Maine camp experience. Maine Boys Summer Camps: Empowering Experiences and Inclusive Adventures

How do Maine boys summer camps offer unique experiences. What activities and choices are available at overnight camps in Maine. How are camps promoting diversity and inclusivity for all children.

The Maine Camp Experience: A World of Choices for Boys

Maine’s summer camps for boys offer a unique blend of adventure, personal growth, and independence. These overnight and sleepaway camps provide a rich tapestry of experiences that shape young minds and foster lifelong skills. Let’s explore the diverse offerings and empowering environment these camps create.

Elective Activities: Tailoring the Camp Experience

One of the cornerstones of Maine boys camps is the emphasis on choice. Many camps offer a variety of elective activities, allowing campers to craft their own adventures. This approach serves multiple purposes:

• Encourages independence and decision-making skills
• Allows boys to explore new interests and passions
• Builds confidence through self-directed learning
• Provides a diverse range of experiences within a single camp setting

How do camps structure these elective offerings? Some camps provide instructional mornings with choice afternoons, while others offer increasing elective periods as campers grow older. For younger campers, a “guided choice” system may be employed, ensuring a well-rounded experience across various activities.

A Day in the Life: From Buffets to Bunk Time

The element of choice extends beyond structured activities. Boys at Maine camps often have the opportunity to make decisions throughout their day:

• Selecting meals from dining hall buffets or grills
• Choosing how to spend free time during rest hour
• Opting for different evening programs or special events
• Electing to participate in additional out-of-camp trips or overnight excursions

These seemingly small choices add up to a significant sense of autonomy and responsibility, key factors in personal growth during the camp experience.

Democracy in Action: Camp Elections and Leadership

Many Maine boys camps incorporate democratic processes into their programs, offering valuable lessons in civics and leadership. How do these camp elections work? Typically, they might include:

• Voting for team captains during color wars or Olympics events
• Electing cabin representatives for camp-wide committees
• Choosing leaders for special projects or initiatives

These elections serve as microcosms of larger democratic systems, teaching boys about fair play, campaigning, and the responsibilities that come with leadership roles.

Expanding Horizons: The Level Ground Initiative

While Maine is home to many premier youth camps, it’s also a state with a growing population of immigrant and refugee families. Recognizing the need for inclusivity, the Maine Summer Camps organization has launched the Level Ground Initiative. This program aims to open up the camp experience to New Mainers, addressing several key issues:

• Providing summer opportunities for children who might otherwise lack access
• Reducing summer learning loss and narrowing the opportunity gap
• Promoting diversity within Maine’s camp communities
• Fostering cross-cultural friendships and understanding

Why is this initiative so important? By widening the diversity of camp communities, all campers benefit from exposure to different cultures and perspectives. This prepares them for success in an increasingly globalized world, both in their future academic and professional lives.

The Benefits of Diverse Camp Communities

The American Camp Association (ACA) strongly advocates for diverse camp environments. According to the ACA, diversity in camps is not just beneficial—it’s essential for fulfilling the promise of preparing children for future success. How does a diverse camp community contribute to a child’s development?

• Enhances cultural competence and empathy
• Prepares children for diverse college and work environments
• Encourages critical thinking and perspective-taking
• Builds a more inclusive and equitable society

Roberto Gill Jr., a Latino camp professional, beautifully likens diversity to “the crayons in the box,” emphasizing how a variety of perspectives and experiences enriches the overall camp environment.

Selecting the Perfect Maine Boys Camp

With so many options available, how can parents choose the right Maine boys camp for their child? The Maine Camp Experience offers several resources to assist in this decision:

• An online tool to filter camps by type (boys, girls, or coed) and session length
• Rate comparisons to help with budgeting
• Access to a Maine Camp Guide for personalized, year-round advice

Parents are encouraged to research thoroughly, considering factors such as camp philosophy, activity offerings, and the level of structure or choice that best suits their child’s needs.

Preserving Camp Memories: A Lasting Legacy

The impact of a Maine boys summer camp experience often extends far beyond the weeks spent at camp. Many camps and organizations offer ways to preserve and share these memories:

• Online platforms for sharing camp stories and photos
• Alumni networks and reunions
• Traditions passed down through generations of campers

These efforts not only keep the camp spirit alive year-round but also help create a lasting community that extends well beyond the summer months.

Preparing for Summer 2022: Anticipation and Adaptation

As camps look forward to the summer of 2022, there’s a sense of excitement and anticipation. How are camps adapting to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience? Many are implementing measures such as:

• Enhanced health and safety protocols
• Flexible registration policies
• Increased outdoor programming
• Smaller group sizes for activities

Despite potential challenges, the core values of Maine boys camps remain unchanged: fostering independence, building friendships, and creating unforgettable summer experiences.

The Lasting Impact of Maine Boys Summer Camps

The benefits of attending a Maine boys summer camp extend far beyond the immediate joy of summer activities. These camps play a crucial role in shaping young men’s character, skills, and worldview. What are some of the long-term impacts of the camp experience?

• Increased self-confidence and independence
• Improved social skills and ability to work in teams
• Enhanced appreciation for nature and outdoor activities
• Development of new interests and passions
• Lasting friendships and a sense of community

Many former campers attribute their personal and professional successes to the lessons learned and experiences gained at Maine summer camps. The skills developed in these environments—leadership, resilience, creativity, and adaptability—are invaluable in navigating the challenges of adulthood.

Building Environmental Stewardship

Maine’s natural beauty serves as the backdrop for these camp experiences, and many boys camps take advantage of this setting to instill a sense of environmental responsibility. How do camps integrate environmental education into their programs?

• Nature hikes and wilderness exploration
• Sustainable living practices within camp operations
• Conservation projects and eco-friendly initiatives
• Outdoor skills training emphasizing Leave No Trace principles

By fostering a connection with nature, these camps help create the next generation of environmental stewards, ensuring the preservation of Maine’s pristine landscapes for years to come.

Cultivating Creativity and Arts Appreciation

While outdoor activities often take center stage, many Maine boys camps also place a strong emphasis on artistic expression and creativity. What types of arts programs might campers encounter?

• Visual arts such as painting, sculpting, and photography
• Performing arts including theater, music, and dance
• Creative writing workshops and storytelling sessions
• Craft-based activities like woodworking or pottery

These artistic outlets provide boys with new ways to express themselves, build confidence, and discover hidden talents that may shape their future interests and careers.

Technology Balance: Unplugging for Greater Connection

In an increasingly digital world, Maine boys camps offer a unique opportunity for children to disconnect from screens and reconnect with the physical world and their peers. How do camps approach technology use?

• Limited or no access to personal electronic devices
• Emphasis on face-to-face communication and social interaction
• Outdoor activities that encourage engagement with nature
• Skill-building in non-digital areas like sports, crafts, and wilderness survival

This digital detox often leads to improved social skills, better sleep patterns, and a renewed appreciation for the world beyond screens. Many campers and parents report positive changes in behavior and attitudes following a tech-free camp experience.

Fostering Resilience and Grit

Maine boys camps provide a supportive environment for children to face challenges and develop resilience. How do camp activities contribute to building mental toughness and perseverance?

• Outdoor adventures that push personal limits
• Team-building exercises that require cooperation and problem-solving
• Individual skill progression that rewards practice and effort
• Opportunities to learn from failures in a safe, supportive setting

These experiences teach boys to embrace challenges, persist in the face of difficulty, and develop a growth mindset that serves them well throughout their lives.

Preparing for the Future: Life Skills and Career Exploration

Beyond the immediate fun and adventure, Maine boys camps often incorporate elements that prepare campers for future academic and professional success. What kinds of future-focused activities might camps offer?

• Leadership training programs
• Public speaking and presentation skills workshops
• Introduction to various career fields through guest speakers or special programs
• Financial literacy and entrepreneurship projects
• College preparation seminars for older campers

These initiatives help boys develop a vision for their future and acquire practical skills that will serve them well in high school, college, and beyond.

Creating Global Citizens

Many Maine boys camps attract campers and staff from around the world, creating a microcosm of global society. How does this international flavor enhance the camp experience?

• Exposure to diverse cultures, languages, and perspectives
• Opportunities for cultural exchange and learning
• Development of cross-cultural communication skills
• Fostering of global friendships and networks

This international element helps prepare boys to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world, developing the cultural competence and global awareness necessary for success in the 21st century.

The Role of Traditions in Maine Boys Camps

Traditions play a significant role in shaping the culture and identity of Maine boys camps. Many camps have rituals and customs that have been passed down through generations, creating a sense of continuity and belonging. What types of traditions might campers encounter?

• Opening and closing ceremonies
• Special camp songs and cheers
• Unique camp-specific events or competitions
• Rites of passage for different age groups or achievement levels
• End-of-summer banquets or award ceremonies

These traditions help create a strong camp identity and provide campers with a sense of belonging to something larger than themselves. They also offer comfort through familiarity and create shared experiences that bond campers across different years and generations.

Nutritional Education and Healthy Habits

Maine boys camps often take a holistic approach to child development, which includes fostering healthy eating habits and nutritional awareness. How do camps incorporate nutrition education into their programs?

• Farm-to-table programs that connect campers with local food sources
• Cooking classes that teach basic culinary skills and nutrition principles
• Garden projects where campers grow their own vegetables
• Educational sessions on balanced diets and the importance of hydration

By emphasizing the connection between food, health, and the environment, camps help boys develop lifelong habits that contribute to their overall well-being.

The Economic Impact of Maine Summer Camps

Beyond their educational and developmental benefits, Maine boys summer camps also play a significant role in the state’s economy. How do these camps contribute to Maine’s economic landscape?

• Creating seasonal employment opportunities for local residents and college students
• Boosting tourism as families visit campers and explore the state
• Supporting local businesses through camp supply purchases and service contracts
• Enhancing Maine’s reputation as a premier destination for outdoor recreation and youth development

This economic impact underscores the importance of summer camps not just for the campers and their families, but for the broader Maine community as well.

Continuing Education for Camp Staff

Many Maine boys camps invest heavily in staff training and development, recognizing that well-prepared counselors and activity leaders are crucial to a positive camp experience. What kinds of training might camp staff receive?

• Child development and psychology workshops
• First aid and safety certifications
• Leadership and management skills training
• Specific activity instruction and skill development
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion education

This ongoing education not only enhances the quality of the camp experience for boys but also provides valuable professional development for staff members, many of whom go on to careers in education, social work, or outdoor recreation.

The Future of Maine Boys Summer Camps

As society evolves, so too do Maine boys summer camps. These institutions continually adapt to meet the changing needs of campers and families while maintaining the core values that have made them beloved for generations. What trends are shaping the future of Maine boys camps?

• Increased focus on mental health and emotional well-being
• Integration of STEM activities and 21st-century skills development
• Greater emphasis on inclusivity and accessibility for all children
• Adoption of sustainable practices and eco-friendly operations
• Enhanced communication systems to keep parents connected and informed

By embracing these trends while preserving their timeless traditions, Maine boys camps are poised to continue providing transformative experiences for future generations of young men.

