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At my camp, we have closing campfire where myself and a couple other staff will recite a poem, or an ode, or a little story or something that is meaningful to camp.

I'm trying to put together a little selection of them, so that when I am creating the weekly closing campfire program, I have them easily on hand to refer to.

Does anyone have any favourites that they would like to share with me?

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Slow songs are also good for closing campfires.

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"If your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you ought to seriously examine your life." Bill Watterson It's one of my directors favorites for a quote of the meal.

Another one of her favorites is by Shel Silverstein “Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”

http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/435477.Shel_Silverstein
Here is a bunch of Shel Silverstein quotes that could work

and here's a link to some Dr. Seuss quotes that you could use http://www.goodreads.com/search?q=dr+seuss&search%5Bsource%5D=goodreads&search_type=quotes&tab=quotes

And I couldn't copy this poem, but here's the link http://www.poemfarm.amylv.com/2012/07/tonight-love-poem-to-summer-camp.html


"I'm always pretty happy when I'm at camp with you!"
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Here's an awesome letter:

A letter to my child's staff person. . . by Michael Brandwein
How strange it is that I've never met you and in a few days you will become the most important person in my life.
I suppose you've been told that already: "These are other people's children - their most cherished loved ones; they'd actually give up their own life before they would let anything terrible happen to them. . . ," etc., etc. But I hope that you don't think it's strange if I take a few moments to write down a few things that I would want you to know. Oh, sure, there are those official camp forms where I can tell you that my son or daughter is allergic to a rare kind of wallpaper paste, loves volleyball but not when it's cloudy {please keep an eye out for that}, or has promised the parole officer not to set any more of the big fires. I wanted to take a few extra moments to tell you some things that don't really belong on a form.
I've been thinking a lot the last few days about baby-sitters. Whenever I hire one to look after my child, I interview them. I have the chance to meet them, ask them things, and watch how they interact and play with my child and how my child responds to them. I can personally talk to people for whom they've worked before. And I've thought about school: I get to meet the teacher before it starts.
But when a parent sends their child to camp, odds are they've never met the people who will stand in the parent's place. If I understand right, at some camps you don't even know the counselor's name until camp actually begins. I just wanted to tell you that all of this is scary.
Please don't be insulted. I trust the director who hired you and would never think of sending my child unless I did. If the director trusts you, then I trust you. But I know that the director is not going to be taking care of my child personally. You are. And I just wanted you to know what an extraordinary act of faith it is for me to put my child into your arms. Please hold my child carefully.
I'm sending my child with all of the things that the camp letter said to include. I feel absolutely certain that I've forgotten something and I have this fear that my child will be the only one without it, whatever it is.
I can still remember when my little brother and I went to sleep-over camp in Wisconsin. Our second summer we showed up for only the second four week session. We didn't know that no one did that, and that we'd be walking into a place where everyone already knew everyone else. We showed up proudly wearing our official camp T-shirts, the only kind we'd brought. Unfortunately, no one had told us that these shirts, which were considered the height of coolness our first summer, had been declared the depths of dorkiness for the second summer. When we arrived it was dark. I remember being very grateful for that. Everyone was in the dining hall watching a movie, so we snuck into a corner, away from the stares. I don't think I've ever felt so alone.
And then I remember the first counselor who smiled at me. Who asked me lots of questions about what I liked to do. Who really listened without interrupting or correcting me. I must have talked for three or four minutes with him just smiling and nodding at me. I kept waiting for him to interrupt or something. Four minutes! That was a personal record. It had never happened at home. I liked it. I liked it a lot. And then the box of regular, ordinary, no dorky-logo shirts arrived in an emergency package from mom and dad. Things got much better after that. . . .
There were a few other things I wanted to tell you: I don't expect you to be perfect. Heaven knows I'm not. With any luck, maybe heaven doesn't know. . .. I've brought my child up the best way I know how and I know I've made mistakes. I keep trying to learn how to do it better, and just when I think I've got this parenting thing down, my child grows older, changes considerably, and sends me back to the drawing
8
board to figure it all out again. But I have learned one thing: if you don't know, ask. Read. Watch others. Invite help. I have a lot of good friends who I talk to all the time about raising my child. I'd hate to think you were suddenly trying to do this on your own when I can't do that myself.
Please know that my child is not perfect either. I'm hoping that you will forgive just as you would like to be forgiven yourself, and that when my child does something that isn't right, that you will focus on helping to show what should be done better the next time. In other words, just treat my child exactly as you will want to be treated if you mess up.
I know you've got a lot of children to take care of. They are all important.
I hope very much that you find something special about mine. I don't mean better. I just mean something unique that sets my child apart as a valuable individual.
You see, I love my child very much. And I tell my child that every day. But the problem is that I've raised a reasonably smart child who figures that it's my job to say "you're smart" and "you look great" and "people really think you're terrific." From time to time my child must wonder if I say these things because they're really true or because I'm supposed to say them.
Wouldn't it be great if my child met you, a complete stranger, and you discovered valuable things in my child all on your own? See, if YOU find and talk about these positive things, my child can say, "Hey, people notice that I've got good things inside of me. I guess maybe I do. . . ."
So I've sort of ended where I began: talking about strangers. Ironically, the very fact that you are a stranger to my child gives you, in some ways, even more power than I have.
And one final thing: sometimes when I write my thoughts down I understand them better. When I started writing this letter I didn't really see this, but I do now:
It just occurred to me: If you care for my child with love and patience and skill, then you're no stranger. You've suddenly become my most important friend in the world.
Thank you, friend. Have a most wonderful summer!
A Child's Grateful Parent

