Strategic Vision Session – A Turning Point

On August 11, 2012 our Board of Directors hosted an inspiring and very productive day long Strategic Visioning Session attended by 28 Camp Fire SEM stakeholders. Participants represented each segment of our organization: board, leaders, alumni, and volunteers.

This group explored in earnest, and with great enthusiasm, a broad range of elements that affect the success of our organization. We discussed the image of Camp Fire in our region, identified our assets and past successes, determined barriers to success, assessed our needs. Then we envisioned our council in the future, those barriers overcome and needs filled – a camp filled with children, hundreds more participating in clubs over a wider area, more volunteers, more money, and a front page story about us in Crain’s Detroit Business!

With definite goals in mind, our next step was to create a 30/60/90-day plan and begin to work on short, medium and longer term objectives. These included completing the agreement with the NOHLC (land conservancy), planning for club and council events such as the Leader Training, Council Weekend, and Mix ‘N Fix, and developing marketing materials and internal communications systems.
The process is ongoing and the group will meet again in early 2013 to assess our progress and set new goals. Every member of our group left with a goal, a commitment to achieve it, and most of all a feeling of positive energy that our vision for Camp Fire SEM can and will be realized. It’s a New Day! WoHeLo!

Along with its new branding, Camp Fire developed a Manifesto titled Right From The Start. It is a philosophy that embodies the new energy we feel as our council gains momentum following the last couple of years of hard work. We’re excited to share this Manifesto with you as we start our new program year!

Right From The Start

Instead of building a better adult, let’s build a better kid. Build a better foundation and let the better adult grow up from that. And let’s not wait. Let’s start building a better childhood full of discoveries and experiences that boys and girls can learn from, grow from, and be proud of, right from the start. Not after a series of organizational meetings. Not years from now. Not in thirty chapters. No. Right now.

Right From The Start

We will jump into nature and science like it’s a mud puddle, but we’ll also let experiences like friendship and culture jump into the same puddle. It’ll be where kids find out what’s unique about each other and what’s universal about each other. We’ll conquer bad habits and fears with more rewarding good habits and self confidence. And let’s make it so kids won’t have to worry about changing clothes until after they’ve had an adventure, not before. We want them in their own stuff, in their own yards and playgrounds and parks. No false regimens. No false creeds. No false frontiers.

Right From The Start

And we’ll do it right from the start, with professionals; adults who know how to teach thriving more than surviving. People trained to spark kids’ own curiosity and help them find gifts they didn’t know they had. They’ll be Kid Whisperers. That’s how we’ll do it. That’s how we’ll build a better kid. The right way. Right now. Right from the start.