Wahsega has long been my favorite 4-H camp, because even today, it’s nearly impossible to check e-mail or make a phone call.

And this month, it’s been nice to miss the news some days.

When we take 4th through 6th grade 4-H’ers to camp at any of our centers, we ban cell phones. Even for adults who have cell phones the whole time, I find that we’re so busy we miss most of the news for the week.

“But, what if…” many parents and kids start stories about needing cell phones.

But, what?

Don’t worry, if there’s a medical emergency I definitely have a way to make calls.

One of the most important elements of summer camp is independence. Regardless of how mom neatly packed your clothes into bags labeled by day, you get to choose how to dress.

Parents aren’t there to tell you what was packed for today, or not to jump in that mud puddle with your new sandals.

When you hear the counselors blowing whistles, you check your schedule for the next activity and find your own way there.

If you’re quiet, you can probably whisper to your friend half the night, but you’ll be the one dragging tomorrow.

You could choose to count swimming as a shower, but the looks of those around you may help you to make better decisions tomorrow.

When you didn’t put away your hairbrush yesterday, there’s no one to blame but yourself. When you left your towel at the pool, it’s up to you to visit the lost and found.

You can’t make a phone call to complain about missing things, and you don’t have to worry about what’s going on back home.

The new Pokémon app for smart phones came out while we were at camp, but all I saw was 800 kids running around camp playing on the slip and slide, canoeing in the lake and cheering on tug of war.

On Friday morning, we gathered on the hill as so many thousands of 4-H’ers have done for over half a century to find out the winner of the tribal shield.

Old friends and new friends sitting together. While the news outside of camp was dividing our country by race, religion, political party and any other way we can be divided, our 4-H’ers were sitting side by side.

Our tribe didn’t win.

But we all cheered anyway and boarded the busses for home.

There were tears shed over leaving their counselors and a magical place called 4-H camp.

As we hit the Walmart parking lot, they were thrilled to be home but sad to part from new friends.

In the months leading up to camp, we’re bombarded with roommate requests. Everyone wants to be with someone they already know.

Some won’t even sign up for camp until they know someone else from school or scouts is also signed up.
I know parents worry, but once we arrive, it’s like all those labels fall away.

They aren’t Mansfield kids or Oak Hill kids. They aren’t Pack 211 and Pack 747. They’re just 4-H’ers.

I love Newton County. I love the diversity you find here, whether we’re talking about race, religion, economics or favorite ice cream flavor.

But finding that diversity when we’re attending a single school, going to church with similar families and mixing with neighbors who may mostly look and act alike can be a challenge.

And there’s so much more you can learn about a person by living with them for a few days, so maybe a good, old Rock Eagle cabin is one of the best equalizers in life.

The girls in my cabin came from all across the county. They spent a lot of time fixing each other’s hair.

They loaned each other money so they could all get Icees at the canteen or passed around their bag of popcorn to share.

And I’ve never seen girls swap beds so many times in a single week, or a single night. I think they all had each other as a bunkmate at one point.

As I listen to the news, I’m sad. Worried. Scared.

As I think about the kids that hugged goodbye after 4-H camp, promising to see each other soon—I have hope.
Hope that maybe our own prejudices, intentional or not, aren’t all rubbing off.

Optimism that I see kids embracing their own uniqueness, whether that’s a talent for braids or science skills.
Confidence that these 87 kids came home with a new appreciation for others. Others who aren’t so different after all.

I hope we’ll see them and new 4-H’ers for our back to school party with Rockdale on Aug. 5 and County 4-H Council on Aug. 8. Call 770-784-2010 for details or to sign up.

Terri Fullerton is a County Extension Agent in 4-H Youth with University of Georgia Cooperative Extension.