Camp has taught me many things. Some of these things are limited in usefulness, such as canoeing, and archery. I may never use these skills outside of camp, although they are good to know. Some of the things I have learned, like swimming, will be useful outside of camp at times.

However, one of the set of skills that Camp Buckskin has taught me are things I will need to keep with me the rest of my life. These attributes, such as responsibility, accountability, perseverance, and respect, which I consider the core of my camp learning, will help me for the rest of my life, and camp has helped to teach and reinforce these goals.

My favorite part about learning these was that they were taught by example. The counselors would help when they saw it was needed, showing responsibility, and if they made a mistake, they owned up to it. The best skill by far, however, was respect. At many places I have been, I will feel that the adults do not respect me. They may speak condescendingly, or simply treat me as though I cannot handle anything. At camp, I never felt downplayed. Moving up in levels in any activity was earned through skill, and you knew that if you got it, you earned it.

Alex S.