70 OCTOBER 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL SUMMER CAMPS & PROGRAMS return to the shores of Newfound Lake to cheer on the new generation of rowers. Younger boys take part in the morning races, but the big race is the last of the day, when the oldest boys face off. The atmosphere is electric: It’s the Super Bowl, World Cup, and Olympics of camp life. This year, our oldest son, Alex, has made Blue Racing Crew. He’s worked toward this goal since he was a 9-year-old cub. From the shoreline, I spot him on the dock with his crewmates, chanting and yelling and cheering for the younger Blue rowers. Finally, it’s his turn. The racing crew boats take off, and the crowds raise their voices in support. The Red Crew has a drum they beat from the shoreline, and Blue a pair of cymbals. The boys work together to propel their boats across the lake. Blue seems to be out front, but soon Red overtakes them and crosses the finish line, victorious. My son comes out of the boathouse, and while parents and campers encouragingly pat his back, his face has fallen. But the loss is just one more part of the camp lesson and tradition. The Red Crew and Blue Crew will meet back in the center of camp, arms draped from camper to camper. As tradition holds, they raise the oar of the winning team up the flagpole. And they will sing about coming back together as one team, brothers and campers, linked together not just now but for the rest of their lives. There are many ordinary American traditions my Foreign Service kids will never experience. They haven’t always celebrated holidays in the same place or been in the same school for yearly milestones like an elementary promotion or field day. We don’t go to the same small-town Fourth of July parade every year. Their lives are rich with other experiences that have molded them and made them, I’d argue, incredibly interesting people.
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