ACA Home Forums Camp Names

Well I'm sorry that you have such a limited view on the functions and purposes of camp. I think that some of your camp directors and parents also would be somewhat disapointed. Parents send their kids to camp to have fun but also so that they grow and develop as individuals. Parents aren't sending their kid to camp and paying at times upwards of $7,000 for their kid to just have fun. They expect more and so should all of us. You may call my mentality "prepar(ing) young people for the cruel hard world". I call it giving kids the tools and resources to thrive in life.

But here are some of what our camp websites say the purpose of camp is:

Website one- Website two- Website three- Website four- Four camp websites from people who post here. None of these are the camp that I work at. These are the words of the directors. My point is this, though, camp is about more than an being an escape for the summer. My goal; for none of us here to underestimate what our roles and influences are this summer.

One, I was talking about the phrase "Some Traditions suck", the phrase in and of itself, not what is connected to it or how people have expanded. Which is why I stated you can't see the forest through the trees. Second off, this topic is bunk because people can argue back and forth and there is no concrete infomation to back up any claims. Third off I never made any claims for you to take to someone with a MSW, Why you would even say that is beyond me. By the way, ask ten different Social Workers this question and you'll more than likely get thirteen different answers.

The tradition argument so far is the strongest argument presented. The other arguments for camp names are lacking to say the least. The argument of "subtle issues camp names may bring up" isn't really doing to well, after all people are saying they are agnist camp names because they are harmful but are not really showing this harm or how camp names would hurt a child.

Bottom line, No one is really putting there honey in the sweet spot, and some people are getting down right nasty (I'm sorry if I offened anyone). I would like to remind people that arguments are only as valid as the proof. Is what I say really that important? No, not at all. Is this topic bunk? From an argumentitive stand point, by all that trancends yes it is. Why am I still posting about this topic? Heck, school's and my friend's school doesn't get out for another day or so....

Oh wow I thought this was some old topic somebody had bumped. I had no idea I was missing out on some action! Why didn't somebody tell me?!

Anyway, I've never really considered camp names to be an issue, or at least this big of one. Of course, where I've worked we've never had them. Oh sure we've had walkie-talkie names for the administrators and Pirate names for pirate week (that was fun...I still call some of my camp friends by their pirate names). I never thought about not telling a child my real name though.

I dunno...I kinda feel that this whole issue is being blown out of proportion. I mean, a name is a name. Whether you go by Johnny, Beth, Stimpy, Batman, Pocohontas, Jo-jo the happy monkey, or any number of other names, it's what you are called. Different people know you by different names. It doesn't really matter what you're called, as long as people know who you are.

That said, I also feel like camp names or nick-names are designed to be fun, not take the place of your real name. If you want to go by something at camp, that's fine, but it needs to be in fun and not designed to hide who you really are. If somebody wants to know your real name then I think they should be entitled to that.

I do not like blanket camp policies or unwritten policies that all staff are to have a camp name and not tell the children their real name. To a degree, I do feel like that is dishonest. Fire whatever explanations and justifications you have, but I guess I feel like that the campers should have the opportunity to know who their counselors "really are."

And really, that's what those of us who don't like camp names have been saying all along for the most part. Those folks who use camp names and either refuse to tell their campers their name when asked or don't tell them until they are about to leave obviously just disagree with us, that's all.

Gizmo, let's put psychology aside and keep things simple.

Camp names are dishonest. You are withholding one of the most important pieces of information about yourself from impressionable young people. Is that really the type of lessons we want to teach at camps?

Well, as I have said in other posts, camp names are ok just as long as you give your real name when asked.

So why exactly are you arguing with us?

Here's what I think, in standard steam of consciousness: You are a real creep, people like you make me vomit, personal attacks are immature, don't judge me, you don't know me, go to hell, a long list of obscenities, etc, etc, etc.

Hm, creative writing sure is tough what with all this beer I'm greedily consuming at the moment!

Yes, I said flaws and all. But obviously, an alcoholic shouldn't work at a summer camp. Neither should an asshole, so why are you still employed? People are all flawed, and their characters are not all peaches and cream.

