Memories and ABCs -- Camp!

Each year at the youth conference, the classes of young women make gifts for each other, their counselors, and the women faculty. . Back in 1999, one class handed out a scroll title the "ABC's of NEBYC." It's a list of things they found wonderful about the conference and wanted to remember. I came across my copy today. Reading it,  I realized how much of the list would be echoed by campers now... or campers back in 1920. Back in 1920, we were called the "School of Methods"; now we are CYC. But name changes notwithstanding, the important stuff has remained constant. Here's that list:

The ABC's of NEBYC

A  Alone with God: Answers: Amazing

B  Beauty: Banquet: Boys: Believing is Becoming: Bell Tower: Block Party: Big Sisters

C  Communion: Commitment: Chapel: Class: Campfire: Care Cards: Canoeing: Curfew: Camp Meetings

D  Dining Hall: Dancing: Desire: Devotions

E  Enthusiasm: Energy (or lack of): Evening program: Everlasting Bond

F  Faith: Fun: Friends:: Fellowship: Fort Williams: Free Time

G  God: Graduation

H  Hasseltine: Hope: Hugs: Holy Spirit

I  Indescribable: Ideas: Individual: Inspiration

J  Jesus: Judson: Joking: Joy

K  Knowledge: Kindred Spirits

L  Love: Listening: Laughter: Life: Little Sisters

M  Meaning: Miracles: Moonlight

N  Nature

O  Ocean Park: Ocean: Openness

P Peaceful: Party: Pines: Possibilities

Q Questions: Quiet Time

R  Railroad Tracks: Raiding (there is no...): Reveille: Raspberry Lime Rickey

S   Singing: Serenade: Silence: Sherwood: Sunrise: Sunset: Searching: Swimming: Soda Fountain: Soulful:

     Smiles: Spirit: Sunshine

T  Temple: Thankful: Tears & Tissues: Trust: Talent Show

U  Unconditional Acceptance: unity: Unique

V  Ventures: Vacation: Volleyball: Vespers

W  Worthy: Wacky: Wonderful: Water: Welcome

X  Xcellent: Xtraordinary

Y  You (the one and only): Yummy

Z  Zany: Zeal

Camps and conferences for teens offer so much. Try it and see. 

CYC, or the Christian Youth Conference at Ocean Park, offers two weeks of Christian community, discipleship training, fun and friendship every August on the beautiful southern coast of Maine. Check us out!

 

Getting Organized --Playroom, Update 2

Well, getting there. This second weekly update brings visible progress. Some, anyway.

Still need encouragement and prayers though. I've still got the target date of July 1.

For those following along. here's photos:


Beginning:

Current:

The fact that this is visible progress is testimony to how bad it was when I started. *sigh*

Well, on we go.....


Thanks to my biggest encouragers-- and competitors in "The Minimalist Game" -- who are fellow members of the Christian Youth Conference at Ocean Park (CYC) community. Three of us were students together. The other started attending a few years later. Not all of us are active in CYC anymore and there is some geographic distance, but CYC cements friendships. Encouragement is part of that.

If you know a teenager who would like to make lifelong friends while enjoying two weeks of God, learning and fun a quarter mile from the beach this August, check out this link.

We're also on Facebook.

Previous posts:

Getting Organized -- Playroom
Getting Organized -- Playroom, Update 1


Blessings on your housework this week!

(Belated) Song for Sunday: Come Holy Spirit, Dove Divine

Sunday was my son's baptism, a joyous spiritual event for our family. We read this baptismal hymn in unison after the ceremony. In our Baptist tradition, baptism is for professed believers in Jesus Christ who request the ceremony as a way to demonstrate their faith. We are proud and happy.

In addition, this hymn was written by Adoniram Judson, the first missionary sent by an organization from America to anywhere. He served in Burma. Adoniram and his wife Anne Hasseltine  are the vocational models and inspiration for our men's and women's camps at CYC (the Christian Youth Conference at Ocean Park.) I re-enact Anne Hasseltine, so this hymn is special to me because of its author.

Now I have the additional connection with it because of Jordan's baptism. So, even though I've used it for this before, it becomes this week's "Song for Sunday."

Come, Holy Spirit, Dove divine,
On these baptismal waters shine,
And teach our hearts, in highest strain,
To praise the Lamb for sinners slain.

