ACA Home Forums Camp Names

Boomis is right, the camp name thing is based in GS camps, and most likely will never change because it is tradition. I know there are some GS camps that went to real names, that's cool, they can do what they want. I know of some other camps that aren't GS camps that use camp names, and I don't get it. It's almost like they copied off of the GS camps or something.

Yeah, camp names are silly, and mess with the whole being yourself thing. Also not telling the campers your real name isn't really honest... but I just go with it. It's true I don't call any of my camp friends by their real names, but like I've said before, that helps me identify who are camp friends and who are school friends.

Some background info on my camp name. I got the nick name in high school. It is based on my real name... Tina. Is there a difference between Tina and Teenster, no, not really. Maybe when I'm at camp, and I'm Teenster, I'm a little more outgoing, but that is about it. But, I would be more outgoing at camp if I had a camp name or not. I also think that if I worked at a camp without camp names, people would still call me Teenster, because it is just a nick name that has followed me for about eight years now.

Camp names are cool, but yeah... they are a little weird.

- Teenster

Just because things are tradition does not make them right. It was tradition for women not to vote, or for boy scouts to exclude gays...is this right?

Your name is who you are. It defines you.

Suppose a kid has problems at home and wants to talk with you abou it: is that the time for her to be talking to Sarah her counselor or to Snow White?

As long as the person that kid is talking to is a good counselor, and responds appropriately, why should it matter if their name is Poopy-Head?

A rose by any other name, and all that.

i really shouldn't be posting on this, since I'm rather irratable at the moment, but...

your name does not define who you are. if that were true, then why am i not exaclty like the thousand other amys in the world. my name doesn't really mean much to me, it's just a lable. I know that it isn't that way for some people, and i honestly respect that you like your names more than i do, but just because someone doesn't go by their full name all the time doesn't make them a different person. My grandfather has gone by Bob since he met my grandmother a bazillion years ago, but his name is actually George, and he's not any less of himself for it.

What about people who go by middle names? are they trying to decive people so that no one will trust them? if you found out your friend Fred's first name was Bob, was this a huge betrayal issue and you'll never be able to trust him again? Just because the camper's counselor's name is Sarah doesn't mean that that is actually her name, what if her name really IS Snow White, but she just forgot to tell her camper? that's the same kind of a lie. or is it just that one doesn't seme to be a name, whereas the other is?

I never once felt disconnected with my counselors because they had strange names. the only time it was a problem for me was when i had to explain to my friends at home why my counselor's names were "Gallileo" or whatever. If i'd ever had anything to confess to them, i would have done so, without ever thinking that they wouldn't trust me with their names, or that thus they must not be trustworthy.

Bear with me here, as this is hard for me to explain.

Calico and Allison, although they look the same and have the same voice, are two very different people. Allison grew up with constant teasing for her deformed ear; she never had many friends, and was quite the loner. She was a bibliophile who didn't like to be in the outdoors any longer than she had to. Very quiet and reserved, she was not an eager leader.

Calico, on the other hand, has not been influenced by society's constant demands of conformity. She was "born" (or created, whatever you want to call it) in a place that accepted all differences. Her ear received no more attention than her smile, or her abilities as a CIT. She is always ready to sing a song, lead an activity, or read a story to any child, camper or no. She is the leader who loves children and is not afraid to act "childish" while being herself.

In short, I am both Calico and Allison. Calico is not a "new" persona; she is just a different side which is not welcomed in the outside world. Camp is her home.

What I'm getting at is that while I have two names and "personalities", they are both very much ME and are both present in all of my activities. I feel closer to campers as Calico because I don't have the influences of society to appear to be a friend. I can be a friend however I need to without fear of what the next person will think of me.

I hope all that made sense- if anything seems confusing, I'll be happy to explain it further.

Because the entire relationship is based on dishonesty. You are trying to give the kids advice, but are withholding a key piece of information about yourself.

Because you are Amy, along with all of your life experiences that go with it. To you, you are the real Amy....not the real Free Willy.

