Camps #134

[Unidentified voice]:

The whole mission, really about residential camping is helping young men and women learn about their stories, learning about self confidence, learning about their own character, learning about their soul and giving them an injection of lifelong learning.

[Unidentified voice]:

You really have to be willing to be your true self and accept others for their true selves and then work with that. You have to. That's just the dynamic of camp. And so great things can happen with that. Great bonding and great closeness can develop. And I think that says something pretty powerful about the experience.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

This is Dr. Lisa Belisle and you are listening to the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and Podcast Show Number 134 Summer Camps airing for the first time on Sunday, April 6, 2014, Maine Summer Camps offer a unique opportunity for young people. For generations, children have come to our beautiful state to experience the wonder of the outdoors and to gain life skills such as independence. They have also created lasting relationships with their peers. Today we speak with Richard Deering, director of Birch Rock Camp, and Garth Altenberg, director of Camp Chewanke, two individuals who are so changed by their own years as campers that they became camp directors themselves so as to bring camp happiness to children from Maine and around the globe. We hope that you enjoy our summer camp show today and perhaps think about how it might become relevant to your life. Thank you for joining us. In last year's Wellness issue, writer Jed Coffin wrote a piece about Birch Rock, which is a wonderful summer camp, one of many wonderful summer camps here in the state of Maine. And when we decided to do our show about summer camps and camping here in Maine, we thought we really need to reach back out to Birch Rock because it seems there's quite an experience going on there. Today we have with us Rich Deering, who is the alumni and community director at Birch Rock Camp. Rich Deering started at Birch Rock Camp at the age of nine. Six summers later, he became a staff Member. He worked his way up from teaching swimming to waterfront director to head Counselor. Then in 1995, Rich became the camp director. Today he works at Birch Rock Camp, as we mentioned, as the alumni and community director. He is also a realtor with the Bucks bandeering group at ReMax by the Bay. Thanks so much for coming in and talking to us about Birch Rock and your experience with camp.

[Unidentified voice]:

Thanks for having me.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So I'm not going to ask you how old you are on air, but you've been doing camp for a long time. If you've been doing camp since you were nine, I'm gonna guess that's at least a few decades worth of camp experience.

[Unidentified voice]:

I think right now I'm on summer 42.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

That is more than a few decades of camp experience.

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah. So I feel very lucky to still be part of Birch Rock and still growing up there.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So Birch Rock, first of all, for people who are listening and who haven't yet read the article, which I do encourage everybody to go back and just go online to themainmag.com and read Jed Coffin's article about Birch Rock. Anybody who hasn't read the article, tell us what Birch Rock is and where it's located.

[Unidentified voice]:

Birch Rock is a small residential boys camp located in western Maine in just the foothills of the White Mountains in Waterford. It's on a nice pristine private lake called Lake McWane and Birch Rock started in 1926. It was an offshoot of Chewwaukee Camp Chewwaukee on the coast of Maine. And the founders, Chief and Oneie Brewster, were the headmaster and mistress of Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire. And they had set out to start a camp for three criteria. One was to find a camp on a fresh pond. They enjoyed being on the rugged main ocean of the Atlantic. But they want something a little bit more pristine, a little bit more engaging for the campers to be in the water all day. Two, they wanted to be on a hillside. And so they found this plot of land up on western Maine right near the Crooked river because it was kind of a sloping, I should say at that time, kind of a cow pasture that fell right into the lake. And they bought the land from a neighboring friend of Mrs. Brewster's. And third thing, they always felt it should be a single sex camp because they felt that boys needed their own time away from family and their friends and to be isolated into a natural environment. And so that's how Birch Rock kind of began. And Birch Rock continues to hold those values today of just being a very small Nurturing natural environment.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What are the ages that are served?

[Unidentified voice]:

7 to 15 are the boys that come to Birch Rock. We're fortunate that about 3 38-42% of our boys are right here in the state of Maine, which we're really proud of. And we have boys coming primarily from New England area, but we have pockets coming from the southwest, mid Atlantic, west coast, and about 10% of the boys are overseas. And what's kind of fun for me to watch, having been there for 42 summers, is now we're starting to see third and fourth generations return to Birch Rock.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

There is a strong sense of history associated with camps like Birch Rock, and it sounds like Birch Rock as well. And that even in the story that you're telling is evident. It's something that kind of every summer gets reinvigorated. That's not something that we get to have in everyday life these days.

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah, well, you know, I think part of going to camp is part of learning about your story. And just like the family fabric of the camp has its own story and it continues to evolve with many chapters, so too is the individual. And I think that's the whole mission really, about residential camping is helping young men and women learn about their stories, learning about self confidence, learning about their own character, learning about their soul, and giving them an injection of lifelong learning. And so a lot about what camps are about is kind of the storytelling and how you begin to write that chapter and own that chapter in your life. And we're kind of. We're not the authors, we're kind of the editors to help them along the process.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What was the process that got you to Birch Rock when you were nine years old?

