The Summer Camp SocietyEvery newsletter we’ve sent.
140 Jack’s Camp Friends letters on staff, families, phones, enrollment, and the weird business of summer camp. New one every Thursday.
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2026
- What problem does camp solve?I’ve been thinking about this way (way way way) too much recently. It’s driving me a little crazy. Maybe the good kind. We shall see.
- Are the next great teachers leading campfires?Want to spend a week with me doing the best behavior management training you can imagine?
- Same school of thoughtI mean, I know camps are getting it right. But it's not like there's a report card for all of us, or a panel of camp judges showing up in August to score the summer.
- They are paying writers what?!?!I saw this ad on LinkedIn the other day and two things stood out to me right away
- 3 hours. 3 days. 3 weeks…My friend Erec Hillis (hey Erec!) owns and runs Camp Champions. This month he sent out a newsletter that opens like this:
- Mo money, mo meetingsI'm going to say three things, all true, and that seem completely disconnected.
- The 4 questions I ask every campI talk to a lot of camps. Directors, owners, and whoever ended up running the email because nobody else would.
- The Big Camp MoatI needed some way to not have my phone out while running around camp with the kids, but could read texts from parents and know how urgent a response needed to be.
- Blow the dust off your camp email listWhat many camps don’t use enough: those same family email addresses.
- Fill camp slowlyI wake up every day thinking about how to get one more kid to camp.
- What's your camp sending families this month?Summer just ended, everybody knows they should send something, and most camps end up sending some version of "we had a great summer" because it's the only thing that's ready to go. (I have written that email. More than…
- The 5 camp emails to send this fallThanks for saying (digitally), “Hey, I want to be on the waitlist for a free webinar about sending camp messages this fall.”
- Zero to one on your camp facilityDoug and I will go through what messages we're planning (and have already sent), with the actual versions we're running at K&E and other camps right now. Plus, we'll outline how to write your own.
- Getting scammed in a $5 crime spree?A couple of weeks ago, the old inbox started lighting up with Shopify sale notifications.
- Summer 2027 is almost hereCamp Skywild is popping off outside, and my role in it is mostly cheerleader, mascot, and (sometimes) dish guy. Doing some activities. Cleaning up dishes. Shutting down certain areas of camp. On the phone with parents.…
- A Love Letter To Camp PeopleIf you are reading this, you likely fit into one of two groups.
- The lake plane landing canceledHey real quick. Want to spend a week with me doing the best behavior management training you can imagine? Send your future camp leaders to Skywild New Hampshire next week.
- This is Smash Ball?Hey, it’s Jack. Turns out buying a summer camp makes you busy. Real busy. Who knew?!
- Camp days you can’t fakeIt was Visiting Day. That’s when parents descend on this place after putting their kids on the camp bus three-plus weeks before. It’s time to see it for themselves.
- Lying on the bathroom floor, trying not to pukeSaturday night, I was hunched over the toilet, 100% sure I was about to lose it. The contents of my stomach, I mean.
- I got taped to a tree and made into a sundaeLast week, kids taped me to a tree and turned me into an ice cream sundae. With some ketchup and mustard for good measure.
- A World Cup (almost) failThis week's Write From Camp on Substack is covering how I'm (trying) to make camp videos that feel organic.
- I was accused of murderI'm back after going M.I.C.A. (Missing in Camp Action) last week. Two quick things:
- Have you seen Jack?The automated emails your camp sends when parents show interest are crucial. Been writing and auditing camp lead sequences all spring. Put the biggest takeaways into this free guide: 7 Camp Lead Sequence Fixes to Make…
- Thinking (and writing) about next summer, this summerIt’s the week before staff arrives, so right now my job is keeping my head screwed on straight while mostly finding things that have wandered off.
- Summer camp is weirdQuick note: I'm up at K&E this week setting up camp (and trying to find the mops).
- White-knuckling the staff training doc?Our first staff are arriving June 1 at K&E. You might already have staff at camp. Or pulling up next week. Or the week after.
- I lost my kitchenReal quick, before we get started. Doug and I have been jumping on the mic and recording each week.
