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Lessons In Being Human At Sleep Away Camp | HuffPost

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Lessons In Being Human At Sleep Away Camp | HuffPost

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Like so many other New York City parents, my husband Jeff and I recently made our annual trek to visit our son Daniel at sleepaway camp. On the ride up to Maine, the home of Camp Caribou, we kvelled about how much fun he looked like he was having in the photos, laughed about the list of items he had forgotten to pack (like his toothbrush), and wondered whether or not he would want to go to camp next year. So many of our friends' kids were doing different things this summer-a robotics program, a physics program, specialty sports camps, or traveling-all totally great ways to spend a summer. But camp feels different, and so important. Especially these days.

Growing up, neither Jeff nor I could afford glitzy summer camps. So when we went to visit them a few years back, we thought they all looked pretty amazing (and we wanted to stay and be campers). Each one had sports galore, outdoor adventure programs, a gorgeous lake with tubing, waterskiing and sailing, woodworking and of course, color war! The hardest part was going to be choosing.

So as good parent-consumers, we did as much research as we could. And when it looked like Camp Caribou was in the lead, we spoke to the Lermans (Caribou's owners for three generations), as well as parents of current campers, and of course watched the camp video. In the end, we chose it because something felt different. What stood out more than anything was not its sports facilities, food, or bunks - it was its culture and values. One of the things the folks in charge often say is, It's cool to be nice at Camp Caribou. And it's true!

As we pulled into camp this year, I noticed something that may have always been there, but it caught my attention this time (maybe because I am writing a book about culture and values?!). Attached to the trees that flank the long windy road into the camp are flags flying for each of the camp's values: kindness, fun, friendship, sportsmanship, and spirit.

And I said to myself, hmmmmm....

I thought of all the businesses I talk to and work with and how much help they need bringing their human to work. And I thought, they sure could benefit from some good old-fashioned camp values.

Kindness. Who wants to work in a company where people are not kind? Certainly not me. Workplace incivility is linked to higher turnover, employee burnout, psychological distress, and decreased productivity. At Caribou, kindness starts at the top with Bill and Martha Lerman and their children. They "walk the walk" and even celebrate those kids who exemplify kindness at the camp fire. Imagine a workplace where the leaders exhibit, expect, and celebrate kindness? And then offer you a s'more?

Spirit. It's not news that millennials want to work for a company that has strong company values, which is good for all of us. They are reminding us all how important it is to be part of something bigger than ourselves and contribute to the world in a meaningful way. In other words, companies that have spirit are winning the race for talent. Cultivating such a spirited culture isn't rocket science, but it does take discipline and hard work. Just ask Daniel's counselors.

Friendship. One of my favorite studies is the Gallup study that shows that having a "best friend" at work leads to increased productivity and employee engagement. Which is particularly important given the increase of technology in the workplace and the fact that left to our own devices (excuse the pun), we are often not connecting. We in the business world could learn something from the way these kids forge friendships, and the way the no-tech rules at camp can really help.

Sportsmanship. In the workplace, we are in contact with with all kinds of people from around the world. And many companies today have four or five generations of people working side by side. This can lead to a diversity of perspectives, which is good for business, but also some tension and challenging workplace situations. At camp, Daniel is living in a small, stinky, un-air-conditioned bunk with 10 boys from around the globe. In their world, a swarm of black flies is no reason for a bad attitude. What's our excuse?

Fun. We spend a lot of our lives at work. Why not make it fun? As much as possible, anyway. Not only is play great for people, but it's also good for business. When we are happy, we release endorphins which lowers stress, and our creative juices flow. What better way to engage our employees and get more work done? Maybe we should take our workplace ping-pong a little more seriously? And make some friendship bracelets while we're at it?!

Near the end of visiting day, the Lermans got the whole camp together at the campfire. They reminded us about the importance of being nice and thanked us (parents) for sharing our boys with them. We sang the camp songs, tried to understand the inside jokes, but most of all, we felt the spirit. It's always hard to say good-bye, but I knew Daniel was in good hands. And was learning something with far more impact than another skill or language. He was learning how to be human.

He was bringing his human to camp.

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Lessons in Being Human at Sleep Away Camp

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Like so many other New York City parents, my husband Jeff and I recently made our annual trek to visit our son Daniel at sleepaway camp.

