Tangles in the New Safety Net
… CONTINUED FROM PAGE 61
In the 50’s and 60’s, American public schools routinely ran “duck and cover” drills. I suppose the assumption was that youngsters were more likely to survive a Soviet nuclear bomb by hiding under their desks. Maybe it was just temporary protection from falling ceiling tiles. Whatever the case, those drills caused an entire generation to fear imminent “Commie” attacks. We did come dangerously close to nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis, but that didn’t obviate the need for reassuring discussions about the general safety of schools.
On a staff training visit to Camp Laney for Boys in Mentone, Alabama this summer, I was inspecting their new tornado shelters with Owner/Director, Rob Hammond. We walked inside the thick steel building and bolted the door closed behind us. To add a bit of context: I’ve been working with Rob and his staff for fifteen seasons; he and I speak regularly and candidly about camp. We can’t quite read each other’s thoughts, but we did on that day. “Feels more like a bank vault than a friendly camp building,” he said. “Cold and kinda scary,” I added. “I know what’s missing,” Rob said. “Something calming for the campers to do. We need cards, board games, magazines … maybe even music.” I agreed and added, “And, we need to encourage your staff to talk with their campers during and after a drill. Find out what they were thinking and feeling. Ask them whether any of them has been in a natural disaster, urban emergency or school crisis before. I can only imagine that being in here might stir up some uncomfortable feelings.” The young people we serve need to practice emergency action plans. They also need an opportunity to debrief the experience afterwards. Most importantly, they need staff who can speak honestly and openly with them about the relative safety of camp, the anxiety we all feel about possible danger, and the reassurance we experience when we work to mitigate negative consequences. Practically speaking, that means adding a training component to your EAP focused on campers’ emotional experiences. Next season, don’t drill without discussion. Dr. Christopher Thurber works at Camp Belknap and Phillips Exeter Academy. He is a psychologist, author, educator and the co-founder of ExpertOnlineTraining.com, the leading web-based educational platform for youth leaders. Book workshops, read articles, download handouts and find parent resources on: CampSpirit.com. Dr. Christopher Thurber www.campspirit.com
TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR WEBSITE!
Easily change photos, update session information, post your packing list, blog — take care of routine tasks in just a few minutes with your Typewriter powered website.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
OP-ED:
is ing else Anyth . atabase just a d
Ronningen Design, LLC is a camp-centric marketing agency in Hendersonville, North Carolina. We built Typewriter for you, the camp director. We’ve been serving camps since 1999, and working closely with CampMinder since 2006. We’re former campers, staffers, and camp parents – we know camp inside and out.
“
Typewriter is possibly the most user-friendly content management system on the internet.”
Yates Pharr Falling Creek Camp
444mCnAeMoP 303 p i d r.c m
m www.ca
828.693.1924
WEBSITESTHATDOSTUFF.COM
Let Typewriter upgrade your camp’s marketing gotypewriter.com
62 |
Volume 3