250 Starlight staff have arrived safely in Starlight, PA and now the huge task of getting everybody ready for the 65th Camp Starlight summer begins. It goes without saying that some things just happen almost by themselves – the sun comes out, the sky turns blue and the red bunks seem to gleam against the impossibly green grass – but that’s just a small part of summer. Camp just wouldn’t be the same without the amazing people, both campers and counselors alike, who become our friends and surrogate family for just a few weeks.
Our staff this year comes from 39 states and 13 countries – that’s a lot of air miles clocked up just getting here! Our staff are some of the best in their field and it is testament to Camp Starlight’s reputation that they want to spend the summer sharing these skills with others. The passion, the drive and commitment of all our staff is evident and unquestionable, but how do we get everybody to come together and create a unique summer experience? That is what orientation is all about.
Firstly it’s a time to make new friends and to form the working relationships that will provide the support, guidance and instruction for our campers. Program Directors are working with their staff to devise classes and prepare their areas for the weeks ahead. Kyle is working hard to pull all these great ideas into a structured program and you can be assured that this summer is looking awesome.
Secondly it’s about acquiring or building on the skills that make for a safe, happy and (most importantly) fun summer for us all. For new staff, this means such simple things as learning the structure of the camp day, camp rules, and the running of the dining hall. There’s a range of talks from childcare professionals, including David and Allison themselves, on issues such as camper concerns, behavior, child protection and sun safety. Many Starlight staff members are parents themselves and this offers our college age counselors a wealth of experience they can fall back on. It’s about not only learning what to do, but also who to turn to if you have a problem.
Finally, being perfectly honest, orientation is also about having fun. At 10am on Sunday 19th all staff met each other around the flagpole for the first time. The few nervous faces quickly disappeared once we were playing games to get to know each other. Later in the day we’re putting on skits to introduce ourselves properly and tonight we are heading out of camp on a trip. All this fun has a purpose though, whether a returner or new staff member, we all have something to learn which can make this summer the best one ever. Anticipation is rising for the arrival of the campers – we’re almost ready for you so if you could just hurry up these next few days please as we can’t wait to meet you all.
Tags: camp counselor preparation, getting ready for summer camp, summer camp 2011, summer camp orientation, summer camp staff training
