I don’t know why my kids love White Stag so much. It’s a whole
week of being outside, sleeping on the ground in tents, and
infrequent showers.
I don’t know why my kids love White Stag so much. It’s a whole week of being outside, sleeping on the ground in tents, and infrequent showers. There are bugs, and the possibility of rattlesnakes and bears. There’s a backpack trip. There’s usually swimming, unless it rains, so one way or another, they get wet.
The kids work hard because they have to – they, the Youth Staff, run the camp for the campers, or candidates, as we call them. The Adult Staff stands around, and intones “Use your resources,” in a maddening Obi Wan Kenobi fashion. (Well, okay, we’re also there for emergencies.)
I asked Oliver, 16, why he loves White Stag so much. It took a couple of attempts to get his attention, because he was playing a computer game. Oliver has spent most of this summer playing computer games, listening to music, and doing odd jobs for friends. Eventually he answered me.
“Why not?” and after a long pause, during which he killed another monster, “Because I learn a lot! And it’s fun. And I get to run the camp.”
What Oliver learns a lot of, at White Stag, is leadership development: how to lead a small group, and now that he is Phase II Youth Staff, how to teach younger children how to lead small groups. He’s learned planning, evaluation, different styles of leadership. He has had to apply these skills, and others, immediately and repeatedly, in situations as innocuous as playing a game, and as important as participating in a wildfire evacuation.
He uses these skills in his life at home and at Gav. This last semester, for example, he took Mural Painting, independent study. He was a tad intimidated to learn that he had to teach a group of El Portal students about a rather technical aspect of mural painting.
“Oh, like teaching a session,” I remarked. And he has taught so many sessions on leadership skills and on wood skills that suddenly he knew exactly what to do: GD, T/L, apply, evaluate. No sweat. He did fine.
White Stag operates in three phases. During Phase I, the 11- to 12-year-old candidate learns to operate as a member of a small group, or patrol. During Phase II, the 12- to 14-year-old candidate learns to lead a small group. And during Phase III, he or she, now 14 to 17 years old, learns to lead a group of groups, or troop.
There’s more. After completing Phase II, youngsters can apply for Phase I Youth Staff. Later, they can apply for Phase II or III Youth Staff. The Youth Staffs meet monthly during the year to plan learning sessions, activities, and meals for the candidates of their phases.
All staff, youth and adult, are volunteers, including the camp director, the quartermaster, and the kitchen staff, or Cookies. Parents are welcome if they want to volunteer; they can see the program from the sidelines, and get a week’s vacation in the Sierras as well.
Last year, Phase I hiked out to the Yuba for our overnight backpack trip. We swam. We saw a little snake swimming, and a tiny frog. The kids devised a water slide down a slippery place into a deep pool. After our swim, we climbed up to the island, and stayed in our swimsuits for sessions. Suddenly I was overcome with a feeling of peace and contentment and joy. The kids cooked us a great dinner; best Chicken Stuff I have ever eaten. Later we had a campfire and sang songs and slept under the stars. It all reminded me of Club Med: fun activities, great food, and live entertainment.
Younger children of Adult Staff are welcome. They form their own patrol, the Turtles. They make their own patrol flag, and shirts, and a banner. They hike, swim, and do crafts, and are invited out to lunch by the Phases.
There are still openings for this year’s camp. White Stag Leadership Development Camp; Venturing Crew 122; Camp Mensinger, Highway 108, just past Sonora; Aug. 10 to 16; coed, ages 11 to 17; $200. To register, or for more information, go to www.whitestagcrew122.org or call Jeannie Emrich, registrar, (925) 462-1583.
