WEEK ONE – SUNDAY, JUNE 30
Hello BLC Parents and Alums!
We are a week into BLC summer #107 and all’s going well. Spirit is high. Laughter abounds. Our two points of emphasis for this summer are Enthusiasm & Resilience! The enthusiasm is everywhere and a modicum of resilience was needed with plans changing the first few days due to weather.
Camp Directors hate rain on opening day and on the first day of camp. We are usually fine if it rains after that as a change of pace can be fun and rejuvenating. Well, we had rain on the first 2 days- but our Quick and Nimble approach, which we pride ourselves on, combined with our experienced key staff- enabled us to pack in a lot of action. Since then we have had a number of beautiful days although also some “cold Adirondack nights” recently. We packed a lot into week one – including, two visits with our sisters/cousins at POP, Inters lip sync, Senior C/Froshmore Buddy Bingo game, our first Variety Show, and of course lots of playing ball, time at the lake, and more!
Max Gersten (4th generation/33rd summer at BLC) and I (3rd generation/71st summer at BLC) are sharing the lead this summer while in future summers, I plan to be around to assist Max. Director Andy Berlin- as per usual- is the hardest working man in the camp world and Alexa Minion has taken off like a rocket ship since she joined BLC full-time this past January as an assistant director. Zach Cohen, also now year-round with BLC, will be moving to become a full director after this summer.
As I get older, I get more contemplative and philosophical – maybe even wiser. I wish to share the following with you.
I believe that Camp has NEVER been more important for kids.
The friends made, skills honed, and fun enjoyed remain of great value, but camp provides even more! The popular book by Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation, compellingly surmises that the growth of child, teenage and young adult mental health issues are largely caused by overuse of smartphones at young ages and by the lack of unstructured free play. Camp provides the lack of the former and the presence of the latter. The amount of face-to-face contact and communication with peers and “older brother” counselors, as well as wise adults (key staff) is unparalleled.
My take, in addition to those two points, is that going forward, due to the explosion of AI whose limitations are presently impossible to ascertain, is that academic knowledge will become less important and emotional intelligence will become more important. Camp provides endless opportunities to develop emotional intelligence through living together, eating together, playing together- constantly needing to interact with and adjust to others. I believe that like academic intelligence, much of emotional intelligence is innate, but that it can be honed and improved through opportunities with good role models and mature support and feedback. That is the basis of Brant Lake Camp. Something to think about. If you wish, respond and tell me what you think? (You can also read more in “Richie’s Corner” from our Winter & Spring editions of The Bell Tower.)
The second week of BLC will bring much action – 4th of July celebration, trips, and some intercamps/tournaments for our older boys. A high-level lacrosse coach, Matt Candel, will be here for the next 2 weeks and we will have a visit from Ben Lee this week. Ben, a BLC alum of 6 years as a camper (C ‘12), is presently the youngest top assistant coach for a D-1 Men’s basketball team, at Siena. He will spend a few days with us. We also look to the first “book show” of the summer after two variety shows.
I’ll check back with you next week.
Enjoy! We surely will!
Richie Gersten
Hello BLC Parents and Alums!
We are a week into BLC summer #107 and all’s going well. Spirit is high. Laughter abounds. Our two points of emphasis for this summer are Enthusiasm & Resilience! The enthusiasm is everywhere and a modicum of resilience was needed with plans changing the first few days due to weather.
Camp Directors hate rain on opening day and on the first day of camp. We are usually fine if it rains after that as a change of pace can be fun and rejuvenating. Well, we had rain on the first 2 days- but our Quick and Nimble approach, which we pride ourselves on, combined with our experienced key staff- enabled us to pack in a lot of action. Since then we have had a number of beautiful days although also some “cold Adirondack nights” recently. We packed a lot into week one – including, two visits with our sisters/cousins at POP, Inters lip sync, Senior C/Froshmore Buddy Bingo game, our first Variety Show, and of course lots of playing ball, time at the lake, and more!
Max Gersten (4th generation/33rd summer at BLC) and I (3rd generation/71st summer at BLC) are sharing the lead this summer while in future summers, I plan to be around to assist Max. Director Andy Berlin- as per usual- is the hardest working man in the camp world and Alexa Minion has taken off like a rocket ship since she joined BLC full-time this past January as an assistant director. Zach Cohen, also now year-round with BLC, will be moving to become a full director after this summer.
As I get older, I get more contemplative and philosophical – maybe even wiser. I wish to share the following with you.
I believe that Camp has NEVER been more important for kids.
The friends made, skills honed, and fun enjoyed remain of great value, but camp provides even more! The popular book by Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation, compellingly surmises that the growth of child, teenage and young adult mental health issues are largely caused by overuse of smartphones at young ages and by the lack of unstructured free play. Camp provides the lack of the former and the presence of the latter. The amount of face-to-face contact and communication with peers and “older brother” counselors, as well as wise adults (key staff) is unparalleled.
My take, in addition to those two points, is that going forward, due to the explosion of AI whose limitations are presently impossible to ascertain, is that academic knowledge will become less important and emotional intelligence will become more important. Camp provides endless opportunities to develop emotional intelligence through living together, eating together, playing together- constantly needing to interact with and adjust to others. I believe that like academic intelligence, much of emotional intelligence is innate, but that it can be honed and improved through opportunities with good role models and mature support and feedback. That is the basis of Brant Lake Camp. Something to think about. If you wish, respond and tell me what you think? (You can also read more in “Richie’s Corner” from our Winter & Spring editions of The Bell Tower.)
The second week of BLC will bring much action – 4th of July celebration, trips, and some intercamps/tournaments for our older boys. A high-level lacrosse coach, Matt Candel, will be here for the next 2 weeks and we will have a visit from Ben Lee this week. Ben, a BLC alum of 6 years as a camper (C ‘12), is presently the youngest top assistant coach for a D-1 Men’s basketball team, at Siena. He will spend a few days with us. We also look to the first “book show” of the summer after two variety shows.
I’ll check back with you next week.
Enjoy! We surely will!
Richie Gersten