I went to overnight camp twice when I was a kid. I cried hysterically both times. I was the kid who was inconsolable, didn't want to do any activities, called my parents crying, and spent a lot of time in the health center for a lot of nonexistent ailments. I was not "most likely to be a Camp Director" when I grew up.
I think my past as a homesick camper makes me a better Camp Director, or at least more empathetic. I completely understand how kids feel and I am very patient with them, because I totally feel their pain. We have one or two every week (sometimes a few more than that). Sometimes it's just a moment or day of homesickness, sometimes it is the whole week.
This week I have one special friend who has been homesick since he arrived. It is his third year at camp, and his brother and twin sister are here too. I wouldn't expect a kid with those things going for him to be homesick, but then again, I cried at day camp, so I should be so quick to judge.
Monday night was rough. He tried to climb in bed with his counselor, and pretty much stayed up the whole night. Tuesday morning, he was hysterical and adamant that he wanted to go home NOW. I gave him the same talk I give every homesick kid, starting out with, "we can call your parents but only once you've tried XYZ (depending on the day, time, kid, etc.)." I do my best to distract them, take their mind off home, and then give them a plan for when they get homesick. For this kid, I asked if he would draw his parents a picture of himself doing his favorite camp activity. That idea then ballooned into creating a whole book of drawings. I told him every time he felt homesick, he could come to my office and work on his book. Usually break times, right before or after meals and right before bed are the hardest times, so this gives him something to do during those times.
So he has been coming in for short, sometimes only 5 or 10 minutes to work on his project. He hasn't cried at all since we came up with it, and I heard from his counselor that he was very excited about the book he was creating with the Director's help. I didn't realize I had such star power, but whatever it takes, right?
Now he checks in with me on a regular basis. When I saw him playing capture the flag yesterday, he ran by and yelled, "I'm having a great time!" and today after breakfast, he said, "I'm having fun, but can I work on my book?" So we are buddies and he has paper and markers waiting for him on the spare desk in my office, so he can come in whenever he wants. I am confident he will make it through the week and maybe even grow up and become a Camp Director some day.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tree Growth 101
My dad and I are building one of those cool sign posts with a bunch of arrows pointing in different directions, leading to all of the buildings at camp (as well as a "you are here" arrow facing down, and "heaven" arrow facing up).
Yesterday, my dad chopped down a 12 foot pine tree, cleaned all of the branches and bark off of it and then dug a deep hole to put it into the ground. It was a fascinating process for both kids and counselors, and as he dug the hole, he had a large crowd around him.
Now the pole is in the ground and S, C and I have been painting the arrow signs. Many kids and staff wanted to know what the pole was about, and being sarcastic, I said, "we are trying to re-plant this tree." All of the kids rolled their eyes and laughed and asked, "no really, what are you doing with it?"
Not the Assistant Program Director D. This was our conversation:
"What's the deal with the pole?" -D
"I'm trying to transplant this tree. I'm hoping it will begin to grow." -me
"Really? Can you do that?" -D
"Yeah, I think so. I think it will be nice to add some shade to this area." -me
"Yeah, you're right, this would be a nice place for a tree." -D
Then he walked away. J and I were standing together, dumbfounded and laughing. No way is he being serious. He's a 4th grade teacher during the year, he can't possibly believe it. He's joking right?!?
But later, D went up to my dad and wished him luck on the tree project. My dad didn't know what he was talking about and when I explained it to him, he fell over laughing.
Later, C and I were standing near the "tree" and D came back. "How often do you have to water it?" he asked. "Um, I'm not sure. I think my dad is taking care of it." -me
I think he's actually serious. And that just makes me feel bad for my sarcasm. I really thought he'd know I was kidding though. This morning, my dad dragged the hose over to it and set a box of Miracle Grow next to it. Now all of the counselors are in on it and we're waiting for D to figure it out. Deep down, I think he's the one playing me. He must be!
Except that right before lunch, J asked D if he could help him figure out the Miracle Grow instructions, and they were both out there, dumping Miracle Grow on the "tree" and D stood out there hosing it down for a LONG time. Again, I feel like the meanest person ever, but I also think it's hilarious.
D has a pretty good sense of humor and I think he will laugh when it finally occurs to him that you can't re-grow a tree that has been chainsawed off and cleared of all branches and bark. I hope he laughs...
Ambushed
"The floating dock has floated away. Can you tell S and J to come down and get it back?" -L
"Sure." -me (but I didn't move immediately)
"It's urgent, can you do it now?" -L
So I jump up, and run out of my office, grab S and J and we head down to the beach. No one is there, and the floating dock seems to be in the right place.
"What was L talking about, it's fine..." -me
Which was the moment that 6 counselors jumped out of the bushes, grabbed S by the arms and legs and carried her, screaming, to the dock to throw her in.
That was also the moment I took off running, as fast as I could back towards my office. Except that I wasn't fast enough and also got picked up by the arms and legs, carried to the dock and thrown in. They had the decency to pat me down for a cell phone and take that out of my pocket first.
After spending all morning on the phone and answering emails, a little excitement wasn't completely unwelcome. That being said, IT'S ON. I will get revenge and it will be more creative. Just another typical day at the office...
"Sure." -me (but I didn't move immediately)
"It's urgent, can you do it now?" -L
So I jump up, and run out of my office, grab S and J and we head down to the beach. No one is there, and the floating dock seems to be in the right place.
"What was L talking about, it's fine..." -me
Which was the moment that 6 counselors jumped out of the bushes, grabbed S by the arms and legs and carried her, screaming, to the dock to throw her in.
That was also the moment I took off running, as fast as I could back towards my office. Except that I wasn't fast enough and also got picked up by the arms and legs, carried to the dock and thrown in. They had the decency to pat me down for a cell phone and take that out of my pocket first.
After spending all morning on the phone and answering emails, a little excitement wasn't completely unwelcome. That being said, IT'S ON. I will get revenge and it will be more creative. Just another typical day at the office...
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Lice
Monday at camp, kids arrive, meet their counselors, move into cabins, eat lunch, and then spend 4 hours touring through camp. The go to each program area and do activities, and they go to the health center where the nurse asks about medication and checks for lice.
The lice policy is this: if a kid has lice, they have to go home. It is too difficult for us to treat and not fair to the kid to be quarantined the whole time he or she is here. Lice can happen to any kids, not just "dirty kids" or whatever the stereotype is. It is just one of those things that happens sometimes. It's no fun and kind of embarrassing, but it's not a big deal. Lice doesn't spread as easily as you think, and lice can't live very long when it's not on a person's head. That being said, we can't deal with it here, so kids have to go home.
Yesterday a kid had lice. It was a tough call. She really just had lice eggs, and her head wasn't itching yet. The nurse and I were fairly confident it was lice, but it made it difficult since she wasn't itching. Adding to the difficulty was that the kid is in a foreign exchange program from Ireland and this is her last week in America. If she had to leave camp, it wouldn't be the fun last week she'd expected.
