i don't agree that kids won't try if they know they have no chance to get an award in an activity. i mean, if a kid comes to camp wanting to learn to waterski they are going to go waterskiing. they know they are not going to be the best at it. they just want to see what they can do. we don't even have awards for all the other activities at my camp. everyone has to play every activity anyway, they do it without question. and anyone who wants to plays on the Wayne County intercamp teams is able to, regardless of abiility.
As for the other awards, they are a tradition at camp since my grandma was a camper. you are all right, they are totally subjective, but the director, head counselor, groupheads, and counselors make the decision based on what they have seen in the campers throughout their years. a lot of the girls know they won't get them, and those girls always end up having a great summer because, well, its camp. if you didn't love it you wouldn't have gone for 7 years. and there are always surprises in the awards, someone who never expected to get one will get one and my mom will get a letter, email, or phone call after the summer from her parents saying how much the award meant to her.
also, besides the big trophies at the end of the summer, there are plenty of leadership roles for the PC girls throughout the summer(6 red white, and blue day captains, 8 tribes chiefs, 6 color war chiefs/assts., and 8-10 captains for other special events days), all of them get their chance to shine. so by the time banquet comes around, the girls are already thinking how proud they are that they were chief of this or captain of that and are really happy for the people who get the trophies.
