There is nothing more embarrassing than being in front of the entire camp and messing up someone’s name.

At the end of each meal I stand in front of the fireplace and open announcements. For the most part only counselors and junior counselors raise their hands. I spend all of pre-camp practicing to make sure I know everyone’s names and where they sit so that when their hand goes up I can call on them with confidence. However, campers also do make announcements, primarily when they are working on their Intermediate or Vanguard and will be teaching a class or running an event. This often catches me off guard, and from time to time I stumble. This past summer it happened to Dorothy.

Oof.

I apologized to Dorothy after the meal, and rightfully never missed her name again. As a competent young woman and leader she deserves to be known and recognized every time she speaks. 

Dorothy has been at BLC for 5 summers. As a last year camper she went about working towards a Vanguard in Swimming, no easy task by any means. She committed the entire summer to it. She worked diligently on building her own skills, taught strokes to other campers, and ran a swim meet. She was a positive influence in the community and a role model for us all. She embodied the kind of leadership worthy of Vanguard recognition. And thankfully she is returning in 2027 as a member of our Junior Counselor program where she will build on her leadership acumen and take away transferable skills for success in college and beyond.

Yet, this is only one of the leadership tracks at camp. By nature of our Freedom of Choice philosophy, campers are accruing leadership skills through the independence of building their own day and pursuing their individual passions. The self-confidence they establish through these exercises shows up at school where they tackle lessons with commitment and determination, already knowing they can do difficult things and overcome obstacles. BLC campers are also leaders in school because they come out of the summer with experience of the social dynamics and complexities of spending 4-8 weeks living alongside others. They come home having successfully navigated conflict and possessing the necessary tools to continue to do so.

Independent, self-confident women become leaders because these are the attributes necessary to survive in a male dominated society. As we move forward through the twenty-first century these are the very same attributes that women will use to redesign a world in which they can thrive and play an equal, if not ascendant, role. For 100 years Brown Ledge Camp has given girls the opportunity to become these women. In fact, over 400 of them came back to Malletts Bay this summer as part of our Centennial Celebration. And there are countless more BLC alums out there making a difference, leading in only the way a Brown Ledger can.

Brooks