That's a ludicrous, straw-person, fallacy if I ever saw one. Your name is not the word on your birth certificate, but is the word that you are called 365 DAYS A YEAR. Obviously, your grandfather's name is Bob (although that is not his government name). Nice try, though.

Everything Calico says and does has a basis in Alison's personal experiences. Furthermore, are we looking to teach our kids that they should have a dual-persona? You should be teaching that camp is a safe place where one can let-loose, and be who they really are...not who they wish to pretend to be.

To quote Mr. Carnegie again (and I truly hope everyone has heard of this name, and if you haven't, look him up): one's name is the word in the English language that they like the most. Some of the world's most successful leaders have had the skill of recognizing this and being able to remember thousands of names - and not relying on nicknames, but one's REAL NAME.

Does nobody remember the infamous quote of Mr. Derstrom? I've got a prize for whomever can come up with it.

The girl scouts should stick to tying knots, baking brownies, and selling cheap cookies...none of this personality change crap is necessary.

On a more serious note, I'd like to mention the most special part of your name. It is likely the first gift your parents ever gave you, and also represents one of the most important life decisions that will ever be made....but is something they make FOR YOU.

i know i already posted, but that was before most people did

i agree partly with everyone on this. Camp names are just girl scout tradition. If a camper guesses my name or a parent wants to know I will tell them with no problem. That's how the staff are at my camp. The name thing is just for fun. It's tradition. I don't think that camp names is creating a new you or that if you go by Butter or Brassy or Sunshine that you aren't being you. Your camp name is like the camp side of you. It isn't always appropriate at work or school or whatever, but it is at camp. Being known as something isn't changing who you are. It's just bringing out another part of your personality.

Honestly, camp names are not a big deal. I was a camper for many many years with counselors having camp names, it's rooted in tradition. And if you ask any girl at girl scout camp if she feels betrayed or deceived because of the name thing she would probably say no. The only people who feel it is really wrong are probably people who have never been a part of a camp name tradition. But honestly, even if you don't like it, don't get so worked up. Also I don't think that Calico or Allison is trying to say that people should leave dual peronalities. Chances are whether she had a camp name or not, 'Calico" would still be at camp. Most people (especially at all girls camps i think) feel the most uninhibited at camp than anywhere else. It's not that we're all bad people it's that camp is the most comfortable environment. Nothing is wrong with that. You can try to compare camp to other situations but it doesn't really work because camp is a whole little world in itself and the environment there is different than anywhere else in the world I think. Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion but take it easy there, no reason to get hyped up about something unless you've been on either or both sides.

Well I'm off now. Cayenne says bye, oh wait and so does Caiti Sue now...haha. (Sorry that may have been mean but I couldn't resist)

Isn't the irony of this topic in that almost all of the screen names in this site are not real names? (at least for those who disagree so much with camp names).

my thoughts exactly

Is anyone else as disturbed by some of the posts here that have been pro camp names that I think show their potential damage.

Calico or Allison, to me, your camp did a disservice to you. It made you comfortable with who you are at camp but not in the real world. Perhaps if you were accepted as Allison at camp and shown that this is the real world, you'd be more comfortable and confident and accepting of who you are outside of camp. Why do you feel that you can't be the same person outside of camp as you are at camp? Why, as you put it, is she not welcomed in the outside world? Your camp should've helped you find who you are and made you realize that this is a beautiful person who is the same at camp and outside of camp.

Qui, I'd say the same thing about you not liking your name. I'm not going to go any deeper than that because I don't know anything about you other than you don't like your name. As a young girl at a camp, what if you would've had a conversation with a 17 year old counselor who you looked up to and that counselor said that she felt that your name was really cool? Maybe that would've made you more comfortable with your name and who you are outside of camp.

Camp may be the one or two months (or one or two weeks) during the summer but it's effects are supposed to go far beyond what happens during that period of time. Camp is not supposed to make you a different person during the summer, only to send you home to change back into the pre-growth person. Camp is supposed to give you building blocks and resources, strength and positive growth that helps you throughout your life.

