Lessons That Last a Lifetime: Kathleen Alcorn Shares Leadership Learned at Camp Ondessonk
by Kathleen Alcorn
Camp Ondessonk is such a wonderful place for both personal and leadership growth. In my opinion, it is the most beautiful place on the planet. I was a camper and, later, fortunate to serve on summer staff and as seasonal staff. I will never forget the kind handwritten letter from Gene Canavan in reply to my inquiry about volunteering over the summer. He wrote that there is a shortage of unit leaders and that I could work there as paid staff. Being a part of the Gene Canavan staff is another special sentiment that is shared amongst those who had the privilege to be a part of Camp during Gene’s tenure.
Gene taught leadership and inclusivity. He stressed that Camp should not be a crutch and that we should seek knowledge, friendships, and expertise outside of Camp. Over the years, I began to understand this message and definitely took Gene’s advice to heart. Camp will always be a part of those who make it a part of their lives. And that Camp can benefit greatly from learning from outside perspectives in business, leadership, training, and adapting to changing times.
We were fortunate to have been the end of a generation that learned to figure out things very quickly without prior exposure, training, or proper equipment and resources. Camp amplified those skills for all who worked there prior to applicable labor laws and other safety concerns. For me, I have never stopped utilizing everything I learned from Camp in my personal and professional life, especially from the Teams Course. I continue to share what I learned from Gene Canavan. But I also learned from so many other people I look up to as well, such as Michelle Bretscher.
Michelle Bretscher is a no-nonsense get it done and get it done right person. Michelle embodied leadership and efficiency, and I wanted to learn as much as possible from her. Throughout my career, I have too often been asked, “How did you know how to do that?” I usually just say, “Camp.” But the real answer is, “Because of Michelle Bretscher.”
Michelle taught me how to think analytically and to think about all of the what-ifs. When Camp was going through its ACA application, I was the unit leader for the Horse Adventure Camp. Michelle tasked me with putting together a manual outlining the entire program, with a core focus on health and emergency situations, and also short- and long-term upkeep of the herd, stable facilities, and pastures. Michelle would read what I produced, which was mostly photocopying her notes that she began collecting as a young CIT in the barn. She would hand it back to me, “What if a camper is injured in this area of the Shawnee? How are you going to communicate this back to Camp? How and where will they be transported? What if that road is closed or obstructed due a storm?” We did not have cell phones, nor were there radios that would work through the canyons and hills. There were endless questions about scenarios I never would have considered if it were not for Michelle. Camp passed the ACA inspection and application in the first round because Michelle brought that same ethos to all program areas.
As part of the off-season full-time staff, Michelle taught us how to winterize Camp. I will never ever forget being at Lake Echon, and Michelle explaining to us what we needed to do for that area. She was near the end of her pregnancy with her first child, Chris. We were slow to react, so Michelle picked up a canoe by herself and slung it onto the storage racks, providing visual direction. Those of us who were not with child began to stack the canoes with two people picking up each vessel. Michelle also fed the entire herd of 67 horses and shoveled the entire yard while pregnant, when Camp did not have an equestrian director and when seasonal staff had not yet arrived. She never retold any of these things because she is a part of a time when you just did these things because it was necessary for the care and continuity of Camp programming.
Michelle always encouraged us to keep learning, and she exposed us to the Department of Natural Resources Project WILD classes to help us become better at teaching outdoor education. Michelle taught us so much about ecology, how to be better people, how to present ourselves, and how to be better at our jobs. We also came from a generation where knowing how to maintain and operate your programming area was an outward symbol of true dedication, regardless of how few resources one was given to work with. Both Michelle and Dave Bretscher were and are the best role models for all of those skills.
Because of Camp, I have run construction sites without fear; written emergency management plans for an entire city; built multi-agency teams for critical response and resources; continue to volunteer in safety training for emergency mitigation in crowded urban settings; was chosen to be the point person to evacuate an entire wing at the Capitol in the event of an emergency, “because you are the one person in this group who will not freak out in (x) situations;” and have outperformed those trained in specialized areas. “How did you know how to do this?” Because Michelle Bretscher taught me how to think outside of the box, through all possible scenarios, and to consider how each and every decision and action in emergency situations impacts others.
