When 5 days = 7 days

Five days left in New Zealand, but seven days until I get to camp…  This is how long I will spend travelling!

I will spend 12 hours on a plane from Auckland to LAX, followed by 8 hours milling around waiting for my connecting flight to Boston, then another 5½ hour flight, a 2 hour car ride, and ending with  a 20 minute boat ride before arriving at my second home…

Arrival at camp

Is it worth it I hear you ask?

The answer is without a doubt – YES!

There is no moment when I am as happy as I am when I get off the boat for the first time each summer.  This is when the excitement of what is to come really hits.  Each summer has been better than the last, and I can’t wait to get stuck in again.  There will be many times of catching up with friends among the staff and campers, as well as introducing our island paradise to new members of the Camp Lawrence family.  Many mornings waking up to unparalleled views of a pristine lake.  Many meals enjoyed with 200 others in a noisy, lively dining hall.  Many people’s lives being improved through new knowledge, new experiences, and expanded horizons.  This is what I live for…  I love seeing others achieve something new or that they didn’t think they could achieve.  Maybe I’ll even challenge myself to ride the zip line!

Dining Hall in action

This year there has been a lot of build-up.  This marks my fifth summer at camp (and yes – that’s 5 winters I have skipped).  My role at camp now is an important one as I lead and mentor our staff as well as campers to be the best they can.  I am sure it is once again going to be a fantastic summer, and am very much looking forward to it.

On the flip side though, I have to say goodbye once again to my NZ friends and family…  This is never an easy task, and although I live at the opposite end of the country to my family, it is still easier to stay in touch from Auckland than it is from camp.  The only time I have to call home from camp is after midnight (when it is after 4pm in NZ) and this means a late night…  Believe it or not, it is harder to say goodbye to my mates!  These are the people who are always around me, and in some cases even work with me.   On Friday we had a few drinks by way of an early leaving party.  Another ‘quiet’ night…  The efforts my work mates went to, to organise plan and carry out a very impressive array of activities to celebrate my departure shows me how much a part of the team I am (I am still in pain two days later!).  I go through this twice a year – once on each side of the world, and it is never as easy as you think.  Fortunately for me, I know I will be able to return in a few months and catch up with everyone (or at least those who have not departed for their own working holiday adventures around the world).

I can’t wait for camp, and despite having to say goodbye to some people for a while, I am very much looking forward to those I haven’t seen in 8 months since last summer!

It is going to be a good summer.  Of this I am sure.

Stay tuned for regular updates over the coming months – you won’t be disappointed!

Counting down…

Not long now…   As I begin the countdown in days (17 days until I am at camp…) I have started to think of what I need to take with me! Last week I talked of what makes a successful camp counsellor, but this week I want to focus on me and my experience… As usual, there is the general clothing one needs for camp – shorts, shirts, etc… all the boring stuff. But the ones to remember are the things you can’t get at camp or in the USA for that matter! I always have an assortment of NZ chocolate – the snack size Cadbury bars – for use as prizes and bribes/rewards, as well as when I want a reminder of home… But there is also the obligatory gift for camp directors – NZ chocolate (Whittaker’s Kiwifruit flavour this year) is such a valuable gift, and taking a block of chocolate over for your camp director is simple and easy, and always appreciated (if not by him, definitely by his wife!). Other things which will be crammed into my bag this year include Tim Tams for my good friend and colleague, and then there are the comforts of home for myself…

Marmite – two jars for when the cook throws the first one out because he thinks it is rancid!

And

Sweet Chilli Sauce – believe it or not, I have not been able to find this in the USA… Plenty of BBQ sauce and other concoctions, but no sweet chilli… How do they survive!

My bag is now packed, and there really isn’t any more room, so here’s hoping I don’t think of anything else… I’ve got the torch (I mean flashlight), a hat, and wet weather gear, some classy sunglasses, and of course the electrical plug adapter – this one is vital! I actually have a NZ multi-box which I keep at camp so I can use several of my NZ electronics at once.

Of course, I can’t forget the essentials – wigs, beards, and crazy clothes for the crazy events we have at camp. I am bound to shock some people this year…

The sad thing is that I actually packed my bag 4 weeks ago, yet have still got to wait another two weeks before I get the chequered flag and am on the plane! I am sure it will fly by though…

Remember – Sing out loud, especially if it embarrasses your children!

Being a Successful Camp Counsellor…

The Four Flags – The underlying values of the YMCA

As I begin my Summer Camp USA pre-departure orientation training days for all the Kiwi’s heading to Summer Camp through IEP New Zealand I have been working on defining the role of a camp counsellor and how to be successful in this role.  Funnily enough, there were a lot of similarities in the core values of the YMCA, so with just 5 weeks until I hit the island, I thought I would revisit those core values, known at camp as the four flags… 

• Caring (Red)
• Honesty (Blue)
• Respect (Yellow)
• Responsibility (Green)

What do these mean to a Summer Camp counsellor?

Caring

Caring

 It is important to show an interest in your campers as a counsellor.  Even if the campers are not in your cabin, there will be times when they need your support, and even times when the staff need it…  When acting as a role model, it is important to take into consideration the impact your actions have on those around you.  At Camp we are one big family, and everything we do has an impact on someone else.  A wise old man once said –you should spend 10 minutes a day talking 1:1 with each camper in your cabin.  This is a valuable mantra for a cabin counsellor as this will allow you to bond with each camper, learning about them, their likes and dislikes, and their interests, as well as being able to identify any issues such as homesickness which you can then deal with.

Honesty

Honesty

I’m not sure I really need to explain this one… everyone can tell when you are dishonest, and even if it is for the littlest thing, the campers will remember!  This impacts on counsellors relationships with staff and management as well as the campers and parents, and all these stakeholders are watching and listening.  One act of dishonesty will ruin not only your relationship with those involved, but will also lead to you no longer being trusted with the littlest of things… enough said I think…

 

Respect

Respect

 Often overlooked as a cabin counsellor, respect truly marks the difference between a good counsellor and an outstanding one!  Not only is it important to respect management, and your superiors, but it is also important to respect the other staff and counsellors.  You should not belittle them in front of campers or other staff, and should always respect others decisions, and follow camp rules.  The true value of this value (pardon the pun) is when relating to the youth in your cabin, activities, or around camp.  Showing respect to the campers will instantly allow you to build a rapport with them which will in term grant you respect and allow you to lead in a more positive manner.  No-one likes a bully, and this is also true of an aggressive leader.

Responsibility

Responsibility

We are all role models for others, whether we like it or not, whether we want to or not, there is no avoiding it.  In order to live up to the expectations others have for us, we need to be responsible in everything we do.  This is not just in terms of looking after the children in our charge, but also in every other aspect of our lives – both at camp and beyond.  Campers often look up to and aspire to be counsellors.  They notice everything (even the stuff that happens when they are not around…) and learn their values from us.  We need to be responsible for installing in them a good set of values, so that they in turn can pass these on to those they come into contact with.

Summary

These are the underlying values for any leader, mentor, or role model – regardless of the environment, be it a YMCA, a Summer Camp, or simply at the local mall.  If we can all work towards living up to these ideals we will all make great role models, and in turn help create better future leaders through our example.

I am looking forward to getting back to camp, and working on integrating some clearly defined training around these values.  I have confidence that our staff have all these attributes and don’t need to be taught this, but it is always worthwhile reminding and reinforcing the values we are all working towards so we don’t become complacent.

Now that I got that off my chest – it’s time to get back to the fun stuff! 

Time to start packing… (in fact I’ve almost finished…)