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You hear so much talk about thinking “outside the box” that the phrase itself has firmly rooted itself backing inside that very box.  The idea of “outside the box thinking” has lead us to focus on what more we need in order to create something new and exciting.  Lately, I have come to completely disagree with this way of thinking.  Can I be more creative with limitless resources, or when I am forced to create more with less?

Of course it sounds great to have limitless resources, it makes things easier.  But ease is where creativity goes to die.  Why dream up an original game when we could just have a basketball court installed?  Why create a new craft when we could just order a prepackaged set from any number of catalogs and websites?  Why imagine when we could just implement?

2010 is the year we create.  This is the year we do what we do best, and we do it even better.  No matter what you do this year, be sure to bring your imagination and creativity, because it is time to re-imagine the way we do things.

Sometimes, in order to get out of the box, we need to take a look at what’s inside.

“Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.” – William Ellery Channing

My most recent article for my staff newsletter, Exit 30.

Work Hard & Be Kind

Whether or not you have followed it, I am sure you have heard the news surrounding Conan O’Brien’s sudden departure from the Tonight Show. Though most anyone who watches late night television has an opinion on the matter, I do not wish to discuss the inner-workings of network television. However, while watching Conan O’Brien’s last Tonight Show, I was moved by a particular sentiment he expressed: “If you work hard, and you’re kind, I’m telling you, amazing things will happen.”

If you watch the clip, you will see that Conan also states that “Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get.” This is a universal fact, but it is nonetheless a painful reality for all who experience it. If you ever fell in love in High School, applied for your dream job, or spent any amount of time in a casino, chances are you have felt the pain of disappointment. And it is easy to allow this type of let-down make us cynical.

Those of you who worked at camp last summer probably had those moments—when a camper you had connected with acted out and misbehaved, or when a counselor you were friends with talked about you behind your back. There are plenty of opportunities at camp to feel hurt or let down and become cynical. But for every reason to get frustrated, there are dozens more to be filled with hope and enthusiasm. When something at camp doesn’t go your way, remember the camper who sought you out for a hug during the finale, or the ones who lit up when they learned something new in your program area. Remember the looks on the campers’ faces as they looked up at the stars or down on the campfire, and remember the lasting friendships you formed with your fellow counselors.

It seems that all too often we focus on the negative. But we have the choice. Do we hold on to the frustrations or the celebrations? Do we choose cynicism or optimism? Do we give up, or do we work hard and work to be kind? We know that you know the right answers to those questions. When you are hired at cam,p you are hired to be a role model, and to make the right decisions. It is up to you to do what you know is right, whether you are at camp, in college, or at home. Choose optimism, choose to let the frustrations go and embrace the fun. We’re counting on you.

Week 3 was an exciting week for Exit 30, because it marked the first time I “borrowed” from my dad who sent a slightly similar email to his staff a few years ago and then forwarded it along to me.  I also used a slight variation of this in my past life with the Boy Scouts for both my Camp Director team at Owasippie Scout Reservation and my Arrowhead District Management Team last year.

Who have you recognized with a thank-you or appreciation this week?  Do you think you can muster up one sincere thank-you/recognition a day over the next week, May 5 to 11?

In order to begin to draw the hidden potential from ourselves, our peers and coworkers, and our campers, we must catch people doing the right things.  When given time it’s a much more effective behavior modification practice than punishing for things done wrong. Like moths to the flame they will be drawn to your influence and seek ways to exceed your performance expectations. 

Consider the alternative, do you think a person that’s only given attention for failure will ever know the path to success?

Try it.  I challenge you.  Seek out one person every day next week.  Thank them for something and be specific.  Then just go on your way.  It might take 2 minutes out of your day.

Be intentional about change in our world and our camps.  Lead it.

Ryan Yepsen
Recruiter / Program Director

Continuing the series of my articles for Exit 30: The Camp Rosenthal Staff Chronicle

How would you describe yourself to someone who does not know you?  What are the things you say in job or college interviews? I’d imagine you say a lot of the same things I do when asked to describe myself;  I say that I am an energetic, hardworking, fun, friendly, and accepting person.  I’m sure you have used some of those, and most certainly many other positive qualities to describe yourself.  In fact, it is because of your description of yourself that we decided to hire you to work at Camp Rosenthal.  As I mentioned last week, we did not take that decision lightly.

As we near camp, I think it is important to reflect on what we say we are and what we actually are.  Please take a moment to think back on all of those positive qualities that you use to describe yourself and try and recall a situation where you lived up to that quality and a time that you did not.  Most people will describe themselves as “hardworking,” though we all have moments of laziness.  Most of us describe ourselves as “friendly,” though there are times when we are tired and stressed out and are less than friendly to even our closest friends.  Those things happen to even the best among us, and it is important to recognize those situations as learning opportunities.  

