The final 24 hours of a typical camp summer are truly jam-packed— with emotions, traditions, the sweaty frustration of packing, tears, and laughs. The banquet, slideshow, closing campfire and burning of the year are four landmark moments, each helping to culminate and celebrate a summer at Scatico. For new campers they are traditions filled with mystery and wonder. The way the boys camp just knows how and when to huddle up after lunch to sing “I Don’t Want to Go Home” in the dining room. The way the girls camp seemingly floats magically from the campfire site to the Clubhouse to set their lit candles across the lake. For older campers these are traditions that mark the passage of time, giving us permission to reminisce and feel nostalgic for a summer that only just ended (while still getting that twinge of excitement for what future summers hold). The sight and feel of an essentially empty bunk, the beds pushed together so campers can have their “final sleepover,” lone water bottles and final sets of clothes the last items on shelves, copies of “Scatico Memories” on otherwise empty cubbies…. that is a snapshot of the final hours. What remains unseen but is felt everywhere is the friendship, the buzz, of a summer spent at camp.
Summer 2020 was a strange and difficult one for many reasons and for people of all ages all over the world. A summer without camp, without our Opening and Closing traditions and all the magic that comes between, was just a small piece in the giant puzzle of 2020 as “the summer without…” Through our fundraising and programming with the DREAM Project in the Dominican Republic, we got a small view of communities faring far worse than our own— where vital resources and programming have become scarce.
We are endlessly grateful for all of the much-needed camp spirit, activity and connection we were able to have in 2020, even amid a global pandemic. From our first virtual activity (the talent/art show in March, which somehow feels like a lifetime ago), through the Scatico podcast, Alma and “I Don’t Want to Go Home” virtual medleys, 10x2 (x2) Community Board, Visit Days, and Opening and Closing Zooms, the Scatico family has shown up. If we managed to pull this much off in 2020, there is no telling what 2021 will bring.
As you can imagine, much of this summer was also spent excitedly planning and dreaming for the future. This past week, our family sat down to hold two different meetings— one focused on the program logistics and safety precautions of next summer (think, new hand washing stations; fun, age-appropriate programming for our 2021 repeat divisions), and another on culture, on the intangibles (think, working on an official Scatico mission statement; new sustainability practices and diversity initiatives.) In a summer filled with calls for equity and social justice we are committed to looking inward and outward, and being part of a global camp community where all children learn to live and work together.
As the days get shorter, nights chillier, and summer fades to fall, our thoughts continue to be with our campers, parents, staff, and alumni. We know the transition of seasons is never easy in the “camp world,” and 2020 will definitely continue to challenge us all. Covid-19 has humbled us and taught us many things, including — as we shared in a full-staff Zoom back in May— that Scatico is a no judgement zone. Whether you’re learning or working remotely, or on the front lines as an essential worker; envisioning your next adventure or eager to stick to your living room, our community is here for you.
We can’t wait to keep sharing all year long, and dreaming of a summer spent under the Elizaville sun. Let the countdown to the 100th continue!
- David, Diana, Nicki and Audrey
P.S. You can check out the final behind the scenes tour, fittingly of the campfire sites and sunset trail, by scrolling to the last video on this page.