The Maine boys summer camp experience offers a unique blend of adventure, personal growth, and community building. From the shores of pristine lakes to the peaks of majestic mountains, these camps provide a backdrop for unforgettable summers and lifelong friendships. As camps continue to evolve and adapt, they remain true to their core mission: empowering boys to become confident, capable, and compassionate individuals ready to take on the challenges of the world beyond camp.

Maine Camp Experience Recent News

On this Election Day, we think about elections and electives at Maine Camps. Camp is a place where campers are empowered to make choices that lead them to fun new experiences and adventures, teach them independence, and build their confidence. Campers’ voices are heard as they make choices that will help chart their course.

At Maine Camps, children have the opportunity to choose exciting activities. Some Maine Camps have instructional mornings and choice afternoons. While other Maine Camps offer younger campers a choice activity period or two and then provide more elective periods to campers as they get older. Sometimes electives at the younger age will be a “guided choice” offering a couple different options in specific periods to ensure campers are getting to try everything and enjoy a good mix of lakefront time, sports, arts, and nature. Some Maine Camps are fully elective, giving campers the choice to make their own daily schedule from over 50 activity options.  

Campers are also empowered and enjoy making choices when they “elect” what they want to eat from the meal buffets served in the dining hall or at the grill, how they “elect” to spend free time at rest hour after lunch (e.g., playing cards, doing MadLibs, writing letters, making bracelets), and what they “elect” on an evening program where they occasionally may have the choice between two activities such as watching a movie or attending a social event. And beyond core trips, campers may “elect” to take certain out-of-camp trips like extra hikes or overnight trips.

In addition to electives, elections at camp are another way campers get to choose. At some camps, for example, there are elections for captains of Color War or Olympics. This is a way for campers to experience democracy in action, and for the elected campers to show leadership and serve the interest of their fellow campers. 

So, on this Election Day, ask your camper about electives and elections at their camp. And … the vote is in … we unanimously cannot wait for Maine Camp summer 2022!

Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

You can share your own Maine camps memories & expressions of gratitude on our Memories of Camp section of our website.

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child?  Try out our helpful tool where you can select a camp by choosing: type of camp (girls, boys or coed) and session length (1-8 weeks).  It helps to narrow down a few camps to a manageable list that includes rates.  Then you can research these camps in more depth.  

Next, be sure to contact our Maine Camp Guide, Laurie to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.

Maine Summer Camps’ Level Ground Initiative Opens Up the Camp Experience for New Mainers

While home to so many premier youth camps, Maine is also home to many children of immigrant and refugee families who face a lack of summer opportunities. These young people often lose out. They are denied the chance to be in Maine’s beautiful natural spaces, denied the fun of outdoor play and skill development with friends and role models and denied the simple enjoyment of summer in Maine. These kids are also at greater risk for summer learning loss and the effects of a growing opportunity gap.

Providing youth camping opportunities for immigrant and refugee youth through the Level Ground initiative will extend these benefits to wider community and will promote increased diversity of Maine’s camps. The program will help foster increasingly inclusive communities that benefit both campers and the staff who support them.

Appreciation for diversity, and the opportunity to create and grow friendships across cultural lines, are both learned skills and a hallmark of quality camp experiences.  By widening the diversity of camp communities, all campers will take these skills into their future college, career and community lives.

The American Camp Association broadly promotes the benefits of diverse camp communities. In a 2013 document entitled “Camp Diversity: A Call to Action,” the ACA wrote: Diversity is a reality. Because social and economic change is here, camps must understand the need for cultural competence. If camps don’t improve, it will be a challenge for them to fulfill the social contract made with families – that the skills a child learns at camp will contribute to his or her success in the classroom and make him or her a successful contributing adult in the future. A diverse camp community will ensure that the promise we make to families is fulfilled.

Roberto Gill Jr., Esq., a Latino camp professional, contributed his view on diversity to an ACA publication more poetically: “I think of diversity as the crayons in the box and inclusion as the works of art they can create together.”

As an organization, Maine Summer Camps has made an ongoing commitment to addressing issues related to diversity, including hosting educational workshops on such topics as cross-cultural agility. Level Ground organizers see their initiative as one dedicated to helping to implement this commitment.

Level Ground organizers believe that youth from immigrant and refugee populations will benefit from a coordinated effort among camps to provide the best possible camp experience. These youth will learn new skills, make new friends with fellow campers from around Maine, the country, and the world, and will benefit from caring role models.

Summer enrichment opportunities are needed by all Maine youth, beyond the tremendous work currently undertaken by individual camps. Camp professionals offer such opportunities. In so doing, they strive to create safe, healthy, and enriching communities.
All elements of safety—physical, emotional, and social—are a priority. Maine camps must meet strict licensing and regulatory requirements promulgated by the State of Maine.
In addition, many Maine camps are accredited by the American Camp Association and meet the ACA’s broad and rigorous standards.

Organizational support for Level Ground is provided by Maine Summer Camps, a not-for-profit membership organization whose mission is to support and promote meaningful developmental, educational, environmental and recreational experiences for children. Maine Summer Camps is financially supported in large part by dues from its more than 150 business and camp members.

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Maine Summer Camps in the Bridgton Maine Area

Children grow, learn and explore at Maine Summer Camps!
Don’t want your child glued to a screen all summer? Consider one of the many short or long-session summer camps in Maine. In addition to the many benefits of community, independence and character building, a Maine summer camp will bestow on your child a love of the great outdoors. The State of Maine has over 100 summer camps. Your child’s summer days will be filled with hiking, kayaking, swimming and learning about nature or may include archery, drama, boating and horseback riding or, rather than an adventure camp, you may consider the specialty camps for music or sports just to name just a couple. The evenings are filled with comradery, smores and stories around a fire. Some of the best Maine summer camp options are located in the Greater Lakes Bridgton Region and Noble House Inn is the ideal place to stay during drop off, pick up and visitation day! To get you started, we have created a list of just a few of the summer camps near the Noble House Inn.

Fernwood Cove 
Maine’s first half-season all girls summer camp, this camp’s goal is to provides today’s girl with the ultimate sleep away camp experience. Campers gain valuable 21st Century Skills through a traditional 3½ week residential camp program. Fernwood Cove is located in Harrison Maine, only 9.5 miles from the Inn.

Camp Skylemar
Camp Skylemar, a boys sports camp, is located on Trickey Pond and surrounded by 200 acres of spectacular woods. There are athletic fields, different workshops, spacious cabins and large indoor facilities for rainy days. Skylemar has been welcoming campers for over 65 years. They have a dedicated staff and strive to give your child the tools to be successful in life. Camp Skylemar is located 11 miles from the Noble House Inn, making drop off and pick up easy and convenient.

Camp Tapawingo
Camp Tapawingo is a small summer camp where girls can spend their days in an encouraging environment of play, learning, companionship, and fresh air. Tapawingo strives to make their campers true leaders, friends and develop a better understanding of themselves. Tapawingo sits on the shores of Keyes Pond and the 200 acres of woods, fields and sandy beaches overlook Mt. Washington and the White Mountains of New Hampshire to the west. Tapawingo is located in Sweden Maine, just 10 miles from the Inn.

Camp Walden
Camp Walden is another girls camp which boasts multigenerational alumni. This camp focuses on teaching leadership through modeling. Younger campers learn skills from older campers through friendships, team sports and activities. Camp Walden is located in Denmark Maine, only 10 miles from the Inn.

Camp Wigwam
Camp Wigwam, a boys camp located on the shores of Bear Lake in Waterford, Maine, was founded in 1910. Each day spent at Wigwam is different and may include playing basketball, soccer, going for a sail with a friend, fencing, a tennis match, a morning at the driving range or an afternoon at one of our local golf courses, waterskiing or exploring the more creative side in ceramics, arts and crafts, sewing or rocketry. Camp Wigwam is located in Waterford Maine, 8.9 miles from the Inn.

Camp Wildwood
Located right in Bridgton Maine, Camp Wildwood uses a well-rounded approach to the summer camp experience. There are team sports, individual sports, water activities and creative activities. Campers enjoy lakeside comfortable bunks that have electricity but are screen free. Wildwood is known as a safe and nurturing place for boys to become confident. This camp is the closest to the Inn and only 3.6 miles away.
As you peruse each of these Maine summer camps online, you will see that they are unique, just like your child. We enjoy meeting the parents that drop off, pick up and visit their children at all of these camps. Dropping a child off for the first time can be stressful for any parent. We are pleased to welcome you back to the Noble House inn to decompress and relax. We are confident that you will be comforted by knowing that giving your child the Maine summer camp experience is priceless.

Camp Wyonegonic
Camp Wyonegonic is the oldest girls camp in Maine and for many, is a family tradition! With over 700 acres of pine forest and 2 miles of shoreline, Camp Wyonegonic is the perfect summer destination for your daughter. The camp’s philosophy includes encouraging independent thinking, creating friendships and fostering a love of the outdoors. Located in nearby Denmark Maine, this camp is only 8.5 miles from the Inn.

Other Girls Camps
Camp Fernwood
Camp Runoia
Fernwood Cove
Camp Somerset for Girls
Camp Kippewa
Tripp Lake Camp
Camp Mataponi
Camp Vega
Camp Matoaka
Camp Walden
Camp Pinecliffe

Boys Camps
Camp Agawam
Camp O-AT-KA
Camp Androscoggin
Birch Rock Camp
Camp Takajo
Camp Caribou
Camp Wildwood
Camp Cedar
Winona Camps
Camp Cobbossee
Camp Winnebago
Camp Manitou

Coed Camps
Camp Encore Coda 
Camp Laurel
Camp Modin
Camp Laurel South
Camp Nashoba North
Camp Seeds of Peace

Maine Teen Camp
Camp North Star
Camp Med-O-Lark
Camp Sunshine
Camp Micah
Camp Wekeela

Brother/Sister Camps
Kamp Kohut

Great Place to Stay in Bridgton Maine During Pick Up, Drop Off or Visitation.  
The Noble House Inn is ideal any time of year. The casual luxury and great location make the Noble House Inn a wonderful getaway. Enjoy charming guest rooms with comfortable furnishings while visiting the beautiful Mountain and Lakes Region of Maine. The Inn continues to serve it’s famous wicked-good breakfast, but due to Covid-19, breakfast is now provided in a to-go bag ready to enjoy where you choose.

Looking for a sleepaway camp? Let me take you to Maine

When we first started our search for camp I was at a loss. There are a zillion sleep away camps. How did I end up in Maine? I knew I wanted Zach to get out of D0dge and separate from his school friends. I had this idealistic place in mind that had a beautiful lake, natural beauty, incredible instruction including sports experiences, no electronics, innovative programs with a “campy” laid back feel. Sort of like classic camp films focusing on great traditions, amazing outdoors and waterfronts, and friendships but the updated 2012 version (with appropriate supervision and safety!). I spoke to a bunch of friends who were going through the same “search” and one of them suggested I get in touch with Maine Camp Experience. So I did. Maine Camp Experience is THE resource for all things camp and Maine – complete with a “Maine Guide” to personally assist families with summer camp guidance, and planning visits to Maine.