The fact that you wrote such a hateful, ignorant comment leads me to believe you are a sad person. Unfortunately, not all counselors are good counselors. What could possibly provoke you to write such a nasty personal attack? You don't know me at all, and I have no idea why you would assume that I'm a regular at keg parties. It infuriates me that I work my butt off at one of the top universities in the country, and people like you make unfounded judgments and brandish soaring inferiority complexes. Just because I don't agree with your precious camp names does not give you the right to insult me. Grow up.

OK whoa!

Let's all take a step back here, I don't think this discussion is going anywhere but downhill. Obviously, Tedrocks' comments about linny were totally out of line, and I can understand why she is upset. However, coming back with another personal insult is just going to lead us down a nasty road nobody really wants to go down.

I suggest we end this thread here and now. I think it's clear nobody is going to change anybody's mind, and it's an issue that's so rooted in tradition and camp experience for some people that it obviously evokes some strong feelings on both sides of the issue. Further debate on this topic is pointless, I believe. I am going to, as Canuck likes to say, "take my ball and go home". What the rest of you do is of course up to you but I am removing myself from this debate because all it is doing is going in vicious circles at this point.

Linny, I'd just like to say, Go Girl!! Now that the swearing barrier has been broken, I'd like to say that I agree that Ted is an asshole. I'd also like to say that I enjoy a good keg party, but I'm also a damn good camp staffer.

Just looking to define the "take your ball and go home" statement. It refers to those who self-proclaim a high road by leaving a conversation, resigning from a committee, etc., mainly because they are not getting their way and feel that by leaving everyone will feel like they are being punished for being wrong. I'm not suggesting Boomis is doing this - but Boomis, couldn't you have just ignored the thread as opposed to preaching your higher moral stance?

Keg party? Did someone say keg party? Where? When?

Wow this subject blew up when I wasn't looking.

I have worked at camps with camp names and without. I am a Jr. I grew up as "Rand" because my father went by "Randle." WHen I got my first job I started going by Randle, all through college and now my wife know me as Randle but to my familuy I am still Rand. At my first Camp I aquired the Camp name Dub. It is unusual in this debate because it was a Day Camp that even flowed into Afterschool programs. We were pretty open with parents what our real names were, when campers guessed we admitted it. The campers AND Parents CHOSE to call us by our camp names. THey saw the value and fun of having the different name. I have walked the aisles of the grocery store and heard "Dub!" at the top of a camper's lungs. It is fun and when the real name is open though slightly concieled it is harmless. No one has offerd a compelling argument otherwise.

Then we are almost all in agreement. I have read all of the posts here. (Man do I need to get back to work) In most instances the counselors with camp names say they tell campers at the end of the session. In one instance a poster said they don't tell at the end of the session but will post camp if a camper asks by mail or e-mail.

THey have all said that they DO share their names with campers. It is not an "I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you." type of thing at a vast majority of camps.


I do understand the passion of those who feel it is lying and decieving to the campers, however I have seen first hand (as I've been at both camps that have camp names and those who do not) THere is no lack of trust. A bad counselor who can't connect is still a bad counselor who can't connect. And a great counselor could be called Weasel and still be much beloved.

THis is true and it does not matter what they call you they still develop that bond and after finding out the name on your birth certificate they still WANT to call you by that camp name.

Early on Canuck argued that Carnige was right when he said that names have power and he is right. Campers love it when you see them in the off season and you know them by name. Their eyes light up. Knowing someone's name is powerful but that does not mean that having a fun name that you are known by at camp is a falsehood. It is simply the name that is connected with the work you do at camp.

Great convo ya'll. I am sorry to see some people are hurt in this but it does show the passion with wich we all see the work we do and I commed you all on your passion.

Campdub, good points and it's frustrating that this conversation turned from an acutal conversation to a spar on the nature of debate. That took away, again, from something that I find to be a real issue.