[Unidentified voice]:

Well, I was very fortunate, and that's a great question. I was very fortunate to have. Both parents had gone to summer camps themselves, so they really believed part of the family fabric was that my sisters and I didn't hang around the streets of Greater Portland and didn't just kind of bumble through the summer, but have a chance to really experience different people, different opportunities, and kind of break away. And so what happened was my dad went to Campawaka, which is a great camp in Sebago, and we took a look at that. But a good friend of the family had told us about Birch Rock. And I was the youngest of three children and the only boy. And I just remember taking that trip up there in the rambling Buick station wagon and going down this hill, and a good friend of mine by the name of Harry Cleaves was screaming my name. And saying, you little tub need to get here and start running around. And so, you know, it was just the moment we walked in. There was a firm handshake, a guiding force from the principal, Chief Brewster, at that time. And I knew I'd found home. So we started the next year, 1973, and signed up for four weeks. And about within a week into the process, I asked to speak to the assistant director, and he said, what's wrong? I said, I need to call home. And he said, well, we don't really let phone calls go home. What's up? He said, well, I need to tell my folks that I'm staying for the summer. So that began the journey. I get to have that one phone call. My mother said, don't you want to come home for a little while and hang out? And I said, nope, I want to be at camp. And my father said right away, he'll stay for eight weeks. And that's how it all began.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

That's kind of an interesting thing to have happen nowadays. Maybe in 1973.

[Unidentified voice]:

1973, yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

1973 perhaps was a little bit more normal to go away for that number of weeks of summer camp, but now it seems like there's a lot of draw for parents. You know, keep the kids home. They want to do summer soccer, Keep the kids home. They need to earn money for college as they get a little older. But you still have campers that are coming back for extended periods of time. What is it that. What's the value that parents and kids see in that?

[Unidentified voice]:

Well, I think that's a great point, because we have so many more competing factors, competing interests, both economic, both social, both familial. And I think we're in a society, too, when we see most of our parents both working and they're feeling that pull of time and energy, and they want to have quality times with the kids. But I think those that choose to send their cam and make that investment or know that the opportunity is ripe, know that this is probably the best gift of their own education. Both not just for the campers and the kids, but for the family, because they get to be unplugged, unwind from the electronic world. They get away from the social, economic pressures of what's going on at home and at school. They. They also get away from their mom and dad, and that's probably the greatest gift. And I think people know they want boys to be boys in a free and civilized environment where they can just enjoy nature and the natural world and get away from the television and the computers and have a sense of mano e mano and look each other in the eye and shake a hand and make a friend. And I think that's probably why there's such a. I think a resurgence of camps, because they know it's so important for them to feel good about themselves and feel independent and break away. And I think those families are willing to take that risk or rather make that investment, or those that don't have the economic means, but look for those kind of opportunities for scholarships and investment, really see the potential of where the kids can be later on in life to be more free and to be more independent.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

As you've said, it is an investment. And if you're a family, eight weeks worth of summer camp doesn't come cheaply, but there are scholarships available for people who don't have the means. Have you found that scholarship needs have increased over time or remained about steady? What's the.

[Unidentified voice]:

No, definitely increased, Lisa. And that's a great point. And it's not just our camp. Our camp helps to be a nonprofit entity and model. But many of the camps that are for profit or nonprofit, especially here in Maine, which is such a mecca of residential camping, has been for over 100 years plus. We're seeing more and more of that need. But I think you're seeing more and more the commitment and mission of each of these camps to reach a broader base of people from all different means and even those with modest means. It's an investment. And so you're seeing many more initiatives in terms of campership funds, more investment in terms of fundraising opportunities, and more reaching out to former alumni and people and corporations that know the importance of giving back. We have one motto at our camp has always prevailed since 1926, and that's help the other fellow. And I think in time goes by and as longer that I'm part of the family fabric of Birchright camp, I see so many people reaching back to, say, rich, now it's time to let others help you and help you provide these opportunities for future generations to come back to camp. So how can we give back? So, of course, the greatest gift is so they can give boy their own generation, their own family. And if they can do that, that's fabulous, too. But if they can't, too, it's how they can financially support or come back and be part of Birch Rock for part of the summer and give back some talent and time. And it's interesting to see how many people want to, you know, you have to give to get and I think it's so many interesting to see young men come through the Birch Rec community and then want to circle back to me. You know, that's the greatest compliment. It's like the whole circle of life. You know, they want to separate, they want to initiate, and at some point, you want to return.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We speak to a lot of people on the show, and everyone has a main connection. For many people, the main connection began with a summer camp, and some of it is, you know, a family camp. But summer camp is really strong. In fact, I can think about, you know, one of our sponsors is Mike LePage, who's a local realtor, and he also has a strong summer camp connection, I think, you know.

