This was written by Deb Baileschki, one of our professional colleagues from the American Camp Association. It is shared with her permission:
From Deb: At this time of the summer as camp is winding down, I like to pull out this little ditty I wrote a couple years ago about Camp People…. so Thank You Camp People- this one is for YOU!! 
Camp People
We need Camp People. We need someone willing to get up at 0 dark-thirty to crack 14 dozen eggs for breakfast when the head cook calls in sick, works all day in and out of the office, then helps out in the kitchen that night because the cook is still sick, leads songs at the evening campfire, does a quick check-in with the head counselors at 10 pm, then answers a few more emails to concerned parents before they call it quits at midnight.
We need camp people strong enough to load and unload luggage (even in the rain) yet gentle enough to wipe a tear off the cheek of the homesick child that is having a bad day… somebody to talk with the UPS delivery woman, plunge a toilet, resolve a conflict, or with a laugh and a “No Big Deal” grabs a mop when the table hopper spills a whole pitcher of milk. Someone that can listen patiently to an anxious parent on the phone for the third time this week who wants to know why they only saw 2 pictures of their child on the website— and it didn’t look like they were smiling.
Yes, we need Camp People…. People who can fix almost anything with duct tape and zip ties, give a talk about the power of the camp experience to Rotary, juggle a budget that is never enough, and train a staff of other Camp People that carry out life-changing experiences daily. Someone who during “camp” puts in a 40 hour week by Tuesday— and then puts in the remaining hours to complete the “camp week”…
We absolutely need Camp People. We need them to share the magic of the night sky, a visit by a raccoon, a cool breeze on a hot day, a rain hike. Someone who sings loudly (even if not in tune), acts goofy, dresses up for a skit in the talent show, and plays like a kid. Yet, can sit quietly next to a camper and listen to that child talk about something important to them, can focus on a child in a way that makes them feel important, special, safe, cared for. Camp people know it is important to read a story around a campfire, admire a craft project, wear friendship bracelets, and call every camper by name. They know when to encourage a child to try a little harder or find a new edge, how to accept successes and failures, to flex when needed, and carry the tremendous responsibilities that come with caring for our most precious treasure— our kids.
The world needs Camp People. People who believe with all their hearts in the power of the experiences they do with their campers… who believe in the power of nature to shape a camper’s life, someone rewarded not so much by dollars but rather with a camper’s proud smile, a shy “thank you”, an “I’m coming back next year!”, or “someday I want to be like you!”
Yes, we need Camp People. And at the end of the day, the week, the session, the summer, the year, people who see their campers leave with joyful smiles, kids who stand a little straighter with their chests puffed out with a little more with pride, with new friends they promise to never forget, new skills to show-off, and dreams that will shape them forever.
And as the laughter dies away and the dust settles, the Camp People are already planning for how to make themselves as well as the experience even better next time, how to make a difference in even more kids’ lives… and how to make sure everyone knows Camp is a solution— that Camp Matters.
And these same Camp People return to the “Real World” where they transfer their camp skills to their everyday lives in their communities, their jobs, their families. They bring a little more play and “camp” to their classrooms, scout troops, church groups, youth teams; they help out a neighbor, treat their customers with respect, smile (and maybe make a funny face) at the kid standing with their parent in line at the checkout, step-up in emergencies, or volunteer for a park clean-up. They continue to believe they can make a difference. Camp People continue to be Camp People.
Well done, Camp People, Well done.