CAMP TRADITIONS

"In my country, we have some fine camping traditions..."

We got an idea: Why not ask a large cross-section of camps from around the world about their camp traditions and assemble them into a useful document?

If you take a few minutes and send us a couple of your key traditions, we will compile the results, credit your Camp and place them online.

With your response, include your name, your camp name and three ‘Traditions’. A tradition is defined as an activity or element of camp that spans several or many years of camp operation and is likely held in the collective memory of most of your staff, alumni and campers as an important part of the Camp experience.

We do not intend that anyone ‘steals' unique traditions from other Camps. Rather, we hope to sample and demonstrate some common elements of all traditions, some similarities in types of traditions and some ideas for developing strong, meaningful traditions in any Camp.

The project, and the handout, may return to you with some valuable insights into what you are doing or could do in your Camp programs ahead.

Please share this information with your camping colleagues from other camps within your country or region. The bigger and more comprehensive this collection, the more interesting and helpful it may turn out to be.

In a recent discussion about Camp Traditions, we heard about…

Campfire Ashes - a Camp in which a small jar of ashes from the previous year’s final campfire is poured upon the current year’s campfire in a ceremony to link those campers and staff who are present with those other staff and campers right back to the beginnings of Camp.

Annual Camp Theme - a Camp in which each summer’s leadership and staff training emphasis is crystallized into a memorable camp slogan, theme badge, summer camp song and music. Over the years, some of these songs have become Camp favourites.

Shooting Stars – a Camp where curfew is set aside on one night during the Perseid Meteor Shower (in August). Tarps are set out beneath the darkened sky and the entire Camp lies out on the tarps to enjoy the shooting stars as they streak across the sky.