Each summer, Night Eagle deliberately creates a world that is significantly different from the one in which boys normally live. By doing so, we invite boys to explore and be daring, to look beyond themselves and toward their relationship with the earth and others. In his book, The Hurried Child , David Elkind suggests that society is pressuring our children to mature both emotionally and intellectually faster than they can handle. By de-emphasizing play and overemphasizing ac

I strongly believe that everything that happens in a person's life is meant to be. Years ago, I visited a good friend and his wife in northern Mississippi, arriving at their house on a Saturday afternoon. That evening they were preparing to attend the opening of a play and invited me to join them. I thanked them for the invitation, but declined, saying that I'd rather find a book to read and just relax. After they left for the playhouse, I wandered over to the bookshelves tha

Last spring not long after I had sent out the spring edition of the Night Eagle News , I received a surprise email from Heart Spirit , a...

I recently re-read a news article from the Wall Street Journal that focused on camps that are springing up around the country to cater to boys who are growing up accustomed to the easy life and expecting more comfort. One camp in California built a million dollar dining hall with big picture windows over-looking a lake, to go along with better air conditioning in the cabins because, according to the director, “We have to keep the kids coming back.” A camp in Maine installed p

I’m going to do something here that I’m guessing very few camp directors would ever do. It might surprise you if you’ve never talked with...