I called the parents and they were surprised and not exactly happy to have to drive all the way up north, but when they arrived 3 hours later, they were the nicest, calmest people I've ever dealt with. They brought lice treatment with them and shampooed her right in the health center. They took her home and this morning, treated her again so that she could return this evening. They drove her all the way back up to camp today, meaning that those parents drove 3 hours, dropped the kids off, 3 hours home. 3 hours to pick her up, 3 hours home. 3 hours to drop her back off at camp, three hours home. All of that within 24 hours. Like I said, they were nice people.
When she got back today, her head was clear of lice and she was excited to be back. But she was stressed out that her cabin mates would think she was dirty or make fun of her. So I did what you sometimes have to do with kids and I lied. I said she was feeling sick and had been in the health center the whole time. They didn't even question it and they were glad her "stomach" felt better and laughed at the silly rumor about her going all the way home. Whew.
My entire body has itched since the moment I found out she had lice, but I think it's psychological, so all is well. It ended in the best possible scenario (happy, lice-free kid, happy parents, lice-free camp, happy Director). Hopefully no more lice for the rest of the summer.
The lice policy is this: if a kid has lice, they have to go home. It is too difficult for us to treat and not fair to the kid to be quarantined the whole time he or she is here. Lice can happen to any kids, not just "dirty kids" or whatever the stereotype is. It is just one of those things that happens sometimes. It's no fun and kind of embarrassing, but it's not a big deal. Lice doesn't spread as easily as you think, and lice can't live very long when it's not on a person's head. That being said, we can't deal with it here, so kids have to go home.
Yesterday a kid had lice. It was a tough call. She really just had lice eggs, and her head wasn't itching yet. The nurse and I were fairly confident it was lice, but it made it difficult since she wasn't itching. Adding to the difficulty was that the kid is in a foreign exchange program from Ireland and this is her last week in America. If she had to leave camp, it wouldn't be the fun last week she'd expected.
I called the parents and they were surprised and not exactly happy to have to drive all the way up north, but when they arrived 3 hours later, they were the nicest, calmest people I've ever dealt with. They brought lice treatment with them and shampooed her right in the health center. They took her home and this morning, treated her again so that she could return this evening. They drove her all the way back up to camp today, meaning that those parents drove 3 hours, dropped the kids off, 3 hours home. 3 hours to pick her up, 3 hours home. 3 hours to drop her back off at camp, three hours home. All of that within 24 hours. Like I said, they were nice people.
When she got back today, her head was clear of lice and she was excited to be back. But she was stressed out that her cabin mates would think she was dirty or make fun of her. So I did what you sometimes have to do with kids and I lied. I said she was feeling sick and had been in the health center the whole time. They didn't even question it and they were glad her "stomach" felt better and laughed at the silly rumor about her going all the way home. Whew.
My entire body has itched since the moment I found out she had lice, but I think it's psychological, so all is well. It ended in the best possible scenario (happy, lice-free kid, happy parents, lice-free camp, happy Director). Hopefully no more lice for the rest of the summer.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Weekend
When I was interviewing for this job in November, my only concern was whether I could take time off in July for my best friend's wedding. The Boss said "no problem" and so I've been planning on taking the week off for a long time. When the Boss was fired, my number one concern (even bigger than single handedly running a camp) was taking time off for the wedding. I didn't take the whole week off- I was only gone Wednesday at noon-Sunday night, but it felt like a long time. It's not that I don't trust or believe in my staff, I just know that every single problem or issue is something I will have to handle and so I want to be there as they arise.
Everything went really smoothly and life was good the whole time I was gone. It was CSI week, and so on Monday at dinner, before kids went to the evening activity, the Assistant Program Director got up and started yelling about a crime being committed and every counselor being a suspect. I think kids were a little taken off guard because he seemed mad, but the counselors were smiling, and when he announced that "A RIGGA BAM BOO" had been stolen, kids caught on.
"A RIGGA BAM BOO" is something from a silly camp song. It doesn't actually have a definition, just that it's "red and gold and purple too". One of my staff had made up an elaborate scenario, set up a crime scene and then gave an alibi and several key facts to each staff. Kids were given evidence sheets to record findings on and they had to question suspects. It was wonderfully creative and fun and even the older kids got really into it. I was actually really sad to leave midway through the week because I was really enjoying the whole activity.
But I left, because it's the most important thing in my best friend's life and I wanted to be there to be her sidekick. So I spent Wednesday-Saturday at her side. I helped her finish last minute projects, calmed her down when her mom said things that upset her, made flower arrangements for tables, went to the rehearsal and groom's dinner, and then spent Saturday at the best wedding ever. I probably have to say that as the best friend, but I really mean it, it was picturesque. She was gorgeous, the classic bride. Everything went smoothly. The food and the cake were DELICIOUS. The dance was a blast. The weather was perfect... I could go on... I loved every minute of it.
On Sunday, I went to her parent's house for the gift opening and was planning to drive back to camp from there. I didn't pack my stuff, so after a tearful goodbye (she started to cry when I left and then her parents started to cry, telling me I was a second daughter, and I was thinking, dude, if I start crying, you are never going to get rid of me, I gotta get out of here fast! But it was very sweet. After all the time we've spent planning, I really do feel like part of the family), I went home.
I meant to pack and leave by 1pm. I didn't actually leave until 7:30pm. When I got home, my roommates were laying on the couch watching tivo-ed episodes of Law and Order. I know that doesn't sound exciting, but it looked so relaxing, I was SO jealous. I haven't laid on the couch and watched mindless tv for MONTHS! So I joined them. Then I took a nap. In the middle of the day... it was glorious... then I woke up and we went to our favorite homemade ice cream parlor down the street. And then I watched more tv. And then my brother grilled really good steak... And the whole time I was thinking, UGH! I don't want to go back to dirty camp where there are problems to deal with and no time to rest. I live a double life and while both parts are wonderful, sometimes transitioning between the two can be difficult.
I love living in the city. I love peace-loving, hippie run coffee shops that serve free trade coffee. I love home cooked organic food, chinese delivery, expensive but amazing pizza delivery, cable tv, my comfortable pretty house, quiet and calm, no one needing me.... I enjoyed all of that this weekend and it was difficult to leave it.
But I also love camp. I love living in the woods on the edge of a lake. I love pulling up to the fading sun and having literally my entire staff rush over to me, genuinely excited to see me, saying, "you're back!!!!!!!" and then telling me all of the great things I missed while sincerely asking how the wedding was. I love the nonstop activity and the privilege of being responsible for everything and everyone. I am very blessed, and I am well aware of how much I have. Life is good.
Everything went really smoothly and life was good the whole time I was gone. It was CSI week, and so on Monday at dinner, before kids went to the evening activity, the Assistant Program Director got up and started yelling about a crime being committed and every counselor being a suspect. I think kids were a little taken off guard because he seemed mad, but the counselors were smiling, and when he announced that "A RIGGA BAM BOO" had been stolen, kids caught on.
