Sunday Snippet: The Real World of WeHaKee!

But we occasionally get that puzzling question about the difference between camp and the ‘real world’. For example, potential staff may suggest that they are faced with the choice between a camp job and a ‘real world’ job. As we struggle with the precise meaning of that reference, we understand that for those who have not yet experienced WeHaKee it may appear to have a certain fantasy (or even ‘Disneyesque’) quality.   To the inexperienced, camp may not be seen as a real gathering of real people; real people from around the country and the world, a real community where people are comfortable being who they really are, where they have fun, make friends and support each other. It leads us to wonder, how is camp not the real world?   Frankly, if the so called ‘real world’ were more like camp, we think it would be so much better!!

At WeHaKee Camp for Girls, campers experience the splendor and beauty of God’s great outdoors ~ try finding tall white pines and sparkling lake waters under clear blue skies in the concrete jungle of a city, office park or freeway!   The outdoor experiences at WeHaKee are as natural as it gets and it isn’t the concrete creation of a shopping mall planter or transplanted parking lot tree.

At WeHaKee, girls are immersed in a loving and supportive community that encourages and empowers them to be their true selves without worry or fear. Girls feel free to step well beyond thier comfort levels and meet new lifelong friends, friends that will embrace thier uniqueness and differences.  We are all well aware of the research and real-life experiences of girls during middle school and into high school – generally not the most affirming time for many girls.

At Camp WeHaKee, having the right labels and hanging with the right crowd just doesn’t seem to matter.  It’s much more about who you are and what you do that is important.   It’s not uncommon to see campers wearing the same t-shirt that they had on yesterday… and maybe even the day before!   And there are so many new things to try, each girl can greatly expand all that she can do during each summer at camp.

In the ‘real world’ it seems the inner self must be guarded, often to the point of stifling the true self.  Shopping and consumerism has become a recreational activity – really??   And friendships are more influenced by status, labels and popularity than character and integrity. But the camp world reduces, even eliminates many of these these barriers, helping girls and young women grow in independence and confidence. It seems to us that the real and most important elements we need on our lives are found at camp and frequently disguised or disgarded outside of the camp community.   If more of us recognized the real world benefits of a Camp WeHaKee experience, we’re pretty sure the ‘real world’ would be an even better world!

Thanks for reading and have a great week everyone!