The kurse of Kumbayah: five camp stereotypes that derail new staff

Camping Magazine, May-June, 2003 by Jon C. Malinowski

In the 1993 hit comedy, Addams Family Values, young Wednesday and Pugsley are sent to Camp Chippewa, a white, upper-class camp where the owners, Becky and Gary Granger, saturate the campers with sappy, over-the-top happiness. When the Addams children don't conform, they're sent to the "Harmony Hut," a small, gingerbread-like cabin full of mawkish posters and decorations designed to transform a problem child into the typical Camp Chippewa camper. When they escape from the hut and try to scale a fence, the children are confronted by Becky, Gary, and a group of brainwashed campers. Convinced that the children can be converted to Pollyanna-ish drones like all the other campers, the owners launch into a cornball rendition of "Kumbayah." The Addams children are not enthused.

This scene stuns up what I call the "'kurse" of Kumbayah--a view of summer camps that does not reflect what most good camp professionals aim to create. To be blunt, the camp community is plagued by a series of stereotypes, including that camps and camp staff are either excessively or falsely happy, of poor quality, focused on partying and debauchery, scary, or overly strict. These cliches are perpetuated by the American entertainment establishment and sometimes encouraged by our peers.

More importantly, these attitudes affect the way that new staff approach their summers--often hindering our noble efforts to turn them into role models for our campers. While there are books and short stories about camping, movies and television are more important transmitters of popular culture for a discussion about where stereotypes about camp are perpetuated and what we can do to reduce their hold on new staff.

As a disclaimer, please do not interpret any negative comments as a complete panning of a particular movie or work. On the contrary, as pieces of entertainment they are thoroughly enjoyable. However, it is important to recognize that the very entertainment that we enjoy also complicates our jobs as camp professionals. If you are not familiar with the works discussed, I encourage you to rent or buy them as professional development. Be warned, however, that many contain adult material and are not suitable for children or the camp library.

Camp Perpetual Happiness

Camp Perpetual Happiness is a place where the staff is unnaturally enthusiastic and attempts to handle all problems by forcing the campers to be cheerful. Here, camp staff often refuse to recognize or accept that a camper may be unhappy, or if they do, think that all problems can he solved with a smile, a song, or a game.

The finest example of this is the Addams Family Values scene previously mentioned, but there are others. In the "Fat Camp" episode of the popular cartoon South Park, Eric is sent against his will to a weight loss camp (Hopeful Hills) by his parents. When he arrives, visibly upset, a counselor greets him with, "Hello, camper, my name is Rick. How are you doing?" to which Eric responds, "Well, I'm ******* off Rick, how are you?" Rick's thoughtful, caring response to a distressed camper is, "I'm doing great!" thereby ignoring the camper's problem and inserting an overly positive statement to mask the unhappiness of the moment.

From the 1979 movie Meatballs to 2001's Happy Campers, counselors are often portrayed as sappy, perma-happy robots who fail to realize the true nature of their situation. Why this stereotype is dangerous lies in the failure of the counselor to react appropriately to a camper in need. A homesick camper may sometimes need an enthusiastic, goofy counselor to cheer her up, but at other times that same child may need a quiet listener, a sympathizing friend, or a stern parent figure. While we obviously want happy counselors who have a lot of enthusiasm, our staff have to realize that there are times when emotions other than happiness might be appropriate. In fact, staff who are always in high spirits can ignore serious issues because they're trying to make their campers happy at any cost--even if that means breaking camp rules, such as sneaking in candy or violating taps.

To be honest, we often perpetuate this stereotype at camp conventions by dedicating long sessions to games and icebreakers that are supposed to pass as staff training. Icebreakers should be just that--short exercises to get people interested in the training. Directors or staff trainers should not have to dedicate long portions of staff training time to games designed only to "build teamwork" or "promote camp spirit." An experienced staff of seasoned veterans might be able to spend hours on building teamwork, but sadly most camps have large numbers of inexperienced staff every summer. These young men and women need practical skills that prepare them to manage camper behavior and run the camp safely. You need to do more than simply tell them what time breakfast is and how to get to the archery range. Properly skilled counselors are usually happy counselors--but happiness alone does not solve all camp problems.