Evening star., 1936-04-24
Benefits of
Camp Life
Three-Fold
Encourages Self-Reli-
ance, PromotesHealth
and Growth.
BY ANGELO PATRE.

ONE of the chief values of season
spent in camp is found In the
complete absence from home and
parental guidance. That experience
is needed by most children along
about the age of IL, They have been
leaning hard on their parents, ex-
pecting to be told what to do and
how to do it. This dependence has
begun to be irksome. While 1t has
had some good features it has also
had its drawbacks. If father helped
you out by telling you what to do
today he expected you to need telling
about something else about which
YOU had strong preferences in an
other direction. Along with the
pleasant feeling of being cared for
goes the other feeling of being cared
for too much. Getting of on ones
own clarifies these feelings tremen-
dously.
At camp one is expected to fall in
line with his mates, lend a hand at
whatever is on the program whether
it be building the evening flre or
getting up in the night to move beds
from under leaks. One has to DO his
share to promote the comfort and
enjoyment of the group, and that
experience means great modltlca-
ton of ones family attitudes. Ones
family usually is expected to meet
ones troubles and difficulties half
way. and provide for ones comfort
all the way. In camp it is different.
One looks out for anothers comfort
along with ones own.
There is nobody to make decisions
that affect one personally such as,
shall I spend my dollar to 60 to the
village or shall save it toward a trip
to Mount Pharoah?" Nobody but the
person concerned cares whit either
vay. Ones nearest friend indicates
It by arching of eyebrows and shrug-
eings of shoulders when asked about
it. DO what you like" 1t is pain
full. but one has to decide what ne
likes, wants, and can have, for HIM
self.
Camping out allows for experiences
that parents have not been able or
willing to allow. Building a fire and
cooking dinner. serving and eating 1t
after finding the makings somehow
somewhere is a course in self-rell-
ance. It cannot be had at home. It
comes in full force in camp. II
mother or father were about there
would be suggestions, advice and
orders about every step Of the process
At camp each does his bit and lets
the other fellow do his, That is very
valuable experience.
There are many valuable expert
ences to be gained by spending some
time in camp. Some Of us cannot
afford a full season at professionally
conducted children's camp. The values
for the children are too precious tc
resign without a struggle. Isn't there
a group that would join in an effort
to take over some old place not so far
away? Isn't there some teacher not
TOO busy at the moment, maybe re-
tired. maybe on leave, who would help
in the management and supervision?
Couldn't a few fathers and mothers
put their wise heads together and
make a camping season possible when
the highly organized professional one
Is out of the question?
An old barn in a pasture, near a
brook. An empty farmhouse set close
to an old orchard A bit of woodland
or strip of shore where tents could be
set. What is needed most are the
people who want to help the children
out. Surely there are some.