Sleep Away Camp, Experienced
For two summers, I attended a pair of very different sleep away camps. While there are people who swear summer camp experiences were the “best times they ever had,” I have decidedly different feelings.
I felt a sense of obligation to my parents when I agreed to attend Camp Cejwin in 1975. I was the rare “third generation“ camper, as my grandparents had rented a cabin on the lake for several years while my mother spent her summers in one of the girls’ bunks with her friends. My father evidently attended for a few summers as well.
Strike one at Cejwin was the bunk where I was assigned. The main counselor had the responsibility of running that section of the boys’ camp. His assistant, a 19-year-old counselor in training, had to somehow maintain order with one dozen rambunctious 12-year-olds.
Strike two was the overall composition of the bunk, which tilted heavily towards peer pressure-induced conformity. If the activity was swimming, you better get your suit (no life preservers back then) and head to the lake. If the activity was archery, prepare to hoist your quill. If the activity was lanyard, whatever you do, don’t ask “what’s lanyard?”
Strike three, unfortunately, was Camp Cejwin itself. My parents clearly enjoyed during its heyday. Even a few years before I was born, Cejwin attracted 1,300 campers for its season. A…