"A RIGGA BAM BOO" is something from a silly camp song. It doesn't actually have a definition, just that it's "red and gold and purple too". One of my staff had made up an elaborate scenario, set up a crime scene and then gave an alibi and several key facts to each staff. Kids were given evidence sheets to record findings on and they had to question suspects. It was wonderfully creative and fun and even the older kids got really into it. I was actually really sad to leave midway through the week because I was really enjoying the whole activity.
But I left, because it's the most important thing in my best friend's life and I wanted to be there to be her sidekick. So I spent Wednesday-Saturday at her side. I helped her finish last minute projects, calmed her down when her mom said things that upset her, made flower arrangements for tables, went to the rehearsal and groom's dinner, and then spent Saturday at the best wedding ever. I probably have to say that as the best friend, but I really mean it, it was picturesque. She was gorgeous, the classic bride. Everything went smoothly. The food and the cake were DELICIOUS. The dance was a blast. The weather was perfect... I could go on... I loved every minute of it.
On Sunday, I went to her parent's house for the gift opening and was planning to drive back to camp from there. I didn't pack my stuff, so after a tearful goodbye (she started to cry when I left and then her parents started to cry, telling me I was a second daughter, and I was thinking, dude, if I start crying, you are never going to get rid of me, I gotta get out of here fast! But it was very sweet. After all the time we've spent planning, I really do feel like part of the family), I went home.
I meant to pack and leave by 1pm. I didn't actually leave until 7:30pm. When I got home, my roommates were laying on the couch watching tivo-ed episodes of Law and Order. I know that doesn't sound exciting, but it looked so relaxing, I was SO jealous. I haven't laid on the couch and watched mindless tv for MONTHS! So I joined them. Then I took a nap. In the middle of the day... it was glorious... then I woke up and we went to our favorite homemade ice cream parlor down the street. And then I watched more tv. And then my brother grilled really good steak... And the whole time I was thinking, UGH! I don't want to go back to dirty camp where there are problems to deal with and no time to rest. I live a double life and while both parts are wonderful, sometimes transitioning between the two can be difficult.
I love living in the city. I love peace-loving, hippie run coffee shops that serve free trade coffee. I love home cooked organic food, chinese delivery, expensive but amazing pizza delivery, cable tv, my comfortable pretty house, quiet and calm, no one needing me.... I enjoyed all of that this weekend and it was difficult to leave it.
But I also love camp. I love living in the woods on the edge of a lake. I love pulling up to the fading sun and having literally my entire staff rush over to me, genuinely excited to see me, saying, "you're back!!!!!!!" and then telling me all of the great things I missed while sincerely asking how the wedding was. I love the nonstop activity and the privilege of being responsible for everything and everyone. I am very blessed, and I am well aware of how much I have. Life is good.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
First (and hopefully ONLY)
I took my first (and hopefully ONLY) trip to the emergency room of the summer last night.
Whenever parents call me to ask about safety, and they fret about archery or swimming or any of the other programming, I always secretly roll my eyes. It's not that they shouldn't worry about safety, I understand the concern, it's just that those aren't the places kids get hurt. Kids get hurt one of two ways: running or messing around. Last night, it was running.
A girl (C) was running away from a counselor while playing freeze tag, tripped, landed wrong, and broke her collarbone. Kids fall every day, usually they bounce back up, every now and then, they don't. I don't mean to be so casual about it, safety is my FIRST and MAIN priority every minute of every day, but I'm not going to freak out about something that was not preventable and where no one did anything wrong. It was just one of those things that sometimes happens when kids are doing anything more than sitting.
I called her parents and let them know "everything is fine, C is fine. I will let you talk to her in just a minute, but she did have a small accident and we will be taking her to the emergency room." They were super calm, she was calm and then I took her to the emergency room. They X-rayed her, put her in a sling, gave her some pain medication and we were set. She doesn't want to change her activities, and she is ABSOLUTELY going on the overnight trip with her group. Awesome, that makes it easy for me.
It is never good when a kid gets hurt, but overall, this went as smooth as a situation like this can go. Hopefully it's the only one of the summer.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Weekend of Fun
Optional Fun Field Trip #2:
Because Camp is in Small Town Up North, which I do not consider to be an adequate representation of American culture, I try to plan fun things outside of Camp for our staff (6 of whom are international). Plus, international or not, we all need to leave Camp every now and then for our sanity. So this past weekend, we had a lovely trip into the Big City.
After the campers left on Saturday, we piled into a 15 passenger van and headed South. We drove straight to a large mall, where staff spent the evening shopping, eating, watching movies and relaxing. Originally, I'd planned to do the same, but the mall is so close to my house that I decided to just drop them off, go buy groceries, and hang out at home for a few hours of relaxing on my couch. Plus, all of them were staying at my house, and since I haven't been home for a while, I wanted to make sure it looked presentable.
Good thing I decided to stop home. First of all, the road construction was out of control, so I was lost for 45 minutes. Frustrating, but good to map out before they got into the van with me. When I got home, I realized that I forgot my keys. They are with my car keys, and since I didn't drive, I forgot them. No problem, I hid a spare key on my porch in case I ever made the mistake of forgetting my keys. I am so smart and resourceful like that. But when I went for the key, it wasn't there... hmmm....
Both roommates were out of town, but H still had her phone on her (Because on the 5th call, she finally answered). She let me know when she'd been home alone she moved it because it was too scary to have it out there. I had to try really hard not to freak out on her, because well, GROW UP! I have too much responsibility on me, too much going on and not nearly enough time in my day for things like, "I was scared." Um, maybe grow up a little bit and be an adult. I don't have time for this. I own the fact that I made a mistake forgetting the keys, but the brilliant part of the plan is that I had a backup plan for myself in case that ever happened.
My dad was out of town, my mom wasn't answering her phone, my grandma and aunt didn't know where my mom was, my best friend didn't answer her phone, none of my windows were unlocked, and so I sat on my porch and had a meltdown because I was all alone and I couldn't get into my house. Also none, not one, of my windows are ground level, meaning that even if I wanted to break one of them, crawling inside would be tough. Nice to know that someone would really have to work to break in, but not comforting at the time.
Because Camp is in Small Town Up North, which I do not consider to be an adequate representation of American culture, I try to plan fun things outside of Camp for our staff (6 of whom are international). Plus, international or not, we all need to leave Camp every now and then for our sanity. So this past weekend, we had a lovely trip into the Big City.
After the campers left on Saturday, we piled into a 15 passenger van and headed South. We drove straight to a large mall, where staff spent the evening shopping, eating, watching movies and relaxing. Originally, I'd planned to do the same, but the mall is so close to my house that I decided to just drop them off, go buy groceries, and hang out at home for a few hours of relaxing on my couch. Plus, all of them were staying at my house, and since I haven't been home for a while, I wanted to make sure it looked presentable.