[Unidentified voice]:

Oh, yes, he does. He does indeed. Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So this seems to be, you know, you can't really extract camps and campers from Maine. You can't think of one without the other. Why is this the case? I mean, there are all kinds of places that have trees in the United States. Why does Maine seem to be the place for camps?

[Unidentified voice]:

Well, I think it goes back to Lisa. You know, you can take the camper out of camp, but you can't take camp out of the camper. It's the soul injection of what you get. It can be a spiritual awakening, it's an emotional awakening. It's a confidence booster. It's all kinds of things. And I think as people go through their journey in life, once again, it's kind of like that myth making. They go down a path, they go out and get their expertise, they experience different things, they marry, their careers, build. Life happens in so many different forms and fashions. But the guiding principles and what's important to them and how they view the world usually comes back to the ideals of families and nesting and roots. And if you had a wonderful camp experience, those pervading principles of what's important always comes back to feeling good. You come back to the nest. And I think camp is just one of those things that always is inside of you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Here on the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and podcast, we've long recognized the link between health and wealth. Here to speak more on the topic is Tom Shepard of Shepherd Financial.

[Unidentified voice]:

Send your money to summer camp. I know it may sound like an absurd suggestion, but the truth is you may actually be doing that right now. If all you do is let automatic deductions place your money in savings or retirement plans without thinking too much about it. If that's the case, you're sending your money away on vacation. Out of sight, out of mind. Of course, your hope is that when you need it, the money will come back to you with a little interest. But why keep doing that? There are a lot of ways to be more involved with your finances without sending it away. All you have to do is evolve your thinking. If you think you're ready to evolve, send me an email@tommepherdfinancialmain.com let's start talking

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

My daughter, who's now 18, she and I both spent time at Camp Huckins, which is actually across the border in New Hampshire.

[Unidentified voice]:

Great camp.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And yes, definitely great camp. Great camp. And what I remember most was that you, almost as soon as you kind of were out of the early phases, you became a teacher. So you were taught, but then you became a teacher, you became a guide for those who are younger. And so we had the juniors and the middlers and the seniors. So if you're a middler camper, middler aged camper, you were always being called to help out the juniors. And this started before you became cit, a counselor in training or a counselor itself. You were always reaching back. Is that teaching an important part of the camp experience?

[Unidentified voice]:

I think it's the critical part because again, it goes back to what our camp motto has always been is help the other fellow. And through different ages and stages is that mentoring process of helping. Just from the simple time when Johnny comes at 7 and 8 or 9 or even 10 today or 11. How you make a bed. I can't tell you the number of kids that come to camp don't know how to make a bed or what is a hospital corner? Or the importance of maybe standing up when someone, a guest, comes into the room. Learning how to shake a hand and giving a firm handshake and look someone straight in the eye. Or family dining. There's another great example, Lisa. I mean, I think one of the few camps today that hold true to that. Everyone sits down and eats at the same time, and we stand up, we have a blessing, and we all sit down, and everyone gets served one at a time, one at a time, like a Thanksgiving buffet every day. It's bountiful. They're ready to go. But just that whole important thing about what the family meal and communicating and patience and learning to say please and thank you, and knowing that has certain value, and knowing that it's important to, you know, in any type of community, you have to share and you have to compromise and you have to give and you have to lead. And there's times you have to lead, and there's. Sometimes you have to follow. So, you know, I think that mentoring process happens at all levels. You know, the greatest compliment I always get at the end of the summer is when a parent says to me, especially mother said, thank you for taking my Velcro away, because my kid came home more confident, more bolder, stronger, and freer. And I love the fact that he keeps his room so impeccably neat. Unfortunately, it only lasts a couple weeks. But, you know, as long as people can continue that pattern and know that those ideals have been introduced, you know, this is a partnership in parenting. That's what camp is. And so we just give it. We just give this. We're given a unique opportunity to just make a little difference, not just for that camper, but for the family fabric.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

That's an interesting point. I mean, the Velcro is. When you use the word Velcro, I thought of the term helicopter parent and this sort of helicoptering that parents have been noted to do, I guess, increasingly over the last 10 years with their college students. Somehow the children were the most important thing that these parents have ever done. The children leave, and the parents want to go after them.

