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

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

* Make sure you don't promote this stereotype through policies that are dangerous or overly liberal. For years, some camps had party houses on camp grounds where staff members were allowed to drink and socialize. The argument was that this is safer than having counselors leave camp, but we all know that some staff will still drink and party when they leave camp, as well. Other camps offer three or more nights out-of camp nights off a week, which often encourages staff to leave grounds and party instead of learning to enjoy downtime at camp. Some camps even give a whole day-off during a five-day staff training week. While a night off may be okay, and even beneficial, if you don't have enough topics to cover during a staff training week (whose length is mandated by the ACA), you're either the best camp in the country or woefully neglectful.

Camp Blood n' Gore

There are times when an inexperienced staff member gets off to a bad start by telling an inappropriately gory or scary story on the first night of camp. Camps are often dark and wooded, which research has shown can scare many children. Popular culture has reinforced this stereotype. Many camp movies, such as Addams Family Values and Meatballs, contain scenes in which a staff member tells a scary story around a campfire. More damaging is the whole genre of horror movies set in camp environments. The most well known movies might be Friday the 13th and Friday the 13th Part 2. In each of these, counselors are slaughtered in revenge for a child drowning years before because neglectful counselors were having sex instead of life guarding. in an odd way, these movies support the theme that sex and partying in camp have negative consequences. Unfortunately, these "Hollywood" consequences are often violent.

Many directors might not be aware of other movies in the genre, most notably the Sleepaway Camp series, a trilogy released in 1983 and 1988, and recently packaged as a deluxe DVD box-set. The movies have a wide cult following. The plot line of the first movie revolves around a gender-confused camper who kills incompetent staff and campers. In later movies, the homicidal camper secretly becomes a staff member and continues backing, burning, and mutilating campers and counselors.

Break the kurse

How these movies affect staff is hard to determine. You can bet that some of your new staff have seen at least one camp horror movie. Some will use this cultural stereotype to scare campers (and sometimes other staff).

* Decide what level of scariness your camp population can handle.

* Set a policy about what kinds of stories can be told to certain age groups and in certain settings, This can be incorporated into discussions about the appropriateness of a wide range of popular culture in the camp setting. Explicit music ha lyrics, inappropriate logos or slogans on T-shirts, and overly revealing personal discussions can be discussed at the same time in the context of age appropriate leadership. Scary stories are an important camp tradition, discretion remains important.