Written by Sandy Abbott
I cannot express how excited and honored we are to carry forward the life’s work and mission of Ruth McIntyre (aka “Colonel”) and the McIntrye family in assuming ownership and stewardship of Camp Jeanne d’Arc. The minute I heard Colonel’s story, I knew we had something in common. She knew, and I know, the power and influence one young woman can have in this world. This is what motivates me! I find the greatest joy in seeing youth gain confidence, learn to be leaders, develop meaningful relationships, and realize their potential. Each young woman has the ability. She just has to see it and believe it for herself. This can happen at camp!
Camp is such an incredible, life-shaping experience for young women. I have seen it for myself–when girls leave the pressure and stress of life at home and adopt the simplicity of camp life, they are free! I have seen girls become more creative, more adventurous, more outgoing, and more determined. I have seen girls try new things and feel extremely proud of their accomplishments. I have seen girls take safe risks and overcome fear. I remember one young woman in particular who was struggling. Her parents said that she was undergoing therapy to try to work past her reservations and lack of confidence. It was at camp that she took on a challenge that she didn’t think she could overcome. She tried…and succeeded! And she did it again and again. Not only did she find confidence in this one skill, but it transferred to other areas of her life as well. Her parents said that she was more willing to take social risks and insert herself into life back at home. She truly found confidence that transformed her entire life. Don’t underestimate the growth that can happen at camp!
I had a life-shaping experience of my own at Camp JDA this summer. Here is an excerpt from my journal:
This Sunday evening I went to the Inspirational service and the counselors conducted a very sweet exercise. They invited the girls to sit in a large circle and asked them to close their eyes and keep them closed. They pulled a few girls into the center of the circle (opening their eyes, of course) and asked them to tap a few girls’ head that fit the following descriptions. They called out words like: outgoing, empathetic, honest, trusting, leader, inspiring, spirited, helpful, and on and on. At first I pushed my chair back out of the circle, thinking I would just help the counselors. I felt a little awkward so I just closed my eyes like the rest of the girls and bowed my head hoping to just disappear and observe. I sat and listened to the first few rounds. My eyes were closed and I was resting my chin in my hands. They called out a word, I think it was “encouraging.” Unsuspectingly, I felt a tap on the head. What? Was that really meant for me? Somebody had maneuvered behind the first row of girls to come and tap my head!?! I felt so…special. It was almost instantaneous that a smile spread across my face. I could not help it. It felt so nice to be recognized. And it didn’t stop there. Word after word, I received a meaningful tap. I could not believe it really. How did these girls know me well enough to have such kind feelings towards me? I guess the simple smile, the meaningful hello, or the brief conversation meant more than I realized. I was lifted. I was genuinely happy. I even had a tear well up in my eye. If I, a grown woman felt that way, I wonder how this must make a young, uncertain girl feel?
I was eventually chosen to come into the circle and be the one giving away the taps. It felt good to receive those anonymous taps but nothing compared to seeing the faces of these young girls as they were tapped time and time again by their peers. The smiles could not be any bigger! Talk about life- changing! They were singled out and recognized for being happy, positive, inspiring, helpful, kind-hearted, spirited, and on and on. What a wonderful experience! This was all part of the vision for these young girls almost 100 years ago.
This is a perfect example of the kind of JDA camp experiences that can truly change a young girl. We cannot wait for summer! We want to continue all of the beautiful and fun-loving traditions that Camp Jeanne d’Arc has established, and we look forward to creating memories with our campers and staff in the summers to come. We are fully committed to working all year round to plan safe, fun, and impactful experiences for our JDA girls.
We cannot wait to spend our summers with you!
See you at Camp!
The Abbotts