Parenting Archives - Bethany Birches Camp

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The Musser Family Returns to Bethany Birches

By: Aldine Musser

In July 1984 we (Jim & Aldine) moved to Vermont with our two young daughters. Crystal was not quite 3 and Sheri was 11 months old. Our third daughter, Melody, arrived 4 years later. Bethany Birches Camp was a special place for our family for 17 years. We eagerly looked forward to spending the summer at BBC with staff and campers, many who were our friends and neighbors.

For Jim’s 76th birthday we decided to return with our children, their spouses and children.

We walked around the grounds to every shelter and shared the memories of staff we knew who had been counselors in that shelter or memories of our daughters being a camper in one of the shelters. The paths from one shelter to another were much the same as 40 years ago.

We have memories of cooking over the fire and also singing at firesides with the words written on a posterboard. Reconnecting with folks from Taftsville Chapel, Bethany Mennonite and friends from the village over a picnic lunch was a great way to end our memory visit.

James and Aldine Musser were the executive and program directors. Learn more about their tenure, and other camp happenings with The First Fifty Years sold here: www.bethanybirches.org/50

Why Camp Counseling Is One Of Your Best Resume Builders

“It’s a good thing they hire 20 yr olds because they are the only people crazy enough to do it!” A current friend of mine and a former BBC counselor was recently referring to the job of camp counseling. It is a crazy job. At BBC counselors care for kids 23/5. Counselors are responsible for cooking meals for campers, sharing Jesus with campers, consistently increasing the fun quotient and creating community among a group of young people who have just met each other. Talent, patience and a desire to keep learning are required for this type of job. Each summer BBC recruits high quality young adults to serve as camp staff. No wonder I miss them so much when they leave!

My friend and I are not the only ones to notice the high quality of camp counselors. An article in Time Magazine reports that “many educators have come to recognize that summer camp, and specifically being a counselor, fosters precisely the skill that we value so highly in young adults: taking responsibility.” The article suggests camp counselors should receive more notice and benefit because “the camp-counselor experience prepares successful young adults through teamwork, empathy, cross-cultural understanding, ability to work with subordinates and superiors, creativity, working under pressure and managing with limited resources.” What other experience packs this type of learning and development?

After reflecting on this past summer at BBC I find myself so thankful for the staff who spent 8 weeks helping the youth around them develop their relationship with God and who continue to develop themselves into people who will surely spread God’s kingdom here on Earth.

Read more from the Time Magazine Article here: https://ideas.time.com/2012/07/10/aummer-camp-can-it-make-kids-more-responsible/

Let your teen (17 year old) do whatever they want

In his blog post, Jonathan McKee explains an experiment he and his wife performed on their teenager. He writes:

Our theory was basically this: Start strict, and loosen up as our kids get older, eventually freeing them from all boundaries by age 17½.

Guess how it went… not bad! In fact, it allowed their daughter to begin a deeper relationship with them. Their idea was that at age 18 she can do whatever she wants. The figured they may as well let her start doing that at 17½ so that they would still have some influence before she left the house.

Jonathan writes:

Discussions with us were no longer about trying to convince us to give her permission—she already had that. Now conversations were about what she was learning from her decisions, good and bad.

She began talking with us about decisions even more. When she wanted to drive over 2 hours to San Francisco with her friends (the furthest she had ever driven), she wanted to know all about traffic, directions and safety. Not because we made her, but because we were “safe” to talk with.

Genius parenting! Now when she leaves for college, she may stay in touch. I’d encourage you to read the whole article.

What do you think? Want to try this out when your son or daughter hits 17½?

Tuna

Transform

This blog entry from Peg Smith, the CEO of American Camp Association caught my attention today. It is in response to the Sandy Hook shooting. It is relevant to our faith. It is relevant to the question: how should I parent? And, am I raising my child well?

It seems to me the heart of her answer is a command: Transform. Or, Grow.

Peg writes:

Can I find a way to help parents understand that as much as we may want to wrap our children in a cocoon that we must realize that environments that help young people to engage, explore, and experience how to learn about and understand others are more important than ever? Authentic connections are as imperative as the ability to accomplish math.

May God transform each of us as we seek to love instead of all other alternatives.

Tuna