If you check out the Maine Camp Experience Site you can see the 33 premier, well-established camps that are proud members of Maine Camp Experience. Some of these camps are over 100 years old!! Maybe your grandparents attended one of these, so it is reassuring they are still around and flourishing.

Boys

Girls

Coed

Brother/Sister

I knew when we got to Maine there was no turning back. You know how when you go on vacation and you find that one place that you seem to always gravitate towards. No matter how many times you plan a vacation and you want to try somewhere new, you always seem to find a way back to your favorite place. This is how I felt about Maine. The air smells different, the pace is slower, and there is a beauty that I can’t put into words but something you must experience for yourself.

We looked at several camps. Each camp sets itself apart in its own unique way but I can honestly tell you they all had many of the same qualities:

• All offer a nice geographic diversity of campers
• Kids at all the  Maine camps unplug from technology and connect with each other, phew!
• All of the staff at each MCE camp are All-American and collegiate athletes, university professors, broadway performers, gourmet chefs (Zach actually came home asking for salad!), and acclaimed artists; as well as the best in education/ child development – oriented college majors/experience that a camp can find. Maine camps hire the best staff from around the world.
• Campers benefit from Maine’s fresh air, serenity, relaxed pace, beautiful forests, and 2,200 crystal clear lakes. There’s nothing like sleeping out in a Maine forest under a starry night sky, or learning to canoe, kayak, sail, water ski, and wakeboard. Zach loved sleeping in the woods!!

• Social Action – a key part of experiencing camp in Maine is learning about the importance of social action/helping others and participating in programs that help to give back.  Some examples are supporting Camp Sunshine, an MCE member camp, supporting local food pantries, elderly, animals, MCE partnership with DoSomething.org, the largest organization for teen social action, and Maxcure Foundation “Dunk Your Kicks” program.

Last summer Zach participated in the Dunk Your Kicks program. This is an awesome event where Maine Camp Experience campers donate their used sneakers by “dunking” their “kicks” at their camp. (Max Cure then works with recyclers and distributors to sell the donated sneakers in exchange for funds that go toward cancer research and treatment. )  MCE partners  with Camp Trucking and Camp Baggage that will help transport the sneakers.

One of the most amazing features of Maine camps are the trips the kids get to experience. From Blueberry picking, rafting, lobster boating, whale watching to hiking over 60 mountains including Mt. Katahdin.

• Programs – I was in awe over the state-of art programs offered in Maine including metal-smithing, ice hockey, yoga, culinary arts as well as traditional activities like lacrosse, team sports, riding, soccer, tennis, and woodworking. Along with these programs come world-class facilities such as dance studios,  indoor gyms, clay tennis courts, regulation athletic fields, and sandy shores. Zach’s camp offers BMX biking! Crazy!!

• Tradition! This was soooo important to me. Rich traditions that stretch back for generations are an important fabric of every single Maine camp. Many of which recently celebrated their 75th or 100th anniversaries!! It amazed me on visiting day how many kids in Zach’s bunk had fathers who attended his camp.

When we looked for camps in Maine I thought it was only fair that we, the parents, get to experience this amazing place as well. I was super excited to build a little trip into visiting day weekend and spend some time eating lobster rolls, water skiing, hiking, shopping, and relaxing. Maine is such a special place in the summer, I would be lying if I didn’t tell you part of choosing a camp in Maine was selfish. Instant summer vacation. DONE!

Maine Camp Experience runs a promotion called “Pack Your Bags” where a camper has the opportunity to win a $5,000 tuition. This year they have extended the giveaway to include a boat, camp shopping sprees from Modell’s, gift certificates for a “taste of Maine” with Maine Foodie Tours and Coastal Maine Popcorn Co. and many other exciting prizes! Entry launch will start March 15th.  Sign up for their newsletter and follow them on Facebook  and Twitter to stay up to date on this!

Good luck! Choosing a camp in Maine was one of the best decisions as parents we have made so far. Have questions, reach out! I am happy to point you in the right direction at Maine Camp Experience. Laurie is an expert at all things Maine and will hold your hand from the word GO! She is totally unbiased (promise) and free! You can email her at [email protected] OR 877-92-Maine.

Lastly, you can also check out MCE ‘s awesome new tool where you can select a camp by choosing: type of camp (girls, boys or coed), session length (2-7 weeks) and rates. It should help narrow down a few camps to a manageable list you can print or email yourself before you make plans to visit or hop on the phone with Laurie.

This should be a fun, exciting process. I promise Maine Camp Experience will take away the stress and provide an invaluable service to prospective families. I know they did for me which is why I became a Maine Camp Enthusiast!!

Maine Camp Experience, 877-92-Maine. [email protected]

Camp | Girl Scouts of Maine

Imagine a summer experience with no screens and social pressures. One
that connects girls with nature and new friends, builds leadership
skills and healthy relationships, and allows girls to have a fun in a
supportive, carefree environment. That’s the experience girls have at
Girl Scouts of Maine’s Summer Camps!

Whether you try day
camp, resident
camp, troop
mini-camp, or family
camp, you will have the experience you’ve always dreamed of – one
full of excitement, exploration and adventure. Girl Scout Camp is
chock-full of endless possibilities and we want every girl to be able
to enjoy the great outdoors while taking advantage of amazing opportunities.

Your Camp Guide has arrived! Tap on the image below to check
it out!

Your Camp Guide is coming January 24, 2021!

Tree Wheeler (Natarswi) and our Pondicherry Director are available to
talk about your camp adventure. Send them an email, or give them a
call at 888-922-4763, and they’ll be happy to answer any questions you
have about camp.

Don’t you just LOVE camp?

Help us spread the word about how much Girl Scout camp means to you
and refer
a friend!

HIDDEN | ACCORDION COMPONENT

Camp Connection & Postcards From Camp – Virtual Camp
Experience 2020

Join us on Facebook and Zoom for the following Camp Connection
events and to see Postcards From Camp.

HIDDEN | ACCORDION COMPONENT

Special Family CampOuts for 2020

We are excited to offer family campout weekends at both Pondicherry
and Natarswi this summer. These are specially affordably priced DIY
(Do It Yourself) sessions.

Families can reserve a private campsite or cabin, bring their own
food supplies and cooking equipment and spend a weekend at their
daughter’s favorite camp.

We know everyone has been
cooped up and looking for ways to safely get their families outside.
Here is a great chance to do just that – a family camp weekend can
include fun activities, or just relaxing outdoors at our beautiful
camps.

The camps come in two flavors:

• The Family DIY Campout will offer swimming and boating, and
  all the on-your-own activities your family can muster.
• The
  Family DIY Campout Plus will have additional program staff so it
  will offer swimming, boating and other programs – archery, hatchet
  throwing (6th grade and up), and nature crafts, along with
  on-your-own choices.

Attendance is limited to 6-8 families per session, to safely
provide social distancing and give everyone lots of open space. The
pricing has been set low, recognizing that this is also a time of
financial uncertainty for many families in Maine.

We
will observe social distancing and sanitation and other COVID-19
precautions during the campouts. The camp directors are carefully
planning the activities and sign-ups to keep COVID-19 safety
guidelines a priority.

At least one household member
must be a currently registered Maine Girl Scout.  

The
first session is on July 4th weekend, so it’s coming right up.

Weekend pricing starts at $100 per household for the whole
weekend, and spaces are limited, so register today! Payment in
full is required at registration.

To find
out more about these weekend sessions, click here.  

Dates at both Pondicherry and Natarswi:

Family DIY CampOut
July 3-5
July 10-12
August 21-23
August 28-29

Family DIY CampOut PLUS
July
17-19
July 21 -23 (weekdays; Pondicherry only)
July
24-26
July 31-August 2
August 4-6 (weekdays; Pondicherry
only)
August 7-9
August 11-13 (weekdays; Pondicherry
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Across Maine, Social Workers Are Becoming A Part Of The Summer Camp Experience

Thousands of kids across the state are in their final month of summer camp. The camp setting has often been viewed as a therapeutic experience that can teach kids social skills and teamwork and build self-esteem. But many camp administrators in Maine say they’re seeing more kids with social and emotional issues, including anxiety and attention deficit disorders, and now camps are responding to those needs in a number of ways.

When you think about that idyllic, New England summer camp experience, Camp Beech Cliff on Mt. Desert Island is probably close to what you picture. More than 800 kids, mostly locals, attend the day camp over the course of the summer, where they swim and canoe at nearby Echo Lake, practice rock climbing and, of course, do arts and crafts.

Inside a big, canvas tent, an incoming third-grader named Liberty is cutting up an old dress and repurposing it.

“So I’m doing like a purse, or like a bag,” Liberty says.

Liberty says camp is “awesome” this summer, but last year was a lot harder for her. She says when she got into a big group, like at lunch time, she could get overwhelmed.

“I just get mad or sad,” she says. “I don’t have any place to go except in my group. So I just want to be alone, but I can’t, because I’m in the group.”

This summer, Liberty says camp has been a lot easier because of a new social worker on staff. Camp Beech Cliff is part of a growing number of camps that are hiring on-site mental health professionals to address increasing rates of social-emotional issues, like anxiety and ADHD, that have become a challenge for campers, counselors and administrators.

“As a field, we are definitely, for the past 10 to 15 years, we’ve been seeing an increase, an uptick, of trauma coming to camp with kids, and also with young staff members,” says Tom Rosenberg, the CEO of the American Camp Association. The Association did a survey finding that more than a third of camps responding expected to see an increased number of campers and staff with diagnosed social-emotional needs.

Credit Robbie Feinberg / Maine Public

The entrance to the “chill zone” at Camp Beech Cliff.

“So we’ve been working really hard to understand those needs and then create supports for them and accommodate them,” Rosenberg says.

Rosenberg says his organization offers professional development and access to trainings, such as mental health first aid courses. But Debbie Deal, the executive director of Camp Beech Cliff, says in recent years, it became clear that more was needed.

“Because we do 40 hours, at least, of training,” Deal says. “And then we do some other, additional trainings as camp went on. We had a procedure that would work, but we found more and more kids actually needing the help.”

This year, Camp Beech Cliff has brought in a white tent, called the “chill zone.” Inside is a newly hired social worker, Corrie Hunkler, who has outfitted the shelter with soft chairs and drawers stuffed with Play-Doh and other squishy toys. Hunkler says up to 15 campers a day visit the chill zone when they feel upset or overwhelmed — like lunch — or have a conflict that needs to be resolved.

“Because these are big times of the day where it’s loud, it’s chaotic. So these kids that struggle, or have more things going on, they really need that extra support,” says Hunkler.

The visits to the tent often aren’t long, maybe 5 to 10 minutes. They talk about how the camper is feeling, then make a plan to help them rejoin their group. Camper Liberty says its helped her.

