Peace and Love at Camp Manitou

Peace and Love at Camp Manitou 

 

The 1960s was a decade when love and

peace were in the air and flower power convinced

millions that we could change the

world forever. It was an idyllic time.

This past summer, I was reminded of

some of those tranquil feelings when I visited

Camp Manitou.

Camp Manitou is owned and operated by

Mark Diamond and Jeff Wilson, two very soulful guys.

It is an expensive place to send your children,

and I was expecting the stereotypical “rich

kids” camp with attitude and wardrobes befitting

Paris Hilton. What I found among the

campers instead was a deep sense of warmth

and caring in which love abounded.

Camp Manitou, meaning “place of great

spirit,” is indeed a beautiful place with all the

amenities one would want. It is described on

its website as being “nestled in the great

northern forests of Muskoka, carved out

along iridescent blue lakes and rivers.”

Indeed, Camp Manitou has superlative

facilities and activities, including the Manitou

Tennis Academy, progressive art programs

and theatre, but the attraction to the

place seemed to come more from the very

positive energy I sensed everywhere.

My re-evaluation of the camp began when

I spoke to the campers by the waterfront,

helping to launch community week, when

campers and staff visit nearby towns assisting

in tikkun olam activities.

I spoke about the gift these kids have being

able to attend a northern Ontario paradise

and reminded them of the impoverished Israeli

children and terrified children in Darfur

who would never have such an opportunity.

They listened closely, and it was evident by

their attentive looks that they agreed. Later,

dozens of Manitou staff and campers told me

with great sincerity that they understood how

fortunate they are.

At a counsellor-in-training (CIT) workshop,

I listened to story after story from the

CITs about their response to our world’s humanitarian

needs. Not a single voice espoused

the view that the homeless are grubby

and deserve the life they live. This was unusual,

as this hardened view is frequently

expressed by some young people in groups I

speak with.

The morning after my arrival, I saw a

young man sitting by my cabin playing a

guitar. We played some blues together and

soon enough a group of five or so other

staffers joined us.

Over the next hour, I listened to their unreserved

and honest descriptions of Camp

Manitou. They said Mark and Jeff bring a

certain tenderness and kindness to the place

that can be felt throughout the grounds and

within the cabins.

One girl said the first day she arrived at

camp, she was terrified at not knowing a

single person. To her delight, the campers in

her cabin greeted her with hugs and kisses,

welcoming her to a summer that would ultimately

change her life.

The older campers, I was told, and was

witness to, were dedicated to helping the

younger ones. It was wonderful to watch a

nine-year-old camper run up to a 15-year-old,

hug her and then be lifted in the air and spun

around. Love was everywhere. I could hear

it, see it and feel it.

I think Camp Manitou is the real deal. At

the camp, helping others grow seems to be

more powerful than raw competition. Things

such as scaring the younger kids late at night

and drug problems do not seem to be inherent

in the fibre of the Camp Manitou experience.

Quite the opposite.

I believe that what exists at Camp Manitou

is an authentic communal bond, similar

to the one of the 60’s, that allows young people

to learn about love, beauty and understanding.

I only wish I could be young again

so I could experience it for an entire summer

of my own.

Avrum Rosenweig