N B T S C For Old Geezers

So, all yee camper alumni, camp is great, camp is good, but I suspect there's a lot of others of you out there who're feeling a little old for camp perhaps, or a little limited by the effects parental concernshave on camp. ...Discussion? Am I going to get lynched for eletism, or praised for pioneering an idea?

So my thought is that perhaps we need a NBTSC for an older age group, and perhaps, I hesitate to say this because damnit, I like people younger than me, and I hate our socital standards and rules, but it might make a lot of sense to run a camp and limit it to folks over 18. You know, legal stuff, if everyone's over 18, it's a lot eisier... I think. anyway, I dunno, point being, I think a seperate week for us old geezers might be real nice in a lot of ways. Grace does a great job of trusting us and giving us freedom, but it's still in the context of her being responsible for minors, which just sucks, and limits things.

okay well i dont want to sound egocentric or anything, but that was sort if my original thought-train for theory. that it would be a more "mature" version of nbtsc. more freedom, more responsibility. i felt that 14-24 was a decent age-range, because originally i was going to make it be 15-24 but some 14 year olds complained about it. i also think that theory has a weird reputation for being something it wasnt orignally intended to be. i mean, it was really cool and all, but next year will be really different. i didnt want theory to be a) a overflow camp for nbtsc or b) an inclusive camp for ONLY previous nbtscers. it sounded like that originally, but that's because i'd never organized a camp before and that was the only way i knew to figure that out.anyway my point is that i dont think there necessarily needs to be an "18+ nbtsc" you know? there can be something else. obviously if you're feeling too old for nbtsc, it isnt that there's too young of people there, it's just that you're ready for something else, right? speaking of which, i havent even gotten started on theory 2001 yet but i need to because i need to secure a location. anybody want to (please?! if you have any interest in this, email me at volatilegrrrl at nbtsc.org and we can discuss it) help me with pre-camp organization? anybody who's interested in this old geezer camp want to help make theory comfortable for older people?

jennyrose

Jennyrose and I were talking about this sort of thing a little bit the other night, and I sort of think it would be cool, somtime in the next couple years, to have some sort of reunion for campers from say, the first three years. It wouldn't be entierly over 18's, but by saying it was for people who went to camp in 96, 97, or 98, most of those folks are over 18 by now.

the other thought I've had about this was that it could include significant others, children, etc. of those few of us who have moved on to that stage of life, since I know I've talked to a few people who now have partners who are too old for camp, but who the former camper really would like to introduce to the community.

So- maybe somday I'll find myself with nothing better to do than organize such a thing. Or better yet somone else will!

Oh, I'd really love to meet everyone's significant others and children and such... even though I'm not really an 'older' camper, I feel like a lot of the older campers are my very good friends, and I don't want to loose track of them. A reunion every couple years (five or ten, to pick traditional numbers?) sounds like a wonderful idea. Also, as a 16 year old, the idea of a legal-adult-unschooler camp sounds like a wonderful idea too. I might not be able to go for another couple years (although knowing all our organizing skills, it probly won't exist for at least another couple years *wink* [1]) but it still sounds like a great idea. There are less teenage homeschoolers 'out there' than there are younger homeschoolers, and there are even less 'adult' unschoolers. I think a nation-wide (or rather continent wide, or even worldwide... ooo, that sounds fun...) gathering would be a great thing to have. To check in, see what people are doing, be it college, or raising a family, jobbing or unjobbing, traveling, whatever... I know to me that's one of the most inspiring parts of NBTSC, seeing what other people are doing with their lives. It seems like that would be even more nessesary as we start moving out and living on our own... Plus an 18+ camp would be a great place to start barnraising a Cob Castle... :)

[1] isn't it amazing how when a bunch of people with minimal but functional organizational skill are combined and we combine our skills... we become a group with no orginizational skills whatsoever? I find that fascinating...