| New
Perspectives
- Aug, 1993 Issue #23 |
ELLING CAMPS AT ROCK CREEK
FARM
Thompson, Pennsylvania
717-756-2706
Tom Croke Visit: July 1993
A national search for a summer
camp for a client with a mild thought disorder brought me
to one of the most pleasant surprises of the summer, and right
in my own home state! This is a summer camp program for children
and young adults, elementary through high school age, (with
an independent living skills program for post high school)
who are learning disabled or are experiencing social adjustment
problems. This is clearly a broad group, however they do not
accept severely retarded children, nor children with profound
orthopedic handicaps restricting mobility. Plans are underway
for special facilities to accommodate orthopedically handicapped
children. They also accept autistic children only where the
autism is relatively mild, and children with records of delinquency
under very careful scrutiny for compatibility.
Rock Creek Farm has been
in operation, minus the post high school program, since 1965.
It was acquired by Lloyd Elling in 1991, who appears to have
based his leadership on traditions already in place at the
time he acquired it. A very dynamic, high energy, yet self
effacing individual, Lloyd gives of the credit for the quality
of the program to its former owners. In fact there is a very
large population of children who have been attending yearly
maintaining their loyalty. This does not happen where leadership
is lacking.
The dynamics around Lloyd's leadership
became evident in the first few minutes of our tour when a
boy who may have been about ten years old became extremely
angry a few feet from us and required staff intervention.
A young staff member responded appropriately and sensitively,
in my judgment. Lloyd quietly excused himself, and joined
the staff member and the boy in a manner which expressed warmth
and support for both. When it was all over, the telling point
was Lloyd's personal critique of the entire situation. He
was specific about what more he would have liked to see the
staff member do and what he planned to do with more training
to bring it about. Clearly Lloyd is a perfectionist in the
standards he sets for himself while he has the clear ability
and patience to support the growth of both his staff and campers.
The camping program is typical
of summer camps in general. Rock Creek Farm is well removed
from civilization in the Northeastern corner of Pennsylvania.
It occupies a clearing on a mountainside, with an administration
building/director's home/dining hall, scattered cabins, an
arts and crafts building, a tutoring building, two lakes (one
for swimming and the other for boating), ample play and athletic
space, a nearly abandoned bus containing an on campus radio
station, and several other assorted buildings. Each camper
cabin contains its own full bathroom facilities, complete
with hot showers, making it unnecessary for the children to
walk outside at night. The space is well designed and well
used.
The program was very active and
busy with no one getting bored. I had an opportunity to observe
closely the arts and dramatics programs. The level and quality
of teaching was impressive. The population of boys and girls
was ethnically diverse and cohesive. Lloyd tells me about
a quarter of the campers are publicly funded, reflecting a
commitment to be maintained even if it becomes easy to fill
every space with privately paying children..
Perhaps the most impressive characteristics
of this camp, other than Lloyd Elling's leadership, were these
two:
First, this is an environment
in which kids with social and behavioral problems can co-exist
with kids who are more fragile due to emotional problems,
such as mild thought disorders. One reason for this is the
energy put into mutually supportive community. As an example
of why it works here, any child who causes harm, pain, or
injury to another is responsible for the repair. If Bobby
hits Billy and Billy is bruised, Bobby must hold the ice pack
on Billy's bruise. If the injury is more emotional, i.e. Bobby
verbally abused Billy, Bobby must still take quiet time with
Billy affirming him. Simple idea. It works at Rock Creek Farm.
Maybe we should try it in Bosnia.
The second standout was the Saturday
night program. A bit like the traditional campfire, this is
an opportunity for kids to sit meditatively and reflect on
the week (or whatever period of time the particular attention
span allows) and speak openly of affirmation and forgiveness
of others. Innermost thoughts come out. Kids take risks. I
did not see it. Lloyd described it to me, after inviting me
to stay for it (I couldn't). Then an obviously ADHD 10 year
old told me about it. ADHD enjoying a quiet activity? Something
is different. Then I heard more from about a half dozen others,
one at a time. No, these are not the kinds of kids likely
to carry the "official line" to make the program look good.
The staff was international in
character, and seemed to be dominated primarily with college
students and recent graduates. The international character
of the staff seemed to be related to the fact that Lloyd operates
another summer camp in South America, operating there while
we have winter. Some staff work both camps. I saw no evidence
of very young staff lacking the maturity to handle their jobs
with excellence.
Lloyd's parting comment was that
his goal for most of the kids was that on completion of the
summer at his camp, they would at least understand what a
friend is. Having a friend might be too tough a goal. A modest
goal. From a modest man. Running an impressive program. A
few more men like him might make this a better world.
Copyright
© 1993, Woodbury Reports, Inc. (This article may be reproduced
without prior approval if the copyright notice and proper
publication and author attribution accompanies the copy.)
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