To me, even if camp names are just fun and don't do any harm (which I feel that they have the potential to), they create a level of disconnect between people's camp lives and their "real world" lives. I don't like this disconnect and I don't find it to be necessary. I think that this clear cut where campers will then go back into the real world and resume their "real name" gets in the way of the work we do at camp. Campers and staff grow, learn and develop at camp. We should be encouraging everyone to take what they learn and gain at camp and take that with them the rest of the year. If they develop leadership skills at camp, they should take that and apply that to the rest of their life. Having a different name, being identified as something else, to me, risks disconneting one's camp self from one's "real world" self. We should be encouraging everyone to look at camp as part of their real world life, not the escape that they have for a few weeks during the summer.

this has turned into an interesting topic! such great use of colorful language! But don't worry my feelings aren't hurt too much. Thanks for your thoughts though.

I shared this post in a sociology class today. After we wiped the the tears from laughter we had a great talk about how trust develops between people and between groups of people. We also talked about how easy it was for people to show hatred for a person with a "site-nick-name" but so hard for people to see that trust or goodwill can be shared between people only knowing nicknames.

I mean I am nothing but a name on a web site, right? but some of you can be brought to hositle aggression against that nickname. Why don't you think that you could be brought to compassion and trust by only knowing a person's camp name as easily as you turn to anger against a site-name?

What academic institutions are holding classes on December 22 Ted?

Havent checked the boards fr a few days and suddenly theres this huge debate going on!
I have just sat and read every single one of these posts and my opinion is...

I have a camp name. At first I hated it, why did kids have to call me some ridiculous name? Now i realise that I am somebody different at camp. At home, I am niks, struggling poor English student who spends 9 months of the year waiting to go to camp and working like a dog to afford it. At camp I become Wallie, bit wacky international with a passion for wallmart, one tin soldier, platforms tents and smores.

My name distinguishes me at camp. The campers couldnt care less if i was called niks, wallie, tom dick or harry. As long as I am there to deer nuzzle at bed time, re start the fire that died during cookout, and start a fairly good rendition of the moose song on the solhiem trail (ridiculously long and hilly trail to get to camp)
then I can be just as close to the kids. Im not putting up a barrier, they all end up knowing my name, im just being wallie.

I also think that the people who have such a bad opinion of camp names should ask every single girl scout what she thinks. Cause it is in the majority of girl scout camps that have camp names and I dont think ive met a scarred for life one yet!

Niks/wallie I think that your example points to why camp names are a bad thing. You mention how you have two different personas, one at camp and one at home. Your person at home is the person who struggles for nine months to get to camp. Your camp person is someone who is wacky, etc. Why do we need to differentiate between these two people? Why you can't be Niks at camp, who people know how hard you work to get to camp and who is wacky and fun at camp. Any why can't you be wallie at home, taking the best parts of who you are at camp and at home?

My concern is not about us as staff who can see the difference, it's for the nine-year-old who is Twizzler at camp, a popular, fun and outgoing leader, but is Jenny at home, someone who is a quiet follower. As a camp counselor I want Jenny to know that who she is at camp is the person that she is and that she should take the leadership skills that she learns at camp and use them at gome. I don't want her to be a happy and excited Twizzler for two months and a passive unhappy Jenny for ten months, I want her to know that she can be the fun and creative kid all year long.

Camp names further promotes this myth that we need to have camp selves and non-camp selves.

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.

None of the camps I have gone to or worked for allow the kids to have camp names. Some of my fellow campers would ocme up with them but the counselors never called us them, only our realy name.

Are they camps out there that allow the kids to have camp names...

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.

Slipping happens quite often at my camp... not sure why. Most of us prefer to go by real names on the weekends. This is because when you are in Meijer, and someone yells "HEY TWIZZLER!" that is is alittle weird (unless it's a camper ). The slipping happens during the last couple of weeks. I have been called Tinaster on many occations. Funny... most of the campers don't notice.

- Teenster

Apologies Northwoods, you clearly mistook my point.

To be the same person at camp and at home is not possible. For me, and I know for a fact other people on this board.

That aside, dont you think you are getting a little to profound and psychosocial about this?

I think if little jenny is hiding behind twizzler, she has more problems beneath the surface that stem from things other than her alter ego.