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Outsourcing Comes to Summer Camp - The New York Times

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Outsourcing Comes to Summer Camp - The New York Times

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But in a shift reminiscent of the outsourcing trend in corporate America, the fresh-faced role model teaching your child to paddle a canoe is increasingly likely to be from overseas these days. According to the American Camping Association, international counselors, as the visiting workers are known, now number 25,000 and make up one-fifth of all counselors. (The number rose as high as 35,000 in recent years, but has fallen since visa rules were tightened after Sept. 11.)

Over the 36 years that his family has run Caribou, a boys' sports camp three and a half hours northeast of Boston, Mr. Lerman has had to become an expert in cultural translation: this year, more than half of his 80 counselors have been recruited from other countries. Many are in the United States for the first time.

The notion of Mr. Lerman being the first American someone from another country gets to know is an interesting one. A hyperactive 52-year-old with a lion-colored mane of shoulder-length hair and a thick mustache, Mr. Lerman resembles a cross between the rocker Joe Walsh and the rocker-outdoorsman-television personality Ted Nugent, spends most of the summer tearing around the grounds on a mountain bike, an A.T.V. or a golf cart, and speaks in a working-class Boston accent thicker than the sludge at the bottom of a can of baked beans. (His two favorite words are ''dude'' and ''sweet,'' the latter of which he pronounces ''swaaate.'')

While there are no long-term statistics tracking the change across the industry, two of the largest agencies that match foreign workers with American camps, Camp Counselors USA, of Sausalito, Calif., and Camp America, of Stamford, Conn., each place about 8,000 international counselors a year now. Camp America placed 1,100 counselors in 1975, and Camp Counselors placed 120 in 1986, its first year.

For a generation of young Americans, camp work seems to have lost much of its appeal, mostly for economic and professional reasons. ''A lot of Americans who'd like to work at a summer camp can't afford to work at a summer camp,'' said Martha Lerman, 45, Mr. Lerman's wife and Caribou's co-director. Often, they need to pay off college loans or get on a career track by obtaining résumé-building internships at law firms and investment banks.

The good part, Mr. Lerman said, is that the international counselors are often more mature than their American counterparts. ''It's much easier to find a 25-year-old qualified Australian or New Zealander who can come to the U.S. and work,'' he said. ''At 25 in the U.S., unless you're a teacher or a guidance counselor, or a bum, you don't have the summer off to work at camps.'' Many of the Caribou counselors are accomplished or even professional athletes -- tennis players from Mexico, baseball instructors from Australia, hockey teachers from, of course, Canada.

And the campers, who range in age from 8 to 15, don't seem to mind the accents, even when it means being taught how to field grounders by a coach who hails from a place where ''short hop'' is something baby kangaroos do. Andy Qualmann, the camp's baseball director and a former member of the Australian national baseball team (yes, there is one), said his credentials were occasionally challenged at first, but added, ''It only takes one time where you fix one little thing in his swing and it really works, and they go, 'Oh, he knows what he's talking about.' ''

Outside Kennebunkport that first evening, June 17, the caravan stopped at a rest area. Over a veggie patty at Burger King -- the only seemingly safe entree on the menu for someone who follows halal practices -- Tahir Rakmatullah, a riflery teacher from South Africa, confessed concerns that his charges, due to arrive in another week, might lack discipline. ''I've heard they're rich and spoiled,'' Mr. Rakmatullah, 22, a former police officer who runs a security company in Johannesburg, said of American youngsters. But he was confident he could keep them in line. ''I have my ways,'' he said.

(Spoiled, perhaps. Rich, definitely, at least some of them. Caribou charges $7,150 for a full seven-week session and $4,450 for a half session.)

Finally the vans turned down a long dirt road and pulled up beside some lodge-y wooden buildings surrounded by 200 acres of freshly groomed playing fields, forests and a lake.

The two dozen counselors checked out their quarters -- long bunkhouses with particle-board floors, fluorescent lights and a line of skinny beds on either side of an aisle. Matthew Cockcroft, a baseball instructor from South Africa, was in heaven. ''It's beautiful,'' said Mr. Cockcroft, 19. He wasn't kidding. ''I can tell it's going to be a great summer.''

ORIENTATION did not officially begin until the next morning. Unofficially, it began that night with a trip to Pete & Larry's, the bar in the Holiday Inn in Waterville, where it was ladies' night and the counselors found that life in the backwoods was not quite so isolated after all.

