A Warm Welcome
Something happens on nearly every bus ride our younger campers take to Camp Alkulana. Right around Charlottesville there’s an audible gasp when the view opens up and they can finally see the first glimpse of the foothills that become mountains. It’s new. It’s exciting. And it’s… a little scary. Imagine you’ve never been out of your city, and the mountains are wholly unfamiliar. Or maybe you’ve never slept away from home before and the view reminds you how far away you’ll be. Perhaps you’re nervous to meet new friends or unsure about the challenging activities that will be presented to you that week.
At the same time that bus is shuttling campers to camp, Alkulana counselors and volunteers are preparing to greet them. They’re giving the cabins one last sweep and putting the final touches on the plans for that day’s activities. They’re making the lunch that will be eaten as soon as campers arrive and writing names on name tags for everyone to wear that first day. Then, when all the chores are done, our counselors wait for the camp bell to ring, signaling someone has spotted the bus pulling into the camp driveway. They dash down the hill to the parking lot, armed with name tags and ready to greet their campers. This is a very intentional warm welcome to camp. And our campers notice.
This year two of our Westhampton Scholarship recipients wrote stories in their applications about what this welcome meant to them:
Tucker Dagliano
After two and a half hours, the bus driver made the final turn and we had arrived at Camp Alkulana. As my feet hit the gravel driveway, I was greeted by a group of counselors, with smiles from ear to ear. I hear a counselor calling my name with a name tag sticker in her hand that says ‘Tucker’ on it. I slowly make my way over towards her. She gives it to me and says, “Hi Tucker, I’m JP!” When I arrived at Camp Alkulana, that first introduction I had with the upbeat and excited counselors helped me feel less afraid.
Azhane Pollard
Before I came to Camp Alkulana, I was a shy girl. I had never been away from home for a long amount of time and I had never been to a sleep away camp of any kind before. All of that changed when I got off the bus and stepped foot at camp. I was greeted by a counselor calling my name (correctly pronounced I might add) to help me get situated. It was a breath of fresh air because I had never encountered someone who got my name right on the first try! It made me feel seen and it just felt so personal to me.
When I think of key moments at camp each summer, I often think of these arrival moments. They’re moments of welcome and affirmation and they set the tone for all that we try to teach at Camp Alkulana. You are welcome here from the moment you come down that driveway. Before we even know you, before you’ve said or done a thing here. We call you by name and offer a smile, and do our best to let you know that this is a place for you, too.
By Beth Wright, Camp Director