Youth Leadership Camps Canada

Stu-Pendous Blog - Leadership

These are the thoughts of speaker, author and camp director Stu Saunders.
For Stu’s original blog, you may still access his archives here.

• Gone but not forgotten

  May 13, 2008

  I turned the corner to the entrance, the same road that I would ride that big yellow school bus as a camp counsellor. When you made that turn, if you were good, you knew exactly when to start. You would time it so when Bus 3 rounded the corner and entered the main camp you would be in full voice. All 40 kids screaming the camp song. It became a battle between buses. Kids would talk about that days winner around the flagpole.

  “Bus 3 was the loudest!” one young boy would announce. His statement met with jeers from the Bus 6 line! “Bus 6 can’t be beat!” , they would reply! The battle would go on all summer.

  I closed my eyes… I could hear the roar of the young campers as their excitement grew. This was my camp, their camp. It was a pride of exceptional levels!

  I opened my eyes to look down the camp entrance… gone. The trees and grass and wild flowers over grew the once well travelled path. I trekked down the road, hoping to see some of my past, where I grew up. As I turned the corner into main camp… nothing. The kitchen, brownie lodge, south lodge, the directors cabin… the flagpole, gone. There wasn’t a trace. Like nothing ever existed. Decades of childhood memories had to be just that. Memories. I looked for anything to touch, to hold, to look at… all gone. It felt like I had dreamt all of those summer stories.

  I walked down to the waterfront, the path so overgrown I got a little lost through the forest, the same woods that I could navigate in the pitch black without hesitation. I had to hike along the lake to find the waterfront area. I did get there, but it was nothing anymore, just a few feet of sand. Drift wood covered the once large beach area, weeds filled in the holes.

  I closed my eyes again. I could hear splashing, laughing, people swimming, I could hear my counsellor telling us it was time to canoe, to learn a new stroke, the J, the C… quiet now, gone but not forgotten. As I walked up the old service road I finally found a piece of the past. A couple of old archery stands, fallen over covered in Moss. There was the proof. I was there and so were thousands of other kids over those 40 or so years. I became a good person there. My mom made a choice so many years ago. Send Stuart to camp. I went. It made me in part who I am today.

  I heard the words of another camp director who retired earlier this year. He said, “I wanted to retire while I still loved what I did.”

  I still do love it. I was missing something though… I regained it back at that old waterfront. The innocence, the fun, the purity of it all. I truly hope that the thousands of campers that have been part of YLCC over the last 15 years will have such strong warm memories so that when they close their eyes they can remember the good, the laughter and the friendships.

  My old camp is gone, but it will never be forgotten. As I drove away, I thought of what it was, how it could disappear. Hard to understand. When I reached the top of the road I noticed an arrow nailed to a post. The arrow with the camps name on it was pointing to the direction of the camp… the camp that no longer exists. I stopped my car and got out. I looked up at the sign and jumped up to grab it. I pulled it off that pole and held it. I needed that sign more then the old camp did. The last physical proof that the camp ever existed is now gone. I will put it up at my camp. That way I can see it everyday, so I can remember why it is that I do what I do.

  I still think that Bus 3 was the loudest…

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on May 13, 2008 at 9:43 am | Permanent Link | Comments (4)

• 5000

  May 6, 2008

  I am a fan of politics; I am amazed every day how insane it really is. American politics is really fun to watch. How each candidate panders to the voters. Doing what they think will make them look good, sound sincere to a certain group. It could be drinking a beer in a local pub, bowling with town folk or even appearing on WWE wrestling. It’s like a big SITCOM.

  It’s fun to watch, but it’s also sad. The reality is that this world is really messed up. We need real leaders, doing very real things. I want to know what these potential leaders are going to do to right the ship, deal with real issues and make positive change.

  Last night I was watching an interview with Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He said one of the most shocking stats I have ever heard… Ready for this? The United States spends $5000 a SECOND on the war. That’s $300,000 a minute or EIGHTEEN MILLION DOLLARS an hour!!

  I was shocked. That means in one day, the United States spends more money on a war then anything else… anything. You would have to think that if that money was to be spent on homeless, education, healthcare, alternative fules, world piece… you name it, it would have to better.

  We need real leaders in this world.

  We all need to start to realize that we are in real need of massive change. We need it soon. When I see my children smile, I hope that they will have a chance to be better. We all should hope so.

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on May 6, 2008 at 8:44 am | Permanent Link | Comments (1)

• Strength

  Apr 29, 2008

  Was thinking about strength tonight. On my phone there is a line that reads “For the kids!”. I wrote it as my screen note the day I got my phone and I haven’t changed it since. I think it’s important to draw your strength from something that is very real. I have been thinking of that for a LONG time and realized that the reason I do most of the things in my life is because of my three children. They are amazing. I cherish them every time I spend a moment with them!

  I was reading a book today by my friend and mentor Robin Sharma he wrote, “with purpose comes passion.”, true isn’t it? I am so busy on a daily basis that sometimes I simply shut down. I need to remember the reason I do things, it’s not me… it’s for them. To make their world and the world around them better. I am truly blessed that I have a position in which I can do that.