There are three camps in and around Waterville, a town of about 15,000 (Caribou is actually in a neighboring town, Winslow). Two are boys' camps and one is a girls' camp, and the bar was pretty much taken over by young, fit, good-looking people of many nations (though the girls' camp counselors were mostly, but not entirely, American). Julie Seltzer, a counselor at Camp Matoaka and a sociology student at Northeastern University, said she found the summer camp scene in Waterville so fascinating she was writing a paper on it.

''What is more sociological than 50,000 societies crammed into one square mile for two months?'' Ms. Seltzer yelled over the pounding dance music. ''You become part of each other's culture.''

Outside on the smokers' sidewalk, the sociology was getting even more complex. Chrissy Gamage, a local woman, was fixated on Damien Sanders, a Caribou counselor and former diver for the British Navy with biceps and cheekbones to die for.

''Damien,'' Ms. Gamage, 27, cooed, ''you're my friend now.'' Their bodies collided in an awkward tipsy cross between a hug and a handshake.

''How do you . . .,'' Mr. Sanders began.

''How do we do it in Maine?'' Ms. Gamage asked. ''We actually have sex in Maine.'' Mr. Sanders, 21, managed a wince that passed for an adorable smile.

Ms. Gamage, a recently divorced social worker, explained that the annual arrival of the male counselors is a much-anticipated event in the calendars of Waterville's single women.

''We check our watches,'' she said. ''In summer, it's the counselors. In fall, it's the hunters.'' With that, she beckoned Mr. Sanders behind a pole for a private word.

The next morning, the counselors were summoned to the ''chapel,'' a clearing under some hemlock trees by the lake, to talk about themselves and what mattered to them. They had come from at least eight countries, including Mexico and the Netherlands. About 20 of the international counselors were first-timers.

Mr. Lerman urged the counselors to heed the example of a climbing instructor, Chris Davidson, 19, a red-crew-cutted bruiser whose all-New Zealand soccer hooligan looks were enhanced by nine stitches above his left eye, a souvenir of a recent run-in with some locals outside Bootlegger's tavern in Waterville. ''He's also into barroom brawling,'' Mr. Lerman said, ''not necessarily winning.''

Mr. Dawson, the soccer coach from the outskirts of Liverpool, said he missed the comforts of home -- ''a meat pie on a tea cake'' and a bone-smashing game of rugby. His goal for the summer, he said, was finally to win color war.

Ernesto Medina, 37, a petrochemical engineer from Mexico turned college professor who was at Caribou to teach swimming, said: ''You reach a time in your life when you have to decide how you want to live. I wanted to find out about myself, and I thought, 'What do you hate?' and I thought, 'I hate teaching; it's boring.' So I have spent the past six years of my life doing that. And I love it.''

At the evening barbecue, Mr. Medina said that to be an effective teacher, he had to set his ego aside completely.

He offered an illustration. ''Who do you thank for your dinner?'' he asked a visitor. The fish for giving its life, the farmer for growing the vegetables, it was suggested.

''What about the fork?''

The fork?, the visitor responded, holding up the plastic utensil. Never thought of it.

Mr. Medina leaned forward slightly. ''I am the fork,'' he said.

The next morning, the counselors got a taste of their director's high-octane leadership style. Mr. Lerman had brought in a motivational speaker to address the theme of ''Achieving Excellence.'' But the counselors, tired and maybe a bit hung over, were barely achieving consciousness. Mr. Lerman, uncharacteristically dressed in a suit (he was on his way to a funeral), stopped the show.

''You're all kind of flat-lined right now,'' he said. ''We need to do something about it.'' He then led the counselors through a set of calisthenics, topped off with a quick lesson in the basics of the peekaboo boxing style made famous by Floyd Patterson: three left jabs, a right cross and a left hook. The counselors paid considerably closer attention for the rest of the morning.

Basic training for counselors is mostly pretty basic. ''All campers should shower at least once daily,'' reads one rule in the Caribou manual. ''This process should include the use of soap, shampoo and warm water.''

But some international counselors also need to be instructed on the finer points of the American way of surrogate parenting.

''I used to have to sit down with the Aussies particularly,'' Martha Lerman said. ''Most of them had stern, distant fathers who wouldn't think twice about smacking them. One time I had this guy from Australia -- a camper in his bunk loved him, just worshiped this guy. And one day the camper jumped on his back, and the counselor threw him to the ground and grabbed him by his neck and said 'Don't ever, ever do that to me again.' The same counselor threw away a kid's baby blanket.''

