Another look at SWS & the camp model

ok. More thoughts on SWS & critique of how camp (& camps) operate.

CAMPER AGES:
Some weeks stick with a specific, more narrow camper age group, SWS has stayed with the more open bracket of 8-18. Let's examine these choices.

Note: For those who may consider that I'm trashing SWS or heavily criticizing it... 1. that couldn't be further from the truth. 2. My way of critiquing comes from an Art School mentality: shoot it with everything you've got... those items that didn't sink, are worthy of repair (as needed) & continued use... anything that sank... retrieve it... put it on the shore and repair it later. Example: I thought I had a good argument for totally dumping the video... I was wrong. It is highly useful... I just believe that it should be changed/repurposed. That said... on with tonights discussion. BTW... i'm going to remove the moderation thing soon... your comments should show more quickly.

Broad Age Range (8 – 18):
Cons - each of the section coordinators (education, activities, program, etc...) have to broaden their scope a bit. There has to be specific attention to age-appropriate presentation. There will likely be a wide variety of age appropriate activities and a vast array of attention-spans. Mix in the fact that roughly half of the kids have an earlier bed time many nights thus apportioning part of the staff to in-cabin duties (thus not available for additional camp wide activities). Because there is a segment of the counselors that are in cabins later in the evening, there is the need (nay, even responsibility) of giving each counselor their due "night off." The couselors do sort this out, but it is an added item to be considered.

Pros - Here you can actually divide the care, observation & leadership of the youngest in the crowd with some of the older campers. If you have a good group of older campers, it's often a great way to facilitate leadership skills in the older group by having them lead & influence the younger group. The broader age range often requires each activity to be creatively built to accommodate both older and younger campers even to the point that the older campers are encouraged to assist & guide the younger campers.

NeutralBroader age ranges of campers have a much more diverse dynamic that can be used to both positive & negative ends. It takes a creative, inventive group to manage this well.

Conclusions - The broad age range model (for good or bad) offers it's own unique brand of challenges. The staff must have a diverse range of gifts tolerances for the challenges that you'll find in this environment. As you approach the broader group, you must aim your message toward the middle and allow it to shotgun & spread.

Narrow Age Range:
Cons - Some weeks opt for a model where a specific age range is targeted. Whether by restricted registration or by attraction model... or simply demographic that arrive, this creates a more narrow view of the topic. Thus less facets are examined and potentially more people could miss the point. As a more homogenous crowd tends to have a less volatile nature, the education program takes on a homogeneous flavor that results in less creative spontaneity. Topic discussions may only vary in degrees and less accommodations call for less "flare for the creative" to solve. You may find yourself in a "one size fits all" mentality, and thus we realize that one size does not fit all. Take that how you like it.

You may see more dynamics that create some hot bed activities. Among older campers this can be a relational (emotional cesspool or hormonal blindness among teens) and among the younger you can simply have the task of herding cats... trying to get the group all focused on one item at one time.

Pros - The homogenous approach may allow for a more focused approach to some topics. This allows the message to be driven home and massaged in more thoroughly. The theme may maintain a more consistent feel and thus be less sporadic. As the staff faces less challenge in the disseminating the message, they are able to focus more on the content of the message. Now each of the components begin to take on a more mechanical approach which has it's own drawbacks, but is more predictable.

You also find yourself staffed & prepared for a specific age range of issues. Though these can be wildly varied, they still tend to have the same temperature of immediacy when they arise. The staff can operate as ONE CAMP all the time rather than having times of a divided staff having the entire camper population having the same bed time.

Neutral - With a narrow age range, the campers come to certain expectations of the material, activities and time allotments. These expectations can give you an a view of how the week's flow might play out.

Conclusions - Whether good or bad, the narrow age range will allow you to see more continuity... but possibly monotony. Narrowing the age range may control certain program factors, however you still have the cost of having a much larger crowd that can move in one direction much faster... Sometimes that is desired, other times it can become a challenge to control.

Maxxed Out Camp
Cons - Unfortunately, the more campers there are, the less room for staff. There's an optimum point where the number of staff on campus at all times is a viable control component to the number of campers. The unfortunate part requires that some staff members commute in and out on a regular basis or are only there part time. Though all hands are welcomed, the time of travel to accommodate additional staff needs may cause restrictions to activities and program related functions.

Additionally, as the number of campers goes up, the camper/staff ratio is stretched. This also has it's optimum point and maximum stress points.

Pros -
Everyone can attest to the energy felt at camp when it's packed to the gills! For those who've been to lower-attended weeks... the facility just feels plain empty. Add to that a lower level of energy from the staff of those weeks... you get the picture. I think the camp being full to capacity with campers offers a great deal of energy and a dynamic that leads to a very impactive program.

Conclusion -
Of course, considering safety... the numbers should be monitored... but i don't think lowering the number of campers would be necessary. There's always the thought of adding facilities that would permit a slightly higher capacity (both campers and staff)

Staff Continuity - [mostly same staff yearly]
Cons:
As someone stated in the previous post, having fresh meat... blood... uh... new folks offers a great revitalization of the week. Having the same folks each year tends to see the same things get re-hashed each year in a slightly different flavor. People exiting for periods of time can often allow activities to gain new life by others taking them on or allow new activities to emerge. That said, some activities, programs & attitudes may be revitalized upon the return of an old feature that once again becomes relevant.

