"Why Timanous?" written by a Camp Parent

For us, Timanous is an investment in our son - an investment in character, maturity and his passage to adulthood.

As parents of a teenage boy, my wife and I often find ourselves reflecting on how to help him make one of life's biggest transitions - from boyhood to manhood. Like many boys, our son is energetic, enthusiastic and impulsive at times. Accountability and responsibility are intermittent notions - chores don't get done, homework is forgotten, sports equipment is lost etc. Social relationships in middle school are awkward and difficult at times.

We understand that the passage from boyhood to manhood is a difficult emotional, intellectual and psychological journey. Popular culture - embodied in video games, television shows, advertising and the like - are of no great help. School by necessity emphasizes accumulation of knowledge and skills. We have found that the Timanous experience offers our son a unique opportunity to pull together numerous elements of what he will need to be an independent young man.

An all boys camp, staffed by adults with often decades of experience, and counselors themselves former campers, Timanous sets high expectations - for behavior, achievement, integrity - while offering boys independence, choice and responsibility. Its emphasis on values and traditions give the boys a sense of being part of something very special and they rise to the challenges of camp while having a great time.

Each summer, when we have picked up our son, he seems to have grown emotionally as much in those few weeks as he had in the preceding twelve months.