What really worries me is the tie that this all has to the issue of camp not being the real world. That camp is one thing and than you have to return into the cruel outside world and who you were before. Well, seeing as how some camps create this false reality, I can see how many people believe this. Camp is the real world, it helps people grown and you are the same person away from camp as you are at camp. Camp is only a fraction of each of our and our camper's lives and we need to give our campers all the resources that we can so that they can thrive throughout their life. If we are making camp this haven away from home and giving them two different lives, we're doing damage.

As for the "it's just tradition' thing, that's not a reason, by itself, to keep doing anything. If traditions are positive and meaningful, great, but just because they're traditions doesn't mean that they shouldn't be reevaluated and possibly changed.

Yeah I have to agree Northwoods a lot of these defenses for camp names are a little strange to me, as well. CaitiSue, you're probably right that almost all of the people who disapprove of it have never bene part of it, but that's only natural. It's not easy to examine the negative aspects of a camp you work at for anybody, really. The basic argument in favor of them seems to simply be "Well I am more comfortable and have a different personality at camp, and thus the camp name." I just don't buy that argument; I still think it's like saying you feel that you can't be yourself without changing your name.

And Northwoods is right; why isn't a Calico or a Qui welcome in the outside world? I don't know about you, but I really am the same person at camp as I am outside camp. I don't change my personality at all. I think that one of the positive influences camp has had on me is that I AM more comfortable being myself to the general public. If I had been given a camp name at my first camp I might not feel the same; maybe I WOULD feel that my "camp" personality was separate and different from my real one.

Again, I am all in favor of camp nicknames. I think they can help build a community and a feeling of inclusiveness at a camp. I just don't agree with not telling your campers your real name at all. I think it does more harm than good and really just sends the wrong message. Obviously it's not an intentional thing, and it may be pretty subtle, but there it is.

I would first like to say that Calico's grandfather argument is not a straw-man argument, this fallacy occurs when someone makes up a arument postion for you and attacks that made up argument, please, look over you basic logic book! Second off, I do not believe there is anything wrong with a camp name just as long as the kids know your real name, that is, if the kids ask. I would like to give an example of name confusion however. My real name is James, and as such, people call me "Jim". I prefer to be called James, however, I am an RA at my university and we have a lot of people who do not speak english as their first language, and it is hard for them to pronounce "James", most often people will say "Jace". Wishing not to offend me, people didn't even say my name (not that I would be offended, they just didn't want to offend me) I found that "Jim" is a lot less difficult for them to pronounce. Now people call me "Jim" all the time at school, and on all offical documents, my name is "James" so if someone from Admin is looking for me, they ask for "James", which confuses people because some people do not know that "Jim" is simply short for James. The first year I worked at the camp that I work for, I went by "James" staff and kids called me "James". The second year, I went by "Jim", simply because I felt that "James" sounded too formal this too caused some confusion because the kids and staf I knew from the first year called me James while the new kids and staff called me Jim, to top it all off my sister works for the same camp, and my family calls me "Jimmy". One staff member said "I never knew one person with so many different names!" Some of my friends even call me "Jay", I got a letter once from one of my friends back home addressed to "Jay Carr", no one could figure out who that was, but the letter got to me any way. My point being? What is a name? I think it is a good alternitive to "Hey You!". Did the kids still trust and bond with me knowing that I had so many different names? Yeah, they sure did.

