Letter from a Summer Camp Parent
Dear Sherwoodians, Sometime the muses move me to write. Sometime others write me with words more meaningful and heart-touching than I could ever write. This is a letter I received from one of our patrons and a mother of a summer camper. With all humility and appreciation, we thank each of you for making Sherwood […]
Dear Sherwoodians,
Sometime the muses move me to write. Sometime others write me with words more meaningful and heart-touching than I could ever write.
This is a letter I received from one of our patrons and a mother of a summer camper. With all humility and appreciation, we thank each of you for making Sherwood what it is to this family and many others.
Respectfully,
Rengypsy
Dear Sherwood,
I’m writing to let you know about the experience my two daughters had at Sherwood Camp this past summer and its wonderful lasting effect on our family. We first came to Sherwood Faire in February of this year. We live in Dallas and are regular patrons of other Texas faires (since the 80s) but for some reason we never made it to McDade. I really needed a break from the work/school rat race, so we made plans. It instantly became my favorite Faire EVER. I was blown away by the labyrinth hiding in the trees, the stone circle, the awesome vendors with handcrafted wares (no mass produced crap), the reasonable prices, the amazing fairy garden, the respectful children’s area, great music and most of all, the great energy coming from patrons and employees alike.
But I digress. I loved it so much, I signed up my 12 and 8 year-old daughters for summer camp. The focus on real-life skills seemed a perfect fit for our kids. And it was. The girls have both used lessons learned at camp in school projects this year already–one for science (a PowerPoint presentation on herbology) and one for language arts (an original, fairy-tale version of “The Muffin Joke”).
But beyond the skill set that they walked away with, they acquired a sense of place at Sherwood. They bonded incredibly with the other kids and the staff (there were tears upon our departure, as they sang us farewell). This past weekend, we attended the Celtic music festival along with a fellow camper who lives in another city. When my 8 year old saw her 13-year old camp-mate at the motel, she charged toward her at top speed, leaped into her arms, and hugged her with arms and legs. When the kids got to the faire grounds, they said they were “Home.” Whatever your counselors did, it fostered a sense of belonging, stewardship of the land, and protection of the like-minded people who share it. I am jealous and want “in” the Club!!
My kids have both attended sleep-away camps before and always said they had a good time “but. . . .” With Sherwood there was no “but. . . “. They loved the activities, devoured the food, felt respected, and gained independence. Both girls want to camp multiple weeks next summer, and we are happy to let them do it. Thank you so much for creating a place where our kids can learn practical skills and also experience first hand the magic of community–their community.
Kim
Mom to a Summer Camp Sea Dragon and a Summer Camp Druid
