Our annual Grow & Behold Magazine is starting to arrive at homes across the country, just in time for the holidays! This year’s issue focuses on the benefits of summer camp, and during this Thanksgiving season, it’s been a timely reminder of what a blessing it is to be part of this community.

Below is the “Yates’ Yak” article from the newest Grow & Behold issue - We hope you’ll enjoy the magazine, and join us in a feeling of gratitude and excitement for the summers ahead!

Camp’s Manifold Blessings & Benefits (Now More Than Ever!)

Yates Pharr

Growing up, camp benefitted me in many ways, and those benefits changed and grew as I grew. My first summer, I was a camper for 3 weeks and gained much from the newfound independence the experience gave me. Returning to the mountians of North Carolina for the longer 6-week sessions gave me deeper friendships, built my skills, and heightened my appreciation for camp traditions. The benefits continued to grow as I returned as a counselor and was held accountable to higher expectations. The older I grew, the more my camp experience continued to teach me - how to live harmoniously with others, become more confident as an instructor, increase my resilience, and improve my leadership abilities.

To this day, I continue to reap the rewards of the camp experience, both through the lessons and skills I learned, as well as the lifelong mentors and friends I gained. In the current roles that Marisa and I have as directors, the biggest reward and motivating factor is seeing the positive impact camp has on the lives of individuals. Waking up every day to work toward camp’s mission gives me more fulfilment than any other job I could imagine. I learn more about myself and about being a better community member and leader each summer, just as I did as a camper and counselor.

That’s why in 2020 when the traditional summer couldn’t happen, we all felt the loss. A year without any of the typical growth or benefits from camp was tough for all of us - campers, staff, directors, and parents. However, it was even more meaningful this past summer when camp returned. Covid aside, summers at camp have always been full of opportunity, but in 2021, the return to a more traditional summer was even sweeter than ever.

The summer camp environment can carry high drama because the staff of 150 and the 312 boys must live, work, play, eat, lead, and worship together for weeks. Although camp life is full of fun, the camp climate can be a challenge on many fronts, just like any community living scenario. The longer sessions are especially beneficial because they require campers and staff to further develop their hard and soft skills, interact effectively, engage in independence, and nurture relationships with the entire camp community.

Being a camp counselor also has its own unique opportunities for growth. It is one of the most demanding and rewarding jobs, requiring the individual to be a combination of teacher, confidant, leader, coach, and mentor. It is a responsibility that calls for ‘round the clock attention, demanding flexibility, and the ability to think on your feet. There are many opportunities to gain strength in working with others and experience problem solving alongside both peers and superiors.

In this issue of Grow & Behold, you’ll read examples of the manifold blessings and benefits the boys camp experience will bring - from a Q&A with two doctors about the physical and psychological impacts camp has on health, to the ways our camp counselors share the spirit of Falling Creek with communities outside the summer months. The 2021 sessions were an affirmation of what we’ve known all along: that no matter what age or stage you’re in, the camp experience can offer a multitude of timely lessons difficult to achieve anywhere else.

Going forward, we know that camp will continue to be beneficial in this changing world, giving boys and young men the edge they need to excel in life. Marisa and I are humbled and grateful to be stewards of a place that creates such profound impacts and unique memories. As always, thank you for your friendship and trust, and for including us in your son’s journey to manhood. Here’s to the personal growth that camp will foster in 2022—and beyond!

Looking to read past Grow & Behold Issues while you wait for yours to arrive in the mailbox? You can read all the previous ones here!