Camp culture

[Warrior4Christ]

From my experience, half the fun of camps (specifically, Christian youth camps) is to do with the camp culture that is made. There are usually funny people/leaders that make hilarious sayings that are used through the rest of the camp, and running jokes and other such things. I was just reflecting on this as I had just come back from a camp-like experience (wasn't really a traditional camp, but living with a team of Christians in the one place... it sort of builds its own culture like a camp). So I was wondering what types of things make up the culture on camps you've been on?


Sometimes these carry over from other camps if there is a large proportion of the same people from the other camp (at Lutheran youth camps in my state, just about everyone knows just about everyone).
- For smaller camps, sometimes we each have a "fuzzy bag" (usually brown paper bag with your name on it and decorated), with which to give warm fuzzies (encouragement notes) - the opposite would be a cold prickly (though in the summer, "cool fuzzy" and "hot prickly" would be more appropriate...).
- Clapping/rhythm game things... not really a game, but usually done when sitting at tables for meal time, and sounds loud when everyone does it together. It can sometimes include other objects like an empty cup (sometimes the cups get passed around the table to the next person as the rhythm loops).
- "No Gary" rule - Gary Groundwork is the name given to a guy who guys to camp just to pick up girls. The female equivalent is Gladis. So there is to be no flirting/new male-female relationships (not all camps had this). This was made more hilarious by the "No Gary, no!" Nicorette ad with chanting and actions.
- "Now go forth...... but don't multiply" was a phrase frequently used on the last camp as we ended our whole team time, and broke into smaller groups. One time he even added "but I wouldn't mind some extra people on team....".

I'll add some more as I think of them.

[Kuro-Mizu]

Camp is so fun!! everyone should go at least once!

Nickames are a big part of camp culture... almost all the leaders get them from someone and the leaders like to give them out to participants at camp... here are some of my favourites...

One of the leaders names was John Van (that was his first name) and at the beginning of the week one of the girls thought he said "dodge van" so he got called that all week.

Pillow fights are another big part of camp culture! well at the camps I have been to mostly on the guys side only though. LOL

And as you said singing anc clapping games before meals!

[mitsuki lover]

I always hated camp.Then again I am not a people person to begin with.

[That Dude]

I'm on the other side of camp culture. The worker who doesn't have much interaction with the kids. I've worked for three years at a bible camp that has a different set up than most of the other camps...The groups bring their own councelers and the camp hires staff for the summer to run everything. Ah what a joy it is to cook for 500 people.

[oro!]

There's the assigned chores at the smaller camps that everyone has to do. Like the kitchen duty.
My youth group always brings a frisbee. We play ultimate with anyone who shows up.
Sometimes at the camps you have field days where you go out and help the community, like at a food bank.
The games definitely are a part of the culture, like rapture call, and chinese musical chairs, and the like.

[Mr. Rogers]

There are some great things about camp. I'm glad I got to go to the few I've been too. There is only one thing I don't like about camps and Christian event, though - the schedule.

When I go to a camp, I want to refocus on God, get closer to Him and spend more time with Him than I would normally get the chance too. But, I can't do that when I always have to be somewhere.

"OK, 8am be here, 12 pm be here, 1:30 be here, 3:00 be here...now get closer to God and stay on this busy schedule!"

I can't do that. I would much rather have something more low-key to talk with friends about important issues and get a chance to go of on my own to some nice small place and think.

[Tenshi no Ai]

Ah yeah, camp's great^^ Specially since it's Bible camp, it's even better^^

Yeah nicknames are a huge thing. Like this one guy's from Alberta (only Canadians could get this one... I think^^) and his nickname was Rob "Mad Cow Pet Cow". Along with nicknames, it's amusing how the "popular" people and leaders all have their names called out in a certain way. Like "BOO-MEEER!" and so forth^^

Also with the fact that we have sports teams and stuff, adds on a whole other pile of things and camp traditions, cheers, etc.

Yeah... camp's great fun^^

[K. Ayato]

I loved summer camps. However, my last one overall was a kind of shady experience. I did learn how to canoe and shoot a bow and arrow, so that was a lot of fun.

[Yumie]

I think the most fun thing about camps is working at them. I had experiences as both a staffer and a camper at a summer camp (I was a camper when I was younger, but when I got old enough, I started working there) and the staff side of camp is just way more fun. I think one of the major things involved in camp culture from the staffing side is getting to joke about all the crazy things that the campers say or do. You wouldn't believe some of the hilariously absurd stories that get told in those special sharing times. XD

[That Dude]

Also I think every camp worth its salt has to have at least one Canadian there.

[Tenshi no Ai]

Also I think every camp worth its salt has to have at least one Canadian there.

That makes us sound exciting or something^^ But of course we are! How bout coming up here (assuming you're from the U.S. of A.) to a camp where... well, just about everyone's Canadian (there's always the VERY tiny minority of like, 3 Americans).

