It’s June, but for a second, let’s take a long walk back to a Saturday afternoon in early May.
New families are gathering at Everwood for what we call our JC Weekend and New Camper Event.. Kids meeting kids. Parents meeting parents. Everyone getting a taste of what summer will bring.
But look closer.
The counselors leading these activities, teaching the cheers, high-fiving the shy kids? They aren’t our seasoned staff (who we’ll get to shortly). These staff are 17 years old and it’s their first moment as counselors.
Just a few summers ago, they were the campers being led through these same games. They spent last summer away, our requirement, not theirs. And now they’re back.
This is their first official moment in their new role. And they’re already home.
Most parents see our New Camper Event as a preview, a chance for new folks to get comfortable before the summer begins. They’re right. But it’s also something more.
This weekend is the first glimpse into how Kenwood & Evergreen builds something that’s increasingly rare: a culture of excellence that regenerates itself, summer after summer.
New Camper Event: Where Culture Begins
During these weekend hours, something special unfolds. Our Junior Counselors gather together, often for the first time in a couple of years, to participate in their first training on what it takes to be a great counselor.
Kids get their first taste of camp. The games, the cheers, the feeling of belonging that defines a K&E summer. Parents gather with our leadership team to talk through questions that aren’t in any handbook.
Usually, what happens is kids don’t want to leave. Parents don’t want to leave.
But here’s what most don’t see: Those 17-year-old counselors making it all happen? They’re not just running activities. They’re the living proof of our approach.
These are former campers who took a required year off at 16, something very few other camps do. We insist on this gap year before they can return as staff. It gives them some time to grow up a bit more.. It creates an affirmative break between their camper years and this new role of being a counselor.
Most importantly, it means everyone who comes back genuinely chooses to be here.
They don’t slide from camper to counselor out of habit. They step away, live a summer elsewhere, and then make an intentional decision to return. To invest in the next generation of campers, the way their counselors once invested in them.
For them, this weekend isn’t just about orienting new families. It’s about an intentional approach to leadership (via our staff) that’s the backbone of everything we do.
The Remarkable Return
Now let me share something that still amazes me, even after all these years.
This summer, out of our 180 staff members, roughly 145 are returning. That’s not a typo. Outside of our dozen and a half 17-year-old junior counselors, those former campers you just met, we hired fewer than 20 new people.
Think about what that means for your child.
On Day One, the culture isn’t being built. It’s already in full bloom.
These aren’t staff members learning camp songs or figuring out where the dining hall is. They know every tradition, every hiding spot during camper hunt, every coaching move for capture the flag, every camper’s favorite cheer.
They’ve lived it. They’ve refined it. Now they’re ready to pass it on.
We’re not spending staff training on basics. We’re diving into the 201, 301, even the 401 of mentorship. How to spot the quiet kid who needs encouragement. How to coach our kids through the occasional whitewater of camp life and emerge with lifelong friendships. The art of turning a rainy afternoon into the highlight of the summer.
These are known quantities. Proven, trusted, and chosen to be role models. They already understand that camp isn’t just about keeping kids busy. It’s about helping them grow.
Why This Matters for Your Child
When your child steps off that bus, they’re not entering a work-in-progress. They’re joining a community where excellence is already the standard, a caring community that grows strong kids who support each other.
Experienced staff means your nervous first-timer is guided by counselors who remember exactly what being new feels like. So many of them have lived it. More importantly, they’ve successfully helped dozens of other new campers through it.
It means activities run deeper because we’re not teaching counselors how to teach. We’re refining masters of their craft.
It means authentic mentorship from people who understand that the little moments matter just as much as the big ones. The quiet conversation on the cabin porch. The pat on your back and comforting words from your friends after a missed goal.
This is a community that regenerates its excellence summer after summer. Not by accident, but by design. Where being a great counselor isn’t just learned; it’s modeled, absorbed, and passed forward like a treasured inheritance.
Looking Ahead
None of this happens by luck. The gap year requirement. The intensive training. The JC Weekend and Camper Event doubles as a leadership laboratory. These aren’t random policies. They’re intentional choices creating something extraordinary.
When you see your child’s counselor this June (so soon!), know that they’re not just here for a summer job. They’re here because they believe in what we’re building together and want to make the world a better place, one camper at a time.
And because they remember what it felt like when someone believed in them.
With building excitement for the summer ahead,
Scott