So This Counselor Walks Into A Cabin …
Want to know the biggest secret about staff training? Most of the learning will not occur in formal workshops but on the job, after campers arrive. As a parent, that’s a scary thought, at first.
Authenticity, Immediacy, And Delight
Running a camp requires leaders to pay attention to more variables, details, and input than they can possibly manage. Children, staff members, bugs, sunscreen, pools, parents, email, homesickness, newsletters, websites, lice, and payments: the proverbial firehose from which camp leaders attempt to drink daily is endless.
Mac Vs. PC
Despite this article’s title, I’m not here to extol the virtues of any particular computer. In fact, I’m here to discuss two vastly different leadership styles.
What Is Comfortable?
When my wife and I had saved enough money to buy a house, we didn’t have much left over to buy furniture. Fortunately, our parents chipped in to help us buy a three-piece set that included a couch, a loveseat, and a chair.
The Adventures Of True Leaders
One of my favorite books is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Like all great youth leaders, Twain was a wise student of human nature.
Set The Tone
Let’s face it—a camp can have state-of-the-art equipment, the most pristine lakeside setting, and the best mac ‘n cheese this side of the Mississippi, but the truth is, it’s the staff members who make or break a program.
Developing The Dream Team
Wouldn't it be great if recruiting the perfect staff were this easy? Wanted: an energetic, caring, creative, open-minded, dependable, and organized person who enjoys teaching children everything we offer from archery to golf.
Tomorrow's Leaders Today
Wouldn't it be great if your captains set a positive tone in practice, anticipated problems before the team's morale sunk, and didn't have to be asked to pick up the balls and cones, or be reminded about leaving
Growing From The Inside
Internal leadership development (ILD) is a program of hiring, training, and promoting front-line staff members and supervisors from the camper ranks. The benefits for day camps, overnight
Should You Hire A Guest Trainer?
When you are preparing for staff training, you might want to think outside the box.The box that is your office, that is.Sure, you're the camp director. It's your job to make sure your staff is
The Four Forms Of Feedback
Letting your staff know how they are doing is an important part of running a camp.When things go wrong -- and when they go right -- the why's and how's need to be addressed.But giving feedback -- and
Make Opening Day Last All Summer
It's Opening Day at camps all across the United States and Canada.The staff is enthusiastic and excited. The grounds are newly trimmed and weeded. The cabins sparkle.Now think ahead a few weeks --