Camp is about the Campers

Hi, everyone….The first time you will learn about the girls in your cabin is the moment you and your co-counselor sit down with Ann and Pepe at the “cabin assignment” meeting during pre-camp.  I have had the privilidge to sit through these meetings when head counselor, and I have to admit, it’s magical.  It is in this meeting that you will learn about your bunkies, and you will learn what the parents hope and wish for their daughter.  You will even learn what their anxieties may be.  For instance, a mother may tell us that she is hopeful that her daughter tries new activities….. or shares that her child is a bit anxious about the lake…..or hopes that her daughter learns to be a good friend and get along well with others.  These may sound like small, insignificant thoughts and wishes, but they are not.  It will be up to you, their counselor, to take what you learn [on paper] and help your bunkie to expand their horizons while at camp.

Here are a few of my personal thoughts to help you keep your campers as your focus this summer:

• Make something special out of camp’s unstructured times…..especially bedtimes.

Any time you are in the cabin with your girls is precious time.  Blocks of time like cabin clean up are times that you can interact and get to know them.  You are talking with them about the day, helping them to learn to work together, modeling good “clean-up” behavior yourself.  Before lunch or before dinner, when the girls are just talking together is another great moment.  Free days are another great span of time that you can bond with your cabin.  But the best time of the day is nighttime. The effort that you put in at night will pay great dividends in terms of the respect and the closeness they feel with you.  Establish a nighttime ritual that makes each girl ready to get to Egypt, get back to her cabin, dressed and ready for bed by second blinks.  Share a special devotion time every single night.  Make it count! It is through this special time that you will truly discover the magic of camp, and the camper counselor relationship.

• Check in with every one of your campers, every day….making sure you ask the right questions.

Trust me, it can be easy to let time go by without spending one-on-one time with every camper, especially when they seem to be having fun and doing just fine.  But try to find that one-on-one time.  When not on duty during free swim, plan something fun with a bunkie.  Make a nightly ritual of asking each camper these great questions:  “What was the best part of your day?”  or “What was the most challenging part of your day and what did you learn from it?”  You will be amazed by the things you’ll learn. You will find that you are really getting to know each girl in your cabin, and that you enjoy this special time even more than they do.  The important thing is to do this every day, without fail, no excuses!

• Catch your bunkies doing something right . . . instead of focusing on what is not going well.

This is actually a good tip for life.  When I was a camper, there was a counselor who took her free teaching period to walk around camp and observe her bunkies in their activities.  I remember thinking that she must really like the girls in her cabin!  And it was true.  She did!  Now, I’m not asking you to spend your free period wandering around camp, but perhaps network with the other counselors to check on your girls.  And if you are teaching a class, and you see a real accomplishment (or a child who overcomes a fear), share that with her cabin counselor.  It is in these easy ways that we catch our campers in a positive light, giving them feedback about their accomplishments along the way.

So I guess my best advise to you is, don’t let the CB (or Counselor Bunk) be where you spend your spare time, but rather let that time be spent with your bunkies whenever possible.  Think about the adults who have played the most positive roles in your life growing up.  Well, you are now in that role.  Have fun!

Hope these thoughts help.

Looking forward to seeing you soon,
Shelly