How does this really work at camp?

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It’s all about kids today

It’s hot. Like so, so, so hot. This newsletter isn’t about heat. But I had to mention it because…it’s soooo hot. Anyway…

Campers just came yesterday. It’s go time!

Been at Kenwood & Evergreen for a few weeks now, and because I’m new here, I’m on a mission to figure out how things work.

So I keep asking different versions of the same question:

“How does this really work?”

I don’t want to know the official handbook version. I’m juiced on learning the actual version.

If you’ve ever been to a new camp, you know what I mean. If you’ve been at your spot forever, you might not think about it much.

Like, assembly is supposed to start at 7:50 AM. Cool. But I’m noticing kids filter in at different times, and there’s this whole informal gathering period that happens first, which has tons of cool energy.

Meals are scheduled for 30 minutes. Sweet. But there’s cleanup time, and social time, and the way kids actually move through the line takes longer than what’s on paper.

All good, and it all adds up to how a place ticks. And there’s invaluable info in knowing the difference between how things work.

Getting Real Answers

The issue with this question is that if you’ve been at your camp for years, you probably have a harder time getting honest answers to this question than I do right now.

As an entrenched person, you’ve already said how things should work. So people have a ton of incentive to just parrot that back to you.

They know the “right” answer. And unless you’ve built serious trust over time, they’re going to give you the official version instead of the real one.

Right now, I’m in a good spot because the curiosity is genuine. It’s even become something of a running joke with a few of the staff members.

So I’m walking around asking the same questions to tons of different people.

“How do kids actually get their meds?”

“What happens during rainy day schedules?”

“How do staff days off go down?”

I get different answers depending on who I talk to. Which is part of the point.

Nurses tell me one thing about evening med time. Counselors tell me something different. None of them are making up stories. They’re all experiencing the same system from different angles.

I’ll ask maybe five or six staff folks the deets. Not because I think someone or anything is wrong, but because I want to understand how the same process looks from different perspectives.

The Breezy Strategy

I also have a secret weapon this summer.

My girlfriend, Breezy, is at camp with me. She’s super nice and thoughtful, walking around camp with Krieger (our dog) asking questions.

When she asks them, it’s soooo much less threatening than when I do it.

I didn’t realize how helpful this was until she started sharing with me how things work from a totally different perspective.

It’s awesome because people don’t feel like they’re being evaluated when she asks. They’re just helping someone understand camp. And to be fair, they aren’t being evaluated when I ask either, it’s just different. Ya know?

I know you don’t have Breezy walking around your place with a dog. That’s fine. The key is figuring out who you can bring to (or already have at) camp, who you trust, is awesome, but isn’t as “scary” as the boss might be.

Who do you know who’s genuinely curious, good with people, and can ask questions without people feeling like they’re being judged?

Why This Actually Matters

Look, I’m not just asking these questions just because I’m curious. And I’m not asking because I’m like “LET’S CHANGE SOME STUFF!!!”

Obviously, you want to know how things work so you can figure out what’s going on or look for ways to improve. But honestly, the best part is finding the stuff that already works really well.

Like, why does evening campfire always feel so smooth?

Why do kids move through the health center so efficiently?

Why does cleanup after meals happen so fast?

When something works in the camp trenches exactly like it’s designed in the handbook, that’s freaking gold. Those are the spots you want to highlight when you’re trying to make everything else pop off in the same way.

I mean, sure, you’ll find things that could stand for some fixing. But don’t make that anything close to the whole mission. The goal should be raising everything up to match the best versions of what you’re already doing.

And this isn’t just data collection.

Every time I ask “How does this really work?” I’m telling someone their experience matters. That I want to understand their perspective. That I want to factor in all experiences when looking at the larger whole.

Your Turn

I sometimes like to end these newsletters with some easy-to-implement practical advice that I can hold myself accountable to, and I kinda will here.

Though honestly, this is a work in progress for me, too. Like I said, campers are just getting here, and it’s hot as hell.

But understanding the gaps between Plan and Reality is ultra-important. Both for when there is no gap (Awesome!) and when there’s a wide one (Okay, let’s take a look at this!).

So if you want to try it, just simply do this: Start asking versions of “How does this really work?”

Maybe it’s how kids get ready for bed.

Maybe it’s how staff communicate during emergencies.

Maybe it’s how equipment gets set up for activities.

Don’t worry about timelines or building all this networked trust right away. That stuff takes time, and that’s totally fine.

It’s not even about change for me. It’s just about understanding what the reality of the situation is like with a couple of hiking boots on the ground.

If the only goal (like, legit, the only goal) is to learn, then staff will pick up on that.

Some cool answers will come.

You got this,

Jack

PS - Know other camp pros who are looking to level up their game this summer? Would love to have them on this list.

Get my newsletter every week.

It’s all about kids today

Jack Schott

Summer Camp Evangelist