“Every Camp Has A Legend…”

Poyntelle, Pennsylvania.  How many of you have heard of it, much less have been there?  This is a tiny town in Wayne County, located in the northeast corner of the state.  To me, and many other youths, that was the home of Camp Echo Lark and, for me, 15 summers of memories.  In the years that followed, as we head into spring, I would dream of being in camp, whether as a camper, a counselor or engaged in some camp activity.  There were the familiar bunks, fields and faces.  Last year’s dream had me on the softball field, then having a conversation with Zelda, the last owner from my time at camp.

I know what you are thinking:  “What? 30 years later and this is what you dream about?”  “Wayne, you’ve lost it (again)!” “Who dreams of such things?”

You do realize that with the help of the internet and Facebook, I get my Echo Lark fix whenever I need it.  There are the pictures and the faces (which have gotten older looking).  I might sound like a stalker, but it is good to see what the people from my youth, their successes, and the families that have grown.

My trigger this year was a picture, sent via Facebook, from a camper of a letter he wrote home to his parents.  All campers had to have a “buddy” when they went around, and I went around that year with one of the campers.  We used to go to an amusement park each summer called Ghost Town, in Moosic, Pa (closed in 1987).  I remember going as a camper on the teacups a bunch of times with a bunk mate, spinning as hard as possible – that led to one nauseous ride bank to camp.  Another year, we were on the Spider and it jumped its track – this led to them manually stopping the ride.  When this camper found the letter that his mother saved, he forwarded a copy (see below).  I remember spending the day with him and hanging upside down.  It is a great feeling to be remembered, especially around a positive experience.

What we learned at camp:

• Sports – You learned how to play softball, soccer, basketball, street hockey, swimming and tennis.  In the earlier years, they also had golf (taught by Smokin’ Joe).  This was not open playtime, but instructional, leagues, inter-camp competition, and countywide competitions.  The camp always had experts in the various fields that played or coached in their sports. 
• Teamwork – Very important attribute taught as a byproduct of sports.  There were some standout individuals, but the team working together was most important.  Outside of sports, camp built camaraderie (i.e., team spirit) in the bunks at play, in the dining hall, or in the field.
• Dealing with children – An extremely important lesson that I learned was from a guy named Murray.   As a counselor, you find yourself trying to corral your campers constantly.  When they are younger, they have boundless amounts of energy.  Murray taught me to have patience and not yell.  Since you cannot hit the campers, nor can you “legally” punish them, yelling is the only thing you can do.  That bit of advice made me a better counselor and ultimately a good parent.
• Playing in the sandbox – This is a term used by my cousin Ben.  In camp, you had to learn to get along with other people.  For eight weeks, you lived in an intense environment where a lifetime past by in 56 days.  If you did not figure out how to get along, negotiate friendships and share, you were severely ostracized.  This skill has helped me in business and with volunteering where you learn to respect others, care about those around you and learn to work together.
• Learning to Lead – As a counselor, you are responsible for the 8 to 10 campers in your bunk, from the moment they arrive at camp until the moment they leave.  While the measure of your success is being asked back the following year, an even greater measure of success is the return rate of your campers.  My first year as a counselor I did a mediocre job.  They next year, I was paired with a “strong” counselor, where he could act as a mentor to me.  I observed, learned, and ended up working as a counselor for 7 summers. 
• Mentoring – There are certain people in our lives that have an impact on what we do, how we think and how we react.  We may not realize nor appreciate it until later in life.  The boys head counselor, Ed, was one of those people that had a profound impact on many people.  Any of us that have coached our children use some of his techniques (including wipeout).  My brother, Brian, commented on how he realized this coaching his son’s baseball team.  Ed provided a model for being a good person, doing the right thing, sportsmanship and the importance of zero tolerance for not doing what you were suppose to.

This was a land where people went by the name of BT, Smack, Bananas, Buffalo, Danger, Munchie, Mouse and Whoopie.  Each generation of camp goers has their stories and the impact to their lives, made special in a short 2-month period.

“But of all the other idols,
The one that stands the test,
Is the royal green and gold camp,
The symbol of the best.” ~ excerpt from the camp Alma Mater

Where Is My Legacy?

At what point in our lives do we leave a legacy?  Can it be misplaced?  Does one have to search for a legacy; is it bestowed upon us, or, something we take…for granted?