[Unidentified voice]:

Right. They want to relive the experience, I guess. I don't know. Yeah, Unfortunately, I was never. I never grew up in that kind of environment. And I think because I was. I had been a camper for so long and a counselor and had that sense of young independence and, you know, that confidence that you continue to build early on, I never personally experienced that, but when I see families today, I think that's when they need camp more than ever. It's like, you know, everyone's got to have their own journey, everyone's got to have write their own book. And there's got to be a point where you have to give people their, you know, show them the roots and know that you're an important part of it. But you got to more importantly introduce them to wings and let them fly. And that's what we try to do is let them fly and let them know that they're going to fly and soar and they're going to fall down, but we'll help them get them back up. I mean, that's part of the whole journey.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I'm going to read a paragraph from this article by Jed Coffin and the article is entitled to help the other fellow, which it sounds like is one of the mottos of camp Birch Rock. Swim, Neutron, swim. It's a sunny mid morning down at the waterfront at birch rock Camp and Nate 15, of Scarborough, nickname Neutron, has been swimming the five mile circumference of Lake McWane for about two and a half hours. Two counselors in a small white dinghy row quietly behind him while 85 boys wearing tucked in maroon camp shirts cheer him on from floats. That's quite a picture. You've got a kid doing something that I know I've never done and you've got an entire camp behind these efforts. Is this another thing that camps have to offer? Is this just unwavering support of perhaps feats that we might not attempt in everyday life?

[Unidentified voice]:

I would hope so. I mean, certainly the case of Birchruck and I think all the camps do to some form or fashion. But you know, what neutron did in that article and they captured so so poignantly was here's a boy who's been a camphor six, seven years. He's progressed every year, he's grown every year, mentally, physically, spiritually. And here is the kahuna. Here's the kahuna of his last summer. And he's going to swim the whole circumference of the lake. And he's getting down there, he's getting all greased up, he's feeling good. He's got a big breakfast, big carb breakfast in the morning. The lead boat's going out in front of him and here he goes. He's feeling like this is going to be a swim of a lifetime. Whether he's a swimmer or not is irrelevant point. It's the mental journey and the physical pursuit of I'm going around the whole circumference of the lake. All the neighbors on the lake know they're ringing the cow bells. They're cheering them on. And at the very end, when it comes to the other end, the whole camp is descending down to the waterfront, yelling, screaming, cheering, and really saying to Nate Neutron, you've done it. You've captured everything you've wanted to do and the biggest feat, and now you're a whale. And now you've kind of graduated into society. And to him, it's kind of like that passage, okay, now I finished my camper time. Now I've gone on to be that next leader. And so I think that's. I think that and there's coupled with a lot of different, other variations in any other kind of sports, sport or activity. But whatever the form of fashion is, I think building that confidence booster is what camp's about. It's being your biggest cheerleader and being your biggest advocate.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I know that people, after hearing our conversation, are going to want to learn more about camp Birch Rock. Obviously they can go to the Maine Magazine article from January of 2013, but you also, I'm sure, have a website.

[Unidentified voice]:

We do. Birchrock.org O R G www

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

and I know that my experience with camp Huckins is that camps fill up pretty quickly. So if you're going to want to do camp experiences, you might be planning further in advance than you realize you're going to need to.

[Unidentified voice]:

That's right, Lisa. And you know, I think we're seeing that having been the former president of all the main camps, we're seeing a real resurgence of camps at all levels. I mean, just not residential camps, not private camps, camps that are church sponsored camps, day camps, programs. I think there's a real sense of purpose that we want kids to be engaged and we want kids to feel good and have different experiences. And the whole educational school year should be year long, not just in the schools, but in the summer recreational programs. And so Maine's one of the greatest forums to do that. So the best time to look at camps really is for the next year is to visit these camps. Now, you know, we always encourage people interested in Birch Rock or any camp come visit us while we're in action. That's when you want to see it. You want to see the stars, you want to see the counselors, you want to see what it's really all about. But get on the sites, talk to the directors, find out what makes them tick, what makes them sparkle, because it's got to feel right. And, and we're fortunate that Most of these camps are seeing good enrollment for this coming summer, so we hope that continues.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And not every camp is right for every camper or every family.

[Unidentified voice]:

Not at all. Not at all. In fact, you know, there's a number of kids that come that we talk to or families we talk to. And that's the greatest gift is what we can do is help them and point them in the right direction because everyone's needs different. So if we have an opportunity to talk to people and their family and their and their camper or campers, sometimes we can say, you know, we might not be the right fit for you, but there is a program out there and there's hundreds and hundreds of programs out there.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We've been speaking with Rich Deering, alumni and community director at Birch Rock Camp, also former camper at Birch Rock Camp and so many other roles. We really appreciate the time that you spend with this multiple generations of young men from the state of Maine and also really around the world. Thanks a lot for all the work you're doing.

[Unidentified voice]:

Thanks, Lisa. Great to talk with you. Always fun to talk about camp in Maine and Birch Rock.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

As a physician and small business owner, I rely on Marcy Booth from Booth, Maine to help me with my own business and to help me live my own life fully. Here are a few thoughts from Marcy.

