the hard work to live better lives!
A team effort from day one of signing up,
the boys attend camp to work through their
issues with guidance while the families work
on their issues from home. Life happens,
and the problems are not the boys’ fault.
Sometimes it’s the family system, sometimes
it’s an abusive dad or an alcoholic mom.
Whatever the case, Cameron Boys Camp
works with the whole family unit because
the ultimate goal is reunification with their
family unit. For the young man to be able to
function successfully in all areas whether at
home, school, or work, the process averages
between 14 and 16 months. Jason assures,
“There is no timeline; we take whatever time
is needed. Sometimes it’s a little less than a
year. Sometimes it’s two years. It just depends
on the boy, the severity of issues, and his
willingness to work on the struggles. We keep
the families involved every step of the way.”
In addition to meeting the physical,
emotional, social and spiritual needs of the
boys, the educational needs are met at camp
as well. Wanting the boys to take ownership
of and responsibility for their lives, the boys
are given much responsibility. Allowed
the freedom to determine their day as they
conquer both practical life skills and thinking
skills in learning to prioritize goals, the boys
decide a morning plan, an afternoon plan,
and an evening plan. “They can do whatever
they want, as long as it is safe,” informs Jason.
However, there are a few obligations the
boys have to follow as they need to be able
to take their clothes to be washed or they
won’t have any clean clothes. The boys cook
two days a week, so if they don’t write out a
shopping list for what they’re going to cook
those two days, then they’re not gonna eat.
After the boys prioritize a few things, then the
Chiefs let them choose when, where, and how
they get it all done, which is really neat!
Since Camp is an accredited non-public
school, the boys complete their scholastic
work differently than most others. Jason says,
“We can go out in the woods to study reptiles,
or we can study WWII and visit the museums
in DC. We live in the woods, and the boys
design and build by hand their own structures
for lodging. Whatever we do, we do it right,
and we accomplish our goals as a cohesive
unit. No one can carry either a big log or a
major life problem by himself, but together
we can. The boys are making tangible choices
which reiterates the importance of planning
and the importance of doing things right.”
Groups regularly take adventure trips,
whether it’s a hiking trip or a day at Badin
FROM KANSAS continued FROM KANSAS continued
Lake. River trips remain the favorites of
everyone as the boys frequent the Suwanee
River in Florida, and the Green River in KY.
However, the trip of all trips includes the
adventure down the Ocmulgee and Altamaha
Rivers in Georgia. When the boys canoed from
the middle of Georgia, all the way down to the
coast with some very scary and very funny
adventures along the way, Jason recorded
their incredible journey in his book entitled
Rivers of Transformation.
A culmination of his personal journal
along with some entries from the boys, Rivers
of Transformation gives readers a day–by–day
account of the 375 mile voyage of 9 campers
and 3 Chiefs. Incredibly the boys planned
every single bit of it. Jason smiles, “They
planned the equipment we would take, the
meals we would eat, how many miles we would
travel per day. They planned where we would
get re-supplied because we couldn’t carry all
the necessities with us. From the tangibles to
a purpose statement, goals for both the group
and individual, they planned everything. In
addition to learning First Aid and CPR, the
boys learn how to purify water, make a latrine,
and many other important skills. Once the
boys generate a plan, they submit the details
in a folder to the supervisors and directors
who make sure it’s feasible. Upon handing the
folder back, the leaders encourage the boys,
‘Go have fun!’”
“Good growth is hindered by ideal
situations,” said a previous Camp Director.
“Sometimes you gotta go through the fire to
have good growth. Sometimes you have to be
in a difficult situation in order to really rely on
others.” Trips make this happen.
It was May. It was hot. It was out in the
middle of nowhere where the only constant
was the team of guys working together. Team
work is the only way to be successful on such
a feat. Jason explains, “Take a canoe. You’ve
got a guy in the bow and one in the stern, and
they have to work together, or they don’t go
downstream. You have to set up your campsite
as a group. We learn to work together on a
much deeper level, and this is where a lot of
the heart change happens.”
For the first half of the trip, there were
only two Chiefs for the nine boys. And on the
first day, they realized what they forgot! Of all
things, they forgot toothpaste! From a boat
landing and a quick visit to town, operation
get toothpaste was restored.
With no fresh fruit and no fresh food, some
of the meals weren’t ideal, but the team made
it work. Jason informs, “We pack ingredients
in trash bags, label them, and stick them in a
dry box. We can fit three days of food in one
dry box. We cook over an open fire, and we
always enjoy a good meal for dinner.”
The inspiration to write the book
emanated from wanting to tell a good camp
story. Memories pass so quickly, and Jason
was determined to record the special trip. “I
wanted to have something we could read as a
camp. I wanted to inspire the boys to do their
own trip, to have their own adventure, and
to record one of the many adventures from
camp. We do trips as often as we can! There
are no limits, and some boys canoe 400-500
miles while at camp.”
Since there’s a lot of transformation
that happens at camp, and even more so
while you’re out on a river, the title Rivers of
Transformation came easy. However the time
from concept to completion was a long time.
Occurring in 2011, the river trip was preserved
in personal journals and pictures and inspired
into book form from Jason’s dream to publish
something.
Over time, life happened, a house fire
happened wherein Jason lost everything.
The beauty from
ashes came in
discovering the rough
draft had been sent
to Jason’s mom via
an attachment on
an email before the
fire. And a friend of
Jason’s had kept some
pictures from the
river trip. Published
in December of
2019, Jason was
able to bring the
book to completion.
Jason shares, “The
book solidifies the
memories of working
through issues, having fun and just being boys
together. It’s a memento of an accomplishment
that we worked for and achieved together.”
The hidden gem of the Sandhills where
the boys sign up for growth, the Cameron
Boys Camp offers the Chiefs and other staff
members a chance to grow as much as if
not more than the boys. Always eager to
learn something new, Jason seeks growth. “I
want to keep serving as Jesus would, to keep
developing my character as a follower of
Christ, and to keep transforming young men
as we share hope and change lives.”
From Kansas to Cameron and Rivers of
Transformation, the life moments twist and
turn like the banks of the river. Just as the book
records the day–to–day changes of the trip,
Camp has become a river of transformation
enriching Jason’s life. Involved with Camp for
now twelve years, Jason has learned problemsolving
skills, how to rely on others, how to
be patient and considerate of other people’s
perspective and so much more. Transforming
lives through daily adventure, the Cameron
Boys Camp is not its own entity, as it prepares
others for life, and that’s what it’s all about. ☐
Check out Rivers of Transformation for a
life–changing adventure! Available at
the Country Bookshop, Amazon, or by
contacting Jason at Camp.
Cameron Boys Camp • (910)245-4034
FROM KANSAS con't. next column PO Box 277 • Cameron, NC • 28326
FROM KANSAS con't. next column
FROM KANSAS con't from PAGE 10
The book
solidifies the
memories
of working
through
issues,
having fun
and just
being boys
together.
p.26 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. No. 142 Sharing Hope. Changing Lives.