Transitioning from Camper to Counselor

Hi, I’m Goodwin Burgess, Tent Row 2007 (yeaahh ‘07!!), and I was a counselor in the two-week session during my TR summer and during both sessions last summer. (That’s me on the right, with Rebecca Darling.)

I had dreamed of being a counselor ever since my early years at camp. In 5th grade, Elise Landau and I actually made plans to teach arts and crafts together someday. That didn’t work out.  Having been a camper, I thought it was a little weird to be a counselor. It’s an odd transition, especially from your TR summer. It’s also very different depending on what camp you’re in; I have been a counselor in both Junior and Senior, so I’ll talk about both.

If Camp Nakanawa were an ice cream cone (just go with it), Junior would be the ice cream, and Senior would be the cone. Junior Camp is just this amazing, messy whirlwind of laughing and screaming and silliness and juicy cups while Senior has a more serious side but with plenty of giggles thrown in. I, personally, found it easier to know my place as a counselor in Junior than in Senior. You are almost like a surrogate mother in Junior while you’re this combination of friend and authority in Senior. Also, you already have relationships with the campers in Senior. I’m not going to lie, it took me a while to feel normal again. How do you act around the girls you willed stuff to, as a counselor? From watching older camper-counselors and just over the four weeks, I realized that it’s okay to still have those special friendships and “I Spy My Tie” is a game that’s just going to happen. But, you have to remember why you’re there. You are a counselor, and camp is now your job. You have responsibilities to your own bunkies, to the other counselors, to Karen and to Ann and Pepe. It’s a lot of work.Imagine you’re working on AWR, VSP and Banquet all at once for two, four or six weeks…it’s kind of like that.

But what I particularly enjoyed about being a counselor (other than the hot tub and bowling alley in the CB) was that I formed this whole new type of relationship to camp. Yeah, it takes a little adjusting, but being a counselor is amazing. You feel like you’ve really contributed to camp and like you’ve bonded with the other counselors and with your fellow ex-campers in this whole new awesome way. And I would not trade reading The Princess Bride aloud with my bunkies, bailing canoes or late night CB dance parties for anything (well, maybe the bailing canoes one). Anyway, moral of the story, camp remains paradise on earth even when you’re done being a camper. The only difference is your role in that paradise.

I hope this has been helpful. Returning TR girls, you will also be asked to watch this 20 minute video.  It will address some of the issues you might confront.  Please plan the time to watch it before you come to camp.

Smiles and Pep,

Goodwin