Welcome to Douglas Knight as the new director of Camp Tecumseh!

After the summer of 2014, camp directors of 14 years Jim and Nina Talbot will pass the torch on to Douglas Knight as the new Director of Camp Tecumseh.

An introduction from the new Director:

Doug Knight (right) and former Director, Don McBride (left), in the Director's Office. In the background is Mr. Munger's desk and Mr. Grant's dog, Jiller.

Doug Knight (right) and former Director, Don McBride (left), in the Director’s Office. In the background is Mr. Munger’s desk and Mr. Grant’s dog, Jiller.

Dear Camp Tecumseh Family,

It is with equal parts respect and relief that I accept the challenge to be the next Director of Camp Tecumseh. The respect is for the thousands of campers and counselors that have come before me, and the relief is for the values and traditions that have endured at camp for the last 111 years. These values align perfectly with what I have emphasized to students, players, families and my own children for the last seventeen years as a teacher, coach, administrator and father. Words like discipline, resilience, selflessness, leadership and sportsmanship are just a few of what I heard from alums, campers and parents while interviewing for this position, and witnessed firsthand with my family this summer.

The passion of everyone involved with Camp Tecumseh is contagious. It makes me wish I was a camper, and it inspires me every day to do my job better!

I’d like to sincerely thank Jim and Nina Talbot for turning over to me and my family, a camp in fantastic shape. Their work along with all the previous Directors, staff and campers have shaped the “Greatest Place on Earth”.

Before we left camp in August I spoke with the entire staff and emphasized two key points. The first is that I want as many of them back as possible. 2014 was a great summer at Tecumseh and one of the main reasons for this is how terrific the staff was. It was a cohesive, energetic group that cared about each other and the campers they lead. I have already begun to meet with staff members and plan to throughout the offseason to learn more about camp and try to ensure their return to it.

The second thing that I said to them is that we can always get better. I quoted Jim Collins in ‘Good to Great’ when I said that “once you begin to think of yourself as great, your slide to mediocrity will have already begun”. Camp Tecumseh cannot rely on its reputation. We must strive, every day, to get better as a community.

In that regard, if you have any questions, concerns, recruits or just want to talk about camp please do not hesitate to contact me. My email address is dknight@camptecumseh.net and my phone number is 610-513-8564. As we begin to prepare for the 112th year I want to let you know some of the goals I have for the next 12 months:

  • Make every decision with the best interest of CT campers in mind.
  • Build a new website by September, 2015. This will consolidate all of CT’s databases and make the entire user experience much easier for all.
  • Start an online CT holiday clothing and apparel sale.
  • CT Staff Blue Gray fundraising bike-a-thon. More information to follow, but we have a group of staff members that plan to bike from Banff, Canada to Cape Horn, the southern tip of South America. There are a great number of amazing ways we plan to incorporate CT events with this ride. Stay tuned!
  • Plan and carry out CT webinars with Youth, HS and College coaches to inform parents about how you can best prepare your child for the next in life and in sports.
  • Plan and carry out small group recruiting gatherings in strategic areas, as done in years past, to maximize campers for CT.

In closing, I leave you with a quote from Alexander Grant that speaks to the rich history and tradition of Camp Tecumseh.

“I have believed in Camp Tecumseh as a great American institution for the development and training of a boy’s own best self, and of his character, qualities of leadership and sportsmanship, and of his ability in various forms athletic, aesthetic and manly endeavor” – Alexander Grant, Last Will and Testament, June 28, 1943

I have never seen an organization stick so closely to its values for such an extended period of time as Camp Tecumseh has. This is why boys and men continue to come back year after year!

8 months until camp starts. See you soon!

Doug

Douglas Knight
Director, Camp Tecumseh
dknight@camptecumseh.net