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Kitchen Table Kibitzing July21, 2026 [1]

['Side Pocket', 'Blue Choir Singer', 'Black Kos', 'Chitown Kev']

Date: 2026-07-21  

Summer Camp

We are still up in Quincy, and yesterday we went by a camp, on Forest Service land. This was on the (rough) road to our destination, which was an isolated swimming hole on the river, The camp is https://featherrivercamp.com and was purchased by the city of Oakland in 1924. The camp serves the youth of Oakland, and provides an extremely rural experience for city kids. Brilliant city foresight, because land prices were so low back then. Checking with Google I found that many cities did this for their citizens through the years, and most are still used. It struck me that this was a less greedy time. “In the early 20th century, public engagement and civic generosity flourished in the United States, driven by progressive reforms and a growing sense of community responsibility. This era saw the establishment of numerous civic organizations aimed at addressing social issues and promoting civic participation.

As a kid in the 50s nearly everyone went to summer camp; some so several during one summer. This was a middle class experience and was expected. I checked, and found the camps are thriving:

Total Attendance — In 2023, around 12.8 million children and teens attended summer camps in the U.S.

Duration of Attendance — Over 80% of summer campers attend for 1 to 4 weeks, with 32% attending for 2 weeks.

Diversity of Camps — There are more than 15,000 summer camps across the United States, including both sleepaway and day camps

Popular for the kids; popular for the parents, with perhaps some private or couple time, and something I hadn’t thought about before our trip yesterday, great employment opportunities for kids as a starter job which might influence their life journey, We met a gal whose whole job was dishing out ice cream. Great resume, right?

Did y’all get to attend a summer camp? Good experience? Bad experience?

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/7/21/800073240/community/kitchen-table-kibitzing-july21-2026/

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