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Mission and Goals
Caring ... Honesty ... Respect ... Responsibility
The YMCA Mission Statement
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To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.
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The McGaw YMCA Mission Statement
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The McGaw YMCA is an open, charitable, membership association, that promotes growth in spirit, mind, and body through programs and services for all in our diverse community.
The McGaw YMCA Vision Statement
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We welcome everyone; inspire, activate, and impact ALL in spirit, mind, and body.
Camp Echo's Mission Statement
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We will operate a fun and engaging program while fostering the physical, emotional, and spiritual well being of our participants.
We will promote character development, celebrate diversity, encourage service learning, and teach our teen participants leadership skills.
1. To have fun.
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Campers will actively participate in challenging, enjoyable activities in a beautiful outdoor location.
To help campers achieve this goal, Camp Echo will provide an age-appropriate, entertaining program, taking advantage of our natural setting.
We offer a variety of land-, aquatic-, arts-, and nature-based activities for individuals and groups.
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2. To know the rules.
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Campers will follow clearly stated rules that help to manage the risks involved in learning new skills.
To help campers achieve this goal, Camp Echo will provide well-trained staff and a well-managed camp that meets industry standards.
The standards we follow include those of the State of Michigan and the American Camp Association.
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3. To feel secure.
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Campers will both experience and foster a setting that does not permit bullying, intimidation, prejudice, or harassment.
To help campers achieve this goal, Camp Echo will provide appropriate and suitable consequences for misbehavior.
Campers are encouraged to be sensitive to the feelings of others, and to report any of the aboveinstances.
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4. To develop strong character.
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Campers will believe in, and make daily choices based upon, positive values that guide good behavior.
To help campers achieve this goal, Camp Echo will provide encouraging, consistent role models who themselves make appropriate choices.
The values we teach are caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility, and all that they imply.
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5. To make new friends.
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Campers will accept and include others as they learn that differences are strengths to be celebrated.
To help campers achieve this goal, Camp Echo's staff will create and maintain an environment where everyone is respected and included.
We define diversity as the mosaic of people who bring with them a variety of backgrounds as assets.
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6. To give back.
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Campers will engage in age-appropriate service activities that benefit the camp and the community.
To help campers achieve this goal, Camp Echo's daily schedule includes time for service tasks; some groups will also do service projects.
When people participate in efforts to support the larger community it makes the world a better place.
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And for our teen participants ...
7. To learn leadership skills.
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Campers will have opportunities to set expectations for, inspire, and motivate others in a positive way.
To help campers achieve this goal, Camp Echo will teach group management skills and give campers a chance to take on purposeful roles.
The leadership training thread runs through all our teen offerings, not just the L.I.T. and C.I.T. programs.
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Caring
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To love others, to be sensitive to the well-being of others, to help others.
Similar values: compassion, forgiveness, generosity, and kindness.
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Honesty
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To tell the truth, to earn otherŐs trust, to have integrity, making sure your choices match your values.
Similar values: integrity, trustworthiness, and fairness.
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Respect
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To treat others as you would have them treat you; to value the worth of every person, including yourself.
Similar values: acceptance, empathy, self-respect, and tolerance.
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Responsibility
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To do what is right, what you ought to do; to be accountable for your behavior and obligations.
Similar values: commitment, courage, health, and service.
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Things we do at Camp Echo to teach Campers the Core Values
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The Camp Rules are stated as a Code of Conduct, in core value format.
Campers and parents sign the Code of Conduct prior to camp, and we review the Code of Conduct on the first day of each session.
Morning Reflections and Taps Talks each session will focus on the four core values by asking the questions, "What is Caring," "What is Honesty," "What is Respect," and "What is Responsibility."
The Camp Echo community will recite this phrase together each morning: "Today we will strive to be caring, accept responsibility, show respect to all others, and be honest in all we do."
Counselors are encouraged to look for "teachable moments" when they can use the words caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility in the natural course of explaining rules or resolving disputes.
Character value bracelets are available at the Trading Post in each of the four core value colors.
Service Tasks after breakfast are a way to "give back" to the Echo community. Some cabin groups plan and implement larger service projects, which are recognized on a plaque in the Dining Hall.
The Camp Echo "Adopt a Highway" program assigns to each cabin group a physical area or path at Camp Echo near or on the way to the cabin.
These areas go beyond the regular Service Task list.
Each cabin is encouraged to keep their area or path clean and free of litter on a regular basis, or to set aside a specific time when the cabin group can work to improve the appearance of their area or path.
Counselors will distribute character value beads to every camper near the end of each session, encouraging them to "take the core values home, and with them everywhere they go."
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Diversity
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The mosaic of people who bring a variety of backgrounds, styles, perspectives, beliefs, and competencies as assets to the Camp Echo groups and individuals with whom they interact.
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Things we do at Camp Echo to teach Campers to Value Diversity
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Camp Echo's success is linked to the unique contribution of the many individuals that make up the camp community, representing the various dimensions of diversity.
A diverse community fosters cooperation and innovation, creating a better experience;
that's what keeps campers coming back to camp, filling camp year after year ... everyone wins!
Counselors will incorporate diversity activities such as icebreakers, idea sharing, experiencing exclusion, giving feedback, appreciating others, and so on into their daily time with campers.
Techniques such as visualization, examination of symbols, story telling, and drawing can help.
Our international staff are a rich resource for information and awareness about cultural diversity.
The core values of Caring (compassion, kindness) and Respect (acceptance, tolerance) give counselors many opportunities to address the topic of diversity with campers in a variety of situations.
Counselors are encouraged to look for "teachable moments" when they can celebrate differences and help campers understand that the differences people bring to Camp Echo are valuable assets.
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Back to ...
Summer Camp & Teen Trips ...
Family Camp
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