A Message from the President - ACA National's president - accepts Peter Yarrow's - challenge - Brief Article

Camping Magazine, May, 2000

"Some say the world's hope lies in a nation; others, in a man. I believe that it is awakened, revived, nourished by millions of solitary individuals whose deeds and works every day negate frontiers and the crudest implications of history."

Albert Camus

As the summer approaches, we should focus on our hopes for inspiring our campers and staff. We happily acknowledge that our aspirations for the camp experience are greater than a safe vacation with friends in the natural world. It is not easy to create camp communities that revolve around character and decency and propel young people to use inspired energy to make the world a better place. This ambition requires a clear vision of a future that represents the best of our traditions yet can accommodate future change.

At the ACA National Conference in Albuquerque, ACA's friend Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, & Mary, placed a challenge before us with his "Don't Laugh at Me" project. ACA will launch this exciting grassroots national movement that strives to transform the culture of ridicule, exclusion, teasing, bullying, and even violence into a culture of caring, compassion, and cooperation. This program has been refined and customized for camps and teaches tolerance and an acceptance of diversity, as well as peaceful conflict resolution. "Don't Laugh at Me" was created as a response to the enormous tragedy of youth violence and alienation. The program resonates with the authentic values of the camp experience.

On approximately May 15, each ACA camp will receive the "Don't Laugh at Me" Camp Program, which includes a video, a CD, and a program guide. The guide includes camp, group, and cabin exercises with directions for leaders and counselors and inclusive campfire programs, songs, and activities. The guide even includes public service resources that directors can send home to campers' parents. Although ACA is the launch site for "Don't Laugh at Me," many collaborators in the school and youth development community will continue this work when campers return to school schedules.

We also hope ACA camps will participate in National Camp Community Day (Camp Gives Kids a World of Good Day) on July 20. On this day, we highlight our collective and individual good deeds by lighting campfires across the United States. These very visible expressions of the camp experience as a model for positive values in action add depth and dimension to our story. It is critically important for the camp experience to be recognized as a force for teaching social, emotional, and ethical learning.

We shared a very special moment with Peter in New Mexico. Those rich and powerful memories of song and emotion should not be lost to inaction but instead should serve as a catalyst for commitment. We can begin by making the decision to participate with ACA and Peter in the "Don't Laugh at Me" project. It will take courage, imagination, and a willingness to view this summer as an opportunity to improve the world; after all, that is what the camp experience can be all about!

Rodger M. Popkin

ACA National President