- The Staff Training Google Doc panic fixOur first staff are arriving June 1 at K&E. You might already have staff at camp. Or pulling up next week. Or the week after.
- Culture = vulnerability + ???Quick Note: Over on Write From Camp, we wrote about Taking the We out of Camp Marketing.
- Get Engaged! (And I don't mean married)That was my dad’s line. Dr. Schott (always Dr. Schott) ran weekend house projects the way some people run operations.
- The other 50% of camp counselingWant a free audit of your new family lead sequence? Doug is running something cool now.
- Vibes >>> ContentI’m up at camp right now getting ready for the summer. Oh and I’m recording videos every single day (YT, LI) which honestly feels a little weird for me. More on this in another newsletter when I feel like I have a…
- The Hidden Curriculum Camp Science FairThe unwritten stuff. The things veteran camp staff people know in their bones that new staff don’t get yet.
- How to get kids to camp?And camp is less than 70 days away for most of us (exactly 69 Days, 5 hours for us, but who’s counting?). Everything camp is basically all I’m thinking about right now. Stressful, exciting, terrifying, exhilarating, and…
- AI is the greatest thing to happen for campsThere are facilities to manage. Parent emails to get back to. New ideas to try. Cool program ideas. Redoing the schedule. Figuring out how to just do the schedule efficiently. Worrying about when things break. Managing…
- Can you be Dirtbag Rich?First off → Campminder is how we’re running camp this summer. Background checks, reference checks, getting everyone in the system before summer starts. And sending logistics emails to make sure everything is humming.…
- GREAT staff training (an acronym that kinda works)There’s this awesome moment in staff training when the entire group is gathered for the summer.
- Will this guy ruin camp?When you join a camp family, there’s a lot that comes with it. DUH.
- What Tri-State says about summer campsQuick Note: This is a guest post from Doug Norrie, who was with me at Tri-State last week.
- 400 camp people, one broken projectorHad an awesome time at Tri-State. Saw so many of you in the halls, the sessions, at Camp Idol, at Campchella. These conferences are the best.
- Write the Story of CampThanks so much for attending our session about camp newsletters.
- I bought a camp (yes, you read that right)Staff Training Sprint Cohort → Live and already has a bunch of people in. You and your team next? 4 days building out a staff training. More on this at the end. But just skip the wait and sign up now.
- Staff training is hats, haircuts, and tattoosGetting to the newsletter in a sec, but if you’re going to be at Tri-State, I want to hang out
- Burn a hole in their camp memoryTwo weeks ago, the great Dan Weir (Read his camp newsletter!) and I were in Raleigh training the camp directors at YMCA of the Triangle. Awesome group who all love camp.
- How to win at camp conferencesAnd tell you about 2 Tristate Parties we are throwing - Check the PS
- Camp place + camp people > camp programmingThe Skywild Inclusion Specialist Training at North Star Reach is March 22-28, 2026.
- Camp + career isn’t an either/orAwesome dude. Totally committed, thoughtful, and hardworking. He doesn't come from tons of money, and is very focused on his career trajectory.
- Camp is all about friction-maxxingHere hiking the Fisherman’s Trail with my friend Blake Boles. Join his newsletter about being Dirtbag Rich. Please, I have a bet with him that I can get him 11 new subscribers and I need that Milka Bar.
- Camp is school for social skillsthis staffing survey to have every camp learn from every other camp.
- Don’t have time for a camp newsletterYou’ve read these emails. You get why camp newsletters matter. Maybe even a little convinced.
- A camp confession: I'm bad at follow-upYou know the drill. Someone fills out a form. You call them. They’re interested but not ready. So you’re supposed to reach out next week. Then, if they don’t register, 10 days after that. Then maybe a month later.
- Why "Enroll Now" doesn't always work for campNote: This post is appearing for free tomorrow (Friday, 1/9/26) on the Write From Camp Substack.
- New Year, all campIt’s the beginning of the year but writing this at the end of the year (got that?). Good time to think about this newsletter.
2025
- If it's only Hidden, it's not a CurriculumBeen thinking a bunch about the Hidden Curriculum lately. Which is to say I kind of think about the Hidden Curriculum all the time, just sometimes more than others.