Good thing I decided to stop home. First of all, the road construction was out of control, so I was lost for 45 minutes. Frustrating, but good to map out before they got into the van with me. When I got home, I realized that I forgot my keys. They are with my car keys, and since I didn't drive, I forgot them. No problem, I hid a spare key on my porch in case I ever made the mistake of forgetting my keys. I am so smart and resourceful like that. But when I went for the key, it wasn't there... hmmm....
Both roommates were out of town, but H still had her phone on her (Because on the 5th call, she finally answered). She let me know when she'd been home alone she moved it because it was too scary to have it out there. I had to try really hard not to freak out on her, because well, GROW UP! I have too much responsibility on me, too much going on and not nearly enough time in my day for things like, "I was scared." Um, maybe grow up a little bit and be an adult. I don't have time for this. I own the fact that I made a mistake forgetting the keys, but the brilliant part of the plan is that I had a backup plan for myself in case that ever happened.
My dad was out of town, my mom wasn't answering her phone, my grandma and aunt didn't know where my mom was, my best friend didn't answer her phone, none of my windows were unlocked, and so I sat on my porch and had a meltdown because I was all alone and I couldn't get into my house. Also none, not one, of my windows are ground level, meaning that even if I wanted to break one of them, crawling inside would be tough. Nice to know that someone would really have to work to break in, but not comforting at the time.
Finally my mom called me back. She was an hour and a half away, but offered to come rescue me. When I bought the house in October, my mom repeatedly demanded a key until I finally gave in. Thank goodness for mothers. She is smarter than me and I so thankful because she is not only smart, she is very kind. I felt terrible asking her to drive all the way to my house, but I also had 11 staff coming in 2 hours, and I didn't want them to see me crying on my porch. So I went to the grocery store and bought food for breakfast and lunch the next day, and then sat on my porch, eating grocery store sushi until my mom came to let me in.
Later, I went back to the mall, picked up the staff and brought them home. I'm not sure if they were expecting a cardboard box, or what, but they were so funny when they walked in. "You left THIS for camp? You must love your job!" I have worked hard on my house, so it was nice to hear they thought it was pretty. I took them on a tour and they looked at every photo album and in every closet. They sat on every chair and jumped in my bed. It was sort of like showing a group of puppies around, but it was nice too. After the tour, they changed into pajamas, tossed their sleeping bags on the floor and settled in for movies, snacks and sleep.
On Sunday morning, I woke up early and made about 50 pancakes. I don't know why I didn't just buy cereal, but no, I made blueberry, chocolate chip and plain batches of pancakes. Camp Directors don't do things the easy way, we do them the fun way. Before I started cooking, I had to run to the grocery store for more milk, and when I was leaving, I ran into a board member. He asked what I was up to and then commented, "I bet you don't get home very often." Um... duh... How long have you been on the board?... But he offered to cut my grass or help take care of my house while I was gone, which was a very kind gesture. I thanked him and told him my roommates would probably appreciate it, but no thanks.
After breakfast, we went to the Science Museum. Some of the staff had questioned the field trip choice, thinking it would be lame, but it is a very cool museum, and I think everyone had a blast, despite the initial hesitation. After the museum, we returned to my house for a BBQ and some backyard games. My best friend, her fiance and my brother had all come to the museum with me and were there for the BBQ. It was nice to spend time with them, although it made me really homesick. I have not sat out in the sun, or just relaxed at all this summer. Even fun things, like field trips, require a lot of responsibility on my part, and I'm getting tired. I want to just chillin my backyard, soaking up the sun. I have such a wonderful staff and a great job that I love, but I miss home, my roommates, friends, and I miss being carefree.
In the late afternoon, we drove back to camp, stopping at Target to load up on bug spray and candy and random things staff needed. We got back to camp and I crashed into bed almost immediately. I'm struggling a little bit this week because I am leaving camp on Wednesday morning for the wedding, so I'm feeling a bit detached. I just want to go back home, hang out with X, and not think about all of the details of each day for a while. I'm trying to be focused on kids and staff and camp details, but I'm ready for the wedding stuff to start. Soon...
Saturday, July 19, 2008
No Lows
What an amazing week! At the end of every week, after campers have left, we have a staff meeting to de-brief and I always ask everyone to go over their highs and their lows of the week. It is a good way to reflect, wrap things up, bring up issues and gain closure so that they can move forward to the next week. Today for highs and lows, everyone had several highs and almost everyone said, "no lows this week". It was just that great.
Everything went according to schedule, everyone did what they were supposed to do, kids were respectful listeners, counselors had giant grins on their faces, very few campers were homesick, no one got hurt, I didn't have any behavior problems to deal with, boats didn't break down, and I spent the majority of the time outside, laughing with kids, being part of activities and loving every minute of my life. I was too busy to write, too busy to worry.
On Wednesday night, I drove home for a early Board meeting on Thursday morning. The meeting was to touch base since the Boss left, etc. On par with my week, it was FANTASTIC! The Board had a lot of wonderful things to say to me and were extremely supportive. I got to talk all about camp and how great things are, we talked about the Capital Campaign that is beginning in September, the future of camp, and after the meeting, I got to talk to about 6 people, one on one, who wanted to tell me good things and tell me how great I am. It was awesome.
After the meeting, I went with my best friend X to her final dress fitting for her wedding dress. It was a fabulous coincidence that the fitting and the meeting were coordinated, and I was THRILLED to be able to be there for her.
When I got back to camp on Thursday, every single person, camper and staff, greeted me with big smiles and "YOU'RE BACK!!! We missed you!" They were so genuine and sweet and it made me feel so good.
On Thursday night, we had a dance, which is always the highlight of the week. Except, this week, we decided to go a little crazy, and we held the dance on the field outside. We laid down 10 big tarps, covered them in dish soap and then sprayed them with a hose to make the most bubbly, sudsy, mess of fun we could imagine. Kids got to dance on the "dance floor" with bare feet, covered in suds. It was not slippery, kids thought it was awesome, and all of the staff had a blast! Yeah for creativity and giving kids once in a lifetime experiences.
Last night, we also tried something new for the closing ceremony. Prior to the ceremony, S and C made "fuzzies" which are yarn balls at the end of a string. Each person got one and then got to pull it apart, giving small string to people who were nice to them or they wanted to thank for something throughout the week and then tie it on their string. At the end, the string that your fuzzy had been at the end of was covered in small strings, representing all of the great connections of the week. It was a new idea and I wasn't sure how it would work. But at the end of it, I had about 25 strings, had been told by several counselors I was the best boss they've ever had, and been told by several campers that they appreciated my hard work. Kids were crying and hugging (sometimes crying is good and this time it was), and I was thrilled because everyone had a lot of strings, and seemed truly moved by the activity.
It was a wonderful week and a nice way to recover from last week. And now it's the weekend and I'm relaxing!
Everything went according to schedule, everyone did what they were supposed to do, kids were respectful listeners, counselors had giant grins on their faces, very few campers were homesick, no one got hurt, I didn't have any behavior problems to deal with, boats didn't break down, and I spent the majority of the time outside, laughing with kids, being part of activities and loving every minute of my life. I was too busy to write, too busy to worry.
