Sr. Counselor Ian

I was having a conversation the other day about how important it is for children to have non-relative role models – of both genders – in their lives. Whenever I discuss this topic I find myself using Sr. Counselor Ian as an example.

I’m not going to lie – some people raised their eyebrows when I hired Ian as Sr. Counselor for the sprouts, our youngest age group. Can a big, burly 26 year old male be sensitive enough to tend to the needs of our youngest campers?

He sure can! He can also catch bugs, play hockey with a pool noodle, dress up as any number of mysterious characters (including Dumbledore), help you put sunscreen on your nose, and read you a story when you’re tired. That’s why, if you’re a four, five, or six year old, you’re a member of his fan club.

Role models come in all shapes, sizes, and genders.

Aside from the obvious shock of being startled awake in the middle of the night, and knowing that someone had violated our personal space in what I have always considered to be a VERY safe place to live, I was also disturbed to learn that the person who broke into our cars was also a neighbor – someone who lived not far down the road from us.

A sense of community is very important to me. It’s the reason I moved back home to Perth after living in Toronto for a few years. The “takes a village to raise a child” mentality is one of the main reasons I started camp. I think about my 16 year old junior counselors who work so hard to care for our campers, and what makes them different from the 16 year old who tried to steal from me. I think about my screening process for those staff. Most importantly, I think about our little “sprouts” campers at four and five years old. What are we doing for those kids, so that they will never find themselves in that position? This is a great motivational question for me as I look forward to Summer 2012.

“Camps that pull this off and make kids, especially teens, put away the makeup, stash the iPods, get a little dirty and even a little frustrated while having fun and making new friends, are the kinds of camps that offer children the best of what they need. Looking at those experiences from the vantage point of my research on resilience, I know that camps help our children develop great coping strategies when they provide seven things all children need:”

Read more about the seven things here.

What I didn’t expect was just how much the NON-organizational aspects of camp would also help me plan the biggest party of my life.

The Theme

Apparently, according to Martha Stewart and the internet, your wedding should have a theme. Ok… so my wedding is like a Colour War. And during Colour War, everything is based on the theme: decor, costumes, food, and activities so everything works together. Well hey, no problem! We do this every day during the summer. (But don’t worry… we’re not having a pirate or Harry Potter wedding.)

The Guest Experience

When we plan programs and events for camp we always try to look at things from the camper’s perspective. What will they see? hear? feel? Taking the time to think about the wedding from our guests’ perspective helps to iron out the little details that will make a difference in their comfort level. And I’ve thought a little about behaviour management too. Ever seen what happens when you leave empty blocks of time in a schedule? (Answer: The momentum is gone. Plus, if you don’t give them something to do, they’ll find something. And it probably won’t be the thing you want them to do.) So at our wedding, there will be no leaving our guests to twiddle their thumbs!

Chris Thurber has written an excellent article on how to write about camp jobs on your resume. This is a great read for our previous staff, as it shows how to celebrate the importance of camp to non-camp people who might be reading your resume.

More than that though, it’s a good read for anyone applying to work at camp, or anywhere else for that matter. My favorite big ideas from this article:

• The wording you use can make a HUGE difference in how your job experience is perceived. Be professional, and don’t use “camp-specific” words that no one else will understand.
• Spelling and grammatical errors are not acceptable. Period. (I love this line: “Those who think that my little thought-train sounds harsh are the ones who won’t get choice jobs. It’s as simple as that.”) I agree. If you don’t care enough to proofread your resume, will you care about your job?
• Camp IS a “real job”. Another quote: “No responsibility rivals that of caring for children.” I understand this – I want to work with other people who understand it, too.

Our 3rd annual Santa’s workshop was a great success! With double the enrolment of last year, we had a full house and both campers and staff had a wonderful time.

This year’s special projects included:

• peppermint bath salts in gift jars
• Christmas tile coasters
• wreath picture frame ornament/magnet
• slipper socks

Week 2 found us well into the swing of things! It’s so much fun to have so many campers returning from week to week.

Best Moments:

• Lots of cooking – and eating!
• The “wet sweatpants” race
• Reptile Rainforest Roadshow
• Harry Potter Colour War & the game of Quiddich!

Best Quotes:

“Be more like us… neurotic and dependent.”

“Smiley Face.” “Smelly face?”

Wow, Week 1 of our 2011 summer season just flew by! We are off to a great start, thanks to great weather, happy campers and an awesome staff!

Best Moments:

• Human Foosball
• Egg-Spoon Race with “Counselor Gauntlet”
• Pudding War

Best Quotes:

“Can I call you back? I’m bathing a camper in the sink.”