All right, well in an attempt to be objective. I can see where you could think that camp names could be bad but let me tell you that they really aren't. If someone does create two totally different personalities for each name then it might be different. But I really don't know anyone who does and if someone acts differently at camp than they do at home chances are it's not because they have a camp name. I know that when I go to camp I am more uninhibited than anywhere else, not that I am constantly worrying what others think, but because camp is a sigh of relief, and people often feel they are among close friends at camp they are a bit more at ease. This can be especially true when you've been going there all your life. I have to say that I have worked at camps that have had camp names and haven't and Cayenne was Caitlin and Caitlin Cayenne if you will. So, I can really see where you're coming from except that I don't think everyone associates a special personality with their camp name. And lastly, I don't think camp is completely the real world but I have only been at two kinds of camps. One being a girl scout camp (obviously the world is not single gendered) and worked at a camp for kids with special needs(that was different because it was a place these kids could go and fit in) So maybe camp would seem more like the real world if I went to one that represented more groups or both genders. In conclusion I guess the "real world" depends on the camp and camp names from experience don't seem very harmful and certainly not dishonest. Dishonest would be telling someone that is your name and you do not have another one but all campers understand that your camp name is not your real name and are accepting of it. No--it doesn't interfere with bonding either.

Wow that was long.

Caiti Sue

Let me put it this way: what harm can come from you telling your campers your real name? If it makes you feel better to be called a different name at camp, find and well, but what could the harm possibly be in telling your campers your actual name? Yeah I've heard that it's "fun" for the campers to try and guess you real name, but realistically considering the subliminal psychological downsides of camp names wouldn't you think it's just best to tell campers your actual name too?

I like going to camp every summer and being Buttons. It's a little added touch of camp magic for me, and also for my kids.

We've discussed this topic before, and nothing really comes of it... no one is going to change their minds. But whatever... yay camp names because they're silly and fun!

You're right, it wasn't a straw-person fallacy, but it was still a weak argument.

Your choice to go by Jim or James is really just a nickname. You are not hiding who you are. Suppose you told all your frosh to call you The Green Lantern....seems a lot different than Jim, doesn't it?

Not really, I am not who I think I am, I am who other people think I am. I believe that a child should know your real name IF the child asks for it (my camp does not have camp names, so really this is a non-issue for me). There are people who say I am their friend and I don't even KNOW their names at all! I mean, lets face it, if a camp wants the staff to use "camp" names, by all means let them, they have their reasons. Be it tradition, respect, etc... I could not even come up with a reason why a child would be hurt by a camp using a camp name. I suppose if the child asked and the staff refused, then some trust issues could come up, but for the most part camp names are fine.

Haha, oh camp names. They are ridiculous, and Canuck you are a master of satirizing phenomenally bad ones.

I like to think most people don't "hide" behind these camp names or become entirely schizo and have a duel personality whilst as camp. Let's be honest and not blow this all out of proportion. When it comes down to it, I think camp names are just stupid. Yes, even time honored traditions can smack of bad taste. Nicknames are fine, and there are plenty of people who have nicknames at camp that they don't use during the year. But to go by such random inside jokes like Tinkerbellybutton makes grown men and women sound like children, or animals, or cartoon characters. I want my campers to know my name is LINDSAY, not Red or Sweatervest or Snickerdoodle or RamenNoodles. Especially not RamenNoodles. I mean, come on. A rose by any other name would smell less sweet if you called it Crusty Thorn Pie.

so, while i understand that my grandfather was a bad argument, what I'm getting from the responce is that if i went by "Qui" every day for my entire life, that then my name would be Qui, regardless of what was one my birth certificate. But since i only go by it sometimes, I'm still actually Amy. but if i did go by Qui all the time, would my campers then still have trust issues with me, since my name isn't a 'real' name?

I don't believe that I'm the true Amy and it was sort of a last minute thing that i got named that anyways. I knew one counselor who was extreamly cool, and i knew her name was Amy, but that doesn't mean I like Amy as a name any better. It was never that my name isn't cool, i just dislike the sound of it.

I act differently at camp because they have a different set of expectations from me, and no matter how i try to act like that at home, people still react to their old expectations of me, and it becomes very difficult to change.

I do understand why the thought of never telling campers your real name is uncomfortable with people, and I don't really approve of people who lie and tell campers that their real name is...something else. But i don't think that it is lying when they know that your camp name is not your real name. but I also have a hard time believing that a camper will not trust me because i'm "withholding valuable information about myself." It's hard to understand when you don't have a camp name, or even a nick name, but the word that you choose to have your campers call you becomes your name, for a while at least. you sometimes even start to forget that it is a word other than your name, and so sometimes the campers don't even realize it.