[Doe Johnson]

The only camps I've ever gone to were Girl Scout Camps ages ago. What I always remembered about them were the events around lunch and dinner. I always managed to be the lucky person who didn't have to clean dishes or anything and could simply leave. Anywho, they always sang the weirdest songs while cleaning making it actually fun to stay behind. Also, we had so many crazy rules for eating (sometimes different rules for each meal). Anything from an elbow on the table to speaking could force you to do random things such as run around the mess hall or stand up and sing. XD I broke them on purpose a couple of times just because it was fun to see how long it took people to realize and see what they'd make you do.

[Warrior4Christ]

Interesting...

Camp is so fun!! everyone should go at least once!

Nickames are a big part of camp culture... almost all the leaders get them from someone and the leaders like to give them out to participants at camp...

Not to be picky, but I would have said "Camps are so fun!!"...

Anywho, from the camps I've been to, I wouldn't say gaining new nicknames would be a major part of the culture. It undoubtedly does happen though... but more commonly people just use existing nicknames.
Some nicknames are good for puns, for example one guy on the last "camp" I was on had the last name Harvey - "Harves" for short. He didn't want a whole hamburger for seconds, so "Do you want to go halves with Harves?"

And as you said singing anc clapping games before meals!

I've found the cup game...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWHqaxKuxvU&NR (except these boys did a "line" variation rather than a circle.)

Ah what a joy it is to cook for 500 people.

O.O Wow.. that's a big camp! And a lot of food.

I loved summer camps. However, my last one overall was a kind of shady experience. I did learn how to canoe and shoot a bow and arrow, so that was a lot of fun.

A sports camp? Interesting... most I've been on have only simple games such as variations of tunnel ball and other non-traditional games.

I think the most fun thing about camps is working at them. I had experiences as both a staffer and a camper at a summer camp (I was a camper when I was younger, but when I got old enough, I started working there) and the staff side of camp is just way more fun. I think one of the major things involved in camp culture from the staffing side is getting to joke about all the crazy things that the campers say or do. You wouldn't believe some of the hilariously absurd stories that get told in those special sharing times. XD

Staffers?? Do you get paid? We call them "leaders", and they pay.
I do agree that leadering is more funner. (yay for made up words!)

Also I think every camp worth its salt has to have at least one Canadian there.

Uh.. I don't think I've been to many good ones then...

Actually, at this last "camp" we came across three Canadians and had a chat with them for a while. They were pretty cool.


Some more bits of culture:
- Rating burps: someone does a burp out loud then people just yell out a rating out of 10.
- Esky of goodness/greatness: one time, the esky offered a free drink per person, so it was called "the Esky of Goodness". The name stayed even after the freeness expired and you had to pay, and it was upgraded to "the Esky of Greatness" when there were chocolate bars you could also buy in there. But then "..... of goodness" also spread to other things, like "the table of goodness" is what you call your meal table to attract people to come and sit at that table, etc.
- 6 o'clock swims - it was a tradition of a particular camp held in winter for crazy people to wake up and go to the beach at 6 o'clock. It was heavily plugged during the day talks, and they claim "you have to try it at least once!"

[Doe Johnson]

A sports camp? Interesting... most I've been on have only simple games such as variations of tunnel ball and other non-traditional games.

That doesn't sound like a sports camp to me. They've always taught how to canoe at camps I've gone to, and bow and arrow just sounds outdoorsy.

We too had nicknames that either changed each year or were kept for basically every other camp type experience. Mine were Kimmy Kat and...um...I don't remember...maybe Songbreeze? One of the leaders from my town was always called Crazy Ray at camp. Yep, nicknames were definately a major part of camp life.

[Aileen Kailum]

I used to go camping with my scout troop a lot--which was fun, except for the occasionally poor planning. Who's idea was it to stay in covered wagons in the WINTER? So, so cold.

And then there was the kids' camp and youth camp with my church. Those were fun too. There was this giant inflated mattress thing on the lake called the blob. One kid would sit on the end of the blob, and another would jump off a platform onto it, thus propelling the first kid into the air. Had to love the blob... The only problem I had with camps was that I was a loner, so it made the whole "buddy-system" difficult.

Recently, though, I've had mission trips replace camp for me. There's something about being in a 15-seater van with the same people for 10 hours that bonds you together. That, and torturing the new kids with how to play the game "snaps." "Snaps is the name of the game..." I love mission trips.

[K. Ayato]

Also, the last time I went to a summer camp, I got hit straight in the mouth by a water balloon launched at high speed during a dumb game entitled World War III.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Aileen, Sam (Warrior4Christ) is talking about a mission trip (camp).

I enjoy camps. They are great to bond, have fun and grow (in your faith and other areas).
I've been on quite a few.

[K. Ayato]

What I hated the most was doing team cheers.

[Tenshi no Ai]

What I hated the most was doing team cheers.

Ours were er... interesting...