Do we know what potential impact we will have on another human being and what that ripple effect could be?  There is a theory called the Butterfly Effect, where, when applied to the weather, it is said that if a butterfly were to flap its wings, at some future point in time, that will build to a hurricane half a world away.  MIT meteorologist Edward Lopez coined the term in the 1960’s.  In his book, The Butterfly Effect: How Your Life Matters, Andy Andrews extrapolates this theory in human terms, in that one person can have a profound effect on the lives of another and so on down the chain.  He outlines this then follows a real life impact through many generations.  The point of the book is that everything we do can and does have an impact on those around us.  Sometimes the impact is profound; sometimes it is small.

If there is a Butterfly Effect, and it is applicable to humans, then we all have the potential to leave a legacy, whether that is through a big impact or minor impact.  We can, we should, and it is important to live each day with this in our minds.  Like the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” where the main character George Bailey did not know how important his life was until an angel showed him.  Fiction, yes, but highlights the point. 

“But, Wayne, that is just a story.  Do we ever get to see this in our lives?”

There was a man that came over from Europe and engaged in leading religious services through singing – what we would call today a cantor (Chazzan).  Many years later, when his son came to this country, he followed that love for music and learned the violin and later some basic piano.  His son then learned piano quite well until he came face-to-face with the Warsaw Concerto, which caused him to stop.  His son learned the accordion, piano, saxophone and a few other instruments and played in a band with his brothers.  Of his two daughters, one loves going to concerts and one has learned a series of instruments and is studying music education.  The one that is studying music entered school as a vocal student.  With music education, after five generations, the love of music has been passed down to potentially influence many people, and, what started with a vocal talent came full circle back to vocal education.  The first person had no idea what his love of music would do.

This past weekend, I attended the Brandeis Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies to receive the award for Ace Weinstein.  My great uncle was instrumental in bringing the athletic program to Brandeis in its early days by recruiting athletes, paying for clothing and food, and supporting the growth / development of their programs.  It ended up that he was involved with football legend Benny Friedman and winning Coach Henry Stein. Until I had the opportunity to meet the recipients of his generosity, I would not believe that a family member would have the capacity to identify the potential in young adults that most of us would miss within ourselves.  His generosity and capacity to provide the opportunity for success in others was phenomenal.  Here are some of the words (paraphrased) from the benefactors of his help, and participants in the event said:

• “Your uncle was the one that recruited me for Brandeis.”
• “Your uncle bought me my first real winter coat.”
• “…the scholarship provided by your uncle…”
• “…let’s have a moment of silence for our fallen team mates and Ace Weinstein…”
• “He was the fastest person ever to be processed through the nominating committee.”
• “I learned how to play golf because he asked me to teach it at camp.”
• “He catered the meals while the (basketball) was team on the road.”
• “Your uncle drove me up to Brandeis for my interview in his Cadillac.”
• “My first time on a plane was with your uncle.”

Legacies are created through our interactions with others, whether through our words or actions, that hopefully have a positive impact on others.  We can, we should, and it is important, that we all do great things with our lives to build our own legacies for the future.

My Uncle Ace

I got an interesting call this week regarding an uncle that had passed away 42 years ago.  I remember that my Uncle Ace was the owner of a successful camp in the Poconos, lived in Florida towards the end of his life and drove a Rolls Royce.  I really did not have a lot of information to give to someone on a mission.  The gentleman, whose life had been touched positively by my Uncle, went to Brandeis University and was advised by his family members to call Ace, who also happened to be a distant cousin of his.  My uncle ended up giving him a job at camp and was able to provide a positive impact on this young man’s life.

This short encounter made me wonder how many of us have relatives that have done something extraordinary, but we never had a chance to know about their “feats”.  If a book was not written about them or our family did not pass down their stories, no information can be found about them.   We have become so used to seeing our actions revealed in real time, due to the proliferation of computers and the rise of social media, that it is tough to remember a time when information was not readily available.  Anything we do is easily recorded on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snap Chat, etc., so much so, that we know that these outlets can impact our ability to get hired or provide instant celebrity.

As the story unfolded, the gentleman told me that he went to Brandeis’ Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony last year, and on the list of contributors to their programs that have been inducted, my Uncle’s name was missing.  Not only a supporter of their programs, my uncle also helped many young adults from poorer backgrounds achieve their dreams.  As one would expect, there is a whole process to get inducted, including various testimonials.  This step was completed before the call to me to get some biographical information (which my Aunt will provide).  Not knowing this part of my uncle’s life, I was filled with pride to hear what my uncle did with his life and happily offered to help in any way I can.  We learn that giving is something that all people should do, the more that you give, the more that you receive back.  If all goes well, I am planning to attend the induction ceremonies.