Dear Camp Director,

I am sure you are very busy with camp season right around the corner. With that in mind, I am asking, please, for just a few minutes of your time.

Last summer our son attended your camp for the very first time. Your camp was referred to us by many people.

The countdown began and before we knew it, it was the first day of camp. He came home bursting with excitement. When he came home on day one and two, he was smiling, but on day three, I noticed something was not right. Our sensitive and joyful son was no longer coming home happy. When I asked him how camp was, he shrugged. He said camp was fun, but he did not have fun. The next day, I came to pick him up from camp. It seemed he had just been crying or was about to. The music and energy level was high and contagious, but he looked like he wanted to run away.

This was not like him. He loves everything camp, he loves the energy, and always participates in every activity. The next morning, instead of waking up early and eager for the day to start, he told me he didn’t want to go to camp. I was surprised and worried. When I questioned him, he replied. “I do want to go to camp. Camp is fun, but I don’t want to be hit or pushed.” My heart started to crumble. “What’s going on?” I asked gently. After speaking with our son and his counselors, it turned out, our son was being bullied and targeted by two boys in his bunk. During sports they pushed and tripped him, threw balls at him and chased him. During swimming, the boys stole his knapsack while he was in the pool and he had to go home in his wet bathing suit. While he was looking for his bag, the bus left and he had to go on a different bus, with a different bunk back to camp.

My husband and I spoke with the counselors and they said they would speak with the bunk and those specific boys. They were aware of what was going on. They did speak with the boys and I hoped it was resolved and the bullying would stop. Sadly, it did not stop and the bullying continued. The boys whacked him on the head with their bags when the counselors were not looking and continued pushing and shoving him. My husband spoke with the head counselor and he said he would be on top of it. The next morning, I reassured our son that the head counselor and the counselors were going to make sure the bullying doesn’t happen, and they will keep him safe. He went to camp, and I thought I even saw a slight bounce in his step. When he came home, I asked him how his day was and if the hitting had stopped. He said “Yes, no one hit me.” I breathed out a sigh of relief. But it was short lived. Right after I whispered “Thank you Hashem”, he said to me the boys dumped a bucket of sand on his head. My son relayed to me what had happened: “They asked me ‘Do you want gum?’ I said yes, excited they were sharing and maybe they wanted to be my friend. But when I said yes, they dumped the sand on me and ran away laughing.”

It was the last week of camp and our son did not want to go back to camp. Camp was fun, he kept on saying, but he could not go back anymore. He didn’t even want to go on the grand trip which he had been so excited for. At this point, I could not bear to see him in pain and told him if he didn’t want to go, he didn’t need to.

He chose to not go back to camp. And he did not go on the grand trip.

I write and share this with you now, at the beginning of a new summer camp season, so no child or family should go through what our son experienced last summer. Your camp is a wonderful popular fun camp. There should be no bullying tolerated, and if there is bullying, the bullies should be told to leave camp and not vice versa. My son should not have had to miss out because boys were hitting and bullying him. The boys should have been asked to leave. The bullies were still allowed to attend camp and “have fun” While my son was chased out of camp. I ask you, please, have a zero tolerance of bullying policy in place. Offer training for your counselors. Awareness is vital. Camp must be safe for everyone. It is with a painful heart I ask of you, to do whatever you can to keep all of the children in camp, that Hashem has entrusted you with during the camp season, safe, both physically and emotionally.

Thank you,
Wishing you a safe and beautiful summer!

-A Pained Mother

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