INTERVIEW WITH HARVEY |
THE WAH-NEE WAY |
Harvey Mandel has grown up at Wah-Nee. He was a counselor, group leader, and is now the camp director. He hires the Wah-Nee staff and leads them in a summer orientation before the campers arrive to teach them "The Wah-Nee Way". In addition, he is the head of boys camp and asks as male campers' dad for the summer.
Rachel: What are the values that campers and counselors learn from Wah-Nee?
Harvey: We try to develop a culture of values at camp. This includes respect for each other, manners, using words like "please," "thank you," and "excuse me." Also, integrity becomes a big thing- doing the right thing even when nobody else is looking. I could not think of a more important value than that. We try to instill a "no problem" attitude.
How are these values taught to everyone that comes to camp?
They're taught by role modeling them, by showing, S- H- O- W- I- N- G! That's why we have a staff orientation and that's why when I run orientation I stress to the staff that the best way of teaching the kids the culture of values is showing them what it looks like. As you well know, the focus of staff orientation is to gear staff into the way that we do things here at Wah-Nee. What we do at camp is much nicer and kinder than life outside of the Wah-Nee gates. We got to get them to buy into that and that when you are here at Wah-Nee we focus on this culture of values so that our kids will pick up on it.
Can you please expand on the process of staff orientation? And how you personally teach the counselors the Wah-Nee way?
Welp, I try to role model it into them. I know every single staff person that walks onto camp. I greet every international staff person that traveled thousands of miles to get here by their first name. I try to role model it by being respectful, using power words, and being kind. I show visual aspects on a big notepad to staff so that they buy into the culture of values. I also rely on the returning staff to help me with that by showing the way.
How do you know that the culture of values that we learn at camp extend beyond the Wah-Nee gates?
Well I know that because I get emails from staff that say that "I can't believe I'm using 'no problem' now after camp." I also get stories from parents saying that their kids stood up against bullying at school from the lessons they have learned from camp. I get feedback from people that the lessons they have learned from camp have stayed with them, even when they left. Even in terms of sportsmanship. As you know, we stress good sportsmanship not only in the way we play, but also in the way we cheer. It's not like that in other places. I'll get a phone call from another director of a camp that Wah-Nee kids are so well-behaved and respectful.
What makes Wah-Nee different from other camps?
Well I don't know what other camps do and don't do. It's a tough question. I only know what we do. I think what makes Wah-Nee unique is that we do stress this culture of values. The place I see it the most is in sportsmanship. Campers will come to me when they come back from tournaments and say that the kids were saying and doing things that would never be allowed at Wah-Nee. It makes me feel good. When another camp brings a vanload of campers and staff to cheer on their team in the final game hosted in a Wah-Nee tournament, we see how they cheer and it's 180 degrees from how we cheer. We cheer just for our team and don't look to put down or make fun of others. But again, to emphasize, I can only discuss what we do and I am proud of what we do. I can't really talk about other camps.
I am coming back for my second year as a counselor with fifteen girls in my division growing up. It seems like coming back year to year is a common trend. From your perspective, what makes us come back?
I would like to think that you want to give back to the kids what you have gotten as a camper. I hope that the reason you all come back is to maintain the traditions of camp. Also, it gives you the opportunity to continue with your own friendships. The way you all spend such quality time together and with camp.
Rachel: What are the values that campers and counselors learn from Wah-Nee?
Harvey: We try to develop a culture of values at camp. This includes respect for each other, manners, using words like "please," "thank you," and "excuse me." Also, integrity becomes a big thing- doing the right thing even when nobody else is looking. I could not think of a more important value than that. We try to instill a "no problem" attitude.
How are these values taught to everyone that comes to camp?
They're taught by role modeling them, by showing, S- H- O- W- I- N- G! That's why we have a staff orientation and that's why when I run orientation I stress to the staff that the best way of teaching the kids the culture of values is showing them what it looks like. As you well know, the focus of staff orientation is to gear staff into the way that we do things here at Wah-Nee. What we do at camp is much nicer and kinder than life outside of the Wah-Nee gates. We got to get them to buy into that and that when you are here at Wah-Nee we focus on this culture of values so that our kids will pick up on it.
Can you please expand on the process of staff orientation? And how you personally teach the counselors the Wah-Nee way?
Welp, I try to role model it into them. I know every single staff person that walks onto camp. I greet every international staff person that traveled thousands of miles to get here by their first name. I try to role model it by being respectful, using power words, and being kind. I show visual aspects on a big notepad to staff so that they buy into the culture of values. I also rely on the returning staff to help me with that by showing the way.
How do you know that the culture of values that we learn at camp extend beyond the Wah-Nee gates?
Well I know that because I get emails from staff that say that "I can't believe I'm using 'no problem' now after camp." I also get stories from parents saying that their kids stood up against bullying at school from the lessons they have learned from camp. I get feedback from people that the lessons they have learned from camp have stayed with them, even when they left. Even in terms of sportsmanship. As you know, we stress good sportsmanship not only in the way we play, but also in the way we cheer. It's not like that in other places. I'll get a phone call from another director of a camp that Wah-Nee kids are so well-behaved and respectful.
What makes Wah-Nee different from other camps?
Well I don't know what other camps do and don't do. It's a tough question. I only know what we do. I think what makes Wah-Nee unique is that we do stress this culture of values. The place I see it the most is in sportsmanship. Campers will come to me when they come back from tournaments and say that the kids were saying and doing things that would never be allowed at Wah-Nee. It makes me feel good. When another camp brings a vanload of campers and staff to cheer on their team in the final game hosted in a Wah-Nee tournament, we see how they cheer and it's 180 degrees from how we cheer. We cheer just for our team and don't look to put down or make fun of others. But again, to emphasize, I can only discuss what we do and I am proud of what we do. I can't really talk about other camps.
I am coming back for my second year as a counselor with fifteen girls in my division growing up. It seems like coming back year to year is a common trend. From your perspective, what makes us come back?
I would like to think that you want to give back to the kids what you have gotten as a camper. I hope that the reason you all come back is to maintain the traditions of camp. Also, it gives you the opportunity to continue with your own friendships. The way you all spend such quality time together and with camp.