Needless to say, he was not invited back. (Ms. Lerman said that the current crop of Australians seems a lot more sensitive.)

Every January for the last few years, the Lermans have gone barnstorming through the Southern Hemisphere to job fairs, set up by the placement agencies, in Sydney, Brisbane, Johannesburg and elsewhere. Mr. Lerman peppers the candidates with probing questions: ''How were you disciplined as a child? What would you fire someone for if you were director of the camp? How do you handle no privacy?''

The counselors do not get rich working for the camps. For about 10 weeks' work, they receive $800 to $1,800 -- usually just about enough to cover their airfare. They also get 30-day travel visas to use after camp ends, which for many counselors is the best part of the deal.

The process of getting cleared to work in the United States has gotten more cumbersome since 9/11 and has discouraged some applicants.

But the director of Camp Counselors USA, Ruthie Develle, said that there has been a positive side effect: the American government has given her the power to cancel the visas of the small percentage of counselors who would play the system by disappearing after arriving in the country. ''People would bolt before they got to camp, after they got to camp -- we got everything,'' Ms. Develle said. ''In the past, we'd tell them their visa would get canceled, but we didn't really know if it did.''

The United States' recent geopolitical adventures have also hurt recruiting, but only a little. ''In certain countries,'' said Dennis Regan, the senior vice president of Camp America, ''the Iraqi war had some impact -- countries like France and Germany, as you might expect. But the U.S. remains a huge draw.''

BY the end of orientation, most of the counselors were anxious for the campers to arrive; the rest were just anxious. In any case, June 26 rolled around, another bunch of vans drove up the dirt road, and Camp Caribou rang with the shouts of 225 little and not-so-little voices.

Just a few days later, the place was in midseason form. At morning announcements by the flagpole, three distracted boys watched an earthworm writhe at the end of a stick. Three more clustered around the rabbit cage, poking their fingers in. Mr. Davidson walked up. ''I shoot bunnies at home,'' he told them. ''Come on guys, got to sit down.''

Over breakfast, the counselors said things were going well. Mr. Davidson, a repo man and police cadet back home in New Zealand, said he was winning the battle to behave himself. ''Last year I was wedgy-ing a lot of the kids,'' he said. So far this year, he had lapsed just once.

After breakfast each day, the campers must spend 45 minutes cleaning their bunks, most of which they spend proving how little work you can do if you set your mind to it. As the 11-year-olds of Bunk 7 listlessly pushed dirt around on the floor, Mr. Medina lifted up the bed of a boy named Jake to inspect. ''What's this here?'' he asked, pulling a pair of shorts from underneath the mattress. ''I have no idea how that got there,'' Jake said.

On the shooting range, Mr. Rakmatullah tried to be patient. ''Don't argue,'' he said to a boy named Sam who was resisting wearing his shooting sling in the prescribed way. Sam finished and gave his target sheet to Mr. Rakmatullah, who scored it a 30 out of 100. ''You messed up,'' he said. ''But don't worry, you'll get it.''

Down by the lake, first-period swim class was almost over. Mr. Medina took three of the slower learners over to the corrugated-concrete boat launch, faced them away from the class so they would not notice their fellow campers getting out of the water, got down on his kickboard and demonstrated the breast stroke, s-l-o-w-l-y.

After 10 minutes, the boys began coordinating their arm sweeps with their kicks. The period ended. ''Ernesto,'' the waterfront director, Corky Brandt, called over. ''We've got to send them out.''

''O.K,'' Mr. Medina said, but told his students, ''Twenty kicks before you go.'' Mr. Brandt pulled Mr. Medina aside and pointed out some students from the next class who needed a hand. ''I use Ernesto as a troubleshooter,'' Mr. Brandt said. ''I got a counselor that's not too strong in teaching butterfly, so I use Ernesto to help out.''

Mr. Medina said the secret of teaching is asking the boys how they wanted to be taught. ''If you listen to them, you will have all the answers, and you apply them,'' he said. ''O.K., guys.'' He blew his whistle and waded into the lake to begin another class.

