Your alumni need you, too

May 1

How I accidentally started an Alumni Facebook group and what is happening because of it.

By Melk Kowalkowski

In the weeks since Governor DeWine shut down pretty much the whole state of Ohio, I have experienced what can best be described as homesickness. This is a feeling I have not experienced since August of 1999. As a normally healthy person, I have digressed and have found myself buying and making several meals and snacks from my childhood. My nights have been consumed by watching TV shows like Boy Meets World and Doug.

So when a friend I had worked with at a summer camp in Michigan for several summers in the early 2000’s posted on his Facebook for a staff “reunion” of sorts, I was all about it. That night, I reconnected with people I had seen a few months ago to people I have not seen or spoken to since I was a camper. I went to bed that night with my cup overflowing with love and happiness.

In true 2020 fashion, some people posted screenshots on their social media and the next day. We woke with comments from others expressing their disappointment in not being involved. With the camp director spirit mentality still alive in my soul, I created a Facebook group specifically for my home camp’s alumni so we can plan further “reunions” and no one will feel left out.

Here is what has happened since then.

The group is bigger than I expected

In my invitation to the alumni I was connected to, I asked others to invite other alumni that they were connected to. There are now 370 alumni in the group with former campers and staff ranging from campers in the early 60’s to staff who are hoping to have a job this summer.

Life celebrations

We have learned of marriages, births, and lives to celebrate. We celebrate birthdays as well because it must be awful to have a birthday during this.

Take only memories, leave only footprints

People post photos almost daily of their time at camp. It’s fun to look back at how camp “used to be” and creates a sort of history book for those future alumni.

A meeting of the generations

With the growth of the group, I had to enlist the help of others to be admins of the group. We span from campers in the early 90’s to staff from the past two summers. We host zoom calls for each “generation” and “staff snacks” for those who are night owls.

Secret buddies are not just for summer

Every summer, the staff would participate in a secret buddy activity. You pick someone’s name or of a slop bucket and get them little treats and such as the summer goes on. An admin not participating would create a google form and assigned folks a buddy. We are now doing a version of this program with our alumni group. Knowing that people’s wallets might be a little tight, we put the expectations at 1 “gift” a month for 3 months with a $20 total cap for the 3 exchanges.

How can I help?

Knowing that some of the group members may be looking for new jobs in the future and knowing that networking is key, members have shared what they can help with. Need someone to help you with your resume or interview skills? Do you want to calm your mind and start practicing yoga? Do you want to FINALLY learn how to start a lanyard? We got you covered.

A little fun

We are about to start week two of a photo scavenger hunt. The camp's executive director has volunteered some swag to winning participants and I found some sweet camp inspired stickers on Red Bubble that run less than $2.00. We post Tik Tok challenges and trivia nights (format copied from a TSCS trivia night.)

Most importantly….

Prior to the development of this group, there had only been USPS and e-mail communication with Alumni. As camping professionals, we know the importance of relationship building and creating belonging. The creation of this group is the state of the world, and has helped solidify those relationships formed 2, 10, and 20+ years ago. Just as I had been feeling homesickness, others were craving familiarity as well.

As one alum put it:

Humans are social creatures and so much of our intellectual development relies on interactions with others and shared experiences. Growing up going to camp had a profound effect on the way I interact with other people. But those other interactions were never as unguarded or as immediately fulfilling as the ones I experienced at camp. I think that's what makes this group so great - it's like we're all back in the space in our minds that we operated out of when we were at camp. It's more than just reconnecting with old friends; it's the ability to feel connected with complete strangers because you shared the same formative experience, though separately.

Any time I come to this page, I feel like I'm opening the door in my mind to camp and every emotion or experience I had there and I look around and see all these other people standing in their own doorways, looking in.

Because of this, alumni who have some PTO saved up are wanting to volunteer their vacations to come help staff camp this summer, others are donating financially to camp, which is something all of us could use right now.

I did not create this group with the intention of it growing to what it is now. I selfishly, just wanted to hang out with my friends. But I’m glad I did. It’s helped more than just me navigate a world that is changing every minute.