Written by Blue Star leadership team member Stacey August
#campfriendsarethebestfriends. Livin’ 10 for 2. Forever Home. Growing up at an overnight summer camp and working at two different overnight summer camps has created a unique network of friends for me over the years. I’ve celebrated sweet sixteens, visited camp friends in college, witnessed beautiful weddings, seen camp friends become parents, and I am sure there will be much more “growing up” together in the coming years. What is unique is that we’ve stayed close (and maybe even become closer) though we are all over the country and world.
After each summer, camp friends practice keeping in touch and create a new sense of community at home. The real face-to-face connections that are made at camp build meaningful relationships… you quickly celebrate the good times and help friends through the tough times without judgment. Campers are encouraged to discover their best and most authentic selves. I often say that camp friendships are “realationships.” The return home is always the most difficult part. However, this time apart each year helps us to reflect, appreciate, and have gratitude for the time we get to spend together as part of a larger camp family in the summers.
As we find ourselves in this “new normal” of social distancing, #campfriends know that we can do this! For over 73 years, Blue Star campers, staff, and alumni have been keeping in touch and building stronger relationships from afar. The Blue Star family and camp communities all over the world can be leaders in navigating this difficult time. We all can generate and share the positive energy that we need to keep on keeping on! I believe we will develop an even deeper appreciation for the moments that we get to share together face-to-face and that we can draw on support from each other while we are apart.
And I want to send a big shout out to our alumni…many of our alumn kept in touch solely by letter writing, phone calls on landlines(!), and possibly seeing each other at the December reunion to keep connected in between camp seasons. We now have all kinds of different platforms to keep in touch (including this blog).
So, camp friends: just remember that we were made for this. This is your time to shine. Blue Star is here for you and we cannot wait to actually be back at our Forever Home.
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Summer 2020 this season of summer fun.
I would just like to say that Blue Star was an integral part of my upbringing as I attended camp with Roger, Vicky, Michael and Lisa Popkin from 1963 through 1970 and I still keep in touch with friends from camp and even still have a CD which I made from the Blue Star album that was recorded many years ago. It’s great that the tradition is still in the family and that camp is going strong.
I was a camper at 8 and 9 years old and again in teenage village and then a CIT. Several members of my family have attended BS including my 2 siblings, my children and my nephew who is a first time camper this year. I am interested in info regarding reunions and other events (I’ve heard some people get to come back and stay for a couple days or so with their families), but I don’t know how to find out about them. Please keep me informed, my summers at Blue Star we’re some of the best times of my life!