Over the past few days, I have had heartfelt conversations with many of you, for whom I have the utmost respect. As I have continued to reflect on how to proceed, I believe in my heart this decision must be one that works best for the entire TLC community. After taking the pulse of our Tripp Lake Family over these past few days, it became clear to me that our collective heartbeat was not in sync and, therefore, I have reluctantly concluded it is best that we not open camp this summer.
I cherish the trust you place in me, and I am beyond grateful for your appreciation of our effort to overcome many clearly daunting obstacles. I have been focused on offering our girls a much-needed return to some semblance of normalcy after the disruption they have faced in their lives. I wanted them to have an opportunity to be back with their Tripp Lake sisters in a place where they feel at home. And I wanted to make sure I had exhausted every possible pathway forward.
Above all else, camp is about the deep, lasting friendships our girls are building, often with girls from different parts of the country. Our oldest campers, the 1ABers, lead what is truly a sisterhood (and this group of 1AB 2020 has shown great leadership throughout their time at TLC). While we sometimes speak (even in non-COVID years) of the Tripp Lake “bubble,” ultimately our girls would need to fly in from many different states in order to bring our full family together. I did not intend for this decision to cause undue stress on those of you who desperately want to send your daughter to camp, but feel the risk is just too great. I also do not want to dilute the experience for girls who returned to camp when some of their best friends did not, or cause sadness for girls who were not able to go.
At TLC we sing about the Spirit of Tripp Lake, which infuses what we do at camp with a love for each other and a bond that literally lasts a lifetime. Please tell your daughter how much I love her and how difficult this is for me. Please let her know that my loyalty to our entire camp family has led me to this decision and that I am happy to connect with her to be a support as well.
And then remind her that I will be the first person to greet her and welcome her home when she arrives at Tripp Lake on June 26, 2021. “For you girls belong to Tripp Lake, and Tripp Lake belongs to you.”
Kind Regards,
Leslie
