Summer 2017 officially started on Tuesday, June 20th – it’s a season means different things to different people but to me it means the Missouri State Fair and the accompanying plague of flies will be here before we know it. But it also means that camp facilities all throughout the country are hosting various summer camps. Seems like each week brings a new series of posts, photos and great stories from yet another bleeding disorder camp. Hemophilia of Iowa’s camp at Camp Tanager just started on Sunday, so young people with bleeding disorders are probably having summer fun right now as you read this column.
I measure my Summertime as a span of time between camps. Gateway Hemophilia Association’s Camp Notaclotamongus is technically during the waning autumn, and Midwest Hemophilia Association’s Summer Camp is usually just before the Missouri State Fair. My Summer is set aside for recovering from one camp and preparing for the other.
Not so long ago I got back from Camp Notaclotamongus. After some rest, and getting my thoughts in order I realized that I just had to write about it:
I arrived at camp two nights before the campers would arrive. Getting to counselor orientation at 9 a.m. can be quite difficult when I live at least three hours away from St. Louis. So people like me from Sedalia and others from the Kansas City area usually arrive the day before and stay at a nearby hotel or something. I ended up sleeping at camp, since the camp director, members of the planning committee, the Leaders in Training and a few select counselors were already there.
I like that each year a simple paper ballot vote near the end of camp helps to determine the theme for next year. (Well, that didn’t happen this year, but only because next year’s theme is extra special.) I like letting the campers make decisions whenever possible. This is the land of democracy after all, right? But last year when they chose “Fairy Tale” camp I was a little skeptical. It seemed too similar to medieval camp, which we had just done a couple of years ago.
But the talented organizers, counselors and other staff at camp can make anything work given enough time, just like Batman. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the interesting ideas that they camp up with. I liked that my cabin was the Wolf’s Den, I like being the Big Bad Wolf – it’s a pretty solid cabin theme.
I was even supposed to dress the part, but I don’t have a wolf costume sitting around. I blame nobody but myself for failing to make that happen – I could have probably gotten something together, but I didn’t. I choose to look at it this way: I’m reasonably wolf-like already and I’m going to do a lot of howling to make up for it. Oh, one of the Med Shed nurses was helpful enough to make a long wolf snout and pair of ears for one of the wolf counselors to wear – so wore I did, even as my real nose made the fake paper nose progressively more wet.
I had underestimated just how contagious it can be to let out a good howl. The campers in my cabin caught on quick and we usually announced our arrival with a whole lot of howling. But the most interesting development was when campers of all ages, even the ones who weren’t in my cabin started howling with us and excitedly encouraging me to initiate the howl at every turn. The howls rang out whenever I entered their line of sight.
We love hearing grand tales about wizards, monsters, princesses and unlikely heroes but I think the real magic happens at summer camps like Notaclotamongus where campers and counselors from different states, backgrounds and belief structures put away the harsh realities of life outside camp and come together to form an annual family – a getaway with their blood sisters and blood brothers where safety, fun and education are the top concerns.
On the last night, when the flames of the traditional campfire are dancing we’re listening to a series of appreciative speeches and other kind sentiments shared in front of the whole camp that are stirring up all sorts of emotions. It’s nice to be able to open ourselves emotionally to our summer camp family.