We love Your Name, we love Your laws,
And joyfully embrace Your cause;
We love Your cross, the shame, the pain,
O Lamb of God, for sinners slain.

We sink beneath the water’s face,
And thank You for Your saving grace;
We die to sin and seek a grave
With You, beneath the yielding wave.

And as we rise with You to live,
O let the Holy Spirit give
The sealing unction from above,
The joy of life, the fire of love.

                           Adoniram Judson

                           Public Domain

Fighting Summer Learning Loss

Summer learning loss is real. Teachers spend much of the first two months of school reviewing what kids have learned before, especially for low income kids (see article linked below.)

There are many ways to fight summer learning loss: read as a family, cook together, play board games that involve reading and math, visit the library, go to a museum.

Another way is to go to camp. There are, certainly, camps (and summer schools) specifically designed to maintain or forward academic skills. They are not the only good options in this respect, however. Camps that allow kids to explore natute, learn new sports skills, program computers, or make crafts can also be very helpful. According to the article Bunks are Good for Brains camps offer a wide variety of experience that help brains develop well.

At CYC, we have an academic program. It doesn't focus on school subjects, but offers Bible study, spiritual formation, leadership, missions, and self-exploration. These are not intense classes with homework, but they do require students to engage with new topics, to discuss ideas, to express opinions, and to learn skills. All of these help students to keep their minds active, and should help prevent summer learning loss. Other camps can do the same. It's another reason I encourage camp. Do check to make sure the camp you choose is right for your child and safe, but send them. It is a lifechanging experience.

For More Information:

Bunks are Good for Brains

More than a Hunch: Kids Lose Learning Skills Over the Summer Months


Other thoughts on camp:

Why Go to Camp?
Want Your Kids to Astound You?
Making Disciples


CYC (Christian Youth Conference at Ocean Park) is a two week leadership development program for high school students. It meets August 2-15, 2015 on the beautiful southern coast of Maine and is open to all teens ages 14 and up who have completed at least eighth grade.

Want Your Kids to Astound You?

A few years ago, I took an informal survey about why teens should go to the Conference I work with.  One of the responses, from an alumnus' dad was:




You will amaze/astound/ baffle/confuse/impress/etc. your parents.




He went on to say:

I will always remember the "deer in the headlights" look of the "little boy" we dropped off at CYC, compared to the confident, competent, joy filled young man who greeted us just one week later at banquet. Each subsequent year brought a new milestone, a new goal, a new acheivement, a new understanding, and a faith and compassion that has remained evident, and constant over the years and the miles.

I know the young man, and he really has made his parents proud. I hope CYC played a part in that. It is what we pray for.

Camp can be a real confidence builder. Our camp is just for teens, so we do encourage goals. We want kids to step outside their comfort zones and stretch their faith. We also try to provide a community they can lean on going forward and to lead them to a deeper relationship with God.

If you are on the fence about sending your kid to camp, I encourage you to go for it. The experience can lead to significant growth. I'd love to think that everyone would go to CYC, but if that isn't appropriate for  your child's age or your location, look into one near you.

Check it out. Make sure it is well run and safe, but do it!  I doubt you'll regret it.

Have a blessed day!




CYC (Christian Youth Conference at Ocean Park) is a two week leadership development program for high school students. It meets August 2-15, 2015 on the beautiful southern coast of Maine and is open to all teens ages 14 and up who have completed at least eighth grade.


This is my 21st post for the April 2015 Ultimate Blog Challenge. 

Memories of Camp

I wrote and posted this a few years ago. I post it again because I think camp is important. A well-run residential camp helps kids to gain independence, take positive risks and make new friends. 

Did you ever go to summer camp?

Did you work at one?

 Memories made in camps often hold a special place in our hearts.  Camps have changed many lives, helped children grow and provided all kinds of inspiration.

Here is one of my favorite memories of my camp experience. Although I learned a ton about both myself and God at Grotonwood, Oceanwood and, especially, CYC. (I attended CYC the longest --in fact I still go.) and I made many, many friends, too, I am not writing about that. This was just plain fun.