Yes, camp names are kinda of silly... but so what! There are a lot of silly/weird things that happen at camp, and for some camps... camp names are one of those things. Camp names or not, we are all working at camp to help change kids' lives, be role models, and have fun.

It is true, not many campers know my real name. I will only tell campers who ask on the last day of camp. But, those same campers who don't know my real name, still come to me for advice, and I know that they trust me. I meet with their parents the Sunday and Friday of camp, and show them, that you can trust me with your child. Campers know that Teenster isn't my real name, and in my three years at camp, I have never seen any psycological (sp?) damage in any campers because I didn't tell them my real name. When they ask during the week, I just say that Teenster is my nick name (and it is) and campers are cool with that. In fact a lot of the campers have nick names... and get really mad if you call them Jennifer when they prefer to be called Jenny.

I do like what Dixie said about camp names. For international staff, a lot of those names are really hard to pronounce, and a nick name is really needed.

This is a topic that will never be agreed on. People will have their own thoughts about it. Oh well... I see both sides.

- Teenster

Just a quick question; suppose my real name was Rainbow Bright (first name: Rainbow; last name: Bright). Would this be acceptable as a camp name, or would I have to change it to something like Joe?

The other side of the "if you've never been a part of a camp with it" thing is that some times people at a camp with certain traditions refuse to take a step back and evaluate some aspects of their camp. Something may seem like a silly tradition but as someone on the outside on this issue, I see a bunch of people who refuse to analyze the ramifications and impact of something. Just because the individuals here (most of whom are counselors and therefor the more successful products of these camps) aren't negatively effected doesn't mean that no one isn't. But like I've said, I am somewhat surprised by the examples that people gave and they seem to show why camp names have negative potential.

I don't think that this is a funny, silly thing. I think that there is a real issue here and for those people who don't agree with me, I just ask you to take a deeper look. Think about the bigger picture and examine this a little more intellectually.

LOL... some of my camp friends and I were talking about this a while back. I jokingly said that I should change my name to Teenster because everyone, at camp and at home, calls me Teenster. Then my director said that I would have to change my camp name if I did that. So, I guess that if your real name was Rainbow Bright, yes you would have to change it for camp, but you wouldn't have to change it to something like Joe. It could be another nick name type thing.

Northwoods, I do see both sides... but really camp names aren't a big issue. True some campers might feel betraied by their counselors for not telling them their real names, but like I've said, I have never heard that before. Until someone can give some evidence, like an article of something that really happened... Or, have you talked with campers that went to a camp name only camp? Did they feel that their counselors weren't being "real" with them because they had camp names? Have you worked at a camp with camp names? Someone said it earlier in this topic... you can't really talk so poorly about something when you haven't experienced it.

Now, I don't agree with the whole change your personality with your camp name thing... that just doesn't settle right with me. I don't think that you should really act any different at camp than you do when you are at home... I don't. I might be a little more outgoing at camp, but that's it. Yeah, you tell people to be yourself at camp, but ask them to change their name... weird.

To tell you all the truth... I like the whole tradition argument the best. It's pretty hard to argue with tradition, no matter what the tradition is.

- Teenster

Eh, you're not going to have campers come up to you and complain that they are being psychologically scarred by the entire staff using camp names because that's just not something campers would do. Think about it; if you attend a camp and every single staff member there goes by a camp name are you as a camper really going to complain about it? You also have to realize that the underlying issues here are not things that campers would really understand. As adult staff members, it is our responsibility to do what is best for our campers, even if they are not conciously aware of it. Maybe we have fun taking camp names and having the campers try and guess our real ones, but it's not about us y'know?

Anyway nobody has answered the question I put earlier. What possible harm could come from telling a camper your real name if they ask for it? I can see no downside of actually telling a camper what your name is, however, I can certainly see a downside in NOT telling a camper what your real name is when they ask y'know?