[Unidentified voice]:

When was the last time you took a break from what you were doing, from the work that was piled up on your desk and just looked up? I know that during the course of my days, I often forget to take a moment or two to just breathe, look up at the sky and dream. Terrible that I have to remind myself to breathe. But when I do, I feel energized. Because in those moments, I'm able to let go of the daily grind and think more about what I want to accomplish, how I want my business to grow. Sometimes those are the aha moments. If we all took a few moments out each day to stop what we were doing and dream a little about our business futures, not only would we feel a great sense of calm, but we may come to realize that these dreams can, in fact, come true. I'm Marcie Booth. Let's talk about the changes you need. Boothmaine.com

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

summer camp season is soon upon us and today we have with us Garth Altenburg. Garth Altenburg is the boys Camp Director at Camp Chewanke. He began at camp Chewy in 1988 when he was 15. After serving as a counselor, trip leader and Assistant Director, in 2005, he became the director. Garth served as a president of the Maine Summer camps board from 2009 to 2013. He and his wife Heather have three children, William, Benjamin and Phoebe. Will and Ben are currently Camp Chiwonki campers. And from what I understand, Phoebe is going to be going to summer camp as well. Is that not true?

[Unidentified voice]:

That's right. Her first summer this year she'll be eight and we're very excited for her.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, thanks for coming in and talking to us about Summer Camp Scarth.

[Unidentified voice]:

Certainly. It's a pleasure.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Garth, you've been with Camp Chiwonki for a very long time. What got you interested in the first place?

[Unidentified voice]:

It's sort of a roundabout story. The town I grew up in, Cape Elizabeth, sends their sixth grade to Chiwaukee for a week of environmental education each spring. They started that tradition with the sixth grade when I was in seventh grade, so I missed it by a year. So I was certainly familiar with the Chiwonki program from my younger siblings who went, and there were some people in my neighborhood who were strong advocates for the program. My summers were spent delivering newspapers and mowing lawns and trying to earn a little extra money. And I was attending a two week camp over in New Hampshire each year when I was 11, 12 and 13. So I was familiar with camps and enjoyed the experience but didn't necessarily love it. Someone in my neighborhood ran the camp where my daughter will be going this summer, Alford Lake Camp, and they had a seven week co ed backpacking expedition on the Appalachian Trail, which I did when I was 14. It changed my world. It really did. It opened up a whole new experience for me. That journey from Mount Katahdin to Mount Washington over those seven weeks to this day stands out as one of the most pivotal experiences in my life, both for the journey itself, but also for the developmental growth that I experienced. I was about to enter high school. It was a co ed trip and it was Just such a powerful experience to have the peers, my peer group on that trip, be a co ed group and the girls be just as strong friends for me as the boys in that group. We were all carrying heavy packs, we were all hiking the same miles every day. And it was just a really formative and powerful experience for me. I really, really enjoyed that. And I went to the directors of the camp and said, I'd like a similar experience. What else would you recommend? And they said, well, how about Chiwanki? And again, I was familiar with Chiwanke through the schools, through the Cape School program, and ended up going on a five week canoe expedition up in Northern Quebec when I was 15. We had a, a Cree American, Native American guide with us. And that was just again, another fantastic journey. Both the adventure, the sense of adventure in its own right was powerful. The sense of leaving my home community to go see the wilderness, to go see the world was powerful. And then the group dynamic again, people that I'm still friends with to this day because of the journey we experienced in Northern Quebec now over 25 years ago, that experience led me to work at Chiwaukee the next summer as a young junior counselor as a 16 year old. And it was through my work as a counselor through many, many summers where I realized I really enjoy working with children. And that led me to become an education major in college. And so right out of college, I taught middle school here in Maine for 10 years. But all the time I stayed involved with camping most summers, returning to Chow Onkee in some leadership capacity and continued to grow that leadership over the years until in 2005, my predecessor stepped aside and I stepped in as the director. I just saw it as the opportunity of a lifetime and that's something that short of my own parents. Chiwanki has been probably the most significant developmental opportunity in my life. Just has really influenced who I am and how I look at the world and how I raise my own children. And you know, it's just an honor to be working there today and carrying on the tradition.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So tell me about some of the ways in which you've been shaped by Chewanke, the way that you look at the world and the way that you raise your children.

