretation of things.  However, this altered definition of what “truth” means, or at least a new way of using the word “truth” could be counterproductive and very risky.  

As former New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously quipped to a colleague, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.”  It is so important to distinguish between objective truth on one hand and subjective opinion or values on the other.  This distinction should be clear in the language we use.

Truth is grounded in facts.  And though there are innumerable situations that are not black and white, if we cannot agree that truth should be grounded in facts, then as a community, as a people, we will simply be unable to agree at all.  This is the risk.

The unintended consequence of accepting that one might speak HIS OWN or HER OWN truth is the weakening the objectivity of truth.  Put another way, we do not own our own truths.  Truth is grounded in facts, and facts cannot be owned.  

You’re having a serious conversation with your child about school or something going on in his life.  You want to know about an event or incident that happened.  You need THE truth to understand the facts.  HIS truth will help you understand how he interprets those facts, but without the former, you cannot help him navigate through the latter.  And it is even more difficult if he doesn’t understand the difference because the language he hears and uses does not recognize the objectivity of truth.

So what if, instead, we encourage kids to “speak your mind” or we ask “what do you think about xyz?”  This is what we really mean anyway, right?  The result is a much clearer path to talk about the facts and how those facts are interpreted and understood.

Timberlane counselors guide our boys to express themselves and share their opinions freely.  It’s empowering of course, and a side benefit is the great opportunity to discuss the art of being tactful and respectful.  It is not only possible to have such free expression while also respecting the objectivity of truth, it is a critical skill for our kids to master.  

YO PARENTS:

Some important information for you this month.

  • We’ve been tweaking our website a bit, and have moved the Keylog Login tab from the main menu bar to the “Current Camp Folks” section.  To login to your Keylog page, please click on the “Current Camp Folks” menu, and the orange Keylog box is right there.
  • Winter Deposit was due on January 15th.  Most of you have taken care of this, but if you overlooked it, that’s okay.  Please take care of it as soon as you can.  You can send a check to our Tucson address, or you can pay online with your credit card.  We know you won’t love hearing this, but the Spring deposit will be due on March 15th, so this is just an early heads up.  If you ever want to check your account status, you can always find that info on your Keylog page.  Thanks.
  • FLYING CAMPERS: If your son is flying en route to camp, we hope you’ve already registered with Sojourn Travel, our selected travel agency.  Fares tend to go up as the summer approaches, so it is best to get this done soon.
  • CIT TRAVEL: CITs begin training on Sunday, June 10th, so they will travel to camp on Saturday, June 9th.  We will have a van in Chicago to pick up CITs there, and we’ll have room for their duffels too.  CITs from all other cities will fly to camp, into the Central Wisconsin Airport, where we’ll meet them and drive them and their bags to camp.  If you have any questions about your CITs travel or anything else, please contact us.

YO OLD GUYS:

If you are a returning camper in 8th or 9th grade this year, then we want you to be a Big Brother for a new camper this summer.  This is a great opportunity for you to connect with someone new, share your knowledge and experience of camp, help your little bro feel welcome and at home, and gain some leadership experience.

We will connect as many of our returning guys with little brothers as possible.  We ask big brothers to call (not text or Facebook message) their little brothers, spend a few minutes on the phone, and if it works out, maybe even get together with them before camp.

There is definitely no obligation for you to be a big brother if you’re not crazy about the idea.  If you prefer NOT to be a big brother, please email or call us as soon as possible.  We will send out Big/Little Brother assignments in April.

TRIP NEWS!

HOW’S THIS FOR EXCITING NEWS?  Our 2018 Trips Calendar is published and you can check it out by clicking here.  As always, it is subject to some changes, as we continue to acquire our permits.  Anyway you look at it, though, it is going to be a banner year for trips!  There are a few trips for which we accept advanced registration.  They include:

  • Isle Royale Backpacking – 10 Day Trip (1st Session. For eligible kids who have finished 8th grade or higher)
  • Isle Royale Backpacking – 6 Day Trip (2nd Session.  For eligible kids who have finished 6th grade or higher)
  • Quetico Provincial Park Canoeing – 12 Day Trip (2nd Session.  For eligible kids who have finished 8th grade or higher)
  • Apostle Islands Sea Kayaking – 4 Day Trip (Both Sessions.  For eligible kids who have finished 7th grade or higher)

Some important notes about the trips:

    • If your son is a first-year camper, or if he will not have completed at least the 6th grade this summer, then the above trips will be waiting for him in a future summer.  There are still many, many fantastic trips available to ALL campers for which we do not do pre-registration.
    • Each of the trips listed above include an additional charge either for things such as ferries or guide services.
    • If your son is interested in one of the pre-registration trips, please notify us by email or phone.  We’ll confirm his eligibility and if there are any questions, we’ll talk it over with you.
  • Pre-registration is NOT required to get on a trip.  If your son is interested, but not sure, then we ask you do not pre-register him for a trip.  As long as space on the trip remains, he can sign up at camp.
  • Some trips go into Canada, and require campers to have a passport.  Those include the Quetico trip (above), as well as the Lake Superior Backpack Trip and the Sand River Canoe Trip.

BRAVO TO OUR FEBRUARY BIRTHDAY BOYS:

Zavion Steele – 02/01, Brady Adelman – 02/02, Gus Mervis – 02/03, Massimo D’Agaro – 02/06, Harry Smith – 02/07, Max Glickman – 02/08, Spencer Sherman – 02/09, Tyler Deutsch – 02/10, Caleb Gerstein – 02/10, Marty Askenazi – 02/12, Morgan Decker – 02/16, Tommy Holland – 02/16, Aiden Holstein – 02/16, Daniel Feldman – 02/17, Zach Walden – 02/17, Robin Jong – 02/19, Martin Grazer – 02/21, Eli Wacksman – 02/22, Sam “Pickles” Kahn – 02/23, Elliott Korentager – 02/23, Casey Mutchnik – 02/25, David Friedland – 02/26, Carlos Dorantes Banuelos – 02/27.

COMING SOON….

Next week we’ll fill you in on all the campers and staff who have recently signed on for the upcoming summer!  It’s gonna be epic!!!

Benches up,