(Fifth in a series of reflections relating to sustainable properties.)
“Time and money!” This is quite often the sharp response I get when I ask about a camp site’s greatest challenges. (Okay, so the US Forest Service comes up on occasion as well.) Of course this begs more questions from me since I always want to get to the specifics and learn more, but you get the basic idea. There never seems to be enough time, resources or funding for a site to reach a state of operational Nirvana we’d like to attain.
Last week I toured two very special outdoor sites in Southern California, all part of a site manager’s seminar. The purpose of the get together was to network and learn new methods and best practices for managing camps. It was inspiring to speak with the various managers and hear their stories about running their camps and the kinds of experiences they offer their participants. The two camps we toured were very special and provided inspiration on a different, even more heartfelt level.
What was truly remarkable about these sites was the fact that they provide not just experiences but transformations for some very special participants. The camp I’d like to focus on this month is one that hosts children with serious medical conditions and offers a chance for some “serious fun” through innovative camp experiences. When I say serious medical conditions I mean spina bifida, skeletal dysplasia, organ transplants and Crohn’s disease to name a few. It doesn’t get much more serious than those. These kids miss out on life experiences many of us take for granted. For that reason there is a particular emphasis on personal growth as many of the activities are challenging in addition to being enjoyable. One example is a ropes course that accommodates those in wheelchairs. This has to be seen to be believed. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, they sometimes do this at night while illuminating the mountain side with spotlights. Think those kids feel pretty accomplished after that, and maybe get and injection of hope and encouragement? That’s deeply profound and moving to me, and epitomizes the very pinnacle of camp experience and transformation. Other camps create equally transformative experiences and create a deep impact on camper’s faith, independence, connection with nature, and so on.
This inspired me to turn my thoughts to just how precious time is when considering some of the truly valuable activities we engage in. Not only do we want to be efficient with our time so we don’t feel we are wasting it, but I’d personally also rather spend that time saved to undertake those pursuits that impact other people’s lives in a fun and transformational way. With regard to how we spend our work time, Lodgepole software users know the power of this tool to do just that—save valuable time. Once the initial time investment has been made to populate your camp’s data in the database, you will reap the benefits of having the information centrally stored and at your fingertips. Our ability to organize maintenance, administration, inventory, grounds keeping and many more day to day realities of outdoor properties life has saved people many hours of their precious time. Equally if sometimes not more important, Lodgepole gives you the data to plan for the future – knowing what large projects and replacements need to happen. This is essential for boards, owners and executives to effectively manage for long-term sustainability.
The Lodgepole team is committed to helping you make your property the very best and most successful it can be. This has been a rather personal note to you today as well as a very emotional one for me, and that’s why this month it’s getting my name attached. Thank you for listening and I encourage you all to send me any experiences you’d like to share about camps that made a difference in your lives.
– Eric Stromberg, Lodgepole Business Developer, eric@callippe.com
“The best preparation for tomorrow is to do today’s work superbly well.” – Sir William Osler