Wow I responded to this post on when it was first brought up, left town to return and see this 3 page debate....very interesting.
I find it very interesting that so many people are this passionate about the cmap name issue. I guess, I never thought about it being bad. I grew up at camps with camp names and I turned out fine (or so I'm told).
I like camp names because it allows the staff to throw off all previous labels when they get to camp. We don't name ourselves when we are born unless you are Peak-A-Boo Street. Creating a camp name allowed me to create my own identity. Some may think that it means it allowed me to seperate from the real world and I would have to say it did not. If anything, it allowed me to become who I am because I named myself and that confidence has overflowed into my life outside of camp. Might not make a whole lot a sense to those who never have used camp names. But for me, I grew up at camps where they had them and the went to work at camps that have them. I guess I never really examined the effect of camp names.
There have been some very interesting theories and opinions on this topic and I would say some of you seem very passionate about this.
I am all for camp names because they are fun and well, they don't hurt the kids...honestly, I have never heard any complaints except on this board.
But keep it going, because personally I find it extremely fasinating that this length of debate is just on camp names.
Camp names have become sucha longstanding traition that I think I don't even think of it has an issue because they have always been there. I will ponder your thoughts....maybe I missed something and your post will clearify it.