Credit Robbie Feinbergy / Maine Public

A camper spends time in the “chill zone” at Camp Beech Cliff on Mount Desert Island.

“It’s really nice. If I get stressed out or sad, or angry, I could just go there and chill out to get away from the group,” she says.

Other Maine camps have added mental health professionals to assist both campers and staff members, but cost is a barrier. A recent survey from the American Camp Association suggests that about one-fifth of summer camps had a mental health professional on-site, while more used on-call support.

Maine Teen Camp in Porter recently brought in a professional to assist staff, says Director Monique Rafuse. They’re looking at someone to help campers, too.

“Would it be nice to have someone hired full-time? Gosh, yeah,” says Rafuse. “But I don’t see camps being able to afford that. I think a contracting scenario, with one day a week, would be a great baby step to the future.”

At Camp Beech Cliff, this year’s funding for its “chill zone” and other social-emotional programming has come from private and philanthropic donations. And administrators say they’re encouraged by the early results. In recent years, they’ve been forced to send a few kids home each summer due to social-emotional issues. But this year, with more support, they say that hasn’t happened.

The ’60s Spirit Prospers at a Maine Camp | BU Today

Ron Furst’s summer experience brings tolerance and self-confidence into the woods

Ron Furst, owner of Camp Hawthorne, in Raymond, Maine, tries to foster a culture of joy and community spirit. Photos by Vernon Doucette

When Ron Furst graduated from BU in 1969, he was expected to take over the family paintbrush factory. But Furst was everything his father didn’t want him to be — a philosopher, a dreamer, a hippie — and he had other plans.

Influenced by BU’s politically outspoken professors Howard Zinn and Murray Levin, Furst (SMG’69, SED’75) decided to open a private psychotherapy practice to help troubled children. During the summers, he left his affluent hometown of Newton, Mass., to lead teenagers on wilderness adventures through the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming. “In the wilderness, I saw teenagers grow into healthy, tolerant, and self-confident individuals,” he recalls.

Those experiences led him to Raymond, Maine, where in 1986 he purchased Camp Hawthorne, one of the oldest summer camps in the country. Built in 1919, surrounded by 120 acres of pine forest, the ramshackle establishment had fallen into disrepair, with broken beds, leaky boats, and rotted docks jutting into the lake.

But Furst saw possibilities. “Kids today live such isolated lives,” he says. “They’re afraid of dirt, they’re afraid of nature. It’s important that they learn to trust and enjoy one another.” And so he taught himself how to wire electricity, install plumbing, and cook for 100 people. He took on every job, from camp director and bus driver to nurse and psychologist.

Today, Camp Hawthorne remains rustic; there are no sprawling lodges, tennis courts, or riding stables. The lakeside cabins are small, furnished with sagging bunkbeds; the mess hall still could use some updating. But what the camp lacks in amenities, its campers make up for in creativity. And that’s the whole point.

“Imagination is highly valued,” Furst says. “Just as important, we foster a culture of joy and community spirit by teaching tolerance, social responsibility, and fair-mindedness.”

An elaborate dream catcher hangs between two trees, with driftwood, branches, and pinecones caught in its web. Colorful murals adorn the buildings, and brightly painted totem poles, rocks, and benches crafted by campers from years past are scattered throughout the grounds. Even a trip to the bathroom is an experience: tiny Christmas lights twinkle from the ceiling, and the walls are stenciled with silhouettes of John Travolta, à la Saturday Night Fever. “It was part of a camp beautification project,” Furst explains.

The camp is egalitarian: campers rotate dishwashing and gardening duties, and activities are never categorized according to age. There’s the traditional archery, sailing, canoeing, arts and crafts, filmmaking, drama, mountain biking, and rock climbing, as well as the less conventional; at night, campers can wander to the lake to listen to beatnik poetry at Joel’s Coffee Haus, and on Sunday mornings they gather in an outdoor chapel for a short, nature-oriented service.

“People say the spirit of the ’60s is nothing but a faded memory,” Furst says. “But I see it reflected in the eyes of our campers every day.”

Furst has seen generations of campers grow from children to adults. Many return as counselors, and one, Cullen McGough (CFA’99) is currently the assistant director. “Camp is such a formative experience,” Furst says, “because it is the first place where children create a world for themselves outside of their families.”

On a rainy Saturday night, the lodge is filled with campers dancing to disco music. “Our dances are kind of legendary,” Furst says, his arms flailing to the beat. “The only rule is that everyone has to go stag.”

Dressed in an outlandish costume pilfered from the drama department, a counselor coaxes a reluctant camper onto the dance floor. The music pulses, lights flicker, and walls reverberate with pounding heels. In the center of the crowd, Furst dances.

Vicky Waltz can be reached at [email protected].

This article, in a slightly different form, first appeared in the summer 2009 Bostonia.

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90,000 Burning Man: personal experience of colleagues

Burning Man, an experiment in creating a society of radical self-expression, has been taking place in late August in the Nevada desert for over 30 years.

Several of our colleagues have been there this year. We have collected three stories from Kharkiv, Lviv and New York – about why people go to the desert, how they prepare for this, what amazes Burning Man.

Mikhail Postolny, Senior Designer, Kharkiv

Costs: $ 2600 per person

Accommodation: French Quarter camp

About tickets

The idea to visit Burning Man came to me back at the institute, when I first saw photographs from the desert.But my girlfriend and I weren’t sure if we could get there until the very last moment. First of all, because 30 thousand tickets (in total, about 80 thousand people are going to BM), going on sale, fly out in five to seven minutes. We were not among the first happy customers, because we booked flights without having any tickets to the festival yet. My friends never got to Burning Man in a similar situation, they just had to walk around San Francisco. Therefore, of course, we were worried. By the way, there are two categories of tickets: $ 500 and $ 1200. They are no different, just those that are more expensive are always on sale. But 1200 per person is very expensive.

Our pair suit, made based on paintings by Kazimir Malevich.

We were helped by the Burning express campaign: the organizers raffled off 1000 additional tickets directly to the festival and the bus from San Francisco. So they try to convince more people not to go to the place in their cars in order to avoid traffic jams.

About unexpected

First of all, I wanted to see sculptures and installations. But the festival turned out to be much more difficult than I imagined. The most interesting thing for me was the utopian society that people are building for this week. One of Burning Man’s ideas – decommodification – involves the creation of a zone completely free from market relations. Upon entering Black Rock City, a person glues all commercial logos and refuses money for eight days.

At the same time, the city, which stands only on self-organization, lives: it has everything – from bars and discos to kindergartens and hairdressers. Even the airport is real here – it is officially registered and accepts small planes on which some of the participants fly. There are no sponsors at Burning Man, absolutely all people build themselves, perhaps that’s why they are so careful about Black Rock City. It is hard to imagine that the place where 80 thousand people have gathered will be so clean.

Black Rock City Municipal Airport – 88NV.

There are real hospitals in the city, there are volunteer rangers who keep order, and plainclothes police who enforce the laws of Nevada. But it is difficult to notice them, since they do their work extremely unobtrusively. But, for example, alcohol will not be served to you without an ID at the bar.

About camp

Most of the participants live in camps, with which you need to arrange in advance. Not everyone answered our letters, but one of the old camps – the French Quarter – the French Quarter responded.

The French Quarter is one of the camps that host virgins – “virgins” who came to Burning Man for the first time.

The camp itself is more correctly called a village, it consists of two-story wooden houses, there is a French bakery with croissants, a wine cellar, and even a rock club. In general, all camps at the festival have a public part – any participant can go there. If this is a bar, it will be treated to a cocktail, if it is a yoga center, a yoga session will be held, etc.Therefore, everyone not only relaxed, we also had work shifts – we cooked food, and also painted some umbrellas, which were then handed out, also, of course, free of charge.

General scheme of expenses. Accommodation in San Francisco turned out to be free for us – our friends live there.

About people

All burners look very unusual – they all carry special “ceremonial” suits, but even their everyday clothes are interesting. Of course, there is a lot of eroticism: naked people, jewelry, tattoos, but that’s not all. On average, the people at the festival are really similar to those who can be seen in the photo collections.

I could not have made the cloud suit alone, I needed the help of those who know how to bend aluminum profiles.

Among the participants there are a lot of people from Silicon Valley, it’s not far away, and the programmers from there have money. There are a lot of engineers – from ordinary people to CEOs of large companies, artists and musicians.But, in fact, it usually does not occur to you to ask who your interlocutor is outside Burning Man. For example, now he is a baker, and you are not interested in the fact that in the outside world he is a banker. Although my friend, by the way, met Elon Musk there and managed to talk to him. It is clear that the Mask is still on Burning Man, you will probably find out.

Artkars are one of the main impressions of the festival. Mayan warrior is one of the most famous, only his speaker system cost $ 2.5 million.

Obviously, over 30 years the festival has gone through different stages of maturation. Probably 15 years ago it was different, because now it is a huge project that brings the organizers a lot of money. But I don’t think this is a bad thing – including, it allows them to support the project, observing all the basic principles. So this is my Burning Man. I love him.

Marta and Valery Volkov, office manager and head of the development center, Lviv

Expenses: $ 3500 per person

Accommodation: camp Borsch

About motives

We have known about Burning Man for a long time, and the desire to get there was huge.By the way, we were introduced to Anton Shevelev, who has been organizing the Borsch camp in the desert for two years in a row. When he started talking about the festival, it turned out to be so tasty and bright that we had no choice.

Giant puppets have been coming to the festival from Spain for several years.

Probably, everyone goes to Burning Man for something of their own. But you can be sure that he will receive it on the spot. There is an opinion that Byrne will give you exactly what you need.For us, this was, first of all, communication with new interesting people, incredible pleasure from amazing art cars and, of course, an atmosphere that is impossible to convey in words.

About suits

The theme of our camp “Borsch” partially helped us to decide on the images. From there, and wreaths with embroidered shirts. We sewed some of the costumes to order, the rest were ordered on Amazon. Although now we understand that we were not well prepared enough. First of all, this applies to night suits.Because at night on Burning Man absolutely everything glows: artifacts, art cars, bicycles and people. We also shone, but there are ideas on how to improve the image!

In general, there are actually a lot of people in special costumes, and a lot of them are really creative. There are special days (Tutu Day or White Day) when everyone who wants to wear skirts or white suits. But all this, first of all, depends on your desire. There were those who didn’t bother with costumes, and that’s okay too.

About everyday life

We flew from Lviv to Salt Lake City via Warsaw and Amsterdam. In Salt Lake City, they rented a RV (mobile home), in which the four of them lived. It is very comfortable: there is a shower, toilet, refrigerator, stove, microwave oven, dishes. The rental price for a week is $ 1200, plus the car needs to be washed after the festival. You can do it yourself (we would not recommend it) or pay money for the car wash ($ 400). Even before arriving at the festival, you need to spend money on buying water, food and everything you need – when you get to Black Rock City, you will not be able to buy anything.

