Camp Mystic

[Anonymous]

I have learned so much about camp culture this week from the news. Anyone care to explain the use of Native American tribe names and headdresses by these white, Christian kids? Tradition?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It's affecting me more than I thought it would. My 9 year old daughter got home from 3 weeks at camp this weekend and I cried myself to sleep last night thinking about if she was one of the girls at Mystic.

It doesn't change my mind about sending her to camp -- there's so much good that comes from it to forgo it for a statistically rare event (just like I keep sending my kid to school despite the very statistically rare event of school shootings) but its just so so awful.

I hope this is hyperbole. If not, it’s not a normal reaction.

Yes it is very much "normal" you must not have a kid. -DP

1000%. My very alpha husband teared up reading the latest last night too. When you have kids the same age, and it’s a small world with lots of friends of friends stories coming through, it is the normal human response.

DP, tearing up, or crying while you see the news story, or even crying for a few minutes later as you think about it, is very different than crying yourself to sleep.

OP here -

STOP . Stop the hate. We all know grief affects everyone differently. stop being so mean. Stop hating.

Your thread will be locked, just like the other one. There was no point in starting a new one.

Except here its someone petty about the use of "crying to sleep" as opposed to politics. OMG. Can we just focus on the fact that little girls were swept away?

What is there to focus on? It happened. It was a huge heartbreaking tragedy. It probably could and should have been prevented. Survivors will be scarred for life and families irretrievably broken.

What else is there to discuss?

Well, I can think of lots of topics ranging from safety expectations of summer camps to the nature of the universe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's affecting me more than I thought it would. My 9 year old daughter got home from 3 weeks at camp this weekend and I cried myself to sleep last night thinking about if she was one of the girls at Mystic.

It doesn't change my mind about sending her to camp -- there's so much good that comes from it to forgo it for a statistically rare event (just like I keep sending my kid to school despite the very statistically rare event of school shootings) but its just so so awful.

I hope this is hyperbole. If not, it’s not a normal reaction.

Yes it is very much "normal" you must not have a kid. -DP

1000%. My very alpha husband teared up reading the latest last night too. When you have kids the same age, and it’s a small world with lots of friends of friends stories coming through, it is the normal human response.

DP, tearing up, or crying while you see the news story, or even crying for a few minutes later as you think about it, is very different than crying yourself to sleep.

OP here -

STOP . Stop the hate. We all know grief affects everyone differently. stop being so mean. Stop hating.

Your thread will be locked, just like the other one. There was no point in starting a new one.

Except here its someone petty about the use of "crying to sleep" as opposed to politics. OMG. Can we just focus on the fact that little girls were swept away?

What is there to focus on? It happened. It was a huge heartbreaking tragedy. It probably could and should have been prevented. Survivors will be scarred for life and families irretrievably broken.

What else is there to discuss?

Well, I can think of lots of topics ranging from safety expectations of summer camps to the nature of the universe.

All have already been discussed. Eventually there is nothing more to say. Which is why threads like this devolve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have learned so much about camp culture this week from the news. Anyone care to explain the use of Native American tribe names and headdresses by these white, Christian kids? Tradition?

Take it to the politics forum thread. Not here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have learned so much about camp culture this week from the news. Anyone care to explain the use of Native American tribe names and headdresses by these white, Christian kids? Tradition?

I have no idea why they do it but we had the same thing at the camp I attend 30 years ago (non-religious). We would earn feathers for things we did at camp and we would all strive to earn an eagle or peacock feather we'd proudly wear in headbands on our heads to campfire. I cringe at those photos now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have learned so much about camp culture this week from the news. Anyone care to explain the use of Native American tribe names and headdresses by these white, Christian kids? Tradition?

In a word, yes. They are a huge part of the tradition of some of the camps. The first night the new girls draw their tribe and they are that tribe for life. Each tribe has their own secret traditions and songs. The tribes compete the entire term for points to determine which tribe wins and it is announced at the end of camp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have learned so much about camp culture this week from the news. Anyone care to explain the use of Native American tribe names and headdresses by these white, Christian kids? Tradition?

I have no idea why they do it but we had the same thing at the camp I attend 30 years ago (non-religious). We would earn feathers for things we did at camp and we would all strive to earn an eagle or peacock feather we'd proudly wear in headbands on our heads to campfire. I cringe at those photos now.

And we wonder why everyone struggles now. Our generation wants to tear down traditions. But then replace them with nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have learned so much about camp culture this week from the news. Anyone care to explain the use of Native American tribe names and headdresses by these white, Christian kids? Tradition?

I have no idea why they do it but we had the same thing at the camp I attend 30 years ago (non-religious). We would earn feathers for things we did at camp and we would all strive to earn an eagle or peacock feather we'd proudly wear in headbands on our heads to campfire. I cringe at those photos now.

Cultural appropriation and role play. It’s the same as “Cowboys and Indians” and the appeal of Captain Hook/Peter Pan/Tiger Lily etc.

But because it’s Texas they don’t make them update anything to the current era.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have learned so much about camp culture this week from the news. Anyone care to explain the use of Native American tribe names and headdresses by these white, Christian kids? Tradition?

In a word, yes. They are a huge part of the tradition of some of the camps. The first night the new girls draw their tribe and they are that tribe for life. Each tribe has their own secret traditions and songs. The tribes compete the entire term for points to determine which tribe wins and it is announced at the end of camp.

So use colors. Or flower names. It’s not that hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have learned so much about camp culture this week from the news. Anyone care to explain the use of Native American tribe names and headdresses by these white, Christian kids? Tradition?

Take it to the politics forum thread. Not here.

Why? we’ve run out of other things to discuss here.

[Anonymous]

Also, historically a good number of these oldest camps have not been particularly religious, including Mystic. I was surprised to see it described as that in the media but then I saw that they even have that word on their website and social media now. In decades past they have been "Christian" like TCU or SMU are "Christian".

There are other much more faith-based camps in the area that are funded by church organizations, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have learned so much about camp culture this week from the news. Anyone care to explain the use of Native American tribe names and headdresses by these white, Christian kids? Tradition?

I have no idea why they do it but we had the same thing at the camp I attend 30 years ago (non-religious). We would earn feathers for things we did at camp and we would all strive to earn an eagle or peacock feather we'd proudly wear in headbands on our heads to campfire. I cringe at those photos now.

Cultural appropriation and role play. It’s the same as “Cowboys and Indians” and the appeal of Captain Hook/Peter Pan/Tiger Lily etc.

But because it’s Texas they don’t make them update anything to the current era.

Your post is so 2018...

[Anonymous]

My heart goes out to the families and campers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, historically a good number of these oldest camps have not been particularly religious, including Mystic. I was surprised to see it described as that in the media but then I saw that they even have that word on their website and social media now. In decades past they have been "Christian" like TCU or SMU are "Christian".

There are other much more faith-based camps in the area that are funded by church organizations, etc.

True, but as a Jew, I wouldn't send my kid there....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have learned so much about camp culture this week from the news. Anyone care to explain the use of Native American tribe names and headdresses by these white, Christian kids? Tradition?

What is your point? That these girls deserved to drown in a flood because the camp they were sent to has unenlightened traditions?