UCB Parents Summer Recommendations
Peace Camp
Advice and recommendations from the UCB Parents mailing list.
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Recommendations for Summer Programs
March 2002
My daughter's very interested in Peace Camp (held at the Unitarian Fellowship). Anybody have any
experiences to report?
Judy
My daughter's gone to Peace Camp for the past two summers and will register again this year.
(Margaret's choice, as well as ours.) It's not as hippy-dippy as one might think; the message
of peace and the value of conflict resolution are woven into the kids' activities with some
subtlety, and the counselors' style is kind but matter of fact. Nice, relaxed atmosphere (rather
low-key compared to some camps), with traditional stuff like circle time and wonderful goofy songs,
arts and crafts, swimming every day, and a field trip once a week.
Something that impressed me last year was when my daughter was in one of her more outrageous moods and blatantly disobeyed and dissed Mary Miche, the camp director. Mary, a normally even-tempered woman, was quite angry, and admitted to me later that she had wanted to give Margaret a good smack.
(I recognized this feeling....) Instead of doing so, she let her temper cool and then had a talk
with Margaret, another counselor, and an advocate (chosen by my kid). Everyone calmed down and I was informed later that Margaret would be eligible to become a counselor-in-training the next summer. I
wish all grown-ups could be this mature about sorting out their resentments.
Melanie
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