Camp Kandalore

On this day in Ontario I had decided to follow my own advice from early in the tour and put in an extra effort to stay in the moment - so that meant no furious note taking as we visited camps (I will rely on my very reliable travelling companions for information about the camps later). Instead I just tried to be present as we walked around camp and to really listen to what we were being told - thanks to Kate Strachan for her hospitality and for sharing her knowledge.

What came to me was that the best thing about the camps we were visiting was that they were committed to their mission/purpose for being in existence. They only offered activities that fitted with their mission and their main focus was on relationships - not adrenaline. There is obviously a place for adventure activities - but perhaps only if they contribute to the development of campers and build on the relationships between campers and between campers and staff - maybe only if they contribute to the mission of your camp.

They have the confidence not to provide the activities that they think campers and their parents want - but instead they provide activities that they believe are the right activities and then trust that they can convince their stakeholders that these are the activities that will lead to the best outcomes.

Maybe this is the approach we need to focus more on in Australia - and maybe the ACA can work together with members to promote this approach more - promote it to schools, to parents, to the broader community.