Having grown up going to overnight summer camp as a child, I enthusiastically sent my sons to Camp O-AT-KA when they were 9 and 11 years old. As a working single mother of 3 with their father living 3000 miles away, I knew I could not provide my kids the outdoor experiences, skills, and fun one gains in a lakeside summer camp.
At O-AT-KA, my boys loved swimming, diving, sailing, baseball, soccer, archery, riflery, the road races, hiking trips, competitions and social events with the girls camps, playing Magic the Gathering, afternoon siestas, campfires and camp songs, eating together in the Commons, the Sunday sermons, learning outdoor survival skills, and being goofy with their cabin mates. A perfect mix of fun and freedom and, yes, some challenging moments navigating friendships and how to live with people who may come from different walks of life that ultimately helped their social skills, clarify their own values, and comfort with themselves.
They went on to be CIT’s and counsellors proud of their leadership roles and also challenged by the responsibilities and demands. Supported by a familiar community rich with role models at different stages of life, my sons navigated how to encourage without force, discipline with respect, and teach with an understanding that everyone has different skill sets and interests. And they developed deep respect for the greater good and the value of a cohesive community made up of a diverse range of individuals.
What resulted was kindness, empathy, confidence, sensitivity, and a sense of connection to friends they saw year after year and to a community to which they feel proud to belong. To highlight the sense of acceptance that pervades O-AT-KA, when one of my sons was a counsellor before his first year of college, he told me that he felt good about bringing his stuffed animals and blanket with him to camp so that any campers in his cabin who had similar comfort items wouldn’t feel embarrassed.
Everyone has a place at O-AT-KA and there is an enormous sense of honesty and acceptance. Boys can be themselves with vulnerabilities, confident to try new things without fear of shame, and embrace self-expression. These are invaluable qualities for a well-lived and fulfilling life. My sons still talk about their experiences at camp which I know they will cherish their whole lives.
I am incredibly thankful for the impact O-AT-KA has had on shaping the fine young men my sons have grown up to be.
Written by Nina F
