Letters to Camp

Today we’re taking a break from our usual light-hearted posts to offer some thoughts on this tremendous tragedy. We will also offer important suggestions on your letters to camp in light of this tragedy.

As you may know, last week saw dangerous flooding along the Guadalupe River in Texas Hill Country. As of late afternoon on July 8, 109 have perished as a result of the floods, including 30 children. Of those, 27 campers and counselors came from Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas. And 5 campers and 1 counselor are still unaccounted for at Camp Mystic. There is no doubt that this is a tragic chapter. But even amidst the incredible sadness, this also demonstrates important benefits of summer camp. Following are reflections and suggestions.

Texas Hill Country Flooding

1. Mourning – We deeply mourn the loss of all those who perished and pray for their grieving families.
2. Heroes – Stories have emerged of life-saving heroism by campers, camp counselors, first-responders, and people from surrounding communities. When lives were in the balance, these stories demonstrate the skills, confidence, and bravery gained by campers and staff, as well as the close bond between overnight camps and their local communities:
   • Camp La Junta’s college-age camp counselors rushed 150 young boys up a hillside in the middle of the night, and into the rafters of a building, as floodwaters rushed into the camp, as reported by Sky News.
   • Camp Mystic’s 73 year old camp director Dick Eastland rushed to the camp’s Bubble Inn to rescue his own campers. While campers’ lives were saved, sadly he perished. And counselor Emma Foltz guided 14 young campers to higher ground as well, as reported in People Magazine.
   • Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan ran the rescue mission that saved 165 people, triaging people among 12 rescue helicopters according to Fox7 Austin.
   • You can read more stories from Axios San Antonio and by US Representative Dan Crenshaw. Thank you to the hundreds – if not thousands – of other brave people who helped their neighbors.
3. Many camps affected – In addition to La Junta and Mystic, the floods affected about 10 other Texas Hill Country summer camps near the Guadalupe River including Camp Waldemar, Camp Stewart for Boys, Camp Honey Creek for Girls,  Heart o’ the Hills, Camp Rio Vista and Camp Sierra Vista, Texas Lions Camp, His Hill Ranch Camp, Camp CAMP, and Hermann Sons Life Camp – Hilltop. Even though the river is closed, some camps may remain open and others may close for the remainder of the season.

What You Can Do

1. Please say a prayer for the surviving families affected by the floods. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them.
2. Donate to relief funds – check out this list.
3. Donate to the children’s camps – Consider making a donation to the camps listed above – especially Camp Mystic, Camp La Junta, Heart o’ the Hills, Camp Waldemar which seem to have sustained a decent amount of damage (it is too early to know how much damage was sustained by each camp). Some camps may need help rebuilding and others may need financial assistance to cover losses from camp closures following the storm.
4. Check your camp’s emergency procedures – For your own peace of mind, you should understand how your own camp responds to unforeseen emergencies of any sort – regardless of proximity to water. Read this article for more.

Tips for Your Letters to Camp

1. Do not mention the flooding – Especially with younger campers who may not already know about the floods or are unaffected by them, I would not mention the floods in your letters. Even though the Guadalupe has flooded before, this was a very unusual event, so there is no need to scare your children. 
2. If you must mention the flooding for some reason, you will want to reassure your child that:
   • The flood was very unusual and it’s unlikely your camper will be affected by something similar. Their camp will do everything they can to keep them safe. That’s why they should always follow instructions from camp counselors and camp staff.
   • While the flood was scary, campers and counselors alike used the skills they learned at camp to protect each other.
3. Focus on you and your child – Letters to camp are a unique opportunity to create a dialog between you and your child. Focus on what’s new at home, share the latest sports scores, and ask about your child – their activities, their friends, their accomplishments.