- 5 ways to get s@#$ off your camp plateCamp directors are incredible at being busy. We aren’t always amazing at getting less busy.
- Is my kid ready for camp?Two questions come up in almost every new parent call at this time of year.
- I need 300 committed camp familiesA 3x/week Substack from Jack Schott and Doug Norrie about running a modern camp.
- Kids love campIt’s Thanksgiving week, so it’s a good time to stop overcomplicating things.
- 600 days of summerWe're thinking about using a new anchor number in our camp messaging:
- We changed Write for Camp (here's why)Some want to repurpose their newsletters for social media, their website, staff training materials.
- The triangle of expertiseParents just drop off their kids with people they don’t know. Pay sometimes hella money. Trust a bunch of teenage strangers. Let their hearts and souls disappear into the woods.
- The #1 thing every camp pro should be doingAnd there are always these different quick fixes for getting new campers.
- Time To Fun = TTFYou know when you download a new mobile game (I’ll admit, I play these sometimes) and before you can actually play, there’s all this…stuff
- Camp parents respond, years laterA dad scheduled a call last month through the Calendly link at the bottom of a camp newsletter.
- Feel guilty no matter whatWhen I wrote about not recording YouTube videos a couple of weeks ago, I expected to hit send and have what usually happens: go on to think about the next week’s newsletter. But nope.
- The greatest summer camp movieRemember in The Sandlot when the Babe Ruth ball lands over the fence into the Beast’s yard?
- Was supposed to record camp YouTube videosHad Dan Weir’s voice (hey Dan!!) in my head telling me (again) that I need to be doing this.
- Talking camp at a bar in DallasI met Henry DeHart at a bar in Dallas during the CODA conference last year.
- Stop apologizing for what you know“25+ years ago the OG of camp consulting, Bob Ditter, told the room of assembled directors that the single biggest mistake we made was to not speak as child development authorities.
- A dinosaur ate cars at campQUICK ASK: If you love these newsletters, you would make me so happy if you forwarded this to one other camp pro and say "Do you subscribe to this? I love it" Subscribe Here
- The secret to living longerTo be honest, I’m not so interested in getting old (however you define old!).
- Childhood has rangeThis kid has a cannon. High schools recruiting him. Getting all the accolades, all the attention that comes with being really good at one thing.
- Camp pros are ready for thisCamp professionals have a chance to become champions in the discussion about child development.
- What to think about phones at campI love being able to text camp pro friends (Hey Sam! Hey Carolyn! Hey Lolo!), see what’s happening in the world, make quick connections with other folks, answer parent questions instantly, all of it.
- Do you run camp at a rented facility? Come to my camp in New EnglandWhen I was 9, I went to my friend Cory’s house after basketball practice. His mom, Mrs. Hall, was the kindest human on earth. But that night? I was sweating.
- What did you screw up this summer?More like a missed opportunity. Something I can kinda see clearly now, but was pretty blind to when the summer was starting.
- Summer camp is a ridiculous businessThe final bus drove down the road, the last parent came for pickup, A&C is cleaned up, ropes and harnesses put away, soccer balls all back in the containers, Lost & Found emptied.
- You are the childhood expertAnd you know what that means, it’s almost time to start thinking about it all over again.
- Want help writing and sending camp emails?Over 5 days, you’ve seen what’s possible when camp emails build trust instead of just sharing updates.
- The only camp data I care about this summerWhen you're owning, running, or just working at camp, it can be easy (and necessary) to get real data-heavy real quick.
- It’s not a mid-summer camp slumpIf you work at a summer camp (honestly, most of this list), the middle of the summer has a certain vibe to it.
- The best thing I did this summerWorking at a new camp this summer, I’ve had a ton of “first” conversations. Meeting parents for the first time. Meeting staff. Meeting families coming on tours, looking for a new camp home.
- What’s the Point of THIS Camp?It’s funny being the new guy at a camp in an industry you know pretty damn well. You get this unique chance to look at things through an expert lens while everyone thinks you essentially just rolled in off the street.