Pros:
As you bring in a consistent staff core, you alleviate the need to "re-train" the thought process. Needless to say, this keeps things moving and the mechanics to a minimum as people are able to ignore some of the structure and simply fall into their place without thinking. The same staff returning brings some old tricks back and keeps us from "reinventing the wheel."

Conclusions:
Another tie... y'gotta admit... if everyone returned, you'd see a stagnation.. however, having a strong core brings back a familiarity that allows the week to progress and the system to work.

Engineer... oh, wait... i mean the CREW Trailer -
Cons:
LOL!!! Besides the memories founded in this mighty structure... what can be said... could it actually be moved? or would you have to burn it to the ground where it sits?

Pros:
It has been passed down like a baton at a track meet.... but, there comes a time when you've got to retire one baton...

Conclusions:
Maybe Thig could come back and do one last fireworks show.

Ownership -
Cons:
As a person takes on a job function, the person might mistakenly believe themselves to be irreplaceable. This transforms the positive of "ownership" into an attitude of entitlement. If a person keeps too firm of a grasp on their role, they may not elicit the continuous creativity to keep their part vital. It is also a great skill (yet difficult to accept) to know when one's role needs change or even an overhaul. It may also dissolve into an attitude of pridefulness that creates an abrasive environment in which to work. Sometimes the pride may keep a person from training their replacement as a fear that their talent would be forgotten.

Pros:
As a person owns their job, they internalize the position and bring their entire skill set to the table to make the most effective effort. The owner of a job is able to cast a vision of how a project can be birthed and completed. As the person internalizes their project and role, they are able to move seamlessly in and out of their function and better affect the way their role relates to other functions within the Camp environment. If ownership can be passed on like the olympic torch, it has a better chance of burning brighter.

Conclusions:
Yet another tie. Ownership must take place and a personal awareness of how replaceable each person is. There is only one irreplaceable component to the Camp environment... and Christ can still be replaced... but i don't think anyone would want to be at camp if that happened.

WARNING: if you're old-school C-of-C (no, i don't mean College of Charleston)... you may not want to read any further... heres where I explore some ideas for the future iterations of SWS

Changing Worship
How: well, as some of you may know... i'm a little less C/C than I used to be... that said, each day I see that I become a little less denominational and more just plain old Christ Follower. If the camp retreat model is valid (as I believe it is) then the incorporation of a worship "service" is highly necessary as a corporate gathering. My first iteration here would be a more open, expressive worship gathering that might incorporate (collective gasp) a few plucked instruments... even a cymbal and a drum. Yes. Instrumental worship (please refer to my rant on Eph. 5 and the word Psalms).

Cons:
These things do have a way of gaining a life of their own.... not in a good way either. When the "worship band" becomes an idolized rock group that everyone wants to take part in... or worse... a person feels their gift is invalid if it's a gift in the background. I can easily foresee the "band" image getting out of hand. Then there's the "rock concert" image where the worship takes on the image that you MUST have instruments... I cannot tell you how amazingly frustrating it can be when you try to start spontaneous worship moments and people feel they cannot join in because there IS no guitar.

Pros:
Having experienced soaring worship in an instrumental environment, I know that the presence of skilled musicians can heighten the experience of a worship moment. Worship that can breech the tradition may draw people to the face of the Father without necessarily becoming an "entertainment" ploy.

Conclusions:
I think having flexibility into both the traditional and the more contemporary worship would be the way to go here.

More than just a week - First off, let me say... the original SWS has impacted my life. Though I've not been a part of the SWS at PBC for quite some time, please remember SuperWeek can happen any time of the year. It would behoove us to know that our one week during the summer is not the ONLY nor the BEST SuperWeek. In fact, I've experienced much better superweeks. But isn't that what we're striving for? To influence & impact one person so that they might be able to take this week with them into their life and see the course of Christ flood their life?

Imagine SWS invading your daily efforts... what would that look like. When you walk into work tomorrow... instead of the frustration of "another day another dollar..." What if... and i do mean IFF... we walked in tomorrow with the idea that we do "What we do, when we do, how we do?" What if that attitude permeated our actions at work? What if we "engineers" especially those original few began doing a task without being asked at work... at home (ok, i just went too far.)

What if SuperWeek also became not just a christian retreat for teens, but we developed a similar retreat system for adults, professionals, married couples, singles, engaged couples (separate sleeping of course... don't want it to be TOO super), divorce prevention... What if some form of SuperWeek began to invade the culture we live in? What would that look like...

Sure, it may sound like I'm tearing SWS apart. It may sound like I have some conflict with the way "we do things at SWS." I do... I HATE what we do at camp if it can only exist there. I don't believe it is bound to Camp boundaries. So, I intend on breaking those boundaries down. SHATTERING them into dust. I think there are very few who believe in SWS to the extent that I do... But I don't need to show up one week a year to make SWS happen in my life.

So the point is: how can we put SWS to work the other 51 weeks of the year. What will it take... don't worry... i think i've got a notion.. you'll hear more.

( ...to be continued... )