As a newcomer to camp, I didn’t know much about the other staff when I arrived. Immediately I was told that camp isn’t camp without Pele, the Pool Director. After a few moments with him, he will tell you that he can’t imagine a life without camp either.
Before CLC, Pele was struggling to find his purpose. It’s almost as if his life didn’t start until he arrived at camp. The puzzle pieces fit together perfectly.
Before camp, Pele had been training lifeguards all over New England. He came to Eisner to help them train their lifeguards and ended up helping at Crane Lake too. He was only supposed to be here for 4 days. Crane Lake ended up needing another lifeguard, and he was asked to stay for a month. Well, the story goes that a month turned into a summer, and 1 summer turned into 6 summers. He loved it so much that he structured the rest of the year around camp – inspiring students during the year with Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art, in after school programming and returning to CLC every summer. Crane Lake helped him to have the confidence and ability to run any program, and now he does that all year round.
Pele didn’t go to camp as a child. He grew up in Zambia, a country in Southern Africa. His parents worked for companies that provided their own schools and paid for his education, and for his 2 brothers. He spent 8th-12th grade at boarding school in Zambia, and it was there that he learned how to make the amazing friendships that he continues to make every summer at CLC.
When I told Pele that in Hebrew, pele means wonder, his face lit up. “That’s awesome!” It’s no wonder that he comes to camp for the campers. Pele loves that there are so many other internationals at CLC. So many of the staff members are 19 or 20 years old, and many of them have already been through the army, the peace corps, and college. “Having so many international staff members helps campers understand that the expectations for their lives can take different routes, that their paths are open. When campers ask questions, they grow.” Pele also finds his role models at camp – in the form of the campers. “It doesn’t matter the age, if they do the right thing, why can’t they be my role model?”
Pele continues to find his place in the world, and we’re so lucky that he keeps returning and making CLC the special place it is. Throughout the year, he can’t wait to get here, because Crane Lake is his happy place.
By, Laura Schultze, Communications Coordinator