- What do you do all day?If you’ve spent even a little time on the internet or especially social media, you’ve probably run into some version of the Midwit Meme.
- How does this really work at camp?It’s hot. Like so, so, so hot. This newsletter isn’t about heat. But I had to mention it because…it’s soooo hot. Anyway…
- What do you want from this summer?We spend months planning activities and crafting mission statements. But we rarely pause to ask the people actually experiencing camp what they’re hoping to get out of it.
- What I’m worried about this summerToday, I show up at Kenwood & Evergreen for the first time this summer.
- Staff who are too cool for schoolYou can either picture them or are looking at them right in the eyes.
- Stop stressing about staff training. I got youPicture this: It's midnight. Staff training starts in 8 hours. And you're staring at a blank doc titled "Conflict Resolution Session" with zero ideas.
- The worst arts & crafts session everA few years ago, I was asked to run an arts and crafts block.
- Let’s talk about cell phonesLet’s just get this out of the way first: Cell phones have changed summer camping.
- Hidden Curriculum vs. UncertaintySo I got an email from my friend, the great Steve Purdum from Camp Mishawaka, after last week's Day 1 Training newsletter that basically broke my brain (in the good way).
- Train your staff for Day 1 (and only Day 1?)I used to think about staff training as having to cover everything that could possibly happen in a summer.
- How to disagree (at camp or in the real world)Almost anywhere else in the world, you hear the word and you’re thinking Poker Face or A Star is Born (hopefully not Joker 2). But you all are camp folks, so you know what I’m talking about.
- What we get wrong about competitionIn high school and college, rugby (and specifically, winning at rugby) was almost all I thought about.
- Your staff don't have to suck at tough conversationsOne of the first tough camper conversations I can really remember was with Rocco.
- What kind of camp are you marketing?Everything Bagel Liberalism is this idea Ezra Kline talks about as a critique of democrats trying to be everything to everyone all at once. It’s inspired by a movie that went over my head but was fun to watch:…
- What if uncertainty is the point?Ever wonder what it feels like to be a first-time camper or staff member again?
- Let's have a camp conversationSo, of course, I’ve been thinking a ton about having camp parent conversations lately.
- You are the anxiety antidoteRemember last week when I said I was obsessed with Lynn Lyons? Well, the obsession continues.
- FlexibilityIt's Thursday at Tristate. I have to be honest I am exhausted and scheduled this email last night in between sessions and heading to Carmines for dinner before partying too late at CampChella. Really quick here are the…
- Are you 'camp cool'?In the “real” world it can look like a lot of different things.
- At camp: clear is kindI learned this in the first five minutes while working at autism camp and it’s stuck with me ever since.
- Getting stuff done vs. having funYour seasonal leadership team is crushing, and I mean completely crushing it, with daily schedules, trip planning, parent emails, and inventory counts.
- The new old neightborhoodI remember when Pam Schott would tell young me, “BE HOME WHEN THE STREET LIGHTS COME ON!”
- Where’d everyone go?There are so many reasons these days act as the tone-setting moments for everything coming next. The culture, the excitement, the tradition, yeah yeah yeah, you already know all this.
- What’s the hidden curriculum?Let’s talk a sec about something I’m sure you’ve seen hundreds of times.
- Did you open this email?You know what keeps me up at night besides sweating out the Buffalo Bills march to the Super Bowl? (oh, btw, Go Bills!)
- Making camp normal for new parentsYou’re explaining your camp (which we know is awesome) to a prospective family, describing the incredible traditions, the color war, and devotions by the lake. And… it just isn’t landing at all.
- Making friends made easySo you would think that going to a camp conference would be the best place for 1, 2, & 3 on that list.
- New Year’s requisitionWhile I have lots of goals for 2025 (oh, btw, Happy New Year, everyone!), most of them are connected to just one very simple thing:
2024
- Aw shucks, the secret to gift receivingI’m posted up at this giant boardroom table in my best business costume, trying not to sweat through my shirt as I explain why the “compliment hot seat” isn’t just some corny summer camp gimmick.
- Mentors matterPSA for all camp staff: Capture the Flag isn’t about getting that small piece of cloth across the line for the win.