Articles in this series are looking at the experience of summer through the lives of people who create its traditions. Previous contributions:

nytimes.com/escapes

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Article in series (Making Summer Happen) on rise in number of camp counselors coming from overseas; American Camping Assn reports that international counselors now number 25,000 and make up 20 percent of all camp counselors; scene at Caribou, boys' sports camp in Maine, described; photos (M)

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Rookie Day Another Way | American Camp Association

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Rookie Day Another Way | American Camp Association

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The first time I drove down that magical, one-mile stretch of dirt road to Camp Caribou was in the summer of 1984. I was ten years old and visiting potential overnight camps with my parents. After passing endless rows of saplings (now towering pines), shots rang out from the riflery range, and the throaty call of bullfrogs echoed. Though I could not identify it yet, there just seemed to be something distinctly special about this place. Meeting the inimitable Bill Lerman, co-owner and director of the camp, confirmed my suspicion. Within the span of about ten minutes, he learned I was a competitive gymnast, introduced me to the ropes course counselor, and cheered me on as I pulled myself up and over the ten-foot wall he had encouraged me to scale. A normally over-analytical decision-maker, I settled on Caribou before my feet hit the ground. And, though impressive, it wasn't because the ropes course was categorically superior to those I had seen or would soon see at other camps. It was because of Lerman's extraordinary ability to immediately connect on a personal level and engage me in the life of the camp.

I've driven Caribou's winding, dirtpacked camp road countless times since that first trip with my parents. Doing so still fills me with the same eager anticipation I felt as a child in the back seat of their car. These days, making those turns fosters a new kind of euphoria - the exhilaration of introducing a new generation to the allure of camp.

Hatching a Plan

Sending a child to overnight camp is a substantial commitment - often a considerable financial investment, always a deeply personal and emotional one. Over sustained periods of time and varying distances, families entrust camps with those they hold most dear. As such, this is a decision that should be thoroughly well-informed, and this is precisely what led me to the Lermans' front door in February of 2011.

I sat down with Lerman and his wife, Martha (still co-owners and directors of Camp Caribou and both still every bit as charismatic as they were over 26 years prior when I initially visited their camp). I reminded them of my tour with Lerman and of his impact on my decision. We mutually agreed that the more a prospective camper gets to know a potential camp, the smoother the eventual transition will be. Then I did something the ten-yearold me never would have predicted. I told them how I was going to make their tour even better.

My introduction to Camp Caribou remains a vivid memory because Lerman masterfully wove me into the fabric of the community. I wanted not only to replicate that sense of belonging for prospective campers, but to expand upon it. Rather than an hour in the life of Caribou, my goal was to provide participants with a more authentic overnight camp experience modeled on a typical day - a 24-hour test drive. Thus, the Camp Caribou Experience was born.

Program Benefits

The Caribou Experience provides participants with a completely immersive camp visit. Typical camp tours (even the best ones) provide insufficient time to take in all that camp has to offer. After all, "can a family accurately assess a 56-day season in this short period of time? Many times, gross generalizations are made during this short visit, often accurately, but many times inaccurately" (Camp Connection, 2016).This daylong visit to Caribou allows prospective campers to be fully integrated by participating in instructional periods, elective activities, evening programming, mealtimes, and, bunk life. Above all, forming relationships and spending time away from family makes it easier for prospective campers to acclimate once they enroll (Comeau, 2016).

Since the inception of the Caribou Experience in 2011, "Rookie Days" and "Rookie Camps" have become one of the hottest new trends in camping (Comeau, 2016; Michaels, 2015), with var ying degrees of camper immersion and success. Some programs:

Limit the participants to a certain age range

Charge for the experience

Run the programs before enrolled campers arrive or after they leave

Require that families stay

Do not include an overnight stay

Are run by current counselors, which can tax staff resources

Successful programs, including Caribou's:

Are open to participants of any age

Remain cost-free

Take place while camp is in session so participants begin to form social ties with current campers, staff, and each other

Require that families leave after the initial tour to help participants begin to foster an increased sense of independence and confidence

Are run by experienced alumni/teachers to minimize disruption to the typical program and nearly eliminate staffing issues

Allow participants to experience multiple meals as well as an evening program

Are flexible enough to include an overnight

Schedule

The Caribou Experience begins at 11:00 on Saturday morning. Participants and their families take a quick tour of the camp with one of the directors and me. This allows families to see the facilities and ask questions while participants get their bearings. At 11:45, we begin our first instructional activity while the families finish the tour, before leaving at noon. The prospective campers (makeshift bunkmates for the day) begin by creating a unique woodworking project to take with them at the end of the program. We then join the rest of the camp for lunch, where we select three different activities to try in the afternoon based on that day's offerings.

