“Often Imitated But Never Duplicated”
The old hot dog stand in Elmira, New York, where I grew up, adorned the above slogan. The phrase has always stuck with me, as those franks sure were tasty morsels! Would that any camp stand up to such scrutiny! All kidding aside, parents searching for camps really ought to understand that, quite like hot dogs, no two are alike. The camp director community is a tight-knit one, where best practices and strategies are shared for the good of all. Still, most camps adopt an “Our Camp Way,” full of all kinds of unique approaches, traditions, and philosophies. Usually, there’s a large dose of humor thrown in there too!
No other camp in the universe could duplicate the paragraph below, which pertains exclusively to the camp we run. (Nor, would they want to. And, that’s the point of this blog.)
Not counting the infamous Egg Drop Championship Trophy or the autograph pennants, when was the last time any person or group was awarded any of the following: a badge, a ribbon, a banner, a pin, a pennant, a certificate, a patch, and emblem or a trophy? We don’t do that stuff; for us, the fun is in the doing. Handshakes, high fives, horns tooting, kudos in the dining room and simple pats on the back: These are the staples of our camp and just about all of our community both understands the reasons for such understatements. Not put-ons, we.
In so many words, we say the things in the above paragraph to every potential new customer. And, we do it before we comprehend what they are looking for in a camp. Why? The idea is to be completely transparent regarding our philosophies and approaches and let the chips fall where they may. And, the good news is that every camp does pretty much the same thing. The camping industry is a most honest one, and families who speak with camp directors can bank on a truthful dialogue.