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That's awesome! I'm a fan of the "what is a counselor?" thing, though I don't see it being read to kids, but perhaps a staff closing campfire. I've had it read to me at staff banquets and such.

I've never seen that letter before but I really like it! I think it makes a very valid point and it reminds me of something I need to do again, to find the special things in each of the children so that when the week is over I remember more about them than that they are a kid (not a behavior problem but not one of those kids that everyone likes/the outgoing ones). I really do know each kid but I want to try harder to really find their awesomeness or uniqueness that makes me love them past the week that I have them.


"I'm always pretty happy when I'm at camp with you!"
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It's probably my most favorite piece to share with other camp staff each summer. It does remind us to pay attention to each child and that they are all unique and special in their own ways. I also love "What is a Counselor?" smile

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I love that letter, i have just sent it to my ACD and said we should use it before open house, and then throughout the summer! it gives a good prospective . ( if only my english teacher could see me analysing it )
We have fairytales read at my camp but i can't find it anywhere

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My first camp has a legend that is read at each Camp Fire off of a scroll. It's really cool. "Many many moons ago before you or I or anyone else we know was born..." (I could continue, but I will spare you all)


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Mary.Samson
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Hello,
I was wondering if you could copy a link for the "what is a counselor?" thing

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I'll see what I can do to find it.


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http://heyheycfa.blogspot.com/2010/11/what-is-camp-counselor.html

this isn't the exact wording of the version I've heard, but it's basically the same thing and I think just about every camp modifies it a little to fit their camp. It was originally found in Camping Magazine I think, years upon years ago


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Our camp's song is sung by all the staff at the end of the closing fire. It's a final good bye to the campers and is always a tear jerker among staff and campers alike.

Britton's Waters is a song named in honor of the camp's Lake Britton.

Britton's Waters called to me,
Beneath the summer sky,
Remember well all you have seen,
when youth has passed you by,
When youth has passed you by.
Said I, Dear Water in reply,
Allow me chance to say...
Though from these forest's now I leave,
I will return one day,
I will return one day.
For here I've learned the fellowship the scouting law has laid,
Burns brightly as the bonfire,
around which friends are made,
around which friends are made,
Then down the trial, the wizened oaks did whisper from above
As for a time I may leave this place,
Dear Gerber that I love,
Dear Gerber that I love.

I wish I had the sheet music on me, because I can only post an embeded video of Britton's Waters, it is a pretty and kind of sad song, especially when accompanied by an acoustic guitar.

Which is then followed by the traditional Scouting Vesper, which is sung to an oddly remixed "O' Christmas Tree" that has slowly changed and morphed over the years.

We only sing the first lyric, then hum the rest of the tune, due to the very diverse set of scouts who come with different backgrounds, family dynamics and religions.

Softly falls the light of day,
As our campfire fades away.
Silently each Scout should ask,
"Have I done my daily task?
Have I kept my honor bright?
Can I guiltless sleep tonight?
Have I done and have I dared,
In everything to Be Prepared?"


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