CampDirector, I'm going to actually assume that you are a camp director and therefor likely consult a slate of professionals on a regular basis. I'd encourage you to discuss this issue with a psychologist or social worker. I happen to be related to one and wanted to know if I was overreacting on this one. She concurred and thought that the practice of using "camp names" was a really bad and potentially damaging practice. So please discuss this with a professional (that is unbiased) that you consult. Present it in a balanced way (don't minimize it).
As for the "it's a tradition" and "traditions can't be bad" stuff, that is such a bad mentality. Some camps have a tradition of initiation with hazing. Is that okay, though, because they've been doing it forever? Some camps have an extremely competitive tradition where they berate campers for losing. Is that okay? Traditions, on their own, are not a reason to keep doing somethings. They should regularly be reevaluated.
