I think the act of showing gratitude is one of the things we do best at Camp Airy. Through words and actions, campers and staff alike make it known that they appreciate what others do for them and how they are made to feel living in our Camp community.

Case in point – our Camp Airy dining tent. Whether it is holding open the door, passing the ketchup, offering to refill a water pitcher, or inviting roaming administrators to share in the “Unit A Buffet,” the sound of thank yous fills the air after these kind gestures.

You could look at our cabana or campteen. The campers and staff that visit each appreciate so much the way their snack cravings are met. For bunk inspection, campers feel gratitude for bunkmates who tidy up the porch chairs and who give reminders about grabbing water bottles.

And then there’s our weekly staff meeting.
Staff give out “You Rock” appreciation rocks to colleagues who have stepped up in a pinch or gone the extra mile. Food service, facilities, activity specialists, health center, counselors, support staff and supervisors could not do the job without each other.

Our Unit A campers become adoring fans of the trainee campers who shadow their bunks, and our trainees appreciate getting to play and learn with such a fun group. You can see, hear and almost feel the gratitude everywhere in camp.

Near the end of Saturday Shabbat services, we took time to recognize nominated campers and staff who demonstrated the middah of the week. Those “mensches” (good, selfless people) are awarded certificates, a bracelet naming the value in English and Hebrew, and a photo opportunity together with the Mensch mascot dolls.

Some of those images accompany this blog post. Congratulations to these GRATITUDE mensches!

Thanks for following along this week via emailed updates from Unit Leaders and Division Heads, Facebook and Instagram posts, daily posted photos, and our microposts via your Campanion app.

Have a great week – Shavuah Tov

~ Marty