Singing at camp impresses lasting memories into adulthood: SouthFlorida.com

I have the fondest memories of the singing steps at the Girl Scout Camp I went to as a girl for a few summers. They were the steps right outside the cafeteria, painted with some faded musical notes and happy characters. The steps were where we would go right after meals to sing the silliest, saddest and happiest songs. These songs stay with me to this day. They sustain the fun at campfires. They can get my whole family singing on long car rides. It turns out Girl Scout camp is still like that.

Singing for Your Supper "You can describe a day at Girl Scout camp through our songs," said Pauline Russell of the Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida in Miami. "We have songs for everything that goes on at camp: reveille, grace before meals, cleaning up, songs about hygiene, hiking, work, nature and farewell songs."

This summer, more than 3,000 girls will swim, create art, go on hikes, play ball and sing at the six camps run by the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida (Miami-Dade and Monroe counties) and the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida (Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties).

Russell said Girl Scouts have a long tradition of singing, but the staff deliberately makes sure girls sing at camp for many reasons.

"Camp is a busy time," Russell said. "Singing can be a quiet space, but we sing while we're doing all kinds of things."

Demi Clemmons, director of programs for the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, said singing has a role throughout the day.

"We sing before we eat and when we meet together," Clemmons said. "Sometimes we come together just to learn the songs. Singing puts girls at ease. It helps girls feel part of the group. They tend to like the sillier songs. And when camp is done, it's a memory they can keep."

Future Song Leaders Months before summer camp starts, the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida get together at Camp Choee near Miami Metrozoo for a song and cookie fest to kick off their fundraising activity and help girls in local troops learn the camp songs. It turns out I knew most of them.

Girls in their uniforms decorated with badges sat on logs around a dusty campfire circle repeating after Girl Scout of Tropical South Florida Program Director Nydia Vallejo-Gonzalez as she shouted out the lyrics to her favorite song, The Beaver Song, which includes making beaver teeth and dance moves. She quickly pulled in girls to help her lead it.

"This is different from school," said Natalie Cruz, 7, of Cutler Ridge. "We don't get to get up and do the movements there like at camp. I would like to be a song leader very much."

That's exactly what the Girl Scout leaders hope.

Singing as Indoctrination to Fun For the 900 summer campers at the Dave and Mary Alper Jewish Community Center in Miami, camp songs are one way that they can learn some of the important camp ideas.

"Having a great song leader at camp is so important because they are the spirit of camp," said Ashley Savage-Conant, Alper JCC group service and camp director. "Campers and staff love music and singing songs that remind them of happy times, such as memories from camp. Young children remember songs from the previous summer and can't wait to sing them and do the hand movements during Shabbat [the celebration of the Jewish Sabbath]."

"Singing at camp is more fun than singing at school because the kids are not doing it to learn," said Rachel Fox, Camp Shalom director at the Kaplan Branch Jewish Community Center in West Palm Beach. "Kids sing here in Hebrew and English every day. It's an opportunity to stand up, move around and act silly. It creates a camp atmosphere."

You're a Rock Star Alper JCC camp song leader Aaron Margolis aspired to this role.

"I always wanted to be a song leader at camp to create music and to have this wonderful energy," said Margolis, who is also an opera singer.

Margolis created his own themed songs for camp, such as Shabbes Time with a Jewish theme, Just Think Green with an environmental theme and Right or Happy, which is about a boy who decides not to pick a fight just to prove he's right to teach about how to get along. Most of the songs Margolis teaches are ones I learned when I went to Jewish camps. It's fun to sing them along with my two boys. The messages are about getting along, friendship, the importance of Jewish traditions and that it's fun to be silly.

The joy Margolis experiences in leading roomfuls of kids is equal to the adulation the campers heap on him. At camp, he has rock-star status.

"Singing is so popular that the campers and the counselors always want more time with Aaron," said Savage-Conant.

Letting Loose YMCA summer camps don't always take kids deep into the woods. Often, the 25 camp sites the YMCA operates in Miami-Dade County are in the schools the campers attend during the year. But Brian Spence, vice president of Children's Services at the YMCA of Greater Miami said besides the wide variety of activities that kids do during the summer, singing silly songs is a way for kids to feel like they're not in an academic setting and definitely doing something different.

"Summer camp is all about having fun and singing," Spence said. "Singing also creates a stronger group dynamic for the campers. It gets them working together and creating friendships."

Spence said singing also helps kids bond with and enjoy their counselors.

"You have to be able to laugh at yourself and be real," Spence said. "When kids sing as a group, it's not important who's the coolest and who's the fastest. Even for the briefest moment the singing will eliminate clique ness and unifies. It brings everyone onto the same page."

Case in point, in Spence's favorite song, The Buzzard Song, he sings and imitates different birdcalls. He admits it's his signature song and it's the first he'll sing for groups. It's also what helps him connect with campers.

For more information:

Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida Inc.
11347 SW 160th St., Miami, FL 33157
305-253-4841, ext. 246 or 800-282-9576
www.girlscoutsfl.org

Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida
Oakland Park Service Center
4701 NW 33rd Ave., Oakland Park, FL 33309
954-739-7660

Jupiter Service Center
224 W. Indiantown Road, Jupiter, FL 33458
561-427-0177 or 866-727-4475
www.gssef.org

Dave and Mary Alper Jewish Community Center
11155 SW 112th Ave., Miami, FL 33176
305-271-9000
www.alperjcc.org

YMCA of Greater Miami
1200 NW 78th Ave., Suite 200, Miami, FL 33126  
305-357-4000 or 877-969-9622
www.ymcamiami.org