Camp Counselors are heroes~!
Camp counselors in 2021 had an enormous challenge: help campers connect with each other after most (both children and counselors!) had not been together in school in more than a year.
Weekly camper surveys consistently reported that campers’ favorite things about their week were the zipline, banana boat, and their counselors.
Positive comments from camp parents emphasized that this summer was a particular gift to their families. One parent wrote in, “Check-in and check-out were handled so smoothly and made us feel so comfortable leaving our kids with you for the week. Our 12-year-old daughter was really impacted by the evening activities that included reflection and sharing. Our 10-year-old daughter loved that her counselor sang to them each night at bedtime. (I teared up when she told me this because I expected her to be a little lonely at that time or have trouble falling asleep. This is such a loving touch.) I can't wait to send our girls back next year!”
Counselors were able to adapt to COVID protocols while maintaining beloved camp traditions. Campers enjoyed Opening Campfire with skits and songs, classic evening programs like CHAOS, Thursday night camp dance (now known as the “Camp Ernst Party”), and of course Closing Campfire on Friday nights.
As the Camp Ernst song declares, “I do believe I’ll remember this place for a long, long time.”