- Camp means your inner voice = unlockedI won’t go through all the noise because the list is simply too long. But let’s just rock with a few things out there cluttering up the place, like:
- Camp is the ultimate health hackCamps are the healthiest places for kids and adults on planet Earth.
- Enthusiasm = coolThe most important camp skill out there has nothing to do with combatting homesickness, starting campfires, leading songs, passing a swim test, or running low ropes.
- I asked my friend Doug to make camp marketing easierThis is what my friend Doug told me while we were talking about a camp that reached out for camper recruitment help.
- 8 Camp activities to add for less than $951 - total!When it comes to promoting programming at camp, it's easy to default to the shimmering lake, shining pool, limit-pushing ropes course, Gaga pit, squeaky clean dining hall, arts & crafts kingdom, and everything else…
- Most of camp is meetings, so make them memorableIn a second, I am going to give you 4 tips + some bonus ideas to run better camp meetings
- Fill your camp fast—5 proven ways to get campers onboardIn a second, I am going to give you 5 tips to get more kids to camp
- Lessons from autism camp that will work anywhereFrom Campfire Stories to Career Stories: How to 10x Your Staff’s Future - ACA Staffing Summit
- The 10 Best Ways Summer Camps Haven’t ChangedHop in Doc Brown’s Delorean Time Machine with me for a moment (you’re sitting shotgun).
- With summer camp staff, play favorite$$$After visiting, working with, working at, running, or training 500+ camps, two things are true: Happy camp directors have awesome staff, and awesome staff have happy camp directors.
- Camp Behavior Management: Your Non-Machiavellian GuideBehavior is anything observable someone does. I'm a brat so... I read “Behavior Management,” and I think “Control.”
- How Camp Made Claire a Better Pharmacist (and can launch your health care career)Claire was a perfect student. Driven. A's. The opposite of me.
- 19 little things I ALWAYS do when I run camp - you won't love them allThis week I took stock of 19 little things I do when I run camp that feel really small but (I hope) make a big difference on the culture.
- How DaKwan Left Camp to Hack the Tech World—and How You Can TooWhy camp experiences might just be the best tech career training ground
- Gossip Ruining Camp Culture? You're not aloneLast week I covered some tips for dealing with clueless staff and unmotivated staff.
- Tips from Bain, NFL, and Stanford Business: Breaking Into Corporate AmericaMario Del Cueto hits you with 5 practical action steps you can take right now to break into corporate America
- Get better jobs with summer camp on your resumeI love camp AND it's hard to put camp on a resume. Don't waste this opportunity to cash in on all the work you already did this summer.
- 3 types of staff pooping the bed 💩 - You asked for it!Not a threat–last week you asked for “help supporting my most difficult staff–eek” from the poll.
- From Camp Counselor to Multi-Million Dollar FundraisingLiz Blaszkiewicz breaks down how she went from camp counselor to running multi-million dollar fundraising campaigns.
- Want Loyal Staff? Teach Them to Turn Camp Skills into Career AssetsWhen your staff believe that camp helps them, it helps them to come back to camp
- Do these 4 things now and never worry about staff recruiting again 😜Ok... that was a little click baity, but start staff recruiting now and future you will thank you
- Don't waste a captive audience - get your best '24 staff back for '25If you like these emails, the best way to keep them going and support me is to respond "Jack I like the emails and I think I want to bring you out for training next year. It's camp now so I am busy AF, let's talk in the…
- In Summer Pump Up - Your Staff Need It. You Need itI have been on the road the last couple weeks doing mid summer slump and end of summer sprint through the tape trainings.
- Helping co counselors start to like each other again…It’s that time of summer where your staff are tired, getting a little cranky with other staff, and mostly know what to do but don’t always want to do it.
- Talking with Kids - 10 Tips to Help Your Staff Clump LessHelping staff with the will and skill to talk with kids - Less clumping without mentioning clumping
- Save Time - No More Sit Down Evals - Do This InsteadCancel sit down evals and just have your seasonal leaders fill out short weekly reports for you on all their staff. 4 questions