Shout Out To…
For those of you who have never attended one of our weekly Sunday staff meetings during the summer, I wish to show you a snap shot of these hour-long experiences. The Sunday staff meeting happens just after breakfast but before Chapel each Sunday. It’s a chance for Senior Staff to share important news with the staff, for the staff to share victories and trials from the week, and for the entire staff to look toward what is coming next. Admittedly, sometimes the meetings are less than inspirational and almost as much fun as getting your car’s oil changed. However, no matter how the pace or content of the meeting shakes out, you are always guaranteed five warm, fuzzy minutes as the staff do their weekly Shout Outs. We raise our hands, waiting to be called on by Denice, and report something that another staff member said or did that touched us that week.
Some Shout Outs are funny: “Shout Out to Suzie for bringing us more food on our campout when the raccoon ate all of our breakfast.”
Some Shout Outs are touching: “Shout Out to Jane for helping me clean up Arts and Crafts after everyone else already left. It meant the world that you were willing to help out even though you had other things to do.”
Some Shout Outs remind us why we do this job, why we continue to be affiliated with this place, and why we believe in the importance of camp: “Shout Out to Mary. Mary, you have changed your campers’ lives for the better, and you’ve done the same for my life. Thank you, I love you.”
I love our Sunday Shout Outs because they ground us in the importance of our work and show us how rewarding working as a team can be. Sunday Shout Outs remind us that even when we are not trying to do something well or important, everything we say and do is recognized by those around us, and we never know when we are making a positive change in someone’s life.
So, I get that it’s technically the off-season right now. And no, Senior Staff does not go down to the dining hall each Sunday morning to debrief the week’s events. At any rate, today, on a Thursday, I have a Shout Out that I wish to share. Let me explain.
I, with the rest of Senior Staff, spent this past weekend with a group of 17 summer staff members and 2 current Board Members during our biennial Leadership Retreat, in which we discussed camp topics from traditions to activities to counselor life. We covered it all, and we covered it well! The attendees represented Adventure Programs, the Performing Arts, as well as Traditional Programs. Activity heads, line heads, and individuals who may serve in leadership roles this summer were also present.
Let me be clear: we had a lot of meetings that were exceptionally productive, as well as plenty of down time to visit and connect with new and old friends. The real take-away from the weekend for me, though, was not about any of this. The important lesson I learned from spending time with this group of Merrie-Woode girls was about value. If you want to know what it feels like to be truly valued by another person, spend an hour with any of this weekend’s participants. I promise you will come away from the experience feeling heard and validated, no matter your opinion or perspective.
This is to say that I can’t count the number of times someone spoke up about a topic and was followed by someone else’s comment that began something like, “Thanks for saying that, Lindsay. I really like your ideas, and I also think…” In a group where everyone loves Merrie-Woode and where everyone has a lot of ideas, no one spoke over her peers or interrupted someone’s else’s statement. At times we discussed topics, such as traditions, that are close to all of our hearts. Even in these emotionally charged moments, the group showed respect toward all participants and listened carefully to each other.
Perhaps at this point you are saying to yourself, “but Betsy, all of these people love Merrie-Woode and want the best for her, so of course they would behave well. They are all on the same team.” Ah, reader, you make a good point. However, I think many times when we love something as much as we all love camp, it is in those moments when it is most difficult to temper our emotions and reign in our conduct.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that I have spent an exorbitant amount of my life working with adolescents and young adults, and I was extraordinarily impressed with not just the way they behaved but the genuine affection and care they showed for each person there and the ideas they had. Young people get a bad rap for being self-absorbed and unable to communicate face-to-face with other humans. It’s been said that it’s because of the technology-filled, virtual lives they lead. However, the women I spent my weekend with were anything but that. They showed each other and Senior Staff what Merrie-Woode has taught them and how beautifully insightful and considerate they are.
This weekend reminded me of the hard work and dogged determination that all of our staff put into their work here each summer. I was suddenly so glad that our staff, led by the women I hung out with this weekend, are part of the Merrie-Woode community because it is these women who model for our campers who they can become. They demonstrate positive communication and listening skills and help our campers know how good it feels to be heard. This weekend made me glad that these young women are the leaders among our staff because they set such a positive tone for the rest of the camp staff and help us all do our jobs better.
So, after all of that, here’s my Thursday Shout Out: Shout Out to these brave, confident, brilliant, and positively delightful Leadership Retreat women. Not only did you travel from near and far to spend your weekend sitting in a plastic folding chair in the Merrie-Woode dance studio for 10 hours, but you reminded all of us why we value this place and the people affiliated with it so deeply. Your love and loyalty to Merrie-Woode are boundless, and we are energized by you! We can’t thank you enough and love each of you so much!