We are often asked if the dust bothered us. The answer is no! Because when you first stop by in Black Rock City, as a beginner, you are initiated into a burner. It is done like this: you lie down in the dust and make an angel, and then you beat the gong. From this moment on, you and the dust are one! So we didn’t feel any discomfort. The people around were friendly, they were always ready to shelter in their camp, if you want to take a break, chat or wait out a dust storm.

The temple – one of the main structures of the festival – is burned the next day after the sculpture “The Burning Man”.

About the atmosphere

Everything around you is cool on Burning Man! We can say that the environment itself transforms your consciousness. There is the Circus du Soleil (just like that, free for everyone), and Karl Cox, many people of art, heads of startups and IT companies.

We cannot judge whether Byrne has changed and whether he was better. But we definitely want more. This time we will already be better prepared and will be able to learn more about the festival.

Aksana Levin, HR Manager, New York

Expenses: $ 2300 per person

Accommodation: Sound camp

About burners

This year we went to Burning Man for the second time. But even before visiting the festival, I was already well acquainted with the Burners – those who travel to it. This is a very big party, and they gather not only in August in Nevada, some meetings and parties are often held all over the world. There are many creative people among these people, but, of course, in everyday life they can be anyone.

Radical self-expression – one of the main principles of the festival – is not limited to extravagant costumes. At Burning Man, everyone can behave openly and expressively without fear of being judged by anyone.But only on condition that you do not threaten anyone and simply do not interfere. A very important concept for the festival is consent. I think most accurately this word can be translated as informed consent. No one can do anything with another person to which he has not voiced a clear consent. It doesn’t matter if it’s about hugging a passerby, touching someone’s hand, kissing the cheek, or photographing someone. And here it would never occur to anyone that a frank outfit or even its absence is a provocation, and not one of the ways of self-expression.

With singing bowls against the background of the Temple-2018.

All communication is based on mutual sympathy and the desire to help each other. People give gifts all the time. At any moment, you can simply stretch out drops for the eyes – suddenly they dry up with you – treat you with something, give something. This is called Playa gift.

About the Desert

Burning Man cannot be called a vacation in the usual sense of the word. If only because it is still hard to spend eight days in the desert.During the day it can easily be 35 or even 40 degrees, but at night you are shaking from the cold. Of course, during the day you need to constantly drink water, this is the most important thing: we loaded special backpacks – camelbacks – and did not part with them.

Playa, 2018. In the background is the cool installation The Orb.

From time to time there are dust storms, from which even special masks are not very helpful. But these harsh conditions are also part of the Burning Man experience.

About Black Rock City

I see this city in the desert as a real seething cauldron, in which the movement does not stop for a minute. This is especially acute at night, when the entire Black Rock City is lit up. People take special care of this, so the camps in the dark look completely different from the light, and even cooler than during the day. But in the midst of this boiling life, you can always relax in your camp, recharge a little, because it is impossible to constantly exist in this mode.

First trip to the festival. Playa, 2016.

Most of the camps, which are simply wild numbers, are built around a specific theme. Everyone chooses what they are good at and what they are willing to share with others. There was, for example, a camp for Muscovites who built a real Russian bathhouse in the desert with birch brooms and tea. We went to them this year and last. Our camp was called Sound Camp. In the evenings, we had cool, specially selected DJs, in the afternoon we had sound meditations.

You need to pay in advance to stay at the camp. Sometimes the amounts can just be cosmic. But we paid only $ 175 for all seven days, which included three meals a day. Two years ago camp fees cost us 480. There are those who do not live in the camp, but this is real hardcore. You need to take all the food and water with you, think about where to take a shower, whether there will be a canopy over the tent. Although you definitely won’t die of hunger. For example, in some camp, pancakes are cooked from 10 to 11, which means that when you go by on your bike, they will invite you to have breakfast.

About impressions

During the day, a huge number of events, workshops, themed parties take place in the camps. You can go somewhere at random and, for example, dance or meditate. You can just ride around Playa and watch installations or hang out in the same bathhouse. It is difficult to talk about this, because it is impossible to list everything. You constantly meet someone, if you want, of course.

At Burning Man, everyone is constantly asking each other, “Have you been there? Have you already seen this? ” But the number of events is such that in response you have to answer: “No.And probably, I just won’t be able to go there in these days ”. In ordinary life, you probably won’t get so many impressions in a whole year.

Therefore, when you return home, the state of Burning Man blues comes, such a depression. You begin to realize that all week you have been in a city built artificially, which appears out of nowhere in the desert and just as instantly disappears. You do not understand well what is happening around you now, and you are trying to somehow rethink your life. But the ability to enjoy ordinary things returns quickly enough.

90,000 Isle of Man Prisoners | Warspot. ru

In August 1914, it turned out that tens or even hundreds of thousands of subjects of the powers that entered the war were on the enemy’s lands. Military and civilians became hostages of total war, which, continuing and developing the experience of small conflicts at the beginning of the twentieth century, marked the beginning of the era of concentration camps. Naturally, the conditions of detention of different categories of prisoners differed from camp to camp and from country to country.In the same way as in Germany, camps like the one created in Ruhlebene near Berlin were organized, they were also built on the other side of the English Channel.

Foreigners in Britain and the beginning of the camp system

Great Britain at the beginning of the twentieth century attracted many foreigners, a significant number of whom were from Central and Eastern Europe. Germans, Austrians, Poles, Jews and other residents of Germany and Austria-Hungary worked in the service sector, banks, were doctors and teachers, and studied at universities. Many aristocratic British families were related to German nobles.

General view of the Nokalo POW camp on the Isle of Man, German print (http://www.knockaloe.org.uk)

Thus, Robert Graves was a relative of the famous historian Leopold von Ranke, and some of the German cousins ​​of this later famous British writer and poet rose to the rank of general and fought on the Western Front. Needless to say, the royal family of Great Britain itself was intimately connected with both the Hohenzollerns and other ruling houses of the German Empire.

With the outbreak of war, a wave of anti-German hysteria swept across the British kingdom, as well as across other countries of the Entente, culminating in the May 1915 pogroms in London, Liverpool and other major cities. They were caused by the sinking of the steamer Lusitania, torpedoed by a German submarine off the coast of Ireland.

Interior of one of the barracks of the Nokalo camp (http://imuseum.im)

German surnames, the names of restaurants and shops, as well as the dishes and products served and sold in them, the names of streets, gardens, in general toponyms of German origin, were decisively replaced by English counterparts. Naturally, the natives of Germany and Austria-Hungary who worked in British cities became a target for the crowd. Zeppelin raids, shelling of coastal cities, stories about the atrocities of the Germans against civilians in the occupied territories only fueled anti-German sentiments.

However, the army and law enforcement agencies also became interested in the subjects of enemy states. Some Germans, apparently not without reason, were suspected of working for German intelligence. In addition, it would be a crime to allow tens of thousands of combat-ready men to go over to the enemy.Most of the foreigners from the hostile powers were Germans from Germany (57,000 in mid-1914), incomparably smaller groups were also formed by immigrants from Austria-Hungary and natives of the Ottoman Empire. Most of the foreigners lived in London and its environs.

Field kitchen in the camp (http://imuseum.im)

It should be noted that these civilians constituted the main contingent of specially formed prisoner camps throughout the war. At first, there were very few prisoners from the Western Front, as noted by the historian Panikos Panai, on the territory of Great Britain, they appeared in the British army in large numbers only at the end of 1917, and prisoners from the Middle East to the British Isles, with a few exceptions, were not brought.

A special government service for the supervision of civilians from hostile states and prisoners of war appeared already in August 1914, and in 1915-1916. it was reformed according to new government directives. So, in May 1915, after the sinking of the “Lusitania”, all male subjects of hostile states, regardless of their suitability for military service, had to go to the camps and remained there until 1919. Prior to that, many remained at large, pledging not to leave the five-mile zone around their place of residence and regularly reporting to the police.In addition, in August 1914, a special bureau of information about prisoners appeared, since this was required by the corresponding article of the Hague Conference.

Dinner before liberation, February 1919. Watercolor by German artist Georg Kenner (http://www.knockaloe.org.uk)

By September 1914, 13,600 people were already imprisoned, including prisoners from the battlefield (just over 3,000) and civilians of draft age who ended up on the islands on the eve of the war, as well as several hundred sailors from merchant ships captured in ports or the open sea.By November 1915, after all foreigners were arrested and sent to the camps, the number of prisoners had increased to 32,440. With the course of the war, this number increased critically only at the end of 1917: in November of this year, about 30,000 civilians and slightly less than 50,000 soldiers, and by November 1918, prisoners of war completely prevailed over civilian prisoners (91,000 versus 24,500).

Where were the unwanted persons sent? All over the UK, camps emerged that were very small, each holding between 1,000 and 5,000 people.The only exception was the camp at Knockaloe on the Isle of Man, which had a constant prison population of 20,000 throughout the war. Also, tens of thousands of foreigners have passed through several camps in London and one in Yorkshire, but at the same time, each of them has never been more than 6,000 people.

Living conditions in the camps. Isle of Man case

As a rule, former army training bases or other similar groups of buildings became camps (free-standing barracks were required, which could be easily surrounded by a fence), although there were exceptions.To accommodate all the prisoners, government officials at the very beginning of the war were forced, for example, to rent four ocean liners. In another case, already in 1917, a 17th century castle surrounded by a park became a camp. The extremely good conditions for accommodating officers from Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey there were the subject of special requests in parliament (the deputies rightly reproached the military for creating some kind of resort for the enemy).

A training class in a camp, 1917 (http: // imuseum.im)

The Isle of Man was chosen for the largest camp for a reason. The remoteness of the island, located in the Irish Sea between Britain and Ireland, and the availability of suitable infrastructure (formerly a camp for the training of territorial troops) were apparently decisive factors. On the other hand, such remoteness prevented the use of prisoners’ labor. In camps in Britain by 1918, tens of thousands of camp dwellers were involved in agricultural work, but there was simply nowhere to use them on a small island.

The Nokalo camp opened in November 1914. Initially, it was designed for 5,000 people, but then the number of inhabitants quadrupled. Interestingly, before the war, only 55,000 people lived on the island, mainly in three cities – Douglas, Peel and Ramsey. Nokalo, in fact, became the fourth and largest settlement on the island.

Local library (http://imuseum.im)

A total of 20,000 people were concentrated on an area of ​​about 200 hectares, and more than 1,000 kilometers of barbed wire were wound around the camp perimeter. Located in the lowlands, surrounded by hills, the camp was windy and rainy. One of the camp’s inhabitants, Austrian Paul Cohen-Portheim, described him as “the most unpleasant of all camps where living conditions were the worst possible” . Another prisoner, Major Pal Stoffa, left these memories:

“On January 1, 1917, I understood why the camp at Nokalo was such a terror to the inhabitants of [London’s] Alexander Palace camp. Here the conclusion came down to simple elements: barbed wire, barracks, dirt … No normal buildings, no visitors.It was a place of temporary residence, gloomy, cold and monotonous. The incessant drizzling rain was the keynote of our existence. ”

It should be noted that the major had something to compare with. He himself fell first into Russian captivity and was sent somewhere in Siberia, from where he successfully escaped, moving to China, and then to America. On the way from America to Scandinavia, the ship on which he sailed was intercepted by the British, and the major, as a suspicious foreigner, landed first in a London camp, and then was transferred to the Isle of Man.