All our teams are named after NFL teams and mine was the Raiders. Our cheer that this one guy (who got traded last year :/) made up, went like this (and yes, we are a Christian camp^^):

Guy: K Raiders!! What are we gunna do to the other team?!
Us: KILL 'EM!!!
Guy: What do we want on our shirts?!
Us: BLOOD!!!
Guy: Who's blood?!
Us: (INSERT NAME OF TEAM)!!!

Another thign we did was a "tactic" to intimidate the other team. It's called "sexy circles", a thing our team came up with a couple years ago (man we came up with some... interesting stuff that year). Basically, our team lines up and faces the other team and start making hoola hoop motions with our hips and going "WoooOOOOOoooo!" then turn around and do that :/ Yes... we are definately special :/ Course it's not meant to be bad in any shape or form, but the other team usually gives us looks.


..."It's Raider men! Hallelujah it's Raider men! Amen!" (only works on games when the guys-only line is on).

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

What are team cheers?

[Sai]

I go to a fairly fun Christian camp every year. Their food is really bad though. I try not to touch the deli meats. I got sick one year from that. I think anyway. The staff, overall, is very nice and welcoming (with nicknames of course). In Sr. High camp we have had the same speaker come every year and he almost always tells the same stories but everyone loves them because they are so great. We also have games that we play every year. Like Camper vs. Staff Dodgeball, Capture the Sphere, and Braveheart (Capture the Flag). We also have started playing this underground church game where the goal is to find the hidden church and not get caught staff or they will send you to jail and make you do random things like sing I'm a little teapot. I have yet to find the church. But anyways its really fun cause its in the dark and then you can scare people. We also have camp prayers. These prayers are based off of songs from not church-y stuff like the adams family theme song, and giligans island, happy days, superman, rocky balboa, etc. I could go on and on but I wont. CAMP IS AWESOME!!! ^_^

[K. Ayato]

Tintin, team cheers are when on a scheduled night during camp ('least that was how it went during the years I was in camp) all the teams go up, one by one, and present (more or less) a motto they put together within 2-3 days of becoming a team. There's a lot of variety and creativity they put into it. One team set theirs to "The Flintstones" while my team set ours to "The Ants Go Marching One by One". Never did win at those. Basically, the team with the best cheer gets a bunch of points.

Other camp stays had us divided into color teams. I remember team cheers set to "B-I-N-G-O", "The Siamese Cat Song", "I Heard it Through the Grapevine", and "Yellow Submarine" (the latter of which were my teams, but at different years).

[Warrior4Christ]

That doesn't sound like a sports camp to me. They've always taught how to canoe at camps I've gone to, and bow and arrow just sounds outdoorsy.

It doesn't.. because it wasn't... In fact, I've never been on a "sports camp". That's about the closest we got though. Little team games.

And if they made us do a team chant, they'd give us about 10 minutes to think of something!

[That Dude]

I'm proud to say that the bible camp that I worked at (in the kitchen) had the best camp food that many people said they'd ever had.

[Tenshi no Ai]

I'm proud to say that the bible camp that I worked at (in the kitchen) had the best camp food that many people said they'd ever had.

Ah good camp food^^ I remember for the first 2 years at camp, the WORST thing we had was: the toast :/ I dunno why, but it was always so... blah! Then we got a new chef and not many liked it, cause it was practically gormet cooking :/ I don't wanna come to camp to eat these fancy foods I don't even like, like that... well, it wasn't brown rice (which I don't like) but SOME kind of fancyish rice that was blah :/ But LAST year at camp was great^^ Back to the ol' camp foods of cheaply made mac and cheese (which in my mind, tastes great after running around after sports), great hasbrowns and so on... Too bad the week before camp my appitite sped up and I was eating all the time, but for some reason (and the first time ever in my history of camp), it dropped v_v That saddened me that there were so many delicious foods, but my stomach didn't have the capacity to handle them... I do not know why that is :/

[Taliesin]

when I went to boy scout camp each troop would stand up in the mess hall and do cheers during lunch or dinner. merit badges took up much of our time so we didn't get to goof off as much. but almost every counselor had a very original nick name

[K. Ayato]

I remember one time at dinner everyone at my table (including me) had rice on their plates. I think it was the Uncle Ben kind, but who knows. Anyway, one of us got the idea to ask for some soy sauce to put on the rice. As soon as that one person mentioned it, EVERYONE at our table wanted soy sauce. That was kind of funny.

[CreatureArt]

I'm proud to say that the bible camp that I worked at (in the kitchen) had the best camp food that many people said they'd ever had.

That is so cool. I know that good food really helps to make a good camp experience for me. Because if its terrible you have to eat it or go hungry and mealtimes become a mission. The majority of camps I've been on have lacked any facility to buy food. People just tended to smuggle in snacks in their luggage. But I'm lucky enough to have had many good camp food experiences. ^^

I love going to camps, too. I have vague reservations about some Christian Camps, though. They are fun and encouraging - which is fantastic. But when the camp is gone the hype goes with it, and it can be hard to apply and maintained the things learned. That's something I've found to be an issue for me and quite a few of my Christian friends. Can anyone else relate?