Camp Counselor
Expectations of the Job: As a Counselor, your role is to effectively balance responsibilities required of you as an activity counselor for one or more activities, while managing approximately 8 boys in your cabin. You will work collaboratively with other counselors in your tribe and your activity, your Tribal Leader and Activity Leader, and the Camp Directors. Each staff member has different tasks per his or her role in camp. We are all working as a team to provide opportunities for personal growth and fun for the campers in an attentive environment.
Adventure staff are responsible for planning and leading adventure trips, such as backpacking, canoeing and kayaking, mountain biking, and rock climbing. Most male adventure staff members live in a cabin with 8 boys and a co-counselor. We prefer you to have experience in wilderness medicine, risk management, and trip leading.
We strive to build self-esteem, character, and skills in different areas. Being organized and proactive, leading with enthusiasm, demonstrating unselfishness, and careful diligence to safety is critical to being a successful counselor. Welcoming unforeseen duties that may arise in order to run camp efficiently, you will also be expected to share in the miscellaneous duties connected with camp operations, and to use positive influence to promote the welfare and growth of the campers. While we cannot list each specific task that will be carried out during the days and weeks of the summer for the operation of camp, more common duties are noted below.
Daily Responsibilities
- Serve as an advocate for the campers in your cabin and activity by building and maintaining healthy and supportive relationships and supporting them as they pursue their goals
- Monitor the health and well-being of yourself and the campers in your cabin or activity area and communicating concerns with the medical and/or leadership staff
- Collaborate with campers to maintain a clean and orderly cabin (including daily clean up, stocking and use of cleaning supplies and toiletries, and maintain general cabin condition)
- Manage a cabin by teaching and overseeing the self-help, life skills, and social skills of the boys in your cabin
- Maintain your table’s decorum during meals
- Utilize Rest Hour and Call-To-Quarters each day to talk with your campers about their experience and goals, documenting the details in the weekly required paperwork
- Participate in and help set-up, lead, and clean-up evening programs, all-camp games, and free-choice activities with the leadership team, campers and peers
- Teach and support staff in the activity(ies) you choose or are assigned to with energy and a positive attitude
- Maintain cleanliness, order, and upkeep of your activity areas and equipment
- Supervise campers and account for them at designated times (meals, cabin times, special events, emergencies)
- Spend time talking and interacting with campers in and out of your activity and cabin group
- Arrive to meals, activities, and other duties on time (including Morning Watch, Church, and Campfire)
- Maintain personal mental, physical, and emotional health by getting ample rest and nutrition to remain successful and sharp
- Model excellent personal hygiene/grooming expectations, sportsmanship, and good manners
- Report any maintenance needs on the maintenance board or equipment issues to the Program Director
- Ask for help when needed
- Assist when needed with miscellaneous camp operation duties to share in camp management needs including, but not limited to, the following:
- Set-up, execution, and clean-up of nightly milk and cookies
- Organize lost and found
- Maintain cleanliness and order in common areas, trunk room, counselors’ lair, and trip room
- Field parent phone calls
- Complete administrative tasks
- Sort mail
- Transport or chaperone campers to the doctor or to and from a trip based on need
- Facilitate health needs and medication delivery at nightly clinic
- Help campers obtain needed items from the camp store
- Welcome unforeseen duties that may arise for camp to run efficiently
Weekly Responsibilities
- Communicate with the campers in your cabin and update camper questionnaire sheets, turning them into the program office on a timely basis
- Write a letter to the parents to each of your campers’ parents each week to update them on their child’s experience and turn them into the program office on a timely basis
- Deposit your campers’ laundry and sheets and then collect them on time
- Plan a meaningful “cabin time” activity with your cabin
- Attend staff meetings
- Complete all required evaluations and paperwork accurately and on-time
- Arrive on time for assigned Free Choice duties
- Maintain progression records of campers in your activity
Session Responsibilities
- Actively monitor your tribe during assigned Tribal Duty
- Plan and execute a cabin overnight each session with a positive attitude and warrior spirit
- Complete all paperwork accurately and on time
- Develop and/or follow the lesson plan for your activity focusing on skill, fun, and safety
- Ensure your activity areas are well-supplied, orderly, clean, and equipment is maintained and working properly
- Greet and engage with campers and parents on Opening and Closing Days
- Cover cabins when necessitated by time-off schedules (including meals, Rest Hour, Lights Out, and Wake Up).
- Clean and/or close your cabin between each session and at the end of the summer
- Help transport campers’ luggage to and from cabin areas in preparation for and on Opening and Closing Days
- Assist in resetting camp for next session, including both cabin and activity areas
Training Expectations
- Familiarize yourself with procedures and protocol for daily operations and emergencies
- Successfully complete the mandatory certification(s)
- Adhere to all policies, guidelines, and expectations listed below
- Conduct self in a professional manner