Our Philosophy

The summer of 2014 marks the Wipfler’s thirtieth summer running Kingswood Camp. Many things have changed at Kingswood since that first summer in 1985: boys have grown up, become counselors, and eventually had to move on to their careers; we’ve added a soccer field, built a new Main Lodge, refurbished virtually all of the buildings, torn down Smith Hall, created the Varsity Club, and much more. However, the camp philosophy remains exactly the same. Where sailboats and ping pong tables have worn out and needed to be replaced, the Kingswood philosophy endures. The way in which we engage boys, challenge them, and help them grow remains the same. Here is the Kingswood philosophy as it was written in 1985:

The Kingswood Formula

Our Camping Philosophy: 1985

Take one boy. Remove him from the urban environment with its emphasis on material acquisitions. Place him in a rural environment with its demands inherent in nature. Separate him from the security of home where happiness is expected. For several weeks, substitute a community living experience where happiness is earned. Withdraw for a time the boy’s traditional authority figures – parent, teacher, clergyman. Expose him instead to the camp’s elders – its counselors – men of sterling character yet not much older than he.

The result of this arithmetic, in nearly every instance, is a myriad of adventures which leave indelible impressions on that boy’s mind and which foster enduring attitudes of both self esteem and a respect for others:

He falls several times attempting to get up on water-skis then miraculously succeeds.
He loses a close tennis match to a friend, then develops some photographs in the dark room with that same friend.
He taxes himself to the limits of his endurance to gain a mountain summit, then becomes awestruck by the view.
His sits silently staring into the dying embers of the campfire, then suddenly feels an impulse of inspiration from the words of a respected friend.

Occasions such as these we call PRIME TEACHABLE MOMENTS. The lessons they bring can raise a boy’s conscientiousness of life’s values in a permanent way. With timely but gentle nudges from counselors who love children and related well to them, no boy at Kingswood is too old or too hardened to embrace and immerse himself in these character-shaping experiences.
The Kingswood Formula, however, is a delicate one. While removing a boy from his accustomed environment, the camp has no intention of enforcing standards of deprivation. A hot shower on a cold morning or an extra scoop of ice cream, these are amenities we all cherish and which clearly enhance the happy atmosphere of camp.
We recognize, too, that some youngsters can initially feel the loneliness of separation from loved ones. Sensitivity to and compassion for these emotions remains at the forefront of our conscientiousness. Likewise, Kingswood remains attuned to the distinction between old hands and newcomers to the group living adventure. A camp is only as good as its ability to deliver on its promise. At Kingswood, we speak of a “commitment to excellence,” a phrase we take especially to mean the creation of a healthy, happy camp environment where every boy may flourish, both physically and emotionally. This lofty goal becomes a fulfillable promise thanks to the Kingswood Formula, an equation that works. We are proud to call a summer at Kingswood a great contribution to a boy’s formal education.

Just A Few Minor Changes

Anyone familiar with Kingswood will tell you that this formula is still very much in use at camp today. Sure, we have traded in the dark room for a digital photography program, but all of the ways in which Kingswood provides a setting for adventure, a psychological break from the demands of the school year, and a place to find new friends and challenges remain the same. Our guiding principles are as pertinent today as they were thirty years ago. In fact, I would argue that because of the challenges inherent in our “plugged-in culture” combined with the demands placed on youth today, the Kingswood Formula is ever more important to the healthy development and education of young men.