At Caribou, like many other camps, these are referred to as electives. During the first two, we stick together as a group, but prospective campers are given the option of branching out on their own for the final elective. Following lunch, while the fulltime campers are having a rest period, we participate in our second instructional session (typically a basketball clinic led by one of the basketball counselors). This mirrors a regular day with three periods of instruction in the morning (two in our case) and three elective activities in the afternoon. Once we finish basketball, it's time to head off to the activities we selected. After finishing our three afternoon electives, we convene down at the waterfront for some tubing before dinner. Participants eat with the rest of the camp, pack up their belongings, and take part in the evening program.

When there is space available, participants stay overnight. After breakfast and one more instructional activity, they depart with their families. When we are unable to accommodate an overnight stay, families can pick up their child either after dinner or when the evening activity is over. Prospective campers and families are amazed at how much they can accomplish in one day and begin to appreciate the potential of a full summer session at Caribou. Most of all, the comments from participants and the written feedback from families indicate that the Caribou Experience achieves a more important goal: They report that the welcoming campers and staff provide true insight to the spirit and warmth of the camp.

In the End

Promotional brochures, videos, and websites for any business or product are designed to attract potential consumers. This is particularly true of summer camps. However, "You cannot replicate what you observe and experience at summer camp watching a video, reading a brochure, receiving information by phone, or meeting with a director in your home" (Maine Camp Experience, 2012).

While these publications remain a valuable tool for marketing, with over 2,400 ACA-accredited camps alone, they can also easily begin to blur (American Camp Association, 2016). Even with families and referral agents helping to narrow the search, the glossy images from one camp's brochure to another's video to a third's website, while enticing, are often indistinguishable. Furthermore, anyone who has ever truly loved summer camp will likely tell you the same thing. The manicured athletic fields, the ponds smooth as glass, and the warm glow of campfires pictured in these promotional materials are satisfying to be sure, but the heart of camp lies in the connections formed by campers and staff.

In 1984, Lerman did something that the other tour guides could not achieve. By urging me to climb that wall, he presented me with a surmountable challenge and an opportunity for success but, more than that, he made me feel like I was already part of the camp.

At its core, a camp, like a school, is a business of people. As folks like Bob Ditter (2009) remind us, the s'mores-speckled smiles in the brochures are rarely the result of the physical plant or even the programming, but of the relationships formed. The easiest way to gauge one's compatibility with a potential camp is to immerse oneself there (Comeau, 2016; Michaels, 2015). A stronger backhand, better form, a more powerful breaststroke, and a more accurate throw are all valuable byproducts of a summer at camp. However, the activities a camp offers serve as a means to develop something greater - a deeply rooted sense of community and belonging. This is what truly defines a successful summer at camp. This is what draws campers to return year after year. And exposure to this comradery is what makes it so difficult for families to drag their sons away when the Caribou Experience has ended. Luckily, though not surprisingly, this kinship is also what brings them back.

References
American Camp Association. (2016). How to choose a camp: Preparing for camp. Retrieved from ACAcamps.org/press-room/how-to-choose-camp/preparing-for-camp
American Camp Association. (2016). ACA facts and trends. Retrieved from ACAcamps.org/pressroom/ ACA-facts-trends
Camp Connection. (2013). Rookie days. Retrieved from http://thecampconnection.com/rookie-days
Camp Connection. (2016). What should a parent look for in a summer camp or a summer sleepaway camp? Retrieved from http:// thecampconnection.com/what-should-a-parent-lookfor- in-a-summer-camp-or-summer-sleepaway-camp
Comeau, D. (2016, May 3). 5 summer camp trends to look forward to in 2016. Campsite. Retrieved from campmanagement.com/blog/5-summer-camptrends- look-forward-2016
Ditter, B. (2009, June 1). Getting your child ready for camp. PBS Parents. Retrieved from pbs.org/ parents/experts/archive/2009/06/getting-yourchild- ready-for-c.html
Kasnett Nearpass, L. (2015, January 7). Summer 2015: Rookie days and sleepaway camp tours. Summer 365. Retrieved from summer365.com/ rookie-days-sleepaway-camp-tours-find-best-camp
Maine Camp Experience. (2012, July 9). The whys and hows of visiting a Maine camp. Retrieved from mainecampexperience.com/blog/the-whyaes-andhowaes-of-visiting-a-maine-camp
Michaels, J. (2015, March 11). Summer camp trend report: Five cool and new camp options you might not know about. New York Family. Retrieved from newyorkfamily.com/summer-camp-trend-report
Thurber, C. (2012, November 15). For parents: Camp prep tips. Camp Spirit. Retrieved from http://campspirit.com/top-ten-summer-camp-prep-tips
Michael Stern is the founder and program developer of the Camp Caribou Experience, a full-immersion program for prospective campers. He has served as a camp counselor and administrator, having worked at Camp Caribou and various day camps in the Boston area. Most recently, Michael has worked with several camps as a staff trainer. His workshops focus primarily on helping firstyear campers and staff members acclimate to a new setting. Photo courtesy of SLY Photography, Charlestown, Massachusetts.

