This is the Referral Rundown, the newsletter that helps camps grow through word of mouth.

We’re the Michael Scott of newsletters - we want you to fear how much you love us

Today’s estimated read time: 1 minute 32 seconds

My favorite moment of last summer wasn’t Opening Day.

It wasn’t the Fourth of July.
It wasn’t staff arriving (though I love that one).

It was a random day in June.

A camper walked into the office with her counselor to ask for help.

Her instax camera was broken – the lens had popped off.

We spread the pieces out on the table.

I started narrating what I was seeing.
In software engineering, we call this “rubber ducking.”
You just talk through the problem out loud.

Something about that got her going.

She leaned in, started suggesting ideas.
Turned the pieces over in her hands.

You could see it happening.

Confusion, curiosity, connection.

After a few minutes of tinkering and discussing as a group, she snapped the lens back into place.

She was so happy and proud of herself. Everyone in the office was fired up.

That was my favorite moment.

Not the fireworks, not a big EP.

Just a camper figuring something out.

I loved it because it captured so much of what camp is supposed to help children do:

Try new things.
Push yourself.
Ask for help.
Be a safe place to make mistakes.

I hope she remembers that moment.

And if she doesn’t, I hope the feeling sticks.

But here’s the part that’s easy to forget:

That moment doesn’t happen if she doesn’t come to camp.

And she probably doesn’t come to camp if someone doesn’t tell her about it.

Most of our campers find us through word of mouth.

A grandmother, an aunt, a best friend who started in first grade.

We can talk about marketing channels and paid ads and SEO all the rest.

Those matter.

But referrals build the community.

They’re how one camper’s story becomes another camper’s summer.

And sometimes, they’re how a broken camera turns into a moment that makes the whole year feel worth it.

In keeping with today’s issue, here’s a great article from The Atlantic about the value in letting kids fail:

Pro tip: If you don’t have an Atlantic subscription, toss the link in archive.ph.

Until next time,

Peter “Campfire Commando” Elbaum