CBC In An Instructor’s Own Words

I often imagined myself as some sort of superhero or pirate at the beginning of a great odyssey.

CBC has been one, if not the most, consistent presence in my life outside of my home. 10 years ago when I first walked into the facility at Fort Taber, I never would have thought I would be as engaged with this program and the community as I am today, but looking back on my experiences it’s not difficult to see how this place has come to mean so much to me and everyone else involved here.

With the enticement of the sea, and the opportunity for me to hone my abilities to control and manipulate the different elements of nature, it was a haven for me as a child. I often imagined myself as some sort of superhero or pirate at the beginning of a great odyssey, and with the skills my instructors taught me I went further along this journey everyday. Because of the patience and nurturing attitudes of my teachers I wasn’t scared to fail because I knew that they would be right there to help and direct me, and if they weren’t, the friends I made there were. There wasn’t anything that teamwork, elbow grease, and a little bit of luck couldn’t solve during those summers and that was fuel that kept bringing me back.

As I grew older, the fantasies may have died down a bit, but the feeling of joy I had when I was cruising around never subsided, and while my skills (while they aren’t anything to brag about) had indeed increased. I recognized an opportunity– why not become an instructor here myself? And in the way that I felt unearthly anticipation in the weeks leading to summer, I could now provide that to others in my community and give them the same experiences I received.

The first four years were like a dream come true; along with all the smiles, laughter, excitement, and fun, I feel like I learned something about legacy. In the same way I was mentored by my instructors, I began to see the children I taught now teach others, first as helpful classmates, then as instructors as well. Things were coming “full circle” I suppose.

However, the emergence of COVID-19 threatened to put a halt to the good work we were doing and leave many children without the joy this program gives to them. In order to keep the summer open for the kids, we had to make a lot of adaptations. Children would have to be masked and socially distant, and we had to assign them to separate pods; cross communication was always something present in our camp, but it soon became very limited, along with several activities (mostly Pirate Day). Nonetheless, the staff was stubborn in the fact that we wanted to keep our doors open and make sure that during this summer especially, we were able to show these kids an amazing time like we have every summer before that.

The resilience and commitment of our staff, along with the cooperation of the children, allowed us to offer a summer that was genuine, safe, encouraged learning, and most importantly fun for kids who are not only looking for an escape, but ways to better themselves. While a successful summer seemed admittedly out of reach, everything I have come to love and associate with CBC was exemplified in our efforts to provide for them and to be a part of this program and so many of these youths’ lives is a blessing and an honor that I will carry with me forever.

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