Theatrical circle of one of the blocks of the Nokalo camp, 1915 (http://www.iwm.org.uk)

The camp was divided into four parts, in each of which there were divisions (compounds) of 1000 people each. In 1916, there were 23 of them. Each such unit had 4–5 barracks. The divisions had elective self-government, representing their members in camp-wide structures.

According to the researchers, the general regime in the camp was harsh. Daily verification was the least onerous.Much more oppressive was the prohibition of correspondence without special permission with the inhabitants of other camps, and only two letters were supposed to be sent a week, undergoing strict censorship. Incoming mail was also carefully checked, and it happened that parcels from home were delayed for months. Disobedience, fights and attempts to escape entailed a wide range of punishments, from deprivation of the right to correspondence to imprisonment in a punishment cell. As a result, 98 people were sentenced by the tribunal to various prison terms for attempting to escape. All these attempts, it should be noted, have failed. Not a single prisoner managed to escape from the island.

German postcard with greetings from Nocalo. In addition to images of the camp, the postcard is equipped with a schematic map of the island, its coat of arms and a “portrait” of its main business card – the Isle of Man cat (http://imuseum.im)

The barracks themselves were electrified, but had only the most necessary things – beds (rather, wooden bunks), tables, chairs. In a chilly climate, the absence of any heating had a bad effect on the health of the inhabitants.There was a constant lack of places for washing, as well as toilets. Each barrack had its own kitchen, where cooks specially selected from among the prisoners prepared simple meals. The diet included bread or biscuits (just over a pound per day per person), meat (fresh or canned, at the beginning of the war about half a pound per person, then the norms were reduced), vegetables (also about half a pound, followed by a decrease), sometimes cheese, butter.

In addition, tea and coffee were included in the diet. In principle, food could be bought in special canteens, as well as receive help from charitable organizations, but there was not enough food.There is evidence that the prisoners did not disdain dogs and cats (once even the assistant commandant’s dog disappeared somewhere in the barracks), as well as stealing from each other. Food complaints were the most frequent among letters to the Red Cross.

In this watercolor by German artist Georg Kenner, the garden laid out by the POWs gives the POW camp the appearance of a Garden of Eden (http://www.knockaloe.org.uk)

The treatment of prisoners and the sanitary condition of the camp were considered satisfactory by the observers, and the mortality rate was surprisingly low: 175 people during the entire existence of the camp.All cases were documented in local newspapers, and the necessary investigations were carried out by the coroner and medical officials of the island. In severe cases, patients were transported to a hospital in the capital of the island of Douglas.

The monotony of life, multiplied by everyday difficulties, provoked the deviant behavior of the prisoners. By 1916, cases of theft, fights and attempts to escape had become so frequent that the camp commandant was even forced to issue a special announcement that all those who violated the order would be sentenced by the tribunal to life imprisonment or shot.The specter of rebellion haunted the authorities, which is why they tried to limit prisoners’ contacts with the outside world as much as possible. The rare newspapers that entered the camp were only British, and foreign press from the USA or Switzerland was not allowed.

The graves of deceased prisoners of war at the local cemetery (http://www.iwm.org.uk)

The prisoners themselves were aware that showdowns between the barracks (domestic crimes happened constantly) could not last forever. The most active camp residents organized training courses, published their own newspaper, and staged performances and concerts. Relatives or rare benefactors who remained in Britain supplied the camp with books, tools and small items for leisure activities such as board games. However, the authorities monitored and banned gambling, but did not have much success.

The Nokalo camp was closed in 1919, but its experience has not been forgotten or lost. After 20 years, the Isle of Man again became a gathering place for civil and military prisoners from all over Britain.

Literature:

1. http: // www.knockaloe.org.uk
2. Commitment and sacrifice: personal diaries from the Great War / ed. Coetzee M.S., Coetzee F. – New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2015
3. Panayi P. Prisoners of War and Internees (Great Britain) // International Encyclopedia of the First World War (http://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net)
4. Time Stood Still: My Internment in England 1914-1918, by Paul Cohen-Portheim // The Neglected Books Page, 2014 (http: // neglectedbooks. com)

Burning Man 2013. Festival Theme Camps

In addition to installations at Burning Man, there are theme camps in which something is constantly happening: parties, concerts, performances, etc. There is even a special event program brochure to help you plan your evening entertainment. In my opinion, it is in these camps – in conversations and meeting people – that you most of all feel the main principles of the festival. Perhaps now they will sound a little pathetic, but there they perfectly characterize what is happening:

• Radical inclusion : Anyone can be a part of Burning Man.We respect and are glad to accept any person. There are no conditions for participating in our community.
• Giving : At the heart of Burning Man is the act of giving. The value of the gift is not important. Donations are not intended to be returned or exchanged for anything of similar value.
• Decommodification : To preserve the spirit of giving, our community strives to create a social environment free of commercial sponsorship, transaction, or advertising. We protect our culture from such exploitation.We insist on replacing consumption with creative participation.
• Radical Self-Sufficiency : Burning Man inspires a person to discover, improve, and trust their inner resources.
• Radical self-expression : Radical self-expression comes from the uniqueness of the gifts. No one other than the participant or the creative group can determine its content, offered as a gift to others. Therefore, the giver must respect the rights and freedoms of the recipient of the gift.
• Community Efforts : Our community values ​​interaction and collaboration. We are committed to creating, maintaining and protecting social formations, public spaces, works of art and methods of communication.
• Responsibility : We value civil society. Event organizers assume responsibility for public safety and are required to enforce local, federal, and state laws.
• Leave no trace : Our community is committed to nature. We never leave any physical trace of our activity wherever we go. We clean everything, and, if possible, try to leave behind the place in a better condition than it was before us.
• Participation : Our community is based on participation. We believe that the transformation taking place with a person or society is impossible without active personal participation. All are invited to work. Everyone is invited to play. We make the world real through heart-opening actions.
• Here and Now : Direct experience is one of the most important tenets of our culture.We strive to overcome the barriers that separate us from the understanding of our inner “I”, the reality that surrounds us. No idea can replace this experience.

Photo of our camp – not themed, but the one in which we lived. Morning, hiding from the heat:

3.

Some burners used the following structures to protect the cars from heating:

4.

From time to time a water carrier passed through the streets and watered the sand so that there was less dust. Many guys living in tents without a shower ran after him naked to wash themselves:

5.

Burning man has enough toilets, in addition, there was a special car that pumped sewage from mobile homes:

6.

By the third day of my stay, I found a camp where the guys were distributing free satellite Wi-Fi. They had a tower, from which an excellent view of Playa opened:

7.

8.

9.

The central camp on the Esplanade is crowned with flags. This is the center of the hangout:

10.

You cannot go inside on bikes, which is immediately warned about at the entrance:

11.

The first time I got there was early in the morning, when there were not many people. In general, there is no overcrowding here:

12.

All kinds of exhibitions are held right there:

13.

14.

Central camp is the only place where you can buy something:

15.

The most valuable, what is at the festival is water. In any camp you can easily pour alcohol, but you have to look for water:

16.

Morning line for coffee.Many habits are difficult to give up even in the desert:

17.

Some camps like this offer accommodation, hangout and turnkey alcohol. Specifically, this camp treated everyone to fried ham in the morning:

18.

19.

In one of the camps there was an interesting entertainment:

20.

The guy was driving a helicopter with a camera installed on it:

21.

The image from the camera was broadcast into special glasses that anyone could wear:

22.

You could look at Playa from a bird’s eye view. Very good!

23.

24.

In one of the camps the audience was entertained by a magician:

25.

In another there was a yoga master class:

26.

Nearby the juggler:

27.

Central Vom the camp was Alexey Kiskachi – a Russian guy whom we met a day earlier (by the way, here are his photos from the festival). When I say Russian, I mean the Russians living in America.There are only a few Russians who come to the festival from Russia:

28.

29.

Two Chinese women sat nearby and wrote in Chinese to everyone who wanted his name:

30.

31.

Amazing dude – when he got up and went, I noticed that his entire household was hung with piercings:

32.

In the next post I will show how the main installation Burning Man was burned!

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This camp includes a quality training process and teaching principles to help everyone get the most out of it.
Including:
Features that make this camp a great value:

• Rick Mahorn is a former Detroit Pistons player legendary “Bad Boys”, 18 years was an NBA player and 2 years played in Europe, shares his rich experience as a player, and participates in the training process with the coaches of the camp.
• All exercises are designed to help you understand the strengths of the paint game. The main goal of these exercises is not only to learn the movements, but also so that you can apply them successfully in the game.
• 3 by 3 and 5 by 5 training games will help you consolidate everything that is taught to you and you can try to apply it in game moments. And also a 40 minute match at the end of the camp, which will be attended by many coaches and scouts from different teams.

90,290 members will be able to get a personalized video and scouting review, for a small fee.All of this is especially useful for those who want to get into the American Student League.

• Mental training sessions will help you develop your champion qualities. We will teach you how to properly motivate yourself, focus, aim yourself at victories and achieve incredible goals in your game. Because not everything depends only on physical skills. Psychology plays an important role.

• Participants will also have the opportunity to chat privately with Dr. Mitch Smith who is the camp director and mental trainer.He will help you learn more about your strengths.

• Participants will receive assistance to implement what they have learned at the camp.

Russian sauna in the desert at Burning Man

This year, for the third time, the Art of Steam camp team from Russia will build a bathhouse in the Black Rock Desert at the American Burning Man festival. The founder of the camp, Sasha Baybarin, told Afisha Daily why foreigners are interested in the Russian bath, how the steam room is like meditation, and why to develop the bathing culture in the city.

How the Russian bath got to the American festival

Four years ago I was invited to Burning Man as part of the Own Way team. The guys built sculptures at the festival and were the most famous group from Russia. The team became famous after they built a wooden replica of the Mir space station in 2013. It so happened that in 2016 the application for the installation did not go through, and my friend and I proposed to make a Russian bath in the American desert.

When you talk about the sauna at Burning Man, everyone has an image in their heads of some kind of hut on wheels that spews flame from the chimney. Russian-style pop art that plays on our culture. It was important for us to convey the bathing experience as we see and feel it: so that from the point of view of microclimate, steam, culture of working with plants and tradition, everything is real. It was even more important to convey our attitude that we do not play, we do not make entertainment out of it, but we treat the sauna culture seriously and with respect.And it worked: we had hundreds of guests who discovered the bath experience, most of them had never been to a bath or even heard anything about it.

Banya at Burning Man in 2017 and Nikola is a great friend of the camp.

© Ifusha Kalina

From year to year we develop, try new things, build different saunas, try new approaches. And at the same time, we always try to answer the questions: “Why all this? What is a camp? Why do people go there? ” This is the kind of mystery for us that requires us to transcend ourselves, to do more, weirder and more difficult.