On Wednesday night, I drove home for a early Board meeting on Thursday morning. The meeting was to touch base since the Boss left, etc. On par with my week, it was FANTASTIC! The Board had a lot of wonderful things to say to me and were extremely supportive. I got to talk all about camp and how great things are, we talked about the Capital Campaign that is beginning in September, the future of camp, and after the meeting, I got to talk to about 6 people, one on one, who wanted to tell me good things and tell me how great I am. It was awesome.
After the meeting, I went with my best friend X to her final dress fitting for her wedding dress. It was a fabulous coincidence that the fitting and the meeting were coordinated, and I was THRILLED to be able to be there for her.
When I got back to camp on Thursday, every single person, camper and staff, greeted me with big smiles and "YOU'RE BACK!!! We missed you!" They were so genuine and sweet and it made me feel so good.
On Thursday night, we had a dance, which is always the highlight of the week. Except, this week, we decided to go a little crazy, and we held the dance on the field outside. We laid down 10 big tarps, covered them in dish soap and then sprayed them with a hose to make the most bubbly, sudsy, mess of fun we could imagine. Kids got to dance on the "dance floor" with bare feet, covered in suds. It was not slippery, kids thought it was awesome, and all of the staff had a blast! Yeah for creativity and giving kids once in a lifetime experiences.
Last night, we also tried something new for the closing ceremony. Prior to the ceremony, S and C made "fuzzies" which are yarn balls at the end of a string. Each person got one and then got to pull it apart, giving small string to people who were nice to them or they wanted to thank for something throughout the week and then tie it on their string. At the end, the string that your fuzzy had been at the end of was covered in small strings, representing all of the great connections of the week. It was a new idea and I wasn't sure how it would work. But at the end of it, I had about 25 strings, had been told by several counselors I was the best boss they've ever had, and been told by several campers that they appreciated my hard work. Kids were crying and hugging (sometimes crying is good and this time it was), and I was thrilled because everyone had a lot of strings, and seemed truly moved by the activity.
It was a wonderful week and a nice way to recover from last week. And now it's the weekend and I'm relaxing!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Chillin'
We are having such a relaxed week. Compared to the train wreck that was last week, I feel like I'm on vacation. We only have 40 kids here this week, and I'm pretty sure they are all of the "students of the week" from every school they are from. I don't like to make generalizations, but every kid here is a good listener, respectful, follows directions, enjoys camp, doesn't complain, has a good attitude... Maybe I should be careful not to jinx myself, but it's been easy and fun.
I have spent a lot of my time either in my office catching up on important work I haven't been able to do, or chillin' with kids and staff. I've had a lot of time to go to the different activity areas, sit and chat with kids, and just generally enjoy camp.
So that's what I'm doing. I'm getting paid to hang outside, play, laugh and sit around soaking up the sun. Life is so god, so easy. I'm off to the art building for some crafting....
I have spent a lot of my time either in my office catching up on important work I haven't been able to do, or chillin' with kids and staff. I've had a lot of time to go to the different activity areas, sit and chat with kids, and just generally enjoy camp.
So that's what I'm doing. I'm getting paid to hang outside, play, laugh and sit around soaking up the sun. Life is so god, so easy. I'm off to the art building for some crafting....
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Late Night Shower
1:30am- "um, N, I have a sick camper." -K (outside of my bedroom door)
My eyes flew open and I was dressed and out of bed in seconds. I have become a light sleeper and really quick to react upon immediate waking.
Why don't kids get sick mid-day?
Why do counselors walk right in front of the Health Center, past the Health Center containing the nurse, and to my door?
I don't know, but that's all part of my glorious job.
Stomachache.
I gave the camper some crackers and water, and asked him the standard questions- if he'd eaten dinner, needed to throw up or go to the bathroom and if he'd ever been to camp before (answer: no= most likely this is homesickness). Distraction and crackers didn't seem to cure him, so I decided to go wake up the nurse.
The Health Center is 25 yards (tops) from my house. Between the 1 minute it took to walk there and the 4 minutes Counselor K and I were inside and decided sick camper would stay overnight, the sky opened up and the rain began POURING down. The BIG FAT raindrops that splat when they hit, blowing wind, mixed with tiny, fast raindrops that rapidly prick your skin- all of that.
Two choices: Tell K to have a nice walk back across camp to the boys cabins (which are as far away from my house as you can get) and RUN to my house... OR... RUN to my house with K, pick up the golf cart, drive him across camp in the POURING rain, and then drive back to my house.
I think K felt bad for waking me up and he said, "no, you don't have to drive me." But I did, telling him, "No worries, I was going to take a shower in 5 hours anyway, now this will save me some time in the morning."
And you know what? I skipped the shower this morning. Ah camp!
My eyes flew open and I was dressed and out of bed in seconds. I have become a light sleeper and really quick to react upon immediate waking.
Why don't kids get sick mid-day?
Why do counselors walk right in front of the Health Center, past the Health Center containing the nurse, and to my door?
I don't know, but that's all part of my glorious job.
Stomachache.
I gave the camper some crackers and water, and asked him the standard questions- if he'd eaten dinner, needed to throw up or go to the bathroom and if he'd ever been to camp before (answer: no= most likely this is homesickness). Distraction and crackers didn't seem to cure him, so I decided to go wake up the nurse.
The Health Center is 25 yards (tops) from my house. Between the 1 minute it took to walk there and the 4 minutes Counselor K and I were inside and decided sick camper would stay overnight, the sky opened up and the rain began POURING down. The BIG FAT raindrops that splat when they hit, blowing wind, mixed with tiny, fast raindrops that rapidly prick your skin- all of that.
Two choices: Tell K to have a nice walk back across camp to the boys cabins (which are as far away from my house as you can get) and RUN to my house... OR... RUN to my house with K, pick up the golf cart, drive him across camp in the POURING rain, and then drive back to my house.
I think K felt bad for waking me up and he said, "no, you don't have to drive me." But I did, telling him, "No worries, I was going to take a shower in 5 hours anyway, now this will save me some time in the morning."
And you know what? I skipped the shower this morning. Ah camp!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Another One Bites the Dust
The Art Director quit today. She was the one who's crazy mother has been calling and who's had a terrible attitude for weeks. I told her I was disappointed in her, but, if I'm being honest, I'm glad she's gone. She yelled at kids and she was CONSTANTLY chatting with counselors when she should have been with kids.
She was in charge of art, but has said, at least 10 times, "I don't really like arts and crafts that much." Last year, there were 5 Program Staff. Program Staff didn't have to stay in cabins with kids and they had a lot of freedom. She very much wanted to be a Program Staff. Unfortunately, before I even started here, the Boss decided to eliminate Program Staff positions, and then there were budget cuts and we lost several counselors, so we have been short staffed all summer. So she came into the summer thinking her position was going to be like the staff last year, and that just wasn't the case this year.
Over and over, I repeat to the staff, "we're here for the kids." We do whatever we have to do for the good of the kids. I don't think she was here for the kids. So I'm glad she's gone.