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah, there is an inherent goodness in all of us and I think camping really helps bring, bring that out for each child. There are high expectations for camps today and there are many, many, many competing opportunities for children and for their summertime. So we have a large responsibility at a camp. But when I raise my children, it's with the goal in mind that they have a passion for life, that they develop, are continuing to develop independence and that's a long progression through raising children and that they are contributing members to society in some way. And so I think of my parenting as being one pillar in that development for them. I think of their time at school as being another pillar in that development for them. But the real essential piece, I think is the time at camp and the independence. They have to be away from the watchful, caring eyes of their parents so they can really make their own choices and experience their successes and challenges away from, from the safety net of their parents. But that took a little while to develop and realize both as a parent but also as a teacher, as a camp counselor myself.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Many people start sending their children to camp when they're very young. And I know you're going to be sending your daughter to camp when she's fairly young. In your case though, you, as you said you were delivering papers and you were mowing lawns and you were already developing a sense of independence. Is this something that your parents thought was important prior to you even beginning camp?

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah. I should ask them, you know, why they chose that for my siblings and I, because we all went to camp. It necessarily wasn't in my parents background that I'm aware of. But I think they did think broadly for us and I think they had high goals for us and they were professionals, they were working hard all summer. And I think they saw it as a way for us to really gain some independence, to gain some friends with a different perspective from the cocoon of southern Maine that we were living in and just to have some really, really wonderful, powerful experiences. New friends, new places and new skills. And they, they worked hard to make it happen, to sacrifice for that. But I think again, they knew, and this is what I tell I share with our parents as well, that it really is a gift that we can give our children that we can't provide for them directly as parents in our day to day lives. Our children are going to react a certain way to us because we're there. We're their parents, we're always there for them. I love being a fly on the wall and watching my boys at camp interact with their peers, interact with their counselors in a very different way than they do at home with us. Their confidence is growing daily, their ability to cope and adjust is growing daily because they're stepping out of their comfort zone. Something that's very familiar to them now. But they are, they're stepping out of Their comfort zone.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Tell me about Camp Chiwonki. What is it about Camp Chiwanke that is special? And as you've alluded to, sending, getting people from all over the state, getting students from all over the state to be involved in environmental education programs at the middle school level.

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah, well, one of the exciting things is that we have campers and students from all over the world. About 10% of our camp population is global. My son's best friend is from Barcelona, Spain, and they're trading letters all winter long. So that's a neat little byproduct. You know, he's developing literacy and letter writing with his friend from Barcelona. But having served as the board president of Maine Summer Camps, I get to see so many different camps and they all have their unique culture and element to it. I think Chiwonki has managed to stay special and really one of a kind simply because we really, we're very authentic in getting kids to make their own fun, to use their own hands, to do what they can. We don't bring in a lot of outside entertainment. We don't bring in a lot of fabricated fun. We really are doing it in our own way. Most camps are going to say that they're hoping children grow. They grow uniquely and individually while they're at camp because they're challenged, that they develop a sense of community and appreciation for that community. And that's certainly what we're striving for at Chiwaukee. I think something that's very different at Chiwonkee than most of the other camps is really our focus on the natural world and the outdoors and getting kids really excited about that. My children, despite my best efforts, are plugged in most of the year. But they come to Chiwonki and they leave those devices at home and they're happy to because Chiwaukee is a huge community. It's a huge playground for them. It's a huge sort of old fashioned neighborhood where everybody sort of comes out of their front door and is interacting with each other in a real community way. We have a fully organic farm that the kids get involved with. And every summer I see a handful of boys just really gravitate towards this farm as their place where they are just so comfortable. Oftentimes they're urban boys. They live in a city. And this is the peace up there, the quiet and the stillness and the rhythms of the farm life I think really resonates in a unique way for them. They're getting up early in the morning on their own accord to help with farm Chores, be it milking a cow or weeding the gardens or feeding the animals. We also offer early morning bird walks. Boys are choosing to get out of bed again at the crack of dawn to go out and look for birds with binoculars. And part of that is because we have really enthusiastic teachers. But part of it is they know there's something bigger going on in the world around them. We've been closed off to it because we've built up a busy life with devices. But they know in their hearts there's some really cool things going on around them. And the first sighting of an osprey diving for our fish is going to ignite something within them. So we have really good teachers. Getting kids excited about the outdoors in a real hands on way. That's what I think helps Chiwaukee distinguish itself from all the many, many fine camps that are out there. Getting kids in the outdoors, learning to do things in a hands on way. Developing a passion for the wilderness and the natural world through some really gifted teachers. Because we operate 12 months out of the year, we are able to develop some expertise in these areas. Expertise in our teachings at the farm, expertise in our teachings about the natural world. Expertise in how we live and travel throughout the wilderness. Ways to be good to the wilderness while we travel, to leave no trace in our camping and in our travels. But at the same time be really skilled and comfortable in the wilderness. And kids will come home from their time in the wilderness and share this with their families. And they're always impressed. I think that's another unique and distinguishing characteristic of what we do. Every child who's with us in the summertime goes on some type of wilderness journey or expedition. Even our very youngest campers, 8 years old only with us for 10 days, they're going to spend a night out in the tent, in the woods, cooking over a campfire in a tent that they set up with their peers and a meal they help prepare with their counselors. And they've had some type of wilderness travel, some type of wilderness journey, backpacking out to their campsite or canoeing around the peninsula. So again, it's that sense of they're part of a larger world and they can interact with it and hopefully develop a sense of appreciation and stewardship for, for this world. That's something that we need to be cultivating in our present generation for the future. And I think that's something we're doing really well at Chiwonke.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Define stewardship for me, I mean, this is a word that I'm kind of Familiar with, But I'm not sure everybody

