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| Christine and her three children (Katie, Annabelle and Mac) |
We had the opportunity to talk with Camp Balcones Springs’
fabulous owner, Christine Baskin, to hear her feedback on camp’s background,
her role as owner and why CBS is the amazing place it is today.
A
graduate of Southern Methodist University and Ursuline Academy in Dallas,
Christine is actively involved in every facet of Camp. She helps with counselor recruitment from
colleges and universities, in addition to adding her energy and talents to the
entire programming taking place at Camp Balcones Springs. Further, she helps to plan camper recruiting
events throughout Texas and beyond.
When did you originate Camp Balcones Springs?
Camp Balcones Springs was
established in 1993. We plan on having
our 20th birthday next summer!
What did you initially envision when deciding to build
on your property?
I envisioned almost
exactly what we are right now, and that is a premier summer camp that enjoys a
dual use, converting at summer’s end to a Retreat/Event Center. There are still a few works in progress.
Did you attend summer camp growing up?
I grew up in California
and did not know of anybody who went to summer camp. My siblings and I grew up going to my
grandfather’s cabin outside of Lebec, California, and spent summers going to
the beach in Santa Monica. My family
moved to Dallas, Texas, when I was in the middle of the 8th grade (my father’s
company decided to open a southwest branch of his engineering company). I attended Ursuline Academy in the 9th grade
and was mesmerized by the stories of my soon-to-be-closest friend, Anne
Wunderlick; she told countless stories of Term 3 at Camp Longhorn. I felt like
I had been cheated out of a part of growing up.
What has CBS brought to your life?
I receive letters weekly
from parents and from children who say that they could not imagine their lives
without CBS and the impact that not only camp but Camp Balcones Springs has
made upon them.
What would you say makes CBS different from other
summer camps?
Our staff, and the almost
two weeks of training that staff receives. We spend more time and resources recruiting our Counselors than we do on
any other area of Camp; that’s how important our staff is to us. We also focus on many areas of
traditional summer camp that we feel are important in helping children succeed
while here at Camp. For example, we
provide air conditioning so that children can receive a good night’s sleep and
be prepared, therefore, to tackle challenges every day. We have a talented and year-round culinary
staff that is able to satisfy every dietary need. We spend almost twice as much on food as
other summer camps; buying higher quality, fresh fruits and vegetables rather
than the canned, processed, premade items purchased by many other camps (per
John Gallimore, our Labatt representative).
Food, sleep, training, Counselors – and we set aside a period during the
day for children to roam wherever they wish around Camp. Of course, the entire property is supervised
and carefully watched. They get to experience a bit of freedom and unscheduled
leisure time, which is a direct response to the frantically overscheduled lives
children deal with these days. Our
year-round staff of 38 people provides a strong stability for our Camp, rather
than having to rely on ‘summer-only’ staff that often does not return.
What is your favorite CBS memory?
Every day provides a new
bit of stitchery to a wonderful memory-tapestry; choosing one is very
difficult.
Most recently, at “Team
Initiation” this summer (a very solemn event conducted at the Team Hideouts,
and there are four of them), I persuaded a young man, a favorite counselor here
last summer, currently our inspirational Sunday speaker who is training to be a
yell leader at A&M, to do the unprecedented – to come to the Girls-Only
Team Initiation of new campers. He was
hidden in the shadows; however, most of the girls knew that he was there. One of the girls whispered to me that
somehow, eight years ago, she had not been initiated as a new camper. I whispered back to her that maybe we should
have our guest perform a symbolic initiation.
At that point, the three girls standing with her said that they also had
not been initiated! They were kidding,
of course. ;)