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The first time I drove down that magical, one-mile stretch of dirt road to Camp Caribou was in the summer of 1984. I was ten years old and visiting potential overnight camps with my parents. After passing endless rows of saplings (now towering pines), shots rang out from the riflery range, and the throaty call of bullfrogs echoed.

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Camp serves as Maine attraction for Wayland family - News - Wicked Local - Boston, MA

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Camp serves as Maine attraction for Wayland family - News - Wicked Local - Boston, MA

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In 1968, Al and Evelyn Lerman purchased Camp Caribou in Winslow, not too far from Waterville. The camp has been in the Lerman family ever since with this year marking the 45th year of family ownership.

Back in the 1930s and '40s, Al and Evelyn Lerman were campers and then counselors in Maine. The experience left an impression.

Years later, in their mid-40s, the Wayland couple decided to run their own camp in Maine. So in 1968, they purchased Camp Caribou in Winslow, not too far from Waterville. The camp has been in the Lerman family ever since with this year marking the 45th year of family ownership.

"I loved the whole idea of summer camp," says Al Lerman, explaining his attraction. "You were out on your own more or less, and I loved the woods and the athletics."

For Evelyn, camp provided the opportunity to have fun with her friends. "I loved the woods, too," she says. "And the sounds, the air. Everything was so different from the city. It was also a place for play rather than school work. And I loved the food."

Before buying Camp Caribou, the Lermans were schoolteachers in Brookline. The two had met at Brookline High School. Prior to teaching, Al Lerman worked at the Boston Athletic Shoe Co. in Cambridge, a manufacturer of ice skates, bowling shoes, roller skates and baseball cleats. It, too, was a Lerman family business.

With their shared backgrounds as campers and teachers, the Lermans felt they were naturals to become camp directors. "We had the skills," said Al Lerman.

The camp is now a three-generational enterprise as Al and Evelyn's son Bill and his wife Martha became owners and operators in 1983. Then Bill and Martha's children got involved with daughter Lori and her husband Alex Rotman coming on board as full-time assistant directors in 2007, elder son Bobby as a full-time assistant director in 2012 and son Jerry as assistant program director this year. They all reside in Wayland. Bill was first a counselor in training at the camp while Bobby and Jerry were both campers.

Before buying Camp Caribou, Al and Evelyn Lerman looked at a half dozen summers camps. A former sheep farm site, Camp Caribou had been founded as Camp Winslow in 1922 by Morris Waldman. The name was changed to Camp Caribou in 1940. "I'm not sure why the name was changed," says Bill Lerman. "There are no caribou in the vicinity." The name sounds cool, though.

"We drove into Camp Caribou on the back of 1949 Farmall tractor during mud season in March 1968," Bill Lerman recalls. "We were all overwhelmed by the natural beauty and flat fields of the 200-acre peninsula."

Today, Camp Caribou serves as a residential summer camp for boys ages 7-16. It focuses on teaching its campers a variety of land and water sports, adventure activities such as zipline riding and rock climbing, outdoor nature activities such as canoeing, hiking and camping, and creative arts, including arts and crafts and woodworking. Its facilities include a large lake outfitted with dock, canoes, kayaks and ski boats as well as indoor facilities that include a 10,000-square-foot gym, cardiovascular room, movie theater and weight room.

The Lerman family's philosophy is based on the belief that summer camp should feel like a home away from home.

