Let The Mystery Be | July 29, 2022
There’s nothing quite like the sound of heavy rain pelting a canvas roof in the darkness. This is the sound that carried our second session campers through their first night at Flying Cloud, a heavy rain that persisted into their first morning. Anyone whose children came to Flying Cloud last year may remember that 2021 was a particularly challenging year for the Cloud; given all the rain we received that summer, the rain that made an appearance on Arrival Day felt like the warnings of a bad omen.
If the rain is a bad omen, though, camper attitude is the elixir combatting it. Already camp is abuzz with old and new friends congregating, helping one another saw frames for their sawdust bunks, cavorting in the clearing, pondering meals they want to prepare when their lodge is on Cook Crew, and contributing thoughtfully to our “In and Out” list of community agreements.
Community agreements can be tricky for young people. The “outs” always seem to come easier: disrespect, discrimination, swearing, contraband. The “ins” come as more of a challenge. How do we show up as our best selves while we’re here for the summer? The “in” list usually relies on framing by staff: be honest about your limits. Lean into discomfort (both in one’s body and in one’s attitude). Respect and clarify boundaries.
One piece of framing that we found to be powerful to emphasize early on: let the mystery be. At Flying Cloud, especially for new campers, the spectacle and deliberate obscurity around some of our
traditions and rituals can cause some anxiety. The fact that we don’t run our day by the hands of a clock, or that we don’t inform campers about the schedule of the session, can sometimes create consternation. What’s going to come next? How can I be ready?
We hope - just as you have entrusted us with your children for these next three weeks – that through these conversations, our campers will trust us tohold the space of Flying Cloud with the kind of care and attentiveness that will ready them for all the challenges and mysteries that await them.
Peace,
Elliott
Sparking Gratitude | July 11, 2022
A group of twenty-five young people, many of whom having only met a few hours prior, sit beneath the roof of a tree limb-pillared roundhouse, illuminated the light of a crackling fire in the center, a fire that will birth all the fires ignited for three weeks. Four of these young people, already familiar with this strange but welcoming space, pose these questions to their fellows:
“What are you bringing to this place?”
“What are you leaving behind?”
“What will you take home?”
So begins Friendship Fire, the inaugural tradition that ushers in the start of a session at Flying Cloud. It always amazes us, as campers feed the fire with kindling meant to symbolize their intentions being realized, what answers are called forth into this space. We met campers on this first night wishing to bring ease, a sense of curiosity, creativity and “all the good things I want to be” to Flying Cloud
this summer.
With gratitude,
Elliott