Choice and Responsibility: A Programmatic Model for Building Independence

We often say, with a sense of fondness, that Teton Valley Ranch Camp has one of the most complicated camp programs in the entirety of the camping industry. The backcountry trips program alone leads us to drive the equivalent of two circumferential laps around the globe to launch over 50 journeys into the wilderness each summer. However, beyond the backcountry trips operation, one of the most revered aspects of the TVRC experience is our in-camp program. Spending a day within the bounds of the Crooked Creek Ranch shows the curious observer just how complicated the in-camp program can get.

“Hold on a moment, you allow campers to decide where they want to go for an activity period right at the moment the activity starts? And the number of activities varies depending on the number of campers in camp on any given day? Why are you making this so hard on yourself?” - other camp professionals & my own conscious (at times)

Our founder, Weenie Wilson, believed that giving kids the opportunity to make their own decisions about how to spend their time at camp makes for a program that allows for autonomous buy-in based on individual interest. In a 1981 Wrangler article explaining the “why” behind the TVRC program, Weenie said the following,

Kids today remain as over-scheduled as ever before, often without the power of choice in their day to day commitments. Thus, we hold true to this belief in how we execute our in-camp program each time we hold a fence meeting at TVRC, and although it now carries the modern day necessities of camp operations— including tens of thousands of spreadsheet cells, heightened supervision, and logistical complexity, the impact of free choice is profound. One cannot truly predict where a camper will fall in love with TVRC; our duty is to provide as many opportunities as possible for the “ah-ha” moment to occur in an individual camper.

Here’s how we do this:

Fence Meetings: Free Choice

We colloquially call the beginning of an activity period at TVRC a “fence meeting.” Twice daily, every camper, counselor and program leader present in camp gathers at our pitched, multi-rail fence. Campers sit on the fence eagerly awaiting announcements for the numerous activities being offered that given activity period. Through parodied songs, brief skits, and the comically common clarification of play-on-words (“no my friend, I meant FIRE MAKING not TIRE BREAKING”), our staff give our campers their options for the two hour activity period ahead.

Once all activities have been announced, we begin asking who would like to participate in each activity one-by-one. Campers have the freedom to choose how they would like to spend their time based on what seems appealing, exciting, or needed for their individual camp experience in the given moment. Some activities become so popular at times that we occasionally have more interested campers than capacity in a given program area. In this case, we often ask for volunteers to wait until the next fence meeting to go to that activity area.

I often find myself touched by the level of altruism our campers display in these moments - TVRC campers are just as quick to surrender their spot in a program area as they are to raise their hand for the activity in the first place. The belief that everyone should have the opportunity to do what they are excited about runs just as deeply in our campers as it does in our Directors.

Adventure Sheets: Overarching Responsibilities

The more inquisitive reader at this point might ask: “what stops a camper from participating in the same activity over and over again?” The answer lies in our Adventure Sheet system. Depending on a camper’s Adventure Group at TVRC, they are given an age and experience-appropriate list of tasks to complete over the course of their summer on the Ranch. Each Adventure Sheet acts as an application for a camper to show that they are ready to complete their Adventure Group’s ceremony during the last week of camp. Yearling and Rough Rider sheets primarily focus on exploring the camp program and discovering what they really enjoy about TVRC, while Top Hand and Wrangler sheets revolve around gaining mastery and responsibility in the hard skills people need to safely and successfully interact with horses and the backcountry for the rest of their lives.

Campers have the autonomy to complete their Adventure Sheets at their own pace. Whether a camper decides to proactively complete their tasks, or treat them like math homework waiting until the final days of the summer to complete them, they learn to take responsibility for their time and personal experience at camp. One does not need to love every activity they participate in at camp, however they must at least give everything a wholehearted try. People can fall in love with the TVRC program in any given moment while doing any given thing. Who knows if a begrudging afternoon spent in Lapidary to complete an adventure sheet requirement could inspire a new lifelong passion or friendship?

Buying In

Ultimately, camp experiences are more valuable when individuals buy-in and believe in the value of what they are doing. When campers buy-in to what they do on a daily basis at camp, see its value, and feel a deep sense of accomplishment at the end of the summer, TVRC becomes just that much more impactful for those who stand to grow the most from a summer in Dubois. Our dedication to free choice in the TVRC program is a commitment to fostering independence in our campers, celebrating our program’s philosophical roots, and further cements the power and legacy of time spent at Teton Valley Ranch Camp.