  So do you though, the choices that we make each day are HUGE.

  Mother Teresa said’ “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”

  What if we all realized that through our own actions we can draw strength. So tomorrow I speak to a group of young people… tomorrow I will find my strength in my actions, for my children and in the end for me!

  Here is today’s question… Read it, write it, answer and PLEASE share it here on the STUpendous BLOG!

  What do you find strength in and why?

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on Apr 29, 2008 at 2:45 pm | Permanent Link | Comments (3)

• Story Book

  Apr 22, 2008

  Saw a movie on the weekend. Nimm’s Island. Not bad, not great but above average. The movie was good because it was an adventure, one that I felt fine taking the kids to. No adult humour, just an adventure.

  I got one really great line from the film, went something like this…

  “Be the hero of your own life adventure!”

  Great message isn’t it? To often we look to others for the adventure or wish our life was like someone else’s. Truth be told your life should be the adventure and you really can be the hero.

  Live each day to the fullest, cheesy as it sounds it is a great way to live!

  Here is today’s question… Read it, write it, answer and of course share it here on the STUPendous BLOG!

  If you could be a hero who would it be? What qualities do you admire in your hero?

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on Apr 22, 2008 at 3:46 pm | Permanent Link | Comments (2)

• Longevity

  Apr 8, 2008

  Last night I met Josl Huter and his beautiful wife Elfriede. In 1964 Josl started one of Ontario’s finest ski resorts in Mount St. Louis. He and his wife have been in business for almost 50 years. Building with their hands what has become their legacy. Josl was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1958 and was given only 6 months to live. Josl would have none of that, he decided to undergo some very dangerous and unproven surgery to remove the ping pong ball sized tumour from his brain. He survived and is here to tell his story.

  I was honoured to be able to tell their story last night at a dinner in part for them. It was wonderful. I asked Josl and Elfride their secret to success. Josl responded quickly and honestly, stay involved in your business and be honest. If you do that you will succeed. True.

  I raised a glass in honour of these two wonderful people. They are such a hard working honest couple, they make me want to work a little harder.

  No question today, just a challenge, ask yourself, are you truly hard working and honest? I hope so.

  “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.”
  - Thomas Jefferson

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on Apr 8, 2008 at 3:46 pm | Permanent Link | Comments (0)

• Knowing when

  Apr 2, 2008

  Have you ever done something for a while and it went really well and you wondered how long it would last? So you push it for as long as you could, then all of a sudden it crashes, turns bad. Then there are people that seem to recognize when it’s a good time to get out. When it’s time to retire, move on, change jobs, close a business or end a relationship. They just seem to have a knack. They get out just at the right time!

  I have been presented with many different examples of both. Just yesterday I had one of each. I had a chance to meet Paul, a 60 year old camp owner/director. He has decided to close his camp. I had a chance to spend about 90 minutes with him. I asked him why he was “getting out”. He said. “I wanted to leave when I still liked what I was doing. I have had 20 great years. It’s time for something else.” He wasn’t upset, maybe a little sad but confident with his choice.

  He went on to say, “I am proud of the lives that I have affected, some of my staff from the past has become teachers, great parents and some work with service organizations. I had an impact. Their lives are different, better because of this camp.”

  I like Paul. I hope our paths cross again. He inspired me and made me think. It’s amazing how people enter your life at unique times.

  The second person I crossed paths with was a young, first year university student that can’t seem to let go of High School. She wants to return for a school conference that she was involved with last year. The teacher advisor has had to put a stop to the return so that the current student leaders won’t have any distractions from this former student leaders return. We all need to move on. It’s knowing when that is the secret.

  There are many reasons why we don’t move on. There’s comfort, staying with what you know, fear of change, fear of failure or the unknown. The thing is that life was meant to be lived. It’s not a bad thing to do something different or go out on a limb… isn’t that wear the ripest fruit is!? Think about it. If you decide to make that change, make it on your terms. Enjoy the ending, don’t regret it.

  Here is today’s question… Read it, write it, answer and SHARE your thoughts here on the BLOG! 

  Take a personal life inventory, is there something you need to let go of? Is there something that you could try that’s new?

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on Apr 2, 2008 at 1:47 pm | Permanent Link | Comments (5)

• One hour

  Mar 29, 2008

  What could you do with an hour? What change could you make with one hour? How could you not only impact your life, but the life of others in just 60 minutes?

  Great question and it is the question that you should answer today in your journal. But today at 8pm wherever you are in your time zone turn off the lights, unplug the tv (if it’s plugged in it still uses power), turn the heat down…

  It’s a great opportunity to spend time with each other, play a board game, read by candle light. JUST DO IT!

  I hope you all do this VERY little thing to help impact the world!

  

  For more information on Earth HOUR Click on the above picture!
  ALSO PLEASE SIGN UP so they can track the impact.

  Please post your thoughts on what you would do with that 60 minutes!

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on Mar 29, 2008 at 9:48 am | Permanent Link | Comments (4)

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