I am in awe of the festival this year: we have decided to build an art car in order to arrange a bath ceremony at dawn in a completely naked desert, and not in the camp itself. Despite the fact that this will be a bath on wheels, we want a knowledgeable person to appreciate how we approached all the components of what a bath should be like. This is a big challenge, it is difficult to do everything from a technical, financial and moral point of view, but once the bath at Burning Man seemed to us something incredible.I hope everything works out.

Topic details

How to survive Burning Man and build communism in the desert

How to survive Burning Man and build communism in the desert

How the ceremony is held and how does it resemble meditation

At the festival we have not just a bathhouse, where you can go at any time and take a steam bath. Everything is built on a group ceremony, which is actually little represented in the Russian tradition.We borrowed it from North American bath culture. We respect the Russian bath, work with plants and the impact it can have on us. But at the same time, we do not adhere to the generally accepted visual code like bast shoes at the entrance or other Old Slavic allusions.

The ceremony is designed for 12 people and lasts 40–45 minutes. First, the guests lie down and the host talks about some of the rules: the need for silence, the specifics of the process, and work with intention.The ceremony consists of two visits to the bath with a break and light cooling between them. The first part is a fairly typical group warm-up. The second is a more subtle process. After the first warm-up and subsequent cooling, people return to the bath space, throwing off the upper protective layers, they are relaxed and ready for a more subtle journey. Depending on the qualifications and qualities of the presenter, as well as on the people and the atmosphere inside, the second part can develop in different ways.

Here and further pop-up bath in Los Angeles

1 of 6

There are very quiet ceremonies, and sometimes musical instruments are used: gong, bells, jew’s harp, the voice of the leader.Our bells are French, their sound is as gentle as from a cradle. We use them at the very end, they set the associative tone of something soothing, beloved, childish. Music is generally a special instrument. In America, there are dozens of different programs in institutes where they teach a sound healing therapist (sound therapy. – Approx. Ed. ). From music, streams of images and intentions arise within a person. The song is something alive, different every time. This is voicing intentions and investing power in them. The person leads the whole group, as if he sings the images that arise.The ceremony ends with talking, airing and relaxing outside. After that, there is a feeling of rebirth.

It all works very powerfully, deep experiences happen. This is in no way comparable to a sauna, where you can sit, chat, and if it gets hot, go out. We work with the utilization of altered states that arise in the steam room, this is such a psychotherapeutic, trance work. You can call it meditation, looking for answers to inner questions. A person is immersed in the experience of his own experience, often very emotional.One of the main goals of the bath is an inner exploration of oneself.

The bath we are doing evokes memories in people. Often, childish, warm, or, on the contrary, lonely and cold – those that need to be remembered and accepted.

In order for all participants to achieve a result in the end, everything must be built in a certain way, and therefore there are protocols. Thanks to them, we have clear hours and rules for the ceremony, which are necessary to organize a large number of people.

Why is it important to develop a bathing culture in the city

A bath gives a person a lot both physiologically, psychologically and socially. On the one hand, it can heal diseases. For example, for my teacher, a bath is primarily a means of influencing almost all body systems. In his hands, the bathhouse and all the procedures associated with it, from the selection of herbs to temperature, become an instrument of treatment.

For me, the psychological influence of the bath on a person is more interesting and closer.From the point of view of philosophy, a bath is a memory of home in an important and forgotten sense of the word, of unity with nature. Both in psychological and physical aspects, the bath goes far beyond the usual understanding.

Sasha Baybarin and Burning Man Regional Director Stephen Raspa at the 2017 Festival.

© Ifusha Kalina

In addition, the bathhouse is also a powerful social tool.For example, earlier in Moscow there was a bathhouse on Aviamotornaya, where people from different cultures and professions gathered. Such a kind of laboratory. In addition to personal experiences, achievements and meanings for everyone, it is also an excellent catalyst for sincere meetings.

Baths, especially public ones, give birth to a very cool, warm and creative community.

Modern Russia has developed its own special culture of bathing spaces.And, unfortunately, it can often be called at least superficial. What associations arise? Hot, large, sometimes noisy, with beer and fish, with a contradictory set of entertainment, if we talk about a rented sauna. Of course, there are other spaces that are fighting an unequal battle with stereotypes. In America, this is different. There is a lot of interest in health and self-exploration here and there are no stereotypes. Therefore, we can show the bath as we see it. This is very inspiring. Therefore, now my partner and I see the continuation of our bath project there.But I hope that these thoughts will gradually reach Russia.

Topic details

Moscow bathhouse attendants about a couple, brooms and a state of mind

Moscow bathhouse attendants about a couple, brooms and a state of mind

How the attitude to the bath has changed over time

Previously, the bath occupied an important place in the life of a Russian person. It was a maternity hospital, a hospital, and an opportunity to wash for the whole family. Also, this place was of a sacred nature: it was believed that spirits soared in the bath at night.Therefore, in the dark, they did not visit the bathhouse, they did not extinguish it, and even came to give in and strongly apologize if they stayed in it until late.

Then Christianity came and a division took place: the house became Christian, but the bathhouse remained pagan. At first, the two views got along together, but slowly Christianity began to prevail, and the bathhouse with its sacred meanings faded into the background. This explains why the knowledge of traditional baths remained far away in the villages. Much has already been lost.

Some traditionally minded people think that while we lived in the villages, everything was fine, and we need to return to the old foundations.But we cannot live as before, because the world has changed too much. However, modern life sometimes leads us to a dead end. There are many challenges and questions in the world, the answers to which may lie in traditional knowledge. We cannot return the old world, but it is in traditions that we should look for answers to questions and bring something of them into our life. And the bath, it seems to me, is part of a tradition that can help a modern person to deal with their feelings and problems.

Why you need to understand the meaning of bathing rituals

To douse yourself in ice water after a bath or jump into the snow is good.There are doctors who think that a bath without refrigeration is bad. Contrast is an important part of many bathing processes, but not everyone needs it all the time. In addition, this is a traditional thing for a Russian bath. These rituals add a lot to the process. But it is also important to understand why you are doing this. Then each procedure can be many times stronger. You can just make a scrub, or you can take a deeper look at it: figure out how these or those compositions of scrubs affect, what are the goals of the procedure and what aspects of inner work we include.The deeper we understand the essence of the procedure, the better for us as specialists and for the clients with whom we work.

How to find a good bath attendant

Art of Steam Camp at Burning Man 2017.

Unfortunately, in Moscow it is difficult to find a bathhouse, which would be worth going to in order to feel something, to learn something. After all, it is a fact that the bathhouse is now a place for business meetings and close-up entertainment.There is no need to hope for some kind of high beginning in such baths.

A good bath begins with a bath attendant, so I advise you to look for a specialist. The attendant learns what beauty is in people. He is always learning and loves his job. This is a professional, a psychologist who can be trusted. The attendant is a guide to very subtle worlds. And it is a rare happiness to meet such a person.

There are professionals in Russia, but they are, rather, good grandfathers who live in some beautiful village, heat the stove every day and spend time in the bathhouse for five hours.

There are about fifteen good specialists in Moscow who teach the right traditions. These people are not very sociable, they are not interested in PR, but they are worth looking for. A good specialist is distinguished by a special attitude to the bath, he sees a temple in it. I would see how the attendant cleans and prepares the bathhouse, which he does before the guests enter it. The bathhouse both heals and cripples, as they say, so every action of the bathhouse attendant speaks about the correctness of his approach, about how he loves the bathhouse.If you feel his reverent attitude, there is a chance that you have come across a good person.

Topic details

Burning Man 2017: what’s happening at the planet’s wildest festival

Burning Man 2017: what’s happening at the planet’s wildest festival

90,000 Children’s summer camps. Experience of history.

In 1992, under the program CCUSA , I went to work in the United States for the whole summer, to a small private camp Stone Mountain Camp .For children over 18 years old, the CCUSA program is a good way to improve the language and get to know a new country that is very different from us. The main thing is not to be afraid of children. 🙂 And the camp is really very nice and I fully recommend it to those parents who are ready to send their child to the States.
Since then, my interest in the camp theme, the history of camps, has become quite aggravated, 🙂 which after a while has led to the emergence of CHARLIE Active Rest Camp. Well… CHARLIE’s story will still be written (or rather, it is written every day, but it is not very regularly recorded on paper yet), but I would like to share an interesting article on the history of the emergence of children’s camps.
Best regards, Alexey Ilyukhin.

Do you think pioneer or children’s summer camps are an inherently socialist phenomenon? But no. They appeared in North America in the 1880s. The nation was sick, degenerated, infant mortality was very high. And this decision – to create children’s summer campuses – was dictated by the ideology of the Victorian society, which unambiguously stated: the advantages of the forces of nature for the physical and moral good of man are undeniable.In the twentieth century, children’s summer campuses are already becoming an international phenomenon, which is actively supported by various political, social, pedagogical organizations and the church.

You will be surprised, but at the end of the 19th century, society was preoccupied with the redundancy of civilization (overcivilization). Its manifestations forced responsible parents to look for quieter places for their children to spend their summer holidays. The very first children’s camps were not public, but private, small, for older boys.Created for children from elite families, they were located in deep forests in the north of New England, as far as possible from the temptations of the big city and society, which already showed the “wrong” tendency towards feminization. Such promiscuity of society correlated poorly with the fundamental ideas about education and behavior among ladies and gentlemen brought up in the good old traditions of the high society. So next to Lake Squam in New Hampshire, Chocorua children’s camps appeared (worked from 1881 to 1889.), Asquam (founded as a Harvard camp in 1885, renamed 1887) and Pasquaney (founded in 1895).

Although all the children’s camps of that time strived for deliberate simplicity (for example, the buildings were purpose-built from rough wood), life within the communes was different. For example, in one camp they could eat from tin plates, while in another, a specially invited chef prepared exotic Chinese food. Nevertheless, the idea grew more and more popular every year, and in the 1890s there were so many summer campuses that even the middle class and low-income families from the urban poor could afford to send their boys to them.The poor were handled by social welfare agencies and religious organizations, and the middle class was fully sponsored by the YMCA – Young Men’s Christian Association, later one of the largest youth organizations in the world. Founded in London in 1844 by George Williams, the association currently employs about 45 million people in more than 130 countries around the world. In 1900, the Russian YMCA was created in St. Petersburg, and well-known Russian patrons of the arts, scientists and art workers were members and supported by it.

In 1885, the YMCA established the first boys’ camp, later known as Camp Dudley. By 1901, every summer up to 5,000 boys were already resting in it, and by 1916 more than 23,000. Unlike elite organizations, the summer children’s campuses of the YMCA imitated military camps – they were of a tent type, respectively, the guys did not sleep on beds, but in sleeping rooms bags. On an impromptu parade ground, children were engaged in gymnastics, and morning formations were held there (remember our “rulers”?).In the early 20th century, Native American motifs became popular on such tent campuses, thanks in large part to the Woodcraft Indians, the forerunners of the Boy Scout organization that began building their summer camps in 1910.

