Honor Council: A Voice For Camp
What is the Honor Council?
It’s Sunday after church service, and a group of boys and staff have just gathered on some benches in the back of the Campfire area. The sun shines softly through the leaves and they face each other to begin their meeting.
Yates pulls out the growing stack of papers he always keeps in his back pocket to take notes, and askes, “So what’s been going well this week? What can we do better?”
This is the weekly Honor Council meeting, a group representing the Falling Creek community who share feedback, concerns, and suggestions to continue making camp the best it can be. The Honor Council is made up of campers and staff who represent the FCC Code values on a consistent basis, and they get elected by their peers during Main Camp. There are boys present from every Cabin Line in camp, since the Honor Council is based on actions, not age.
How Can We Make Camp Better?
Things that have been going well are mentioned first in the meeting. “The new game ‘DQ’s Revenge’ was a lot of fun,” said Madden M., in Cabin 7. “The food has been great this year, the best I’ve had at camp,” said Whit Flickinger, Robinia Linehead. The relaxed pace of Sunday mornings was also mentioned. “I like that you can wake up and not feel pressured to start morning cleaning right away. It’s a chill atmosphere and nice to have time to relax,” said Michael Mullen, Sorrel Asst. Linehead.
However, this group also exists to offer constructive criticism for things that can be improved upon. Ensuring that involvement stays high during Morning Assembly was something to work on. “There’s always room on the porch,” someone mentioned. Staying engaged during Evening Program games, especially the older campers, was also brought up.
Yates reminded everyone that positive energy is contagious. “That starts with you guys,” he said.
Leading By Example
Much of being in the Honor Council comes down to being a role model in camp. Honor Council members are expected to set the example, whether it’s displaying high energy during Evening Program, inviting someone to sit with you at Morning Assembly, picking up trash without being asked, or checking in on someone who looks down.
Boys are elected by the camp community to join the Honor Council after consistently demonstrating that they live by the values in the Code: Positive Attitude, Servant’s Heart, Warrior Spirit, and Moral Compass. “I feel like I’m held to a higher standard,” said Henry Smith, a paddling counselor who was tapped into the Honor Council during one of his 9 years as a camper. “You have to hold yourself to the Code more.”
Setting the Tone for the Summer
Lucas M. in Cabin 36 was tapped to join earlier this session. “I feel like I have more insight and input at camp now,” he smiled.
In addition to the insight and suggestions the boys bring to the weekly meetings, they also create a quote board each year that hangs in the Lodge after the summer is over. These quotes reflect the tone from the summer, while also representing the aspirations. You can see all the previous years of quotes in the Lodge today, which include inspiring words about friendship, community, selflessness, and perseverance.
Part of Something Bigger
Each week of Main Camp there is a vote, and everyone gets to write down the name of one fellow camper they think should be part of the Honor Council. Staff are able to vote for one camper and one staff member, since there are many counselors at camp who may not have had the chance to be campers themselves, but exemplify the Falling Creek Code in their hearts and actions.
If you join as a camper you’ll be part of the Honor Council every year you return, including if you come back on staff.
It’s nice to have this group as a constant at camp. Even when you come back as a counselor, you know you still have this core group that you’re part of, even if your cabinmates or friends don’t return. My favorite part is belonging to a group and knowing that everyone is holding each other accountable.
Henry Smith, ‘13-’22 camper, ‘24-’25 staff
Sometimes, the Honor Council even extends across generations. This past Sunday, Lowe M., Benjamin F., and Tsuga Asst. Linehead Rex Bowen were all tapped to join the Honor Council. Benjamin is now carrying on a family tradition, since his dad Harrison was also voted into the Honor Council as a camper from 1986-’90.
A Voice For Camp
At the end of the Sunday meeting, Yates closed by asking the group, “is there anything else? I just want to make sure everyone’s got a voice here.”
The suggestions and feedback that the Honor Council passes on help to shape decisions that Directors make. They represent the thoughts and feelings of their peers at camp, whether it’s insight on the all-camp-games, meals that boys would like to see, or ideas for future activities.
Yates reminded everyone that they have been elected by their peers to demonstrate the Code at all times. “You don’t have to wait for this meeting to bring up concerns, or talk about positives you see,” he said. “You guys are a big voice for camp, so thank you for everything you do.”
What Others See In You
Yates was part of the Honor Council himself as a camper, joining during the 1980 summer when he was 12. “I remember being surprised,” he said. “I definitely felt more ‘watched’ afterwards, and that I needed to be more intentional about being an example.”
This feeling of “surprise” seems to be common. It was also echoed by Rex Bowen, who said he wasn’t expecting to be voted in on Sunday. As a former camper, he said that joining the Honor Council was something that meant a lot to him. Usually new members shake the hands of everyone in the Honor Council during Campfire when they get tapped in, but Rex went down the line giving hugs to everyone instead.
Benjamin F. wasn’t expecting it either. “I was surprised, I didn’t feel like I deserved it,” he said. But though the Honor Council elects those who are role models at camp, sometimes it takes a friend to show you aspects of yourself and your leadership potential that you don’t see.
Friends at camp can often see the parts of your heart that you might not be aware of, and that vote of confidence from a peer can mean everything.
Friends hold a mirror up to each other; through that mirror they can see each other in ways that would not otherwise be accessible to them, and it is this mirroring that helps them improve themselves as persons.
Aristotle