 I was a counselor in training at CYC which was called NEBYC at the time. Some of us staff were hanging out at the gate, as we often did after the campers were in bed a counselor remained in each cabin). After a late night snack, we decided to get "creative" with our time. We drove all our cars on to the ballfield and set them up as a used car lot, writing prices on the windows with soap. Then we, um, "borrowed" cars from the sleeping staff and added them to the lot. ( Back then, you could put a car in neutral and safely push it.) When we were done, we noticed some more cars driving in. The faculty had been out for the evening. We formed a human chain across the road to their cabins and made them drive onto the field. As soon as they stopped, we jumped on the windows and wrote prices. They laughed and laughed.  The centerpiece of the lot -- and the car with the highest sales price-- was a VW Van, selling for $9.99. Everyone knew it was John Wilbur's car. He was an older, much adored guy who taught sailing. It was fun...and the next day our sleepy selves got a quite a reaction.

It's kind of a silly memory, sure. But it's a great one to tell when you are reminiscing around a campfire. I am still friends with many of the others involved in that event. Some of us are faculty together, now, and ready to laugh at the antics of the younger folks.

 I would be very interested to read summer camp stories, even ones that seem silly.  What was good about your camp experience? What was your favorite thing about camp? What did you do for fun? What did you learn? Are you still involved with that camp? Please comment and let me know.

Yeah, that,

So I am in Ocean Park, ME. 'Cause it is beautiful and a bit of a change is nice.

CYC is going on now (which is why I am visiting now, really.)


Today I witnessed something I had to report to the men's camp director. I was in the soda fountain, getting a Raspberry Lime Rickey. As a stood in line, I became aware of a young man from the camp interacting with an elderly couple who were using mobility aids --the man a wheelchair, the woman a cane. The Judson man (that's what CYC calls it's male campers) stood in line for the couple, ordered their food and twice refused their offer to pay for his ice cream saying it wasn't necessary. He noticed the man was wearing a veteran's t-shirt and thanked him for his service.

I couldn't help but smile.

Then, I have been a believer in Christian camp for 30+ years.


I am not the only one convinced. Sometimes people join the community and just "click." That seems to have been the case with this year's chaplaincy duo. Never having been with us ever, they seemed to know what to expect and what was needed. The husband of the team even blogged about the experience. Check out what he had to say here.

See, it's not just me.

I also saw a  variety of posts on Commitment Night from people who couldn't attend but wished they could or shared other memories of their experiences. Not all entirely positive but everyone had some good memories. Not to mention some of the alumni who (like me) were present in person.. for the 35th, 40th or 48th time.

What's been your experience with summer camp?

Intercultural Experience at Camp

Jordan went to camp recently and came back declaring he had a great time. He was in the water club, shot the first bullseye in archery, made a beard in the mancave and stayed in a yurt. So he learned skills, gained confidence and got to interact in positive ways with people who are different from him.

Jordan attended an American Baptist camp. Earlier in July, I posted the article "Real Diversity" in which I explained that the American Baptist denomination, like the U.S. of the near future, has no majority ethnic group. We want to set a positive example of how to work out this level of diversity well.

Jordan's camp was reflective of the larger denomination. Five ethnic groups were represented by the ten campers and two counselors in the group. The female counselor was from another country and was the only one to represent that group, all the other groups were represented by more than one person. The group was diverse in other ways, too. There were both urban and suburban kids. At least one child had significant disabilities. The campers had different interests, also, which is why there were three different clubs and a wide variety of activities.  There was one similarity -- the campers were all from Christian families and both counselors were Christians. Worship was a part of the camp routine.


The diversity wasn't planned by the camp. People signed up for a convenient session and were assigned on a first come/first serve basis. I am excited that this was a natural representation rather than an engineered grouping.

Jordan didn't come home talking about intercultural experiences and differences. He talked about friends and activities. That's the way it is supposed to be. 

Camp offers many positive benefits, which is why I send my son and encourage others to send their children.  Interacting with a diverse group 24/7 is one of those benefits.


What opportunities have your kids had to interact with people who were different from them?





God camp for teens -- the Christian Youth Conference at Ocean Park offers worship, Christian education and fun in an intense -- and diverse -- Christian community. This years two week session starts next Sunday, August 4th, but there is still time to register.  

Keep Running, Boston

At the Christian Youth Conference at Ocean Park, we often have cause to be proud of our campers and alumni. Their accomplishments are legion. Today I will say a few words about one.

