Michael Staires

Thanks for dreaming the BIG dream

I love this video. (Thanks for the reminder from Roy Williams)

Those of you who know Roy know he has a lifelong passion for the story of Don Quixote. A man, against all odds goes out to make the world a better place. He has no money and no "army"...only a companion who decides to help because he believes in Quixote, even though he certainly recognizes the uphill challenges of the quest. 

Hmm. It occurs to me suddenly that that's the story of a lot of camp directors I know. To go out day after day and toil in obscurity for little pay and no glory...that's a very high calling. This Christmas season, thank you for the work you do and for the lives that are changed because you continue to dream the impossible dream.

Traditions are the glue that holds us together

 We have a tradition in our family of cutting off the bottom inch or so of our Christmas trees before we put them in the stand for the season. We take the one inch section and label it, seal it, then put a hook on it. Voila! Instant Christmas tree ornament. Now, several years later, we have a pretty good collection of ornaments made from our Christmas trees over the years.

On the day we cut down our tree we also have a bowl of chili, a slice of homemade apple pie, and watch White Christmas. This stuff happens every year. Without fail or deviation. 

It's traditions like these that weave us together as a family and every year they get stronger and more meaningful because it's much more than the act of cutting down a tree or making an ornament or eating a bowl of chili. Each of those acts is tied to the memories from past years and past experiences. After several years...these traditions become pretty powerful. They truly have become the ties that bind us together.

Your camp or church traditions do the very same thing. When we all sing the camp song together or make the Friday night hike to the mountaintop for the bonfire or go to the candlelight service, we are re-affirming to ourselves that we belong. We are convinced more and more that we are more than just "me." "Me" becomes "we." 

Imagine the end of the game. The crowd rises as one to sing the alma mater. Hundreds of voices old and young come together and sing the song that means so much to them. In that moment, age doesn't matter. Graduating class doesn't matter. Everyone is the same. The tribe has become just that much tighter.

When you are able to identify and reinforce those traditions at your camp (and I'm sure there are many) you are building a powerful force for the future. When you are able to write about the traditions of your camp to your alumni, you'll be able to bring them together. When you are able to tell the stories of the traditions of your camp, it will become a rallying point for others...those stories will resonate with your tribe and they will come. They'll come because they belong. They'll come because you are speaking their language and telling their stories. Never forget how important traditions are.