After spending the last week having the most fun whilst recruiting staff for this summer, y’all can bet the main thing on my mind right now: counselors.
Without these members of staff, camp wouldn’t be the same, which is why I like to think of them as the ‘heart strings’ of The Heart! When opening day of camp hits, parents and campers drive through the gates, brimming with excitement at what the upcoming month will bring. For parents, this can be a somewhat nerve-wracking experience, essentially handing their child over to someone that they have never met before. That’s why we strive to hire the happiest, bubbliest young women to be role models to our campers. Counselors undergo a week of training and orientation to camp so that they are ready and prepared for anything throughout the summer. We often say that being a camp counselor is the hardest job you’ll ever love and there are a few good reasons for that!
Counselors are the guides we never knew we needed! <3
Heart Beat – this may seem a wee bit obscure but go with me on this one: we need our counselors. The essential act of caring for campers is one thing but there are so many more reasons why counselors contribute to the everyday running of The Heart (hence the ‘Heart Beat’). Counselors make sure campers are prepared for their day, with all the equipment they need for their classes. Counselors instill good living habits in our campers, ensuring the environment they live in is clean and tidy. Counselors lead our classes at camp, from arts and crafts classes to swimming lessons, all the way up Switchback to climbing classes; if it’s a class at The Heart it’s run by our counselors, giving them the opportunity to add their fun twists and additions to simple tasks. I cannot say it enough, counselors are one of the essential aspects of camp!
Lots of love for our counselors! <3
Eager – there aren’t many people who can jump out of bed at 7.35 every morning and be ready to take on the day, but this is pretty much the daily routine of a camp counselor. A jam packed program calendar brings new adventures every day, something that a camp counselor will relish. A field day here, a swim meet there, the days at camp are filled with such fun that (most of the time) it’s very easy to get out of bed with a spring in your step. After all, we do live 10 months for 2!
Adaptability and Resourcefulness – there will always be pressure on college age students to get internships in their field of work (I should know, I was one not long ago!) However, the skills that are learned throughout a summer working as a camp counselor are becoming increasingly more what employers look for. Take the environment we work in, surrounded by so many different personalities 24/7 for an entire summer. Camp provides a setting for quick adaptability. Throw a camp counselor into any situation and you can bet they will adapt fairly quickly. Counselors have to adapt to specific roles throughout the course of a day at camp. If a camper is homesick then a caring motherly role is required. However if it’s slideball day in Field Sports then counselors have the chance to get stuck in and act like campers themselves. After all, being a camp counselor is undoubtedly one of the most fun jobs you could ever have! Camp offers daily challenges, notably the opportunity to be a problem solver. If you have 30 campers in a swim class and rain decides to pour then you better think on your feet for a solution to keep the campers engaged!
We have the best counselors! <3
Team Player – there ain’t no such thing as a lone wolf on camp. From the moment you set foot through the red iron gates you’re immediately part of a family that has been on the go for generations (something that is super special about The Heart). Counselors work together on a daily basis, whether it be cabin counselors or activity counselors, even table counselors! Camp is a unique environment where someone you met five minutes ago instantly feels like the sister you never had. Learning to adjust to working so intensely with co-counselors can be challenging but it’s such a special sight to see counselors figure out a system that works for them and to witness that special friendship blossom.
So yes, being a camp counselor is one of the hardest jobs you could ever have – but it’s also the most fun, rewarding experience you will ever have, not to mention an incredible skill enhancer! We have an incredible staff building up for this season and I cannot wait for y’all to meet them! Likewise, if you’re interested in joining The Heart family then feel free to get in touch. As we all know: once you’re a Heart counselor, you are forever a Heart girl <3
With love,
LG <3
If you don’t want to take LG’s word on why you should consider being a counselor or simply why they are the best, take a look at this article and see the three reasons why working at camp really is the best decision! <3
http://www.acacamps.org/news-publications/blogs/counselors-corner/3-reasons-choose-job-camp-instead-summer-internship#comment-476
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