I like to live by the idea that there are no mistakes, only learning opportunities; there is no failure, only feedback.  I recently read a book that talked in great length about this idea, and used a great story to illustrate the concept.  The story goes something like this:

Two men are walking down an old dirt road shortly after a rainstorm.  The two men are deeply engaged in conversation and don’t notice the large rut running through the road in front of them, and both men trip and fall on their faces onto the muddy old road.  Man one lies on the ground cursing the rain and the road for developing a rut while hitting himself repeatedly in the head for being so stupid as to fall.  Man two on the other hand, stands up, dusts himself off, and continues his walk while keeping his eyes on the road ahead in order to avoid the next rut. 

Between now and the time you arrive at camp, keep an eye out for ruts in the road ahead of you.  And if you happen to trip, pick yourself off, dust yourself off, and get back on your journey.  Just be sure you learned from your fall.

See you all soon!

Ryan Yepsen
Recruiter / Program Director

Another night, another night at work. So far, the CHA nights have gone well; I’ve talked to parents representing 100 interested potential campers. Not a bad start, I’d say. I just hope they register!

After this I’ll be heading to Mike & Maggie’s to help them pack up a UHaul trailer with a oneway ticket to suburbian misery, I mean, the suburbs, excuse my slip. Should be fun though, a beverage or two perhaps and some manual labor never hurt anyone.

Come to think of it, that combination has likely hurt many people in the past.

Tomorrow is another work day, well, a work 1/4 day anyway. I have 2 interviews; 1 at 10am and 1 at 11am. I really enjoy doing staff interviews though, so I hardly consider it to be work.

All-in-all, I’d say it was a pretty good week. I feel like I got a lot of work done and had a pretty good time doing it. Now, I just have to find out if mom is in town for Mother’s Day or not…

A few weeks ago, I started a brand new staff eNewletter called “Exit 30,” after the exit taken off I-94 in Michigan to get to camp.   I have decided to post my articles here for you to enjoy as well.

So, without further adieu, my article from issue 1:

First off, I’d like to introduce myself.  My name is Ryan Yepsen, and I am proud to be the new Program Director and Recruiter for Camp Rosenthal.  I’d like to congratulate you for being selected to be on the 2009 Staff at the Chicago Youth Centers’ Camp Rosenthal!  Believe me when I say you were not chosen for this position by accident.  There have been, and will continue to be, many people interviewing for a position at camp; many people that would like to have your job.As you have undoubtedly noticed, everyone who is interested in a position at Camp Rosenthal has to go through a thorough application and interview process.   There have been many applicants who we found to not be ready for the responsibilities and excitement of camp.  
Recruiter / Program Director

But you made it.  You were hired.  We saw in you the potential, the maturity, the ability to be a quality role-model, counselor, and staff member for the youth who come to Camp Rosenthal.  I am sure that you take this opportunity as seriously as I do. We are going to have a lot of fun this summer and we are going to make a huge impact in the lives of our campers.  But we can’t do it without your commitment.

Thank you for accepting this exciting challenge. Whether this is your first year or your ninth, I want you to know that this is the year that we make the world a little bit better because of the experience that our campers have with us.  We can do this, and I can’t wait to be there with you to make it happen!

Thank you again,

Ryan Yepsen

Today, I am in Arlington Heights for a training session by the Illinois Park & Recreation Association and the American Camp Association of Illinois on Enhancing Quality of the Camp Experience: Youth Development Outcomes. I have been looking forward to this for a while, so I am really excited to get it started!

I took Katie to work this morning at 6am and drove straight to the training, leaving me in the parking lot at about 6:30am for a training beginning at 9am. After an hour or so of sitting in my car, listening to the radio, I decided I may as well just come on in. Luckily, the building was open and I found the right room, though it is totally empty except for a maintenance guy who was given no instruction as to how the room should be set up; I, unfortunately, am no help to him.

Camp is really closing in, only about 37 days until staff training begins. Every second that barrels by is another second closer to International and Out-of-State staff arriving to crash at my house for a few days before training. A second closer to leaving to move into camp. A second closer to a camp filled with excited kids!

At times, it all seems a bit overwhelming. I feel like there is so much to do over the next 37 days, and there really is. Enrollment numbers are up, though not exactly where I’d like them to be.  I really need to focus on getting the camp out to more youth in our communities quick!  I want a summer filled with full sessions!

One thing that is promising is the 11 nights of Summer Youth Meetings for the Chicago Housing Authority I am attending.  Tonight will be night #3 in a row, with night #4 tomorrow.  It’s really pretty cool, a number of agencies show up to central locations where CHA residents are encouraged to come and learn about summer jobs and program opportunities, from Park District Day Camps to After School Matters, and of course, the pièce de résistance, the Chicago Youth Centers’ Camp Rosenthal!

So far, interest by the qualifying residents (with children between ages 7-15) has been pretty good.  When you think about it, it really is a great summer for these kids.  With their CHA voucher, a resident can send their child to a full summer of Chicago Park District Day Camps for only $10 and then for no more than a refundable $20 ($25 for 2 or more children) deposit, the first 200 CHA residents can come to a 5 to 11 day resident camp for free! 