Keith is a graphic designer, who runs his own company, Keirstead Designs. Being from Massachusetts and knowing people at the Boston Marathon, he was deeply affected by the bombing as we all were. He decided to use his gifts to help.

During the manhunt the weekend after the marathon, Keith was locked down. He put his time to good use, crafting this design.




He shared it on Facebook, his friends shared it and it became an important symbol and slogan.
Now, you can purchase this design on a t-shirt to help support a pair of bombing victims.

Keep Running Boston T-Shirt

This article about the design going viral gives more detail about how the design ended up being created, how the t-shirts came to be made and exactly how the proceeds will be used.

I am sure a lot of things went into the development of Keith's character, but I hope that CYC did a little to push him in the direction of making a positive difference. It's what we work and pray for, knowing Jesus calls us to train up young people to do good things for Him.


Well done, Keith! We are all proud of you!!


Have you seen someone make a difference?

Making Disciples

I am in school again. Right now my class is reading the book Traveling Together: A Guide for Disciple Forming Congregations by Jeffrey D. Jones.

This isn't going to be a review of the book, though I do recommend it.

What I want to talk about is how God puts resources we need in our paths. This year at CYC we are focusing on the great commission

¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

So a book on disciple making is very appropriate for me just now. Not only that, but we are putting this theme verse in a "traveling" context. Our theme is GPS: God's Positioning System.



This year, too, I am more mindful of the conference's purpose as a disciple-making community so the book is doubly appropriate.

^{This isn't the first year this has happened. I remember at least three other years when a theme-related book came to me from a source unrelated to the conference and gave me ideas.}

^{When has God provided you with just the right resource?}

^{This is my 28th post for the Ultimate Blog Challenge.}

Look All Around You and See What is Real

Sometimes I post the lyrics to a song that is speaking to me at the moment. Today the one bouncing around in my head is an old John Fischer camp song. If you attended a Christian camp in the '70s or '80s there is a pretty good likelihood that you will recognize it.


I used to sing this song at Grotonwood and it may be because I dropped my son off there today that it came to mind. Or it may be because of the line "see what is real." God has been speaking to me a lot about reality lately. I even preached on Hebrews 8:1-6 which talks about the reality of Christ this morning. 


Anyway, here are the words. Perhaps they will have a message for you, too.


Look all around you and see what is real
Hear what is true and be sure what you feel
Touch someone near you in love if you can
Give all you have and be part of God's plan

Life is always shallow when you fail to see
That living for yourself will never make you free

Look all around you and see what is real
Hear what is true and be sure what you feel
Touch someone near you in love if you can
Give all you have and be part of God's plan

You may live a lifetime doomed to hate and fear
Because you could not see beyond your selfish tears

Look all around you and see what is real
Hear what is true and be sure what you feel
Touch someone near you in love if you can
Give all you have and be part of God's plan

Life can be so meaningful when you finally see
That only in his love will you be really free

Look all around you and see what is real
Hear what is true and be sure what you feel
Touch someone near you in love if you can
Give all you have and be part of God's plan

Have a blessed day!!

I will be singing camp songs at the Christian Youth Conference at Ocean Park this August 5-18 on the beautiful southern coast of Maine. If you are a teen, you might want to join in. Check it out here.

This is my seventh post for the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

My boy's going away...

Jordan is off to camp tomorrow.

This will be his fourth year attending a one - week sleep away camp. The first year he didn't want to go. He was quite adamant about it actually. Screamed, cried. People recommended I not send him.

 I spoke to the camp director, a friend of mine. "You know this, Melinda. They cry when they come, they cry when they leave. He'll be fine."

And he was, of course. When we went to pick him up at the end of the week, he was totally uninterested in us. He just kept playing carpetball with his new friends while we packed up his stuff. Now he's a veteran camper. Good thing, really, since I volunteer in camping ministry and he's stuck with it.

I think kids need camp. It teaches them independence, how to cope without Mom and Dad. A safe and worthwhile camp is needed, of course. You want to check out where you're sending your kids and who they will be with. But these baby steps are essential, in my view, in preparing kids for adulthood.  Even when Mom misses her boy.

What do you think?




My son will be attending Grotonwood Camp and Conference Center which I highly recommend.

I volunteer for the Christian Youth Conference at Ocean Park which is a very worthwhile two-week program for high school kids.

This is my sixth entry for the Ultimate Blog Challenge. 

