The Spirit of the TVRC Team
The spirit of the Ranch is not simply a matter of tradition—it is challenge by choice. When we’re assembling our team we’re looking for expertise in key fields, ability to jump in where needed and a beginners mind – open to learning and adapting as needed. This year, our staff has fully embraced these words. Not only have they done everything asked of them, but they have sought out ways to better camp that reach far beyond the scope of their responsibilities. This practice of taking pride in and receiving fulfillment from a good day’s work is enshrined in the “Code of the West”—a brief list-summary of camp’s ethos—which teaches us to “Take pride in [our] work.” and “Do what has to be done.” We recently covered the code of the west in full here.
Just as this grit and pride form the keystone of our camp culture, they also are an integral part of every lesson we teach our campers. The ability to work well with and care for the people around you is invaluable in any life well lived, and TVRC is wholly committed to instilling those abilities in the bright-eyed, hungry young men and women who join us on the ranch. Even in the first week of Boys’ Season, it is evident that this message is taking hold: When a scullery team was shorthanded and facing a mountain of dishes, it was the campers who volunteered to help them clean; when a camper was discouraged while in the Backcountry, it was his brothers who lifted his spirits and helped him push on.
It is vital that every kid has someone in their corner–someone who is always “ready to ride”—and it’s exceptionally powerful when that person is a peer. At TVRC, our campers not only ride for one another, they also “ride for the brand” – they work and play with their eyes and hearts towards the betterment of our community. Each day, they undertake shared challenges in a community setting that not only build their skills, but also build their confidence in themselves and in one another. Every night, our campers listen with respect and speak from the heart as they share what they have been learning with their cabin in Circle. The Circle practice is a sacred time at camp that allows people to share their experiences with one another—and, in doing so, to learn why and how those experiences were so significant. By laying our experiences and emotions bare beside those of our fellows, we gain deeper understanding of one another and of ourselves.
We are blessed to have this special place in which to live and grow, and even more blessed to have the bright young men and women here who come to learn not only about the west, but about themselves. We hope to inspire both “the strength to lead” and “the faith to follow” to every camper and staff member who finds their way here. Our Trail Blazers, the oldest adventure group, have already begun to discuss how they can help the staff guide younger campers towards their goals. Our community is enriched by this special commitment to ourselves and to each other, and we are reminded of those commitments in every moment that we spend with one another. These moments are what drive us to push past what we think we can do and to do things we once only wished we could. As Ellen Wilson, daughter of Founders Mary Ellen and Weenie, reminded us – “We all have more skills than we think we do. We all know more than we think we do. We all have talents that are extraordinary.”
With those words echoing in our minds as staff we aim to share that same sentiment with this seasons campers. Onward, toward adventure in the mountains and on the ranch!
