Part 1 (2/2)
These are a few quotations taken from a variety of camp booklets:
”The object of the camp is healthful recreation without temptation.”
”A camp where boys live close to nature, give themselves up to play, acquire skill in sports, eat plenty of wholesome food, and sleep long hours ... and are taught high ideals for their own lives.”
”To give boys a delightful summer outing under favorable conditions, and to give them every opportunity to become familiar with camp life in all its phases. We believe this contributes much to the upbuilding of a boy's character and enables him to get out of life much enjoyment that would not otherwise be possible.”
”A place where older boys, boys of the restless age, may live a happy, carefree, outdoor life, free from the artificialities and pernicious influences of the larger cities”; a place where ”all the cravings of a real boy are satisfied”; a place ”where constant a.s.sociation with agreeable companions and the influence of well-bred college men in a clean and healthy moral atmosphere make for n.o.ble manhood; a place where athletic sports harden the muscles, tan the skin, broaden the shoulders, brighten the eye, and send each lad back to his school work in the fall as brown as a berry and as hard as nails.”
”A camp of ideals, not a summer hotel nor a supplanter of the home. The princ.i.p.al reason for its existence is the providing of a safe place for parents to send their boys during the summer vacation, where, under the leaders.h.i.+p of Christian men, they may be developed physically, mentally, socially, and morally.”
Whether the camp is conducted under church, settlement, Young Men's Christian a.s.sociation, or private auspices, the prime purpose of its existence should be that of character building.
”Because of natural, physical, social, educational, moral, and religious conditions, the boy is taught those underlying principles which determine character. The harder things a boy does or endures, the stronger man he will become; the more unselfish and n.o.ble things he does, the better man he will become.”
No Rough-house
The day of the extreme ”rough-house” camp has pa.s.sed. Boys have discovered that real fun does not mean hurting or discomforting others, but consists in making others happy. The boy who gets the most out of camp is the boy who puts the most into camp.
Mottoes
Many camps build their program of camp activities around a motto such as ”Each for All, and All for Each,”
”Help the Other Fellow,”
”Do Your Best,”
”Nothing Without Labor,”
”A Gentleman Always,” and ”I Can and I Will.”
Scout Law
Endurance, self-control, self-reliance, and unselfishness are taught the ”Boy Scouts” through what is called the ”Scout Law.”
(1) A Scout's honor is to be trusted; (2) Be loyal; (3) Do a good turn to somebody every day; (4) Be a friend to all; (5) Be courteous; (6) Be a friend to animals; (7) Be obedient; (8) Be cheerful; (9) Be thrifty.
All these are valuable, because they contribute to the making of character.
In the conduct of a boys' camp there must be a definite clear-cut purpose if satisfactory results are to be obtained. A go-as-you-please or do-as-you please camp will soon become a place of harm and moral deterioration.
Results
Camping should give to the boy that self-reliance which is so essential in the making of a life, that faith in others which is the foundation of society, that spirit of altruism which will make him want to be of service in helping other fellows, that consciousness of G.o.d as evidenced in His handiwork which will give him a basis of morality, enduring and reasonable, and a spirit of reverence for things sacred and eternal. He ought to have a better appreciation of his home after a season away from what should be to him the sweetest place on earth.
CHAPTER II--LEADERs.h.i.+P
THE DIRECTOR a.s.sISTANT LEADERS THE TERM LEADER HOW TO GET LEADERS VARIETY OF TALENT SUGGESTIONS TO LEADERS OPPORTUNITY OF LEADERs.h.i.+P
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