A Volunteer's View from Camp

By Cassandra "Bugs" Benson

I have had the pleasure of getting to spend my summers at camp as a volunteer chaperone. I have gotten the great pleasure of watching girls from all over our vast council come together to not only cut loose but to watch them grow. I have gotten the opportunity to become a mentor to them. I have seen the girls try things that make them nervous, from simple canoeing and kayaking to learning how to "swamp." Swamping is tipping the canoes over. We have taught the girls how to right the canoes in the water and re-enter into their watercraft. We teach them archery and how to use the equipment safely. Some of the girls are country girls and get to do some of these activities, but some of our more urban-bound girls do not get an opportunity to explore nature in the same way.

I also love getting to see the girls build lifelong connections with girls from across the council. They might meet new friends at mini resident camp in 4th grade, and by the time they are seniors in high school, they no longer have a "camp" friend; they have a sister that they can call year-round and lean on as they go out into the adult world. Watching those connections form and grow, and helping them foster those connections and build bridges, is such a meaningful and fulfilling thing.

I know my summer would not be complete without the amazing experiences and unique viewpoints of the girls. They recharge my batteries, as crazy as it sounds. Being surrounded by 30-50 pre-teen and teenage girls for a week or two at a time, and watching them grow to become the leaders who will take on the world and make it the most amazing place. It is my happy place. I would not choose to be anywhere else in the world.