Camping in 1985 and 2015
Summer camp has been a major part of childhood for millions of kids. Some families have second and third generation campers who attend the same camps their parents and grandparents did. These families witness a lot of transformations at the camp over the years, as well as some of the same traditions.
Dianne Shadwick of Overland Park was a counselor at Camp Kanakuk, a Christian camp based in Branson, MO, for several years in the 1980s. Her daughter, 23, and two sons, 21 and 17, have attended Camp Kanakuk every summer since their childhoods, either as campers or counselors.
The Shadwicks say many traditions at the camp have been preserved over the years, which provides a reassuring familiarity. One practice that has remained in place is the focus on a true camp experience by limiting exposure to the outside world.
“When you’re at Kanakuk, they don’t let you use your cell phone. You have no access to the outside world. There is no TV, no cell phone,” Dianne explains. “You are having a true camp experience, which I think is great thing. The only communication you are having for that week or two is good old-fashioned letters.”
In recent years, one-way email has been introduced. Family members can send an email, which is then printed and given to the camper, but campers cannot send emails out.
The family has seen a lot of changes over the years, including the growth of the camp in the past couple of decades.
Another thing that is different is the way campers and counselors keep in touch with their peers once camp is over. The world has gotten smaller in that respect.
“Now in the age of computers and cell phones, that friendship is so much more accessible than when I was growing up. Then it was letters and a corded phone,” Dianne says.
Social media also plays a large part in keeping camp friendships intact these days.
Dianne’s daughter, Mary Katherine, says, “Camp has become more of a year-round thing. That’s the whole reason I got Facebook in the first place, to keep up with camp friends. Camp is also able to reach out to us with podcasts, Instagram and camp updates.”
When she was a counselor, Dianne says, “It was truly more of a summer experience. They did a thing called ‘winter trail,’ where they went around to different college campuses recruiting, so we did see them during the winter, but maybe only once.”
Food choices at summer camps have gotten more complex over the years, with many camps accommodating dietary restrictions and food allergies. Mary Katherine has first-hand experience with this shift in kitchen operations.
“I have Celiac, and gluten-free wasn’t a thing then. Nobody knew what that was, and they told my mom I probably wasn’t going to be able to go to camp because they couldn’t accommodate my dietary needs.”
Dianne says her first thought was “There’s no way this child cannot have a great experience just because she has a dietary restriction. So I said I would take the brunt of the responsibility.”
At first, Dianne worked with the kitchen staff and packed Mary Katherine her own food so she could eat a gluten-free version of the same foods other campers did.
“Now, it’s a whole different ballgame,” Mary Katherine says. “They have gluten-free options and have expanded their menu.”
The Shadwicks hope to continue the camp tradition with Dianne’s future grandchildren. The next generation of campers is certain to take part in new customs, as well as continue some of the old ones.
Tisha Foley lives in Belton with her husband and two kids.