Want Your Kids to Astound You?

I took an informal survey about why teens should go to the Conference I work with.  One of the responses, from an alumnus' dad was:




You will amaze/astound/ baffle/confuse/impress/etc. your parents.




He went on to say:

I will always remember the "deer in the headlights" look of the "little boy" we dropped off at CYC, compared to the confident, competent, joy filled young man who greeted us just one week later at banquet. Each subsequent year brought a new milestone, a new goal, a new acheivement, a new understanding, and a faith and compassion that has remained evident, and constant over the years and the miles.

I know the young man, and he really has made his parents proud. I hope CYC played a part in that. It is what we pray for.

Camp can be a real confidence builder. Our camp is just for teens, so we do encourage goals. We want kids to step outside their comfort zones and stretch their faith. We also try to provide a community they can lean on going forward and to lead them to a deeper relationship with God.

If you are on the fence about sending your kid to camp, I encourage you to go for it. The experience can lead to significant growth. I'd love to think that everyone would go to CYC, but if that isn't appropriate for  your child's age or your location, look into one near you.

Check it out. Make sure it is well run and safe, but do it!  I doubt you'll regret it.

Have a blessed day!




CYC (Christian Youth Conference at Ocean Park) is a two week leadership development program for high school students. It meets August 5-19 on the beautiful southern coast of Maine and is open to all teens ages 14 and up who have completed at least eighth grade.

Why Go to Camp?

Kids going to summer camp has been part of the American landscape for generations. In tough economic times, is it worth the investment? I think so!!

Scott Merrow, Resident Director of Oceanwood Camp and Conference Center, offers his thoughts. He is speaking of his own facility, but this type of experience is replicated in camps around the country.

Often, one of the difficulties we have encountered is articulating the value of the experience that takes place in our community. Over the past few months we have spent considerable time interviewing campers, groups, staff and alumni in an effort to better define the intangibles of the Oceanwood culture. It is clear to us that though our property is unique, that it is the people that make Oceanwood truly special.  The tranquil, awe-inspiring location, the proximity to the ocean, the pines that guard this place, it's all-spectacular.  

But it is the warmth of the community, the connection to God, and the culture of support, acceptance and family that keep people coming back each summer. In the year 2012, the age of the Internet and social media, the world seems to pass by so quickly, leaving us limited time to slow down and re-energize our bodies, revitalize our spirits, and reconnect with our families and our faith.  At Oceanwood, we make time for all of this - that is the difference.  We gather around campfires and sing songs together.  We sit down at the dinner table with 100 of our closest friends and share wonderful conversation during a meal.  We serve God - we volunteer, lend a hand and give of ourselves.  We love our family and friends.  We are kind.  We share stories, experiences, and laughter.  We support each other in our faith and we worship together.  We learn and discover, we gain independence, we build lasting friendships, we develop character, we experience God and nature, we grow and change and take positive risks.  We meet different types of people and become part of a true community, practicing forgiveness, compassion and acceptance.

Camps change lives - - giving children, teens, families, adults opportunities to connect with friends, each other and God while exploring their talents and learning new things. A setting that is simpler than usual and full of chances to be in nature adds to the value.


Check this out:

Have you been to camp? Will you be sending your kids this summer?

Oceanwood is host to the Christian Youth Conference at Ocean Park, the camp I have been part of since 1979. I've also attended Grotonwood, Oceanwood, Rainbow Camp and the American Baptist National Youth Camp. I'm kind of a pro-camp person.

Singing...

Where do you sing?

In the shower? Or maybe you are in a choral group or church choir. 

Do you have the opportunity to sing spontaneously with a group? Is live music a regular part of your life?

For many people, the answer is "no" and that is true of children, too. Kids have music class which may or may not involve live music. Chorus and band, with attendant music lessons, allow some children the opportunity to sing and play, but in a directed setting. In other words, the teacher chooses the music. 

Summer camps -- at least traditional summer camps -- still give students, whatever their musical ability, the chance to engage in music. It's for the sheer  fun of it, too, not to meet educational objectives or satisfy a curriculum. 

Singing around a campfire or in the dining hall are time honored traditions at many camps. They have songs everyone learns and songs that new campers or staff bring. 

This is one great reason to send the kids to camp.

When have you sung around the campfire? What is your favorite campfire song?