"A rich summer camp experience can be built only on a foundation of unique traditions and history," says Bill Lerman. "The connections between our family and generations of campers are part of the reason Camp Caribou holds such a unique place in the hearts of so many. Our children bring a fresh perspective while maintaining the Caribou history and culture."

"I still get extremely excited every spring to come up and prepare the facility for all of the new and returning campers. It's extremely invigorating to continually put forth unforgettable summers for the children of America."

Camp Caribou has grown at a time when the New England summer camp community has felt the pinch of consolidation. In the early 1970s, Maine camps numbered more than 400, according to Maine Summer Camps, an association of member camps. Now there are about 160 as multi-camp corporations and national nonprofits acquired many camps that were once independently owned. Private, family-owned camps in Maine now total around 60. But Camp Caribou has not only endured, it has thrived. When the Lermans purchased the camp, it had 90 campers. Now it has 225 from all over the United States and the world.

"Families still see our traditional camp as an experience that is valuable in building life skills and independence," says Martha Lerman. "Meanwhile, our own family values the friendships we've developed over the years with our staff, the community and our campers' families.... We are so deeply invested in the camp, the happiness of campers and staff, and the comfort level of parents. Everyone has the same expectations and everyone is on the same page. We all love what we do. Everyone is on the same team, we are all best friends, there's a lot of joking and a lot of laughing. We are all working for the success of our business. It's a pleasure to hang out at work and after work. There's a lot of love."

In addition to the decline of independent camps, camping "has become somewhat more sophisticated from a facility point of view over the years," says Bill Lerman. "We now have a large outdoor street hockey rink, competition ski boats, a 10,000-square-foot gymnasium, a theater, stand-up paddle boards, etc. Fifty years ago all of the above would have been unnecessary. Our clientèle has come to expect a very well developed physical plant.

"Camping has also changed somewhat in that there is a greater parental involvement in the daily operation of camp. We now post photos daily on the website of many of the children. (There are) weekly blogs and Facebook and Twitter updates. Parents are now able to see more of the daily happenings at camp."

As can be expected, multigenerational families have gone to Camp Caribou. In the Rosen family of Wellesley, 13-year-old William followed in the footsteps of his older brother Michael. "Caribou is special because Bill, Martha, Lori and Alex Rotman make it special," says William, who has been going to the camp for five years. "They make you feel like you are part of something different... It is so much fun." Adds his mother Betsy, "Caribou appealed to my husband Steve and me because when we visited, we were so impressed by how happy the boys were. They all stopped to shake our hands and welcome us to camp, enjoyed telling us about their experiences as campers and were clearly thriving." She notes the camp's motto is "it's cool to be nice."

Tyler Swartz of Needham, a counselor at Caribou, also praises the camp. "Camp Caribou is not just a place of work for me," says Swartz, who is part of the camp's 90-member staff. "With this year being my 10th summer, I consider it to be a second home. While many of my friends are getting internships and real jobs, I continue to get lured into the idea of going back to camp. My favorite thing about working at Caribou is the amazing relationships I have formed with my campers.

"I remember when I was a camper and how I idolized several of my counselors. I saw them as role models and I hope one day my campers will view me in the same light. Another thing I love about working at Caribou is that I am able to work with campers of all ages. Nothing beats the feeling of when I am able to teach an 8-year-old the proper mechanics of shooting a basketball and after an hour of practicing, he finally makes one in. I feed off of my campers' happiness and success.

"The only bad part about working at Caribou is leaving after the summer is finally over."

Camp Caribou operates from June 21 to Aug. 9. The cost for a half season (June 21 to July 16) is $6,450, for a full season (June 21 to Aug. 9) $10,500. There's a father-son weekend on Aug. 10 and 11. For more information, visit www.campcaribou.com.

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Camp serves as Maine attraction for Wayland family

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In 1968, Al and Evelyn Lerman purchased Camp Caribou in Winslow, not too far from Waterville. The camp has been in the Lerman family ever since with this year marking the 45th year of family ownership. Back in the 1930s and '40s, Al and Evelyn Lerman were campers and then counselors in Maine.

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Camp Caribou | Maine Summer Camp for Boys

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Camp Caribou | Maine Summer Camp for Boys

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Camp Caribou | Maine Summer Camp for Boys

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Camp Caribou is a Maine boys traditional summer camp. Campers can grow; develop skills and friendships that will last a lifetime.