I asked the staff if anyone was interested in the Art Director position. One of my favorite staff, C, who loves art and kids and camp, and who I was going to appoint to the position anyway, came to me right away and asked if she could apply. Hired. Problem solved.
I learned later, from another staff, that C had wanted the job last year, but J had also wanted it. If this is any indication of the Boss's hiring system, he hired the girl who was less qualified, but made the biggest fuss. Ugh, I am annoyed at him everyday, but I'm dealing with it.
It is a very small group this week and the entire camp is calmer and more chill. Negativity gone, and I'm feeling wonderful today!
She was in charge of art, but has said, at least 10 times, "I don't really like arts and crafts that much." Last year, there were 5 Program Staff. Program Staff didn't have to stay in cabins with kids and they had a lot of freedom. She very much wanted to be a Program Staff. Unfortunately, before I even started here, the Boss decided to eliminate Program Staff positions, and then there were budget cuts and we lost several counselors, so we have been short staffed all summer. So she came into the summer thinking her position was going to be like the staff last year, and that just wasn't the case this year.
Over and over, I repeat to the staff, "we're here for the kids." We do whatever we have to do for the good of the kids. I don't think she was here for the kids. So I'm glad she's gone.
I asked the staff if anyone was interested in the Art Director position. One of my favorite staff, C, who loves art and kids and camp, and who I was going to appoint to the position anyway, came to me right away and asked if she could apply. Hired. Problem solved.
I learned later, from another staff, that C had wanted the job last year, but J had also wanted it. If this is any indication of the Boss's hiring system, he hired the girl who was less qualified, but made the biggest fuss. Ugh, I am annoyed at him everyday, but I'm dealing with it.
It is a very small group this week and the entire camp is calmer and more chill. Negativity gone, and I'm feeling wonderful today!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Supervisor
I realize that as the supervisor, I have to have "thick skin" because I will always be the person who has to enforce rules and give bad news and say, "no, I don't think that is a good idea." I will not always be popular and it's okay, because if I am fair and consistent, and making choices for the good of the camp, I will still be respected and liked, and the camp community will be happy.That being said, between the angry staff mother who called me "Hitler", her daughter that glares at me constantly, the hateful camp nurse who considered me to be unqualified and stupid, the naughty kids who had to sit in my office hating me, and the constant problems that I couldn't seem to stop from happening, I have to admit, it's been difficult to remain confident in myself and not feel like a terrible person.
The Assistant Program Director is the closest thing I have to a peer. He's a great guy, but we aren't close and because he is older than me, I often feel like he thinks I'm an idiot too. The Board President is very supportive, but he is a volunteer and not interested in day to day, "this staff hates me, let me vent about her" kinda stuff. I have wonderful supportive staff around me, but it is not appropriate to vent to them about other staff or confidential issues that are going on. My mom is a wonderful source of support because she gives great advice about managing staff and professionalism. My best friend X is my rock, because I can call her at 11pm and rant and rave for 45 minutes straight, repeating myself, not making sense and not letting her get a word in edgewise, and she patiently listens until I calm down. My close friend M is also a Camp Director and she often calls me for advice or to vent, and while she thinks she is doing it for her own benefit, it helps me more than anything to know that other people in this position are having similar experiences and feelings. But at camp, I am on my own. And sometimes, at the end of the day, it's lonely and exhausting.
Which is why, after a long, difficult week, last night made me feel immediately better. There are only nine staff here this weekend, and all of them decided to go out to dinner and bowling last night. I have 12 Leaders in Training here this weekend, so I stayed back with them. I spend the evening with the LITs and felt fine going to bed at 11:30pm, even though they were still awake and hanging out. At 1:30am, I heard a knock at my door and then my light was flipped on and a crowd of people came into my room. I thought it was the LITs, so I was a little panicked because I assumed something bad had happened. No, it was my nine staff who had just returned from their night out. Five of them sat down on my bed and the other four circled around me.
They spent the next 15 minutes telling me all about their adventure which started with dinner, bowling, and then several random stops along the way, including seeing a shed on fire, calling 911 and waking the family that owned the house (I wondered why they all smelled like camp fire). They'd had a blast, and were so bursting with excitement that they couldn't wait until the morning to tell me about it. They wouldn't have had to tell me anything at all, and I was happy that they wanted to include me enough to come in immediately. It was a good reminder that I'm doing a good job because the staff like me enough to share their excitement. And even though I was deliriously tired, it was the absolute best thing to help me feel refreshed and ready to take on another week.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Just A Camp Director
Campers are not allowed to have electronic devices at camp. We have this rule because things get broken, lost or sometimes disappear when you have a group of kids together. The best solution is prevention. Each week we have a volunteer nurse. Licensed nurses can sign up to volunteer and in return, they get a free week of camp for one child. This week, our nurse was T and her son brought his iPod with him. His counselor didn't take it from him when he found out about it, which was a mistake, but also, T didn't take it from him either. Tuesday, the iPod disappeared. Not shocking, if I'm being honest. We have great kids here at camp, but even great kids, who know the rules and right from wrong sometimes make mistakes. It's all part of being a kid.
The counselor talked to the group about it and even went through everyone's things. It was done in a respectful way. He let the kids know that sometimes things get lost and fall into other people's things. Searching through personal belongings is a fairly drastic act, but I think it was handled well.
The iPod didn't show up. We asked the whole camp to look for it, and eventually, one of the older girls came to let me know a camper (one of the three that I'd had trouble with and then won over) had asked her how he would charge it.
So I took him aside and talked about the importance of honesty and respect and that if he "found it" when he was packing, it would be really great and no questions would be asked. I wasn't going to yell at him or threaten him or accuse him. He's not a criminal, he's a nine year old kid. And while he was a pretty good suspect, I also didn't have any proof. I knew that if I planted the seed, he would eventually decide to make the right choice. And if he didn't, he would eventually think about the situation and I firmly believe, he would learn from it and be affected. Also, the kid who lost the iPod will learn an important lesson about responsibility and following the rules. A difficult lesson? Of course, but that's the way life is. Sometimes bad things happen to us, and we have to deal with it.
Later, the counselor had another talk with the campers and laid it on pretty thick about how police can be involved and it's expensive and awful, etc. Late in the evening, I had a knock at the door, and the suspected child seemed to think someone might have "framed" his sister (the kid I drove home the day before) and he was really worried about her. I told him I appreciated his concern and that he made a good choice in talking to us about it. See, kids eventually get to the right choice. The nuns in charge of sending this group of kids were supportive and plan to work with the family and try to recover the iPod. It's not back yet, but it's the best I can do. Also, I think the kids involved learned a good lesson.
This was not a satisfactory answer to the nurse. She went from being the biggest cheerleader of this camp to a full on witch like I've never experienced. She started out politely suggesting that I give her the names of all of the kids who'd been accused of possibly taking the iPod and she could call her friend, the chief of police of a big city, and he could go to all of their homes and investigate... No, I am not kidding about that... I politely let her know I couldn't provide any personal information about our campers to her. I also reminded her that the only evidence we had were a few random "um, I think maybe's" from a nine year old boy.