[Unidentified voice]:

who's listening might be, we have one planet, we have one Earth, and we need to take care of it. So stewardship really is, if not outright preserving the land, thinking about the best ways to treat it, care for it, and be thoughtful about your impact upon the land. So sometimes it might be through direct conservation means, Other times it might be through education, Just about how to be good owners and caretakers, stewards of our planet, if you will, or our own community. So really developing a sense of, we have one planet, and let's do our part to take good care of it, whether it's immediately in our own backyard or through larger conservation or education movements.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You chose to be a middle school teacher. What was your subject?

[Unidentified voice]:

I taught seventh grade pre algebra and eighth grade American history, Partly through the approach that middle school teachers need to be able to jump into a couple different disciplines that sort of fit with the middle school model. And that was really. That was really fun to be able to teach two very different disciplines. And the middle school model was really to connect with the whole child at that point and their development over time. And that really ties closely into camp as well. We were really interested in not having the child specialize in one specific activity. Although if they are interested in woodworking or want to become an exceptional sailor or really want to develop their archery skills, yes, we. We want that to happen with quality instruction. But at camp, we want our campers to experience so many things from technical activity, skill and growth and accomplishment. Again, becoming a strong sailor is a lifetime skill and passion that can be learned at camp. But we also want the character development to be there and the ability to interact with a wide range, wide variety of people to develop independence and confidence. Those similar goals that most middle schools have for their students are very similar to the goals we have at camp. The difference being is most of our campers aren't going home at the end of a day of camp. They're living and interacting with their camp peers all day long. And so they really need to function as a team. They can't close the door to their bedroom and shut off the world outside. They really need to. To function together and interact with a sense of respect for one another and fellowship and camaraderie and support.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

The goal of the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour is to help make connections between the health of the individual and the health of the community. The goal of Ted Carter Inspired Landscapes is to deepen our appreciation for the natural world. Here to speak with us today is

[Unidentified voice]:

Ted Carter I've had the good fortune of working to some degree with the Lakota Indians. And I'm always amazed at the Native American teachings and the power of intention. I did a ceremony with them, a Uweepi ceremony, actually, and we all had to bring 500 prayer ties to the ceremony. And as we did each prayer tie stuffed with tobacco, we would say tankashila Mitakyoyasan. Tankashila means creator and mitakyahuasana means all my relations. And what I find striking about the Native American teachings is it's all is one, it's very first chakra. It's very much about connection and connection to each other. And in their teachings, they feel that the creator is the creator, the God force, and the grandmother is the earth. And we all have the same father and we all have the same mother. And I think that's something very important to realize that we are all connected. And when tragedy strikes or when something happens, sometimes we can feel that and we know something's up. We can't quite put our hand on it. But knowing this and understanding how the Earth works with these subtle energies and this form of connection between the great Creator and the mother makes us feel like we're not so all alone in the world. And at times when we're despondent or having trouble, it's important that we honor the earth and move out into nature and let her speak to us. She will comfort us and take good care of us. I'm Ted Carter, and if you'd like to contact me, I can be reached@tedcarterdesign.com

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and podcast understands the importance of the health of the body, mind and spirit. Here to talk about the health of the body is Travis Boullier of Premier Sports, a division of Black Bear Medical Recovery.

[Unidentified voice]:

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Dr. Lisa Belisle:

interesting to me that relationships end up being such a critical part of being human. And yet it's something we don't get a lot of instruction in and has been changed, has been altered in some way by our connectivity. And I'm not saying in a bad way. I mean, we have social media now, so we're more connected in some ways, but in other ways we're less connected, but we don't. Still, the value of teaching relationships is something that I'm not sure everybody recognizes.

