Learning to Do by Doing
Kawanhee’s program consists of some 16 activities, and all campers are required to report daily, Monday through Friday, to their four one-hour assigned activity periods. Attendance is expected and monitored, although participation is not required if a boy and his parents request exemption from a certain activity. During the first week or two of a camper’s summer, he is scheduled to attend all activities to become better acquainted with the entire program and to develop new interests. Following this introductory period, a camper may sign-out from an assigned activity and sign into another activity of his choice.
The Achievement Level is the common unit for evaluating accomplishment at Kawanhee. Progress in each activity is divided into three age-appropriate levels, with the first level purposely designed to be quite easy to allow a boy to discover if a particular activity interests him. Levels two and three are progressively more difficult. Each of the several age classifications has a different set of 1-2-3 level requirements, so that a boy’s level challenges will match his age group.
Much of the fun and enthusiasm at Kawanhee is centered upon the Maroon – Grey competition. Every camper is included on one of the teams and endeavors to earn points for his team by achieving certain benchmarks in the scheduled activities and by participating in certain camp-wide competitions, usually held on Saturday afternoons. A Saturday afternoon might feature a rousing game of Capture the Flag, a Woodsmen’s Meet, an Obstacle Course or a series of athletic events. The running score is announced at Saturday evening campfires, and the final score is a highlight of the Closing Ceremony on the season’s final day.