A camp name is a tradition and a bit of fun. Maybe its my naivity or my nationality that thinks this. Not being American, I am the first to admit I don't fully understand the effect camp has on the american culture, but Im sure when one of our little girl scouts becomes the first female President, when asked "how did girl scout camp affect your life?", her response will not be "Camp Names scarred me for life, and now I only go by 'President Stubby" because I hide behind my alter ego in order to succeed".

Im going to a camp this year that doesn't use camp names. I asked my director if he minded if I still went by camp name. His answer was, "be called whatever you want, as long as you do a great job". So I will continue to go by my camp name until someone says I cant, in which I will go by my real name.

Much like SP, Im outta this debate, because although I feel these boards are great for debating camp issues as well as naming our favourite desserts, this is a pointless debate in which neither party will agree, or even agree to disagree, and 125 postings at last count is more than slightly ridiculous, with some, if not most posts, not debating a point, but merely making 'jibes' at other posters.

Hopefully we will have another posting like this which provokes as much interest, but where both parties can see the others point of view (I am including myself in this!).

ps - Happy Yuletide.

I had no idea this topic would become so controversial. I understood both sides of the argument when my camp was dealing with it, and I still agree with bits and pieces of almost every perspective I've heard so far. I haven't read all of the replies because I haven't had internet in a while and I don't have the patience to read 125 posts, but I skimmed over them and was rather shocked at some of the things I read. Regardless of what you think about the matter, I really hope that, especially as a camp counselor, you are open-minded and a good listener. Be respectful of other's opinions and withhold your own biases when considering other perspectives. Discussion is one thing, close-eared debate is another.

I know I shouldn't do this since I'm trying to end this chaos, but against my better judgment I'm going to express two of my views that side with both arguments (for safety reasons, camp spirit aside), just to close this off:

1. Unlike teachers, camp counselors are typically young, considered to be more unprofessional, and are often in college... why does this matter? Because this age group is stereotypically less trustworthy than a teacher with a masters degree. Again, why does that matter? If a camper gets ahold of a counselor's real name, there is a lot of information that can be found out, especially nowadays with the internet. I know of a counselor who was the victim of a fraudulent sexual harassment claim. A camper found the counselor's email address using his/her name, and created a fraudulent email in which the counselor made inappropriate sexual comments and requests of the camper. There was a lawsuit, and it ruined the counselor's reputation. Finally, the camper admitted his/her lie and all charges were dropped.
Also, while camp counselors hopefully are not doing too many "unmentionable acts" when off duty, college-aged youth are notorious for partying and all of that good stuff... some campers aren't that young, maybe only a year or two younger than a counselor. If they are from the same town, or in similar social groups, the camper might be exposed to hearing stories about the counselor where, had the counselor gone by a camp name, the camper would not be as likely to associate the counselor with the stories.

2. Imagine a camper going home and telling his/her mom or dad that Jelly Bean touched his/her private parts. The parents are going to want a real name. Depending on the age of the camper, talking to Minnie Mouse might be more difficult than talking to Susie about how he or she was being molested at home.

Now, a letter could be sent home during the week, introducing yourself (the counselor) to the parents, explaining the camp name and revealing your real name, and ideally even saying a little about their child. But there are still arguments against this, as well... even beyond mailing costs, heh.

I know everyone is going to want to post another reply now, but I'd rather everyone just consider the issues, no matter where you presently stand, and make sure that whatever you decide, it's for the right reasons.

This issue severely divided my staff two summers ago. We had a new director and one of the biggest changes that he made was prohibiting camp names. Of course there was a huge rebellion, many discussions and attempt at compromise, but it ended with the staff hating the new Director. After adjusting to the new environment, and having a huge turnover rate in staff, camp names are used by some, although real names are revealed if asked, and the Director is no longer viewed as evil.

Please, as someone who has been through a few years of this sort of divide, don't let Director/Staff issues ruin the summer for the kids. Even if you disagree with something, don't let the kids suffer because of it.

I'll end it with that.

the camp i have been at for the last 2 summers uses camp names...i think its a great idea...it might seem crazy but for us internationals its something different. It also keeps the kids from confusion if u have a number a staff with the same name...i know we had lots of jennifers and rebeccas among the staff...so im all for camp names!
If the campers asked for our names we could tell them if we wanted but they also have fun attempting to guess