you'd thank God for Camp Manitowish where people were nice, you could do all kinds of sailing and riding stuff, and the food was good and there was plenty of it. No screaming, no beatings.

I would bet there's a category Mr. Noah didn't think of. People whose home life was such that summers at Camp Krusty would be welcome.

This is the exact same thing I thought of after reading the article; that Mr. Noah missed a very important consideration in determining how a kid will enjoy camp- the child's home life. I never went to camp but have a good friend who did. The friend is an outsider and as such, would seem to fit the first category described (individuals for whom camp isn't a good idea because they don't like engaging in group activities). My friend very much enjoyed camp though because his home life was found wanting for various reasons, including being an only child and having emotionally bereft parents. My criticism of the article is that it's a bit too simplistic in it's analysis and comes from an upper middle class perspective. Although I suppose the author can't entirely help the class perspective which informs the article since that's what he knows.

I'm with you! I remember one particular summer I cried when camp ended and I had to go home. The people at camp were my family and in particular, my bunkhouse mates were the kind of girls I wish my sisters had been to me. I learned that I could be called out for something and not humiliated or screamed at or threatened; that I didn't have to jump out of my skin when my name was shouted out. The shouting I experienced at camp were just invitations from friends to join something fun happening; water skiing, canoeing, horseback riding, swimming, improptu games of kick the can or capture the flag. After all these years, I still remember the broken toe I received when playing frisbee football with a smile!