 Joni Mitchell wrote “it’s coming on Christmas and they are cutting down trees…”. Well, it is coming on summer and millions of young people are packing their bags for summer camp. We are planning for their arrival and we are doing it together.
There has not been a meeting of professionals that I have attended in the last nine years that I have not heard at least one person say that they are thankful to be in an industry where information is shared so cooperatively, where we work together to help each other achieve success.
It makes perfect sense. In camps, we strive to bring together a diverse community around common goals. We teach respect, integrity, responsibility, character. We teach through our programs, through modeling these behaviors and through the partnerships we cultivate.
At the very core of what we do is the partnership with campers, camp staff, peers, individuals, organizations and each of the communities we serve. The reasons that we do are to have a greater impact, to enrich those we serve with diverse perspectives and to be stronger through shared resources.
The American Camp Association, Texoma’s leadership has embraced the idea that partnerships will be instrumental in achieving our core initiative, the 20/20 vision.
If we are to reach the goal to serve 20 million campers and
have 20,000 supporters of the camp experience by the year
2020 then we have to reach beyond the strength of the one
association.
Over the next year, we will begin to identify
and seek strategic partners who share in the mission to serve young people; who develop future leaders and stewards of our natural resources; who work to protect those who can not protect themselves; and who work to make the world better. Because it will take us all working together together to make the world better. |