She then went on to suggest we call the police in this town and have them search all of the kids at camp... No, I am not kidding... I politely let her know that was not an option I would consider. And that was the point that she got HOSTILE and let me know that I am "just a Camp Director" and she didn't think I was handling the situation in a satisfactory way. Just a Camp Director, huh? I told her I was sorry she felt that way, but it was my job to protect the campers, all campers, and that I didn't think they would really respond well to having a police officer search their belongings. Also, because they are KIDS, I didn't think the parents would respond well to their children being searched without them.
At that point, she calmed down slightly and, genuinely surprised, said, "oh, I guess I didn't think of it that way." I said, "I know I am just a Camp Director, but I do know what I am doing, and that my job is the safety of campers. And if you could just step back for a second and think of this from the perspective of one of the parents who I would have to send out a letter explaining how their kids had been searched by an officer, and how mad you would be." What I didn't add to my calm, patient explanation, was "I've been working with kids longer than you've been a parent, and I'm going to attack you in about 3 seconds if you don't back off. JUST A CAMP DIRECTOR! I am single handedly running this camp and I'm doing a DAMN GOOD JOB. And I'm sorry your spoiled rotten, overindulged kid got his iPod stolen, but too bad. I bet he'll be more responsible later. And meanwhile, you are not going to frighten and threaten any of these kids, regardless if they did it or not, because I might JUST BE A CAMP DIRECTOR, but I know enough to take care of the kids I am responsible for."
I don't know if I have ever felt more insulted, or more appalled by a suggestion than I was during that conversation. But I'm still mad as I type this.
In the end of the conversation, she decided to file a police report for insurance purposes. Fine. The one officer in Small Town was unable to come out last night at 11pm when she called him. He agreed to come out early this morning, before parents came for parent day. Fine.
So this morning I met with the officer and let him know that a kid and his sister had been accused and possibly done it, but I didn't have any proof, so there wasn't much I was going to do about it. He asked me for a few details, including their ages, and when I told him 9 and 7, he smiled slightly and said, "Oh, um, I thought we were dealing with teenagers. I can't do anything if they are under 10." Duh. He was going to have to handcuff me to get to those kids anyway, so thank goodness.
That was the point that this situation turned from insulting and unpleasant, to so absolutely ugly.
"In 40 years of working in public health, I've learned about people, and these are the kind of kids who are bad. They steal, they are going to end up in prison. Have you heard them talking? They are from bad families. They misbehave so badly they shouldn't even be here." -Nurse
"Some of these kids come from different backgrounds, and some had some behavior issues, but I believe I addressed them this week. They were all listening and following directions by the end of the week. All kids make mistakes and steal, I'm not justifying it, but it's my job, working with kids, to be patient as they learn right and wrong and help them learn to make good choices. I have done everything in my power to find the stolen iPod, while not causing harm to the kids involved. Even if he stole it, I'm not going to scream at him or scare him or hurt him. He's nine. He's a little kid who made a mistake. And at this point, I don't even know if he stole it, so I'm really not going to go after him without any proof. Can you imagine how damaging that would be to a kid? It will not help him learn, or make better choices. I have to give him the benefit of the doubt, rather than just assuming he's bad because of the neighborhood he's from." -Me
"Oh come on. You're trying to make this officer think everything is perfectly fine. These kids are riff raff. They are trash. They come from bad families. And he clearly stole it." -Nurse
"riff raff"
That's what she said. "Riff raff". We are talking about a NINE YEAR OLD CHILD. Nine. Years. Old. Yes, he had some trouble listening. So does every kid. But he changed his behavior. And he was a sweet, wonderful child who needed someone to be patient with him and take care of him while he was away from his mom, 3 hours away from home, in the woods, tired, homesick, and learning to make good choices. And he might have taken it, and while that is wrong, when you are nine, and something really nice that you don't have is laying around, it is tempting to grab it, so I can understand how it happened.
Riff raff...
At this point, in my head, I lunged over the table, around the officer, and attacked this woman who just insulted a nine year old because of the color of his skin. HOW DARE SHE????? Insult me, fine, you think I'm just a camp director. She was old enough to be my mom, I can deal with not being taken seriously. But this camp was originally started to serve inner city youth. And while that may not be our primary focus anymore, our focus is still, 100% all children, regardless of the color of their skin, or their neighborhood, or anything else. Because kids are kids. Kids need to be loved and cared for and given patience as the grow. All kids, even spoiled, bratty rich kids who leave their iPods laying around. All kids. She's a parent. Shoudn't she have some sense of empathy towards kids who make mistakes? Shouldn't she understand they need to be treated kindly while being taught appropriate choices?
Instead of beating her up and being dragged off in handcuffs (I had way too much to do to make time for that), I whispered, "perhaps your children need to find a camp with a different population of children."
To which she replied, "and different leadership."
To which I replied to the officer, "Is there anything more you need from me? I have given you all of the information I have and I need to get back to my job."
We all walked out of the room and I politely let her know that her son could stay for the closing program, but she was not to have any contact with children or adults at this camp. She sat on the steps of my house for the next two hours until she left.
She is everything that is wrong with society. I am so mad I could cry. I don't understand how people can be like that. I just don't get it.
The counselor talked to the group about it and even went through everyone's things. It was done in a respectful way. He let the kids know that sometimes things get lost and fall into other people's things. Searching through personal belongings is a fairly drastic act, but I think it was handled well.
The iPod didn't show up. We asked the whole camp to look for it, and eventually, one of the older girls came to let me know a camper (one of the three that I'd had trouble with and then won over) had asked her how he would charge it.
So I took him aside and talked about the importance of honesty and respect and that if he "found it" when he was packing, it would be really great and no questions would be asked. I wasn't going to yell at him or threaten him or accuse him. He's not a criminal, he's a nine year old kid. And while he was a pretty good suspect, I also didn't have any proof. I knew that if I planted the seed, he would eventually decide to make the right choice. And if he didn't, he would eventually think about the situation and I firmly believe, he would learn from it and be affected. Also, the kid who lost the iPod will learn an important lesson about responsibility and following the rules. A difficult lesson? Of course, but that's the way life is. Sometimes bad things happen to us, and we have to deal with it.
Later, the counselor had another talk with the campers and laid it on pretty thick about how police can be involved and it's expensive and awful, etc. Late in the evening, I had a knock at the door, and the suspected child seemed to think someone might have "framed" his sister (the kid I drove home the day before) and he was really worried about her. I told him I appreciated his concern and that he made a good choice in talking to us about it. See, kids eventually get to the right choice. The nuns in charge of sending this group of kids were supportive and plan to work with the family and try to recover the iPod. It's not back yet, but it's the best I can do. Also, I think the kids involved learned a good lesson.
