Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Tis not too early in the season, tralalalala, lalalala

Camp applications are in the air, and early bird discounts will expire soon!


Overnight camp fees for half a summer are almost $2000. Yes, we are in tough times, and everything goes up. But you know what? I don't think that's why overnight camp costs so much. Here is the REAL reason:
You have a camp rebbi. He teaches boys in the morning for about 3 hours. The rest of the day he is free to walk, learn, engage in other summer pursuits not available to someone who lives in "the city" and teaches 6 hours a day. (what about those amongst us who work 9 to 10 hours a day and also don't have summer vacations? Or off for yomtov? And reduced tuition at schools?But that is another post).
Here is where your $2000 for four weeks comes in(and check out the dates, it isn't even a full four weeks).
The rebbi comes to camp with his wife and seven children. Three boys go to the camp where he works, the two girls go to the sister camp, the two little ones go to staff day camp, they all eat, use utilities, and enjoy the grounds, night entertainment, and camp trips. And for all these amenities they pay?.......NOTHING! ZERO! NADA! ZILCH!

Now how about the camp director, or Director of Learning, or Director of Directors, or Head Sports, or Head Waterfront, or head/director of anything?? Usually the title goes to someone of a more mature age. Meaning he has married children, who are always invited with their brood to come spend a shabbos!

So there can be 20 staff members, each with one wife, at least three kids, maybe 9 kids, some married kids- oh!-who by the way may also be given a job, like Chief Key Sargeant or Coordinator of Buying Paper Goods, or Maintenance Supervisor. They have a job that requires at least 1-2 hours a day of serious labor. And they get paid for that, too.

And I know you don't have to send your kids to camp, it's a choice, blah blah blah. Pick a better way to refute what I am saying!

Is this cynism? I really don't think so. If you know anyone who goes to camp, go visit them on visiting day. And check this out. Tell me I'm wrong.
Then I'll post instead about how seminaries in Israel are cash cows for people who learned for years then had 6 kids and zero means of support so they decided to open a seminary.

Milk us dry

and I don't think the title of this post really has anything to do with the content herein, but I kind of meandered. Oh well, blogging license!!

1 comment:

G6 said...

Here's my idea regarding seminary registration fees. If the seminary you apply to chooses NOT to accept you, they are required to return your application fee. They may only keep it if they *accept* you and you choose to go elsewhere.
These seminaries can fund themselves quite well on these fees alone! And of course they encourage you to apply to *multiple* seminaries because "you may not get in" to your first choice....