A view from the woods.

You and I share a primary concern - youth development. Experts predict that by the year 2005 there will be nearly 50 million children in the United States. Now on one hand, that's good news. We certainly won't lack. a market. On the other hand, if trends continue as they are today, we have a big job ahead of us.

You see, nearly every 100 minutes a child is a victim of a homicide. Nearly every 15 minutes a child is arrested for a violent crime. Nearly every 15 seconds a child is arrested for a juvenile crime. And nearly every 30 seconds a child is abused or neglected. Certainly, we understand that these statistics are simply unacceptable.

But how have we been changing and working to respond to the critical needs of these children and youth? Well, we've expanded our programs to include day camps, year-round camp programs, coed camps, family camps, and senior camps. Today, we serve children with ADD, autism, cancer, cerebral palsy, diabetes, hearing and speech impairments, mobility limitations, and at-risk behaviors. We still offer aquatics, crafts, outdoor living skills, horseback, and nature activities. Yet, we also are providing community service, computer skills, gymnastics, international exchange, and challenge, wilderness, and leadership programs. Upon reflection, one must ask how all of this change is redefining us.

I suggest that it is bringing us to a very exciting juncture in our history. We are beginning to recognize that we don't have to be identical to be one association. What I believe we must understand and share is that the essential developmental assets that truly define the value of the camp experience are the same regardless of location. To promote the value of this experience, we must be able to articulate what we do and how that contributes to the journey to positive, healthy adulthood.

Parents and children alike are being challenged to deal with an increasingly toxic environment. Camp is a viable part of the solution. We provide unique and dynamic communities designed for and with children. We provide safe environments. Camps offer activities designed to help children learn by doing and to have a sense of achievement and contribution. We set high expectations and inspire hope. We offer opportunities for exploration, creativity, and discovery. We offer too much to allow the public or ourselves to think that camp is just a place. It is a learning and growing experience that lasts a lifetime. Indeed, every child should have the opportunity to benefit from the value of the camp experience.

Camp also provides caring adults. And in a society where parents spend less time with their children than every before in our history, caring adults are extremely important. These caring adults also benefit. The same elements we offer children and youth contribute to the well-being of adults. Whether the assets benefit adults living in the larger society or whether our programs are designed to provide direct service to adults, the intrinsic value is the same. All healthy adults contribute to the positive and healthy development of children and youth.

We need a uniform voice and a strong public image to carry forward this message and to earn credibility. We must articulate a powerful uniform message that expresses the value of the camp experience. We need to see ACA as a viable community that accommodates our complexities and diversity in order to achieve a higher purpose. Our desire to preserve, protect, and advance the camp experience, child and youth development, and those professionals and paraprofessionals who are dedicated to enriching the lives of children and adults is an honorable goal. We can and should be proud. We may find that what we do is even increasingly important in the next century.