Reception has been good so far, but like I said, registration is moving more slowly than I’d hoped.  I am really crossing my fingers in anticipation of a big surge over the next couple weeks.  I hear that some of our centers are really pushing for a session at camp to be an official part of the summer programming curriculum; I can’t tell you how much I hope this comes through! 

Beyond my desire to have full sessions for my own purposes, is the fact that this is a great opportunity for these kids.  A week or two at camp is widely recognized to be a very powerful time in the life of a young person.  I can certainly say it was for me.  Everything from personal growth in leadership and team-working skills to a reduction in ADHD in many children!  Nature Deficit Disorder is an interesting thing, perhaps we can discuss this in greater detail at a later time.

So here I go, off to training (well, probably off to coffee first) then off to recruit. 

To paraphrase Harvey Milk, “My name is Ryan Yepsen, and I’m here to recruit you!”

Welp, here I am at camp again. 3rd weekend in a row, but the last for a while. All signs indicate that this should be a bit “easier” of a weekend’ a more self-sufficient group, allowing my boss and I more time to work out plans for this summer.  There is still much to do. Planning out Staff Training, workout scheduling issues, iron-out some program info. I feel like I have a pretty daunting mountain ahead of me, though I am excited to start climbing. 

I love being out here at camp, though I am definitely excited to get home.  This weekend, my wife is actually off of work – and here am I, 115 miles away.  Being a fan of The Deadliest Catch, I often like to tease her as I get ready to leave that I have to get back out to the Bering Sea, though I’d imagine the odds of me drowning or dying of hypothermia are significantly less at a youth camp in Dowagiac, MI.  Though at times it does feel as though I am gone for months at a time, apart from everyone and everything, but with out the added bonus of a $30k-$60k check waiting for me upon my return to civilization!  On the other side of that, is the aforementioned hypothermia and drowning thing.

It really is pretty cool that I get to do this for a living.  I’ve had some pretty good accomplishments lately, I think.  This past week I had an article I wrote about camp sent out to the 524 other subscribers of the Chicago Wilderness’ Leave No Child Inside eNewsletter.  I have also, over the past few weeks, developed my own eNewsletter for my Camp Staff.  Exit 30 (the exit taken off of I-90 in MI to get to camp) has been well received by the professional staff receiving it, though I haven’t heard a peep from the staff on the recieving end!  Hope they find it useful, though already in issue/week 3 of its existence, I am about to make a few design tweeks to it.

Camp is coming along well, most of our staff is hired, including to young ladies from the U.K. who will be crashing in Katie’s and my extra bedroom for a few days before camp.  Not many wives would allow a couple of 19 year old foreign girls crash in their house, I can imagine!  I will be meeting a couple of my more veteran staff this weekend as well, so I’m pretty excited for that. 

Katie is also working on starting a small business selling veils.  Her first design turned out awesome, so I am really hoping she will see it through.  If I ever was in need of a veil, I’d buy one of her’s. 

All-in-all, I guess things have been going well.  I have decided I want to try and get back into this whole blogging thing again, so hopefully when I get back into town I will post some pics from my weekend out here at camp.  Well, I guess I’ll get back to sitting in my camp-house; maybe call my wife.  Gotta get back to keep on keepin’ on.

I recently emailed this out to the subscribers of the Fort Dearborn email newsletter.

Fort Dearborn Scouts and Scouters -

With a great deal of excitement and sadness, I would like to inform you of my resignation from the Chicago Area Council.  I have accepted a position as Program Director & Recruiter with the Chicago Youth Centers where I will be in charge of their Summer Camp program at Camp Rosenthal.  I believe that this is a great opportunity and the best next step in my career.

This has not been an easy decision for me.  Over the past two years with the Chicago Area Council, I have learned and I have grown a tremendous amount.  My experiences here have prepared me to be successful in my future positions, and I am eternally grateful for the opportunities I have had here.  I have been lucky enough to have served in two wonderful districts with some of the finest volunteers that Scouting has to offer.

I leave behind a district that (no matter where new lines may be drawn) is poised for a great deal of future success.  Having been around for only a few months, I cannot take much credit for this, though I’d like to think I have helped as much as possible in such a short amount of time.  Fort Dearborn is blessed to have a great District Chairman in Andy W. and a fantastic Commissioner in John K..  Under their leadership, I am sure that Scouting will continue to grown and improve in Chicago. 

I wish you all the best and I am excited to hear about the many successes I am sure you will have here over the coming years.

A very sincere thank you,

Ryan Yepsen

Back in the office after 3 days of training, gotta love 1 day work weeks. I’m busy trying to catch up on what I missed and get a head start on what must be done next week.

I’m also looking forward to leaving this afternoon for my grandparent’s (dad’s side) 50th anniversary. I am definitely excited about getting out in the middle of nowhere and walking through the Timber. I’ve always loved their house, though I always manage to leave injured.

Happy Friday!