An Interview With Vista's Oldest Resident
Today, I had the chance to interview one of Vista Camps oldest residents, Mr. Tree. Mr. Tree has been living at camp for many years. He’s seen a lot of things happen at camp that many haven’t seen. I thought it would be interesting to pick his brain, and gain perspective about how much camp has changed over the years.
“What’s your name and how old are you?”
Mr. Tree: “Well most people call me Tree but you can call me Mr. Tree for professional purposes. And as to how old I am, I’m not quite sure. I barely remember my time as a sapling. What I can say though is that I’ve been sitting in this very spot for many, many, many moons.”
“Well, being that you’ve been here for many years, what all have you seen here at camp?”
Mr. Tree: “Oh I’ve seen so much! I used to be a landmark indicating the old boys’ water front formerly known as ‘Tadpoles.’ With the addition of Sierra Vista in 1982, I’ve now become a landmark for the girls water front. Something I love most is seeing campers enjoying a nice paddle in their canoes; seeing them continue to have that same, good old fashioned clean fun that campers have all these years.”
“Who’s someone that you look up to?”
Mr. Tree: “Well, we’ve had so many directors since I’ve been here but I believe the man I look up to most would be Mr. Carl Hawkins. I’ve come across a letter that he’d written to some counselors, saying,
‘The key to good camping quality is leadership: wholesome, conscientious counselors that are willing to give unselfishly of their talent, time, and energy; dedicated counselors that are willing to put their own needs and desires second to those of their campers; talented counselors that are willing to lose themselves in sharing and working with others. You have been asked to serve because we believe in you.’
Not only did he ask that of the counselors, but he asked that of himself. He was a great man who embodied the Vista motto that is, ‘What you put into camp, is what you get out.”
“What’s your favorite time of day?”
Mr. Tree: “Oh my absolute favorite time of day would have to be night time. The amount of stars in the Texas night sky would keep you busy for hours if you tried to count them all. My favorite part is not only seeing them in the sky, but seeing how their reflection in the river lights the valley. It’s truly a beautiful sight.”
“What’s your favorite thing about camp that’s stayed the same over the years?
Mr. Tree: “I would say that my favorite thing that’s stayed the same over the years would be the laughter of the campers. Sure, over the years the sound comes from different children, but at the end of the day, it’s that same beautiful sound of kids being kids.”
Getting to learn about Mr. Tree’s experiences has led me realize that there hasn’t been much that’s changed at camp. With the exception of an activity period being removed or added from the program catalog, the sentiment of the campers remains the same. This is a place where a child’s main responsiblity is to have a fun and memorable summer. Like Mr. Tree had mentioned, camp is what you make it, and Vista sets a child up to have one of their best summers yet.