This was not a satisfactory answer to the nurse. She went from being the biggest cheerleader of this camp to a full on witch like I've never experienced. She started out politely suggesting that I give her the names of all of the kids who'd been accused of possibly taking the iPod and she could call her friend, the chief of police of a big city, and he could go to all of their homes and investigate... No, I am not kidding about that... I politely let her know I couldn't provide any personal information about our campers to her. I also reminded her that the only evidence we had were a few random "um, I think maybe's" from a nine year old boy.
She then went on to suggest we call the police in this town and have them search all of the kids at camp... No, I am not kidding... I politely let her know that was not an option I would consider. And that was the point that she got HOSTILE and let me know that I am "just a Camp Director" and she didn't think I was handling the situation in a satisfactory way. Just a Camp Director, huh? I told her I was sorry she felt that way, but it was my job to protect the campers, all campers, and that I didn't think they would really respond well to having a police officer search their belongings. Also, because they are KIDS, I didn't think the parents would respond well to their children being searched without them.
At that point, she calmed down slightly and, genuinely surprised, said, "oh, I guess I didn't think of it that way." I said, "I know I am just a Camp Director, but I do know what I am doing, and that my job is the safety of campers. And if you could just step back for a second and think of this from the perspective of one of the parents who I would have to send out a letter explaining how their kids had been searched by an officer, and how mad you would be." What I didn't add to my calm, patient explanation, was "I've been working with kids longer than you've been a parent, and I'm going to attack you in about 3 seconds if you don't back off. JUST A CAMP DIRECTOR! I am single handedly running this camp and I'm doing a DAMN GOOD JOB. And I'm sorry your spoiled rotten, overindulged kid got his iPod stolen, but too bad. I bet he'll be more responsible later. And meanwhile, you are not going to frighten and threaten any of these kids, regardless if they did it or not, because I might JUST BE A CAMP DIRECTOR, but I know enough to take care of the kids I am responsible for."
I don't know if I have ever felt more insulted, or more appalled by a suggestion than I was during that conversation. But I'm still mad as I type this.
In the end of the conversation, she decided to file a police report for insurance purposes. Fine. The one officer in Small Town was unable to come out last night at 11pm when she called him. He agreed to come out early this morning, before parents came for parent day. Fine.
So this morning I met with the officer and let him know that a kid and his sister had been accused and possibly done it, but I didn't have any proof, so there wasn't much I was going to do about it. He asked me for a few details, including their ages, and when I told him 9 and 7, he smiled slightly and said, "Oh, um, I thought we were dealing with teenagers. I can't do anything if they are under 10." Duh. He was going to have to handcuff me to get to those kids anyway, so thank goodness.
That was the point that this situation turned from insulting and unpleasant, to so absolutely ugly.
"In 40 years of working in public health, I've learned about people, and these are the kind of kids who are bad. They steal, they are going to end up in prison. Have you heard them talking? They are from bad families. They misbehave so badly they shouldn't even be here." -Nurse
"Some of these kids come from different backgrounds, and some had some behavior issues, but I believe I addressed them this week. They were all listening and following directions by the end of the week. All kids make mistakes and steal, I'm not justifying it, but it's my job, working with kids, to be patient as they learn right and wrong and help them learn to make good choices. I have done everything in my power to find the stolen iPod, while not causing harm to the kids involved. Even if he stole it, I'm not going to scream at him or scare him or hurt him. He's nine. He's a little kid who made a mistake. And at this point, I don't even know if he stole it, so I'm really not going to go after him without any proof. Can you imagine how damaging that would be to a kid? It will not help him learn, or make better choices. I have to give him the benefit of the doubt, rather than just assuming he's bad because of the neighborhood he's from." -Me
"Oh come on. You're trying to make this officer think everything is perfectly fine. These kids are riff raff. They are trash. They come from bad families. And he clearly stole it." -Nurse
"riff raff"
That's what she said. "Riff raff". We are talking about a NINE YEAR OLD CHILD. Nine. Years. Old. Yes, he had some trouble listening. So does every kid. But he changed his behavior. And he was a sweet, wonderful child who needed someone to be patient with him and take care of him while he was away from his mom, 3 hours away from home, in the woods, tired, homesick, and learning to make good choices. And he might have taken it, and while that is wrong, when you are nine, and something really nice that you don't have is laying around, it is tempting to grab it, so I can understand how it happened.
Riff raff...
At this point, in my head, I lunged over the table, around the officer, and attacked this woman who just insulted a nine year old because of the color of his skin. HOW DARE SHE????? Insult me, fine, you think I'm just a camp director. She was old enough to be my mom, I can deal with not being taken seriously. But this camp was originally started to serve inner city youth. And while that may not be our primary focus anymore, our focus is still, 100% all children, regardless of the color of their skin, or their neighborhood, or anything else. Because kids are kids. Kids need to be loved and cared for and given patience as the grow. All kids, even spoiled, bratty rich kids who leave their iPods laying around. All kids. She's a parent. Shoudn't she have some sense of empathy towards kids who make mistakes? Shouldn't she understand they need to be treated kindly while being taught appropriate choices?
Instead of beating her up and being dragged off in handcuffs (I had way too much to do to make time for that), I whispered, "perhaps your children need to find a camp with a different population of children."
To which she replied, "and different leadership."
To which I replied to the officer, "Is there anything more you need from me? I have given you all of the information I have and I need to get back to my job."
We all walked out of the room and I politely let her know that her son could stay for the closing program, but she was not to have any contact with children or adults at this camp. She sat on the steps of my house for the next two hours until she left.
She is everything that is wrong with society. I am so mad I could cry. I don't understand how people can be like that. I just don't get it.
Friday, July 11, 2008
What a Week
This has been the most intense week of camp I've ever lived through. Yesterday I got a voicemail from X, asking if I was okay because she'd noticed I hadn't written anything lately. At the time of the call, I hadn't eaten anything for I don't know how long, hadn't showered in 2 days, and was going on about 4 hours of sleep. What a week!
So let's start where I left off. Tuesday night, I am soaking wet, haven't eaten and the pontoon is across the lake. I am on my way to my cabin to change, and I get bombarded by three different counselors needing me to talk to their groups about being disrespectful to each other, about being too slow and not listening, about... ugh, we had a lot of issues going on. So I met with groups, one at a time. I listened patiently, worked through the issues, set out clear expectations (still soaking wet, and getting cold, but patient nonetheless).
Eventually I was able to eat dinner, change my clothes and take a deep breath. At 10pm, I was in my office, finally checking email and one of the kitchen crew girls came in. She was VERY unhappy with the other girl she works with. So I spent some time with her, talking it through, calming her down and trying to figure out what she can do to deal with the other girl's "annoyingness".
Wednesday-a lot of behavior problems, a lot of homesick kids, a lot of counselors not being as focused as they should have been. I spent the majority of the day in my office mediating conflict. I spent a lot of time with one child in particular, who started Monday with an attitude of absolute defiance, spent the majority of her time on Tuesday in my office, and finally got to the point of being unable to be in a group. I called her parents who let me know that they don't drive and I would have to deal with her