Evening star., 1940-06-16
Child Benefits
AT Summer
Camps
State Authorities
And Directories
Aid in Selection
BY MARIE M. READY.

the lake. BY moonlight. the fan.
tastic, shadowy pictures across the
lake accompanied by the gentle
swish of the waters, kept us aweke
long after taps had sounded and
"Grandpa," the frog, had croaked
his last goodnight.
We were spending the summer at
Camp Nankanawa, a 1,o00-acre pio-
neer camp for girls, situated on a
plateau in the Tennessee noun
tains For the marjority of girls
enrolled camping was something
new. 1t was their first summer in
tents.
The summer was rapid success
sion OF pleasant experiences.
Swimming and boating activities
were conducted under rigid Red
Cross standards. Neither camper
nor counselor would have broken
the lake-front rules without danger
of being sent home on the next
train. The other activities pro-
gressed largely by the ingenuity OF
the campers and counselors. The
art counselor began to sketch an
outdoor scene and soon had COM
pany; the music counselor had a
song for every important occasion
The nature counselor blazed many
trails through the woods There
was no chance of solitude. I'm
promptu dramatic stunts and un-
usual parties made their appear
ances at the most unexpected times.
Many years have passed since that
summer in the Tennessee mountains,
yet two pictures linger-the ex-
pressions of mingled worry and doubt
on the faces of the parents as the
"Nankanawa Camp Special" pulled
out from the railroad station at Nash
vile, enroute for the camp, and the
instantaneous expressions of relief
and joy of these parents when, two
months later, they met their chill
dren. The radiant happiness and
the rosy tanned compilations con-
vinced the parents that camping
was worth while.
When summer comes each year and
hordes of children are turned loose
from the public and the private
schools by an educational system
which provides inadequately for the
vacation period, thousands of par
ents face the problem of guidance
for their children. An aimless vaca-
ton has little value for the child
and often is a constant source of
anxiety for the parent. Further
more, when summer comes, parents
need a vacation and should plan
for themselves as well as for their
children.
When children go with their par
ents on a trip or to resort, the re-
suits are usually compromise and
are apt to be unsatisfactory for the
parents and for the children. AL
though In some instances arrange
ments may be made whereby the
children visit friends or relatives
while the parents are away, in the
marjority of cases this is not exactly
satisfactory.
A summer camp is child's world.
1t is temporary paradise" for
youngsters. Long ago educational,
health and religious authorities rec
ognized the camp as the best place
for children during the summer
vacation.
Camp programs afford opportu-
mites for children to do the things
they like to do out of doors. While
1t is impossible to describe the varied
recreational and educational pro-
grams which are conducted in
camps, these activities are typical:
Swimming, boating, riding, dra-
mates, outdoor cooking, handcrafts,
camp fires, fishing, overnight hikes,
tennis. golf. nature lore, rif1ery,
archery, music, art and photog-
raphy. In some camps children
write and produce plays and print
their camp newspapers.
X
In view of the large number of
camps for children which are in
existence today, the selection of a
camp for a child may become a be-
wildering task for the parent. Many
camps are advertised in the Sunday
editions of daily newspapers and in
various monthly journals Some
publishers even provide advice for
parents as to the type of camp
which would be suitable for child.
Many summer camps are affiliated
with the better private schools.
Several reliable directories are
published which present essential
information regarding each camp
listed therein as to camp site, lay
out and equipment, sanitary con-
ditions and equipment, water supply
program, personnel, season, fees and
clientele. A Guide to Summer
Camps" published annually by Por-
= ter Sargent, Boston, Mass, presents
essential information regarding
some -Four Hundred Better Camps
for Children" The "1940 Directory of
Summer Camps, published by the
American Camping Association,
Ann Arbor, Mich, Is an extensive
directory of camps conducted in
various sections of the United States
and in Canada.
8 In some of the more exclusive
camps, social references are re-
.quired for enrolment and former
apatrons of the camp are listed in the
rscamp booklet as a means of showing
the clientele served.
X
Before enrolling child in any
camp, the parent should investi-
gate the. basic standards of health,
safety and leadership. One summer
spent in camp with inferior STAN
.dards of health and leadership may
result in the undermining of the
childs physical well-being, and the
undoing of years of careful training.
In a well conducted camp, the wa
ter supply and sanitary equipment
are planned according to standards
of public health authorities. the
water front program is conducted