tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476955.post5516363646543097480..comments2024-03-27T16:29:33.089+02:00Comments on A Jewish Grandmother : Writing About Summer CampBatyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09402874037427009327noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476955.post-76166868664330927202011-07-01T23:13:16.061+03:002011-07-01T23:13:16.061+03:00My submission was:
Camp Betar in Neversink, NY, w...My submission was:<br /><br />Camp Betar in Neversink, NY, was divided into four age groups: Shimshonim, Hashmonaim, Kanaim and Bnei Etzel and in the summer of 1966, I was selected to head the Shimshonim. That age group was 5-8 and as a result, since their bed time was relatively early, within the parameters of a sleep-away summer camp, I was one of the counselors selected to assist in drawing up the list of supervisors who needed to be on duty, in rotation, until after midnight to assure the safety of all as well as make sure no unsupervised activity by the campers was taking place.<br /> <br />As was suggested to me, I scouted out which male counselor was going with which female counselor so as to afford the staff a more enjoyable two hours while walking around on the parade ground, looking into the bunks and checking out those out-of-the-way hideouts, the locations of which seemed to be passed on from summer to summer while also being remarkably inaccessible at times.<br /> <br />I hid there and I hid there and quickly drew up a list of those who were to be coupled up, the process only taking about three days. Proud of my success, I presented the list to my superiors who then informed all involved who was to do guard duty with who. To my great surprise, the murmurings matched those of the Israelites in the desert. Since my own experience in interpersonal relations was a bit limited at that point, it had not occur to me that the first few days were actually 'try-out' time and by the time the list was drawn and issued, the "couples" had already broken up, some even twice. Now they were 'stuck' with someone they had already managed to reject.<br /> <br />Instead of providing joy and comfort for the task of arranging for the duty of the counselors that was on the one hand, something of great deal of responsibility but, on the other, a bit dreary, necessitating walking about, at times, aimlessly, I had become the object of frustration, anger and embarrassment when my fellow young adults found that they were mismatched.<br /> <br />Another few days of spying enabled another list to be composed. One that, as it turned out, was much appreciated.YMedadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14333122797414935958noreply@blogger.com