The first summer camps for girls also began to appear at the beginning of the 20th century, they were created “for a new, more independent generation of women.” Thus, society nevertheless began to recognize the inevitability of feminization. So in 1902 the Kehonka camp in New Hampshire, Wyonegonic in Bridgeton (Maine) appeared, in 1911 and 1912 the Camp Fire Girls and Girl Scouts of the USA camps appeared.Construction of summer campuses for girls from middle-class families is starting soon.

By 1925, there were about 300 scout camps in the United States. Boys and girls were taught the basics of survival in the wild, did gymnastics with them, taught to swim, taught the basics of arts and crafts. It is interesting that at first the organizers of summer camps did not include such disciplines as basketball and baseball in the children’s sports schedule, considering them too “urban”, these sports games appeared on campuses a little later.The games Rover, All come over and Indian and White Man were popular (in turn, children became “white”, then Indians and captured each other). In the evening they sang around the fire, told different stories, staged theatrical performances, here they opened and closed the season – in general, they did everything the same as in Soviet pioneer camps.

In the natural environment for humans, religious feelings are sharpened, therefore, great attention was paid to the spiritual, religious education of the growing American youth.On Sundays, children went to an impromptu church – a forest chapel, or prayed at a wooden or stone altar facing the lake (Soviet children, one might say, also had their own “religion”, only denying everything divine). So in the 1920s, not only Catholic and Protestant children’s summer camps appeared, but also Jewish ones. 1920-1950 they are experiencing a real boom – in this way adults are trying to preserve ethnic foundations and resist the modernization and assimilation of their people.However, the approach to protecting Jewish identity in the camps varied. For example, the Ramah camp in Wisconsin was strictly religious, others like the Massad Hebrew were Zionist, and the Cejwin camp in Port Jervis, New York, promoted secularism and culture.

In the 1920s, health-improving children’s camps also appeared in different countries, and then propolitic ones, bringing up ideologically savvy youth. So – surprisingly, but true – in the United States until 1956 there were already 27 pro-communist children’s camps.What can we say about Germany, Austria and Italy – both “left” and “right” were densely mixed here. There was even a special children’s camp on the border of Germany and Poland, which in every possible way promoted the culture of the latter. In France, the so-called. The colonies de vacances are also pro-communist children’s camps, however, unlike the state ones, they were regulated by communist municipalities, thus, the children of those parents who had already been sent along the ideologically “right path” got there.In addition, some French camps (such as Les Mathes in Royan) were child self-governing, decisions about daily life in the camp were made collectively, half of the places were reserved for girls, in general, there was complete equality and brotherhood. It was a huge camp (5 buildings with 100 children in each), located in a pine forest, its territory occupied as much as 19 hectares. There was also a large children’s camp in pro-fascist Italy. Children were accommodated in spacious buildings of strict and solemn architecture, with huge terraces for sunbathing and rhythmic gymnastics.

After the 40s of the 20th century, a real baby boom begins in many countries, and if earlier even sixteen-year-olds were admitted to summer camps, then in connection with such a “influx”, an age limit had to be introduced. “Former children”, who could no longer live without a collective idea, slowly retrained as counselors. In the post-war period, camps for the disabled, camps with in-depth study of foreign languages, music and, later, computer programs appeared. However, at the end of the 20th century, traditional children’s summer camps began to enjoy more and more popularity, where mainly attention is paid to sports, recreation and diverse leisure activities.

Summer camps for children are an epoch-making phenomenon. In no other place, except perhaps for boarding schools and other closed educational institutions, do they devote 24 hours to the spiritual and physical development of the child. Here, unlike boarding houses, famous for their stiffness, children are free and happy. True, if the general goals of summer camps have remained unchanged since the 1890s. 19 century, then their narrow ideology and focus entirely depend on the imagination and knowledge of adults.

Source: http: // doublex.ru / blog / family / 861.html

P.S. While still a schoolboy and a pioneer 🙂 in 1982 I ended up in the camp of the Danish Communist Youth Union. So, yes, there were, there were pioneer camps in Western Europe. By the way, it was a good camp … 🙂

An international language camp is … What is an International language camp?

The main activity of international language camps is the study of foreign languages ​​and maximum immersion in the language environment.As a rule, such camps are arranged in the country where the language being taught is recognized as the state language: it is better to study French in France or the French-speaking parts of Switzerland and Canada; English – in the US, UK and English-speaking Canada; German – in Germany, Austria or the German-speaking part of Switzerland, and so on. But there are exceptions: for example, in Switzerland there are international camps with English, which have long gained popularity all over the world. The maximum effect of staying in such camps is obtained if the teachers, educators and animators are native speakers, and the children who come to study are from different countries, speaking different languages: then the language being studied becomes the language of communication in the camp.The main goal of international children’s language camps is to organize vacations with maximum business benefit. Summer linguistic camps abroad open private secondary educational institutions and linguistic schools during the holidays. Children’s language camps abroad or international camps are the best place for a child to get rid of the language barrier.

History

The first children’s camps appeared in North America in the 1880s. The ideology of the Victorian society called for the use of the forces of nature for the physical and moral good of man.Already at the end of the 19th century, parents tried to protect their children from the harmful influence of civilization, so they were looking for quiet places for their children to spend their summer holidays. The very first children’s camps were not public, but private, small, for older boys. Created for children from elite families, they were located in deep forests in the north of New England, as far as possible from the temptations of the big city and society, which already showed the “wrong” tendency towards feminization. So, next to Lake Squam in New Hampshire, Chocorua children’s camps appeared (worked from 1881 to 1889.), Asquam (founded as a Harvard camp in 1885, renamed 1887) and Pasquaney (founded 1895) ^[1] . The idea became more and more popular every year, and in the 1890s there were so many summer campuses that even the middle class and low-income families could afford to send their boys to them. The poor were taken care of by social welfare agencies and religious organizations, and the middle class was fully sponsored by the YMCA – Young Men’s Christian Association, later one of the largest youth organizations in the world.Founded in London in 1844 by George Williams, the association currently has about 45 million members in more than 130 countries around the world. In 1900, the Russian YMCA was created in St. Petersburg, and well-known Russian patrons of the arts, scientists and art workers were members and support of it. In 1885, the YMCA established the first camp for boys, later known as Camp Dudley (English article Camp Dudley). By 1901, up to 5,000 boys were already resting there every summer, and by 1916 more than 23,000.In the early twentieth century, Native American motifs became popular in such camps, thanks in large part to the Woodcraft Indians, the forerunners of the Boy Scout organization, which began building their summer camps in 1910. The first summer camps for girls also began to appear at the beginning of the twentieth century, they were created “for a new, more independent generation of women.” So, in 1902 the Kehonka camp appeared in New Hampshire, Wyonegonic (Camp Wyonegonic article) in Bridgeton (Maine), in 1911 and 1912 Camp Fire Girls (Camp Fire Girls article in English) and Girl appeared. Scouts of the USA (article in English Girl Scouts of the USA).Construction of summer campuses for girls from middle-class families is starting soon. By 1925, there were about 300 scout camps in the United States. Boys and girls were taught the basics of survival in the wild, did gymnastics with them, taught to swim, taught the basics of arts and crafts. In the children’s camps, much attention was paid to religious education. In the 1920s, not only Catholic and Protestant children’s summer camps appeared, but also Jewish ones. 1920-1950 they are experiencing a real boom – in this way adults are trying to preserve ethnic foundations and resist the modernization and assimilation of their people.In the 1920s, children’s health camps appeared in different countries, and then propolitic ones, bringing up ideologically savvy youth. So, in the United States until 1956 there were 27 pro-communist children’s camps, and in pre-war Germany, Austria and Italy there were both “left” and “right”. France created its own politicized children’s camps (article in French Colonies de vacances) – pro-communist children’s camps, regulated by communist municipalities. After the war, in many countries, against the background of economic recovery, the emergence of new technologies, a real baby boom begins, during this period a huge number of specialized camps appear: camps for the disabled, camps with in-depth study of foreign languages, music and, later, computer programs, despite the fact that traditional camps, where the main focus is on sports, recreation and diverse leisure activities, are by no means losing their popularity.Mutual economic and cultural integration of European countries, the creation of the EEC and a common economic space, the unification of educational standards – all this contributed to the development and growth of popularity of this type of children’s camps, such as language (linguistic) camps or summer schools. It is interesting that Switzerland took the lead in this movement. Features of the device of this country, consisting of three parts (German, French and Italian), the geographical position in the heart of Europe, the presence of 3 state languages ​​and the abundance of foreign corporations with their headquarters in Swiss cities, coupled with a large staff, consisting mainly of foreign English-speaking specialists – all this contributed to the rapid development of the linguistic school in this country, and therefore, children’s language camps.For this reason, today most of the summer linguistic camps are organized in Switzerland. And these camps teach virtually all the languages ​​of the world: in addition to the state German, French, Italian, which is almost mandatory for Swiss citizens, in the language camps of this country you can learn not only Spanish or Portuguese, Swedish or any other European language, but also Arabic. Chinese (Mandarin) or Hindi.

Types of language camps

• By working time
  • year-round;
  • seasonal:
    • summer
    • winter
    • Easter (open during the Easter holidays)

• By communication language
  • English
  • German
  • French
  • Spanish
  • others

• By type of organization of the stay program
  • with academic language studies
    • with the possibility of passing the official exams
    • without exams
  • without academic studies in language and general activity program
  • without academic language classes and with a specialized activity program (leadership, tennis, football, etc.)

Curriculum

In summer linguistic camps, full immersion in the language environment is provided.As a rule, in the first half of the day, children study grammar and spelling according to the academic program, in the second, an exciting activity program awaits them. But both on vacation and during sports activities, communication takes place in the target language. After all, these are truly international camps – children from all over the world come here. But there are camps without lessons, where immersion in the language environment takes place completely in a playful way. Such camps are more suitable for young children who are bored during summer lessons.Communication with peers from other countries will help them get rid of the language barrier, acquire practical language skills, and make friends from different parts of the world.

Schedule

The time from lunch to dinner is devoted to sports, various hobbies (modeling, choreography, theatrical performances, painting, etc.). International language camps have a huge selection of extracurricular activities. You can find everything from tennis and equestrian sports to parkour and sailing lessons. After dinner – entertainment (contests, shows, movies, discos, barbecues).On weekends, a variety of excursions to both medieval European castles and museums are organized.

Accommodation and meals

Comfort levels vary from camp to camp. Camps in America, as a rule, are very democratic: children live in tents in the bosom of nature, the toilet is outside, the shower is shared and on schedule. Food is usually not whimsical either – most often fast foot. English camps are more pretentious, they are usually located in medieval castles, with a large territory. But also nothing superfluous – the atmosphere is very spartan, as well as the food.The most comfortable camps are in Switzerland – here food and accommodation are organized according to the highest class.

Notes

References

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