A Great Co-ed Residential Summer Camp
Written: Nov 02 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: excellent life experience
Cons: NA
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| Iamthejerk's Full Review: Culver Summer Camps |
Culver Academy is located in Culver, on the north shore of Lake Maxinkucke on 1800 acres, in Northern Indiana. The population of Culver, Indiana is approximately 1404, and Culver has roughly 812 families. This information was found at Culver, Indiana Resource Guide on their web page. (I went through Jeeves to get this information.)
I remember Culver to be a very small town. There are several restaurants in Culver, as well as a public golf course. There isn't a lot to Culver, but they do have a resort with 40 rooms and are within an hour or so of decent sized cities, such as South Bend and Gary, Indiana, and Chicago, Illinois. The location of this world renowned boarding school and summer camp is excellent. There isn't the fear of losing your child of the city-life shuffle. The area alone gives the parents a feeling of tradition and stability. Culver definitely stirs up a good reputation. But they aren't so far out in the sticks that kids will feel secluded from the real world (like boot camp.)
To be completely honest, I have not attended this camp. My son isn't old enough. (Not by a long-shot!) The age requirements are 9-17, with 2 week specialty camps being offered to kids ages 11-16. My knowledge of Culver is not merely based on what I have read and heard from their representatives, but I can also base it on my own recollection from when my brothers, attended.
J.S. (12): He was shipped off to camp. He was driving everyone around him nuts and his parents needed to find the boy some discipline. Gramum(that is what we called Grandma) recommended Culver and offered to pay his tuition. They gratefully agreed to send J.S. to Culver.
J.S. was not happy about being shipped off. He was going to rebel in any way he could think of. J.S. was not a normal child, he was "gifted" (a high I.Q. being his gift) and he did everything he could to get kicked out of Culver Summer Camp (including shaving his eyebrows and claiming abuse) to no avail. When I wrote letters asking him of all the exciting things he was doing, he would reply to me how boring the classes were, that he never had any free time, and that he was starving. My mother reported that the administrator had a slightly different point of view.
By the time J.S. returned home at the end of his 6 week stay, he was a totally different person (beside the fact that he was missing his eyebrows.) He said yes sir and no sir to every person who was older or in charge, no matter what. He automatically kept his "quarters" clean. He had respect for someone and something other than himself! We were all pleased to see the new J.S..
During J.S.'s stay at Culver Summer Camp, my youngest brother, P.S., also attended for a two-week session. P.S. wanted to go, so he was very excited at the prospect. He met all kinds of new people, learned all sorts of different skills, and he started losing some of his baby fat. Even after a two-week, less disciplinary session, P.S. also came home a totally changed person.
The activities that both boys boasted about upon returning home were swimming, sailing, horseback riding, free time (after earning certain ranks they are aloud more and more privileges, including passes off campus) and they both had girlfriends. (Culver boasts 65 activities to choose from and many sports to teach and experience competition.) While we visited the boys (picking P.S. up, actually) we did get a brief tour of the campus, but the details have escaped my memory because we spent most of the day at the fantastically huge beach. I do remember realizing that this was not an ordinary summer camp. All the children wore uniforms, not the normal summer attire you see at camp. This is a summer school. It seems I was right, in a way.
Culver Summer Camp officials promise to teach our children "leadership, responsibility, self-discipline, and self-confidence" in a fun way. They also point out that in their every day life at Culver, the adolescents will also gain valuable practical experiences that they will continue to use throughout life. They are correct in promising that, at least in my opinion.
Both P.S. and J.S. did learn many things from their stays at (J.S. actually attended several years) Culver. They started to see that their dirty laundry is their responsibility, and breakfast is at 6 A.M., you snooze, you lose! P.S. gained much more than self-confidence when he learned how to do things like tying knots and when he began feeling more fit than he ever had. He started to see that no matter how many people tease you, they aren't necessarily any better than you. Can they say that they can run two miles in 17:54?
These are only two of the many examples of good experiences from Culver that I personally know about. I am not even exaggerating when I say that I always hoped that I would have the opportunity to send my children to Culver.
I honestly thought that this was a military school, but Mom says that isn't so. The discipline that these teachers, coaches and counselors instill is very much in military style. (Morning, noon and night formations, chow time, taps, cadence, marching, inspections, uniforms, ranks, leadership, physical training-PT all remind me of boot camp.)
When Jayson is old enough to attend Culver Summer Camp, I will have his bags packed. There is no reason in the world that I can think of that I wouldn't want my son attending. It is one of the best long-term impressions I may ever be able to make on him. Culver doesn't recommend you drop your children off for 6 weeks without a letter or visit for the duration, either. I could go to see Jayson once a week if I wanted. But in my personal opinion, one full day in a two week period, is a good way to show your love without interfering in what the counselors have already accomplished.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Iamthejerk
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Member: The Jerk
Location: I don't think I know you well enough
Reviews written: 3
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