Adapted from Lew Hamburger, Ph.D., Camp Sunrise Training Manual
Some people call camp “a school for life.” Camp promotes independence, exploration of self and environment, group living, dealing openly with people, and meeting adversity with confidence and humor. Like any other school, this “school for life” requires instructors. Valued education involves role models. Although we can’t place ads for “genuine human beings,” we can design a training program to tap the potential in the volunteers we hire.
In a perfect world, every counselor would come to camp already equipped with sensitivity, charisma, warmth, humor, and experience. However, not everyone possesses these skills and it may be tough for the senior staff to teach them. We can create settings that encourage and stimulate these traits. If new counselors enjoy the campers and bring other positive characteristics to camp, we can provide a setting for staff to learn. Counselors can begin learning and keep the kids occupied by using these hot tips.
- Learn names. Try to learn the campers’ names within hours, if possible. Associate the campers with the color they’re wearing (Greg in Red, Mary in Blue). Try a name game where campers choose an adjective to describe themselves that begins with the same letter as their name, such as Adorable Alice or Crazy Carl. Or, have them associate their name with a favorite activity or a fruit: Apple Alice, Baseball Ben. Develop your own idea, if you like. (The games might sound corny but they work!)
- Build relationships. If you can build a relationship with campers from the start, life is so much easier later on. There are several ways to do this: First, spend at least 5 minutes every day in a one-on-one conversation with each camper. Talk to them and find out what makes them happy, sad, or inspired. Find out what makes each kid “tick.” Your understanding might help them enjoy their life at camp more.
- Review rules. Rules are non-negotiable items with specific consequences. Examples: Don’t go near the lake alone. No swimming allowed when the lifeguard is not present. Don’t leave the grounds, etc. Ask your campers which things should be rules and which are expectations:
*Take care of camp property
* Help each other have fun
* Be friends with all campers
* Use appropriate language
* Be quiet after “lights out”
* Work and play together as a group
* Wear shoes at all times
* Help make camp a good place to be - Review expectations with campers. Ask them what they expect to gain from camp. You may come up with expectations like these. In our group, we expect that:
* Everyone will help with cleanup assignments.
* Each person will respect the rights of everyone else.
* We value everyone’s opinion -put-downs have no place here. - Love it and leave it. Let the campers know they are expected to leave the facility as they found it. It may help to show them the signs, gardens, paths, or other projects of campers who came before them. They need to know that they, too, have an investment in the campsite’s appearance.
- Safety first. Tell campers you expect them to behave in a way that is safe for them and others -both physically and emotionally.
- Remind them constantly. Once campers accept the boundaries, remind them every time they don’t follow them. Remind them that they are making choices about their behavior and that they are going back on their agreement to live with the expectations they agreed on with the other campers.
- Check it out. Let the campers have a chance to come up with issues concerning the expectations. Can the campers think of a time when what is “safe” means something different to you than it does to them?
- Catch the campers doing something right. Reinforce positive behavior by telling the camper you’re proud of him or her. Don’t reward behavior you don’t want to see again. Don’t overreact. Try to distinguish between an incident and a pattern. If it’s just an incident, don’t ignore it, but take it easy. If it’s part of a pattern, maybe you’re not overreacting; go ask a more senior staff member for help.
- Ask questions. You can use questions for many purposes:
* Let the kids know what to expect: “What do you think we’re doing today?
* Affirm your assumptions: “You seem angry when you bite your lips. Are you?”
* Set an example of communication: “Do you understand what I said, Andy? Why don’t you try to explain it just to make sure I was clear?”
* Clarify information: “What do you mean by ‘sort of’?,’ “Did you ask Bruce to say what he meant by ‘bad’?” - Don’t get trapped! Help campers deal with their own behavior and not with anyone else’s. When helping them take responsibility for their actions, let them know you’re interested in how they behaved, what they did and not whether Jane stuck her tongue out at Joe. You’re interested, for now, in how they could have acted differently. Your job is to help the camper discover other ways that they could have handled themselves (without hitting, cursing, whatever).
- Intervene. Be an active member of the group (in a different role, not as one of the campers). Don’t make the mistake of not intervening when you must.
- Being different is okay! Consensus is not necessary. Often, it’s not even desirable. The goal of the camp is to help kids grow and one grows through learning how to deal with differences. To feel good about oneself often means knowing it’s OK to be different. Encourage openness. Help campers deal with differences by being open with each other in a warm way. Help them look at themselves and build confidence.
- Look and listen for chances to have group members reinforce each other. Campers who are better at sports can help those having difficulty. Those who stand out in the arts can help others. Canoe trips or hikes give campers a chance to rely on each other.
- Be physically present. You should be involved with the campers, but avoid teasing and roughhousing. Activities are always better than simply hanging out. Try things like singing on the way to and from activities, at round-up times, and after meals -it builds cohesion and is an antidote to boredom and acting out. When arguments and fights do occur, you can “set a pick;” that is, place your body between the campers who are fighting. Counselors should always be in the middle of things. At mealtimes, if counselors sit in the middle of the group’s table, it will reduce the potential for fights and arguments.At mass gatherings -campfire, performances, etc -counselors among the campers reduce the noise levels and the opportunities for pushing and shoving. Counselors gathered at the rear of the crowd or off to the side give a message to campers that they are on their own.
- Describe behavior. Avoid making judgments, assumptions, or unclear messages. Don’t tell a camper he’s bad, but let him know when his behavior is inappropriate. Focusing on feelings may be helpful Usually, it suffices to say, “It’s good to have feelings, but is there a different way you can act on them next time? You can be angry, but you cannot hit people.”
- Turn the tables. When a camper says, “I can’t do it,” reply, “Isn’t that what you said about completing the ropes course? You were able to do that even though you thought you couldn’t.”
- Be a role model. Like it or not, you are the one! John Gardner, a former US. Cabinet member, once said, “Youngsters don’t learn ethical principles from books or lists; they emulate people who they feel have principles.” Campers will look up to you as they work on their own values.
- Know your biases. And be aware of their impact on your relationships and your work.
- Have fun and let it show! Make no mistake; the campers will take home what they see you do and hear you say. If you’re enthusiastic from the first minute, the chances for their success are heightened. If you’re having fun, you communicate that camp is fun and your campers will have fun, too!