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah, and camp really provides the opportunities for those relationships to develop deeply and significantly. Most of our campers at Chiwonkee are coming for three weeks and over that course of the three weeks, the intensity that they'll have with their cabin group, their peers, the eight other boys who are sharing their cabin with them, and their two counselors is significant. They're traveling on a wilderness journey together, so they're in a group every day, they're preparing meals, they're setting up camp, they're setting up a tent site. They really need to function closely and intensely as a team. And then there's nothing like sitting around a campfire at the end of the day for for opening up and for reflecting and for sharing. And what might be a highlight of the day for one boy might be a challenge for another boy. The thrilling ascent of the peak could be the highlight of the day for one boy and could be the great fear inducing challenge that another boy had to work really hard to overcome. So there's a real opportunity for depth in those relationships that's just not superficial. Because you're living so closely and you're living in such an intense setting, you have to be pretty true to yourself. And I can't think of many other situations that really require that full authenticity all the time. You really have to be willing to be your true self and accept others for their true selves and then work with that. You have to. That's just the dynamic of camp. And so great things can happen with that. Great, great bonding and great closeness can develop. It's really fun having been in this role for a while now. I'm getting invited to former campers weddings and just to see who's involved still in their life. It's all their camp friends. And I think that says something pretty powerful about the experience.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And are you called to be fully authentic in a way that maybe you hadn't needed to be in other adult roles?

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah, I really have to be both. For the campers, a large part of my work from September to June is building trust and relationships with our camp families. So they're counting on me to be there for their children and the campers are counting on me to be there for them in June, July, in August. I need to be very present. I can't be thinking about back office camp camp business related issues. I need to be there for them. I need to be in tune to who's missing home or who's struggling adjusting. And I think the development of that skill to be a camp director and also to be a teacher and to be a parent, just came through years of living it at camp in my adolescence, both as a camper and then as a counselor myself. You just have to be who you are. And if you have people who are encouraging you to be yourself and welcoming of that, it's easier to be yourself. It just emerges more at camp. You can step out of who people think you may be at home and who they think they know you as, and you can come and, and really be yourself. That's very powerful for kids to feel that comfort and acceptance all the while having just a ton of fun. But yeah, it really requires full presence and authenticity.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Where do you see Chewonki going in the future? I'm sure that it's had to evolve over the years, and as with anything, has probably seen some changes and will see some changes. Where will chiwaki go?

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah, it's funny. I think the gap between life at home and life at Chiwanki has widened over the past 20 years significantly. And not because chiwonke has changed tremendously, but I think life at home for children has really changed tremendously. So we need to continue to evolve and make sure the world knows of our value. And I actually think the value of what we're doing at Chuwonki is, is more significant than ever because of the changes in home life. Because our children, our campers, are not interacting with each other in the natural world as much as they used to in a real authentic way. There are so many wonderful benefits to life today. I mean, I think kids get some really fantastic opportunities, but I also think more than ever they really need what we have to offer. And so that's going to be our challenge. In 2015, we'll be celebrating our centennial, 100 Years of Chiwonki. And so as we look forward to the next hundred years, the world will need strong leaders who can interact with a wide variety of individuals who have an appreciation for the natural world. I think that's absolutely critical. And they're going to learn that through chiwonki. So I think we're well positioned, I think we're very well positioned to provide for the youth for the next hundred years. I can't think of a professional setting as an adult where you can exist without some significant team player skills. You know, every company, every corporation, every small business needs team oriented, problem solving people. And that's what we're cultivating at camp. But again, this world needs good stewards, people who are really being thoughtful about taking care of it. Chiwonki inspires a passion for the world. It helps open up doors for people. It helps people see the world as a really lively, vibrant place that needs our true interaction with it, our true caring for all inhabitants of the of the world and all species and each other. So our mission is vibrant and strong and I think ready to serve the world for the next hundred years and beyond. It's an exciting time.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Karth, how do people find out about camp Chiwonki?

[Unidentified voice]:

Sure, perhaps the easiest way is visiting us on the Internet and we view that as a portal to the great experience. So our website, our web address is chuonke.org and then of course, just word of mouth referral. It's really fun talking to people who know of Chuonke and have some experience. So ask your neighbor, ask your colleague, ask your friends. There's probably someone out there who knows us and speaks highly of us and our alumni and our friends are such a treasured resource for us as well.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We've been speaking with Garth Altenberg who is a camp Director at Camp Chiwonke. We appreciate your spending time with us today talking about Camp Chiwanki and also I really appreciate the work you're doing with bringing high quality people into the world.

[Unidentified voice]:

Thanks so much. It's been a pleasure. Can't wait for summer.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You've been listening to the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and podcast show number 134 summer camps. Our guests have included Richard Deering and Garth Altenberg. For more information on our guests and extended interviews, visit Dr. Lisa.org the Dr. Lisa Radio Hourum Podcast is downloadable for free on itunes. For a preview of each week's show, sign up for our E Newsletter and like our Dr. Lisa Facebook page, follow me on Twitter and as bountiful one on Instagram. We love to hear from you, so please let us know what you think of the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour. We welcome your suggestions for future shows. Also let our sponsors know that you have heard about them here. We are privileged that they enable us to bring the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour to you each week. This is Dr. Lisa Belisle. I hope that you have enjoyed our summer camp show. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day. May you have a bountiful life.