Originally posted by camper:
hmmm...i can't remember if i replied to this one before but anyway...i don't think that an "official" camp name is necessary, i think the kids should know the counselors' real names. i can't believe that the other counselors don't ever slip and call a counselor by his or her real name...that would be tough for me to do! at my camp we do a lot of calling people by their last name or a shortened version of their last name, or a combination of someone's first and last name together (that gets funny sometimes) but we all know each others' real names, campers and counselors. if camp names are part of a camp's tradition and they aren't hurting anyone, well, to each his own, i just don't agree with not knowing the counselor's real name at all...it just seems sketchy to me, like why wouldn't you want your campers to know your real name if they asked? i feel like a nickname should come naturally to someone too, that a person shouldn't just say "ok guys i want you all to call me Bob now!" did i make ANY sense w/this post? haha.
yes some staff slip and call them by their real names, but this isn't often since it's such a longstanding tradition that the names are used from day one of staff training. We have friends, family work together and campers that are related to staff. IT works out ok, I guess you would have to expereince it to believe it....it's really not as a big of deal as some make it it seem. It becomes very normal yet fun.
