4-H Camp is so hard to explain because there’s so much to it. When a camper says, “I went to 4-H Camp,” he or she cannot leave it at that. Some explanation must follow those words elaborating on what it is or what he or she did there. I have been a counselor at the Harford County 4-H Camp for three years and was a camper for four years. Honestly, when someone asks me what my favorite thing is or what I love to do, my quick reply is “4-H Camp.”  There are two camps, a Junior and Intermediate, for different age groups. Junior camp is four days long and Intermediate is five days. Those two weeks make up the best and most memorable of the year for me. So what makes camp so incredible? Everything as a whole comes together to make camp extraordinary, but here are just a few of my absolute favorite things.

Tribes– Tribes aren’t just teams at camp, they’re families. Six Native American tribes occupy camp during the “weeks along the creek” (Deer Creek, that is). These tribes were major Native American tribes in Maryland, so at camp, we honor them by using their names of Shawnee, Susquehannock, Pocomoke, Cherokee, Assateague, and Nanticoke. Each tribe has two colors, which their counselors and campers sport throughout the four or five days they are at camp. Tribes travel throughout camp together, go to activities together, sleep in the same cabin, do chores together, and basically are family.  Every year, counselors and campers are assigned to different tribes to make sure everyone gets a great and new experience annually. The Big Feet tribe is the small group of older counselors called directors who keep things running smoothly and tally points. Tribes give camp a “homey” feel and create amazing friendships and lasting memories for everyone.

Feathers– Throughout the week, every tribe receives points from the directors for performing chores, doing good deeds, singing the loudest, being the most spirited, fitting the theme the best, and much more. These points are totaled up at the end of the week, and the tribe with the most points receives the coveted Golden Feather. The Golden Feather is what everyone wants and is on everyone’s minds 24/7 at camp. It makes camp a fun competition, but the Spirit Feather keeps things friendly. The Spirit Feather is awarded to the tribe who exemplifies the most spirit, regardless of points, every day of the week, all of the time. The Spirit Feather teaches kids that it’s awesome to have a positive look on things. To be honest, most counselors would prefer the Spirit Feather because it shows that they had a tribe who tried really hard and never gave up.

Campfire– Every other night at camp, we have a campfire. We enter the circle in silence and stay silent for the whole 2+ hours. We sit with our tribes on those hard log benches out next to the woods. All the campers and counselors are completely serious and reverent of the campfire. A chief directs us while each tribe presents a song, skit, and cheer to everyone to get points from the directors. Campfire is so unique because it’s a really serious time at camp. No other time during the week do we ask for undivided attention and respect from everyone. Campfires are unforgettable with the funny songs, clever skits, and spirited cheers that fill the two hours. It can be stressful preparing for a campfire, but it’s always so much fun to impress everyone and just have a good time. We have a final campfire at the end of camp when all of the parents are invited when we receive the awards. This is the most magical time of camp because everyone is so excited to tell their parents about the week, but sad because they have to leave one of the best experiences they’ve ever had. Campers and counselors both realize what friends they’ve made, how much fun they’ve had, and what awesome memories they made. It’s the magic of camp- friendships.

Singing– Whenever my campers are breathing outside of a building, I make them sing. There are so many camp songs we sing ALL the time at camp, including many of which are unique to our camp. Singing isn’t just for the spirit feather, it makes camp energetic and exciting. It ties everyone together even if they’re in or coming from different places. Singing puts smiles on campers’, counselors’ and adults’ faces with either the silly lyrics or just the energy coming from the people singing. It’s one of the most magical things of 4-H Camp.

Themed dinners- Every night at camp, we have a different theme to go along with dinner. It can be twin, clash, gender bender, pajama, theme of camp, or tribal night. Every single person goes all out for these nights because everyone wants to show off how passionate she is about her tribe and camp in general. It’s what camp is all about, and it captures the unbelievable atmosphere of camp, the reason why we come back year after year. You see, at camp, we don’t care really care about anything that a group of youth would care about. Camp is all about making a person shine within tribes and the whole camp. We admire the differences in everyone. We use these differences to make the best possible experience for everyone. The camp atmosphere is amazing because everyone is excited, happy, eager for more fun, and devoted to his or her tribe. There’s no real way of explaining what we experience at camp. Asking someone a camper what camp is like is just like asking to explain magic-impossible.

And finally, friendships are the best thing about camp. They last so much longer than just an ordinary friendship just because of the magic at camp. I honestly can say that some of my very best friends are from camp and because of camp. I’d rather be with them than anyone else in the world. They’ll always have a special place in my heart because of everything we’ve done together, and everything we’ve been through together. Nothing else explains camp like a friendship.