Summer is always a time of relaxation and a time to get away from the stressful world of school and work. For many, especially those in college, it is a time to work and make money because we have to figure out some way to pay for tuition and books. For me, summer is a time for all of those things and more. Working at a Boy Scout camp is an experience like no other. Unless you yourself are a part of it, you will never understand the impact you have on other people through camp, or the impact that camp makes on the staff. In no way shape or form is Camp the best way to make money, in no way is it the place to strike it rich, but it is the best place to have a summer job and still unwind from the real world. Camp is located in the middle of no where. There is no phone signal to constantly keep in touch with others, there is not wifi everywhere to surf the web for cat videos, there is not cable to watch your favorite television shows, but with all of that, there also is no silence. The sounds of nature are beautiful and calming, the sounds of life lessons being instructed and learned are cheerful and fun, but the best sounds of camp are the sounds of laughter that come from everyone at camp. The staff, the campers, and even the visitors enjoy camp and smile while at camp. The amount of lives that are touched is amazing. Summer is my favorite time of the year because I am able to make mistakes and get messy like Mrs. Frizzle! It is my chance to be who I want to be and not stuck in a routine all of the time.
This summer specifically was my fifth summer on Summer Camp Staff at Camp Durant. This year, I was the Trailblazer Director and I learned a lot about a different area and a lot just about people. People are really interesting! Some people laugh, some people cry, but one thing that all people will do is smile! It may take more poking for some than others, but everyone can have fun and enjoy life, even if it is just for a moment. That has always been one of my main jobs throughout my entire life, make someone smile everyday! At camp, I get to complete that job multiple times a day because it is so simple to help someone along the trail and make them smile! One of the best ways to make people smile, is to keep smiling yourself, which means, it is important to have fun yourself. Some of the best friends I will ever have came from working at camp with them. They kept me smiling and I was able to help all of those around me with a positive attitude! Also, where else in the world can you have so many jobs? This summer I was a director, an instructor, a salesman, a sports announcer, a radio host, a professional dodge ball player, and so much more! My favorite part of the summer was getting to sing and dance with all of the scouts as well as being a part of the spirit committee! I got to do so much that I could only do all at the same time in one place on earth!
On top of Summer Camp, I was able to be a part of a small group of people from across the nation that went to Indiana University for an Order of the Arrow event that would help shape the Order’s future. On top of that, while I was there, I was able to present an idea that our lodge does to the rest of the nation that would possibly help everyone with membership retention! Sadly, our idea was not chosen as the “NEXT Factor” that would help all, but since the idea was presented, other lodges can take it and use it at home to help them along the way! At NEXT we learned so much! We learned about Leader X, steps to find the best solution, and so many small details to add to everything in the lodge. It was a crazy week since I was unable to be with my contingent for most of it. However, this was great because I could share ideas from my lodge to many other lodges and I could get ideas from them, just by learning about things they do! Throughout the week I was live from Indiana where many people from the lodge watched our trip! “And that’s all for now, but be sure to stay tuned for what may come NEXT, here from Indiana University!”
That may have been all from Indiana, but definitely not the end of the summer! Once I got home, I was able to simply relax at home. I got to hang out with some of my friends and just enjoy life at my own speed for a couple of weeks! I am now heading to school in just a couple of days for classes to start soon, but it’s time! It was truly a summer like no other! Summer is now coming to a close and I can’t wait to see what happens next in my life!
#WithGray 