LEBANON — Seven-year-old Hazel Allington showed up at summer camp last Wednesday dressed as Belle from “Beauty in the Beast” with some goals in mind: become a stronger swimmer and be a good friend to her fellow campers.
Camp K in Lebanon offers opportunities for both.
For many Camp K counselors, campers like Hazel remind them of what it was like to be in her position years earlier. Some campers grew out of all three of the camp’s age groups, became leaders in training, then counselors themselves.
For Director Xandra Howe, 26, some of her youngest campers back in 2017 are helping to run this year’s show.
“Now, they’re my staff, which is really fun,” Howe said.
Camp K — which operates out of Lebanon Middle School June 29 to Aug. 7 — provides care for Upper Valley children ages 5 to 11. They use three classrooms, the gym and the cafeteria for daily activities, which mainly include games, crafts and swimming.
A lot has changed at Camp K over the years. Particularly, Howe has heightened the focus on accessibility for children with additional needs.
“I’ve worked really hard on being more disability and behavior-friendly,” said Howe, who added that Camp K has included some children that other camps won’t.
Howe’s primary focus during the day is making sure children get extra support if they need it. She assists counselors anytime a situation arises, and provides a quiet, cool room for children who may feel overwhelmed in a high-energy environment.
Hazel: ‘I might be a really good camper’
Hazel, a Mount Lebanon Elementary School student, came to camp dressed as a Disney princess for storybook day. Several of her friends wore Belle dress, too.
Hazel’s priorities are to be kind — which she says the counselors notice, and reward the campers with fun activities such as a dance party — and to perform her best at camp activities.
“I think that if I do my goals, I might be a really good camper,” Hazel said Wednesday at camp.
Counselors are always available to help when she’s confused about their instructions, Hazel said.
Hazel hopes her group, campers ages 7 to 8, can improve at transitioning between activities because sometimes they run out of time and miss out on certain plans.
“If we have a really tight schedule, like if we have 50 things only in how many hours we have, I just feel like you won’t have time for the big fun,” Hazel said.
Hazel also hopes to see more leaders in training at camp, so they can help campers and counselors throughout the day. There are 14 total this year.
Charles: ‘Bigger kids get more responsibility’
Charles Delura, 9, has been a camper for five years and has made his way through all three age groups. For him, the biggest difference between the groups is that “bigger kids get more responsibility,” he said, with higher expectations for the campers in the 9 to 11 group, including to clean up after themselves.
Still, counselors have a lot to deal with across the board, he said, especially as certain children need individual attention to behave, on top of the needs of the whole group.
“They’re just trying to protect us. … Sometimes they go a little bit too soft,” Charles said of counselors intervening on disagreements between campers.
While Charles is a returning camper, registration was competitive, and he made it in for a limited three weeks this year.
“I would love to do the whole summer,” Charles said.
Camp K is one of a very few accredited and affordable camps in the region, Howe said. Lebanon residents get first priority, but even then, only so many families can secure a spot.
“In under 10 minutes of registration, I am full,” Howe said.
For parent Leslie Blakney, a full-time work schedule meant camp was as much a necessity for her family as it was exciting and fun. Being able to bring Emma, 8, and Dylan, 5, to camp as early as 7:30 a.m. helps meet their family’s needs– and at a reasonable cost– which Blakney said “you really don’t see” at other camps.”
Camp K costs $180 per week for Lebanon residents, who get first priority, and $220 for nonresidents. Financial assistance has been available through Lebanon Recreation and through LISTEN community services. Registrations go toward the Lebanon Recreation, Arts and Parks department general fund, which goes back into running Camp K and other programs.
While Emma is in her third summer at Camp K, it was new territory for Dylan. Howe and counselors led an orientation a Friday ahead of the first day to give several families a glimpse into the schedule and expectations. Through this orientation and video introductions from the staff, Dylan grew familiar with the space and people in charge.
“When he went in that next Monday, he wasn’t feeling nervous or shy,” Blakney said.
Nico: From camper to administrator
Nico Pantella, 19, has matured from a 7-year-old camper to an administrative staff member in a gym teacher role. Over the past several years, Pantella has learned to trust his instincts as a counselor, he said, and now feels more familiar with the camp than he did as a child.
For one, he sees the amount of effort put in to make things run smoothly.
“Especially as a camper, it just completely flew over my head,” Pantella said of the behind-the-scenes work.
Pantella thinks that, in many ways, behavior management skills are passed down from older counselors as much as they’re taught in training. One way that he handles conflict is by speaking very plainly to the campers about actions and their consequences. He said that even those in the youngest age group don’t want to be babied.
With some of the current leaders in training, Pantella recalls them being about 6 years old back when was a leader in training. He’s watched them grow up and step into their own roles with campers.
Leaders in training undergo three days of practicing CPR and leadership skills. For Piper Davis, 13, the experience sets her up for success if she chooses to apply for a staff role in the future.
“I want to be able to be the best counselor I can,” said Piper, who added that leaders in training get a glimpse into being a counselor, with the space to make mistakes and learn.
Leaders in training, who assist counselors throughout the day, are offered opportunities to lead a game or try to quiet campers down. Having been a camper for several years herself, Piper pointed to a feeling of more trust from staff and independence as a leader in training, while still getting the camp experience.
While Camp K previously went on field trips, they were discontinued primarily to make sure all campers are included, particularly those who may have a hard time with the travel. Instead, programs and performers come to camp this year.
“Things change a lot around here,” Charles said. “It was really different from what we see today. It’s always changing with the rules and the habits we’re supposed to take on.”