Memories of Camp

Did you ever go to summer camp?

Did you work at one?

 Memories made in camps often hold a special place in our hearts.  Camps have changed many lives, helped children grow and provided all kinds of inspiration.

Here is one of my favorite memories of my camp experience. Although I learned a ton about both myself and God at Grotonwood, Oceanwood and, especially, CYC. (I attended CYC the longest --in fact I still go.) and I made many, many friends, too, I am not writing about that. This was just plain fun.

 I was a counselor in training at CYC which was called NEBYC at the time. Some of us staff were hanging out at the gate, as we often did after the campers were in bed a counselor remained in each cabin). After a late night snack, we decided to get "creative" with our time. We drove all our cars on to the ballfield and set them up as a used car lot, writing prices on the windows with soap. Then we, um, "borrowed" cars from the sleeping staff and added them to the lot. ( Back then, you could put a car in neutral and safely push it.) When we were done, we noticed some more cars driving in. The faculty had been out for the evening. We formed a human chain across the road to their cabins and made them drive onto the field. As soon as they stopped, we jumped on the windows and wrote prices. They laughed and laughed.  The centerpiece of the lot -- and the car with the highest sales price-- was a VW Van, selling for $9.99. Everyone knew it was John Wilbur's car. He was an older, much adored guy who taught sailing. It was fun...and the next day our sleepy selves got a quite a reaction.

It's kind of a silly memory, sure. But it's a great one to tell when you are reminiscing around a campfire. I am still friends with many of the others involved in that event. Some of us are faculty together, now, and ready to laugh at the antics of the younger folks.


 I would be very interested to read summer camp stories, even ones that seem silly.  What was good about your camp experience? What was your favorite thing about camp? What did you do for fun? What did you learn? Are you still involved with that camp? Please comment and let me know.

Indoor/Outdoor

It's been all over the news, talked about in teaching seminars and at camp conferences. It's been on people's radar screen for a while.

Kids are not outside these days.

I am sure there are articles with statistics and so on, but I did my own little informal research project. I drove around time a few times shortly after school got out in my town and counted the kids I saw. The highest number? Three. And two of them were using their phones.

The other kids, presumably, were in their houses, attending activities, or at the local library.

Why is this? Judging by conversations I have had, the biggest factor is fear. Kids can't be unsupervised in outdoor spaces: they might get hurt or stolen. Yes, being outdoors is risky. But how much more risky is it than being indoors? The risks are on a different list. If you are outdoors you might encounter a pedophile. If you are indoors you might encounter a home intruder. Both are rather remote possibilities. Steps can be taken to help children face either situation. Outdoors kids might fall out of a tree, get hit by a car or twist an ankle. Indoors they might get caught in a fire or suffer carbon monoxide poisoning.

I recently read an article that pointed out that there are social, psychological and spiritual risks to an indoor lifestyle. Another article talks about "Nature Deficit Disorder." In my view, kids who are indoors most of the time are missing out on important learning opportunities. They aren't watching worms, feeling rain, reflecting on trees. They don't bump into kids in the neighborhood and start a game. They don't have as many opportunites to learn to entertain themselves.


So what's the answer? How do we change things?

I don't know. I think summer camps can help, but we also need more unstructured outdoor time for kids on a regular basis. Or maybe I am just being nostalgic for my own childhood, which included a lot of free time with friends out side the house. Maybe society needs the kids to be indoors right now.

Your thoughts?

Jordan Off Adventuring

As I write this, the plane my son is on is landing in Orlando, Florida. He's off to DisneyWorld for a week.

Jordan is in the care of my siblings, his aunt and uncle, and accompanied by the twelve year old daughter of my sister's friend. He's in safe hands and he'll have a great time.

But it's always a challenge having him away. He's fairly practiced at it. He goes to camp for a week every year and he stayed with trusted friends for two weeks once while I was out of the country. Still this is another milestone. He has never flown without us and he's never been this far away from both of us. It's bittersweet. The fact that he wasn't nervous about the separation shows that he is growing up ... and toward that time when he will strike out on his own.

This is a practice session, in a way. I think it is good for him. This is one reason I am an advocate of camp for kids. It helps move them toward independence. Small steps lead to bigger steps and when it is time for them to leave the family circle, they are ready. Hopefully, so are we.