About the Organization
Commentary by Kent Cummins
in 1992, I was challenged by Robert Crampton (McGruff the Crime Dog's alter ego) to combine my magic, juggling and puppetry programs into a camp. The Magic Camp officially opened in June of 1993, and was an immediate success. Kids liked it because it was fun; parents liked it because they saw their children enthusiastically learning new skills.
George Skaggs, Manager of Westgate Mall, generously agreed to provide open space to get the camp started. This space served us well for the first four years, but is no longer available. But as Robert Crampton often says, “That's another opportunity!” For three years we enjoyed the beautiful indoor and outdoor facilities of the Sri Atmananda Memorial School campus at 4100 Red River in central Austin.
The new millennium brought a new change in facilities. We began setting up partnerships with schools in the Austin Independent School District, thanks to the enthusiasm of several of the principals. Our first school partnership was with Baranoff Elementary, then Brown Elementary, then Ridgetop, and then Fulmore Middle School. We have also had a partnership with the Austin Waldorf School, as well as Concordia University. As you can see from our registration page, the relationships we are cultivating are expanding even further and we are excited to see what the future brings in this regard.
One of my greatest pleasures is working with the Magic Camp family. And I am proud that they keep coming back (even counselors who have moved out of the Austin area.)
The Magic Camp wouldn't work without my wife, Margot, who handles the increasingly complex administrative chores. Or the off-the-wall creativity of Peter the Adequate, who has been an integral part of the camp since the beginning. 2005 was the first summer that the camp had to run without Peter, thanks to a wonderful opportunity for him to perform at his own theatre in Branson! We'll miss him, but his departure also makes room for some of the previous counselors who--although too old to still serve as counselors--continue to love and support The Magic Camp. We also are proud of the awesome skills of Jason Caballero, our first counselor and Camp Manager. And Gus Davis, also known as “Gusto the Great,” who was a camper at our first camp. and is now the Assistant Camp Director! We have also added Steve Farmer, a long-time friend in the magic community, who retired a few years ago and now provides his considerable expertise and devotion to the camp. It wouldn't be the same without Mary Lou Cummins, our original puppetry coordinator and “Grandmother in Residence.” (How many 63-year old kids get to work with their mom each summer?)
What started as an interesting idea has become the defining project in my life. It has been an incredible privilege to have been a part of these young people's lives as they have grown from awkward camper to competent counselor and continue to amaze us with their caring, competence and creativity.
As Cody Fisher, our 1997 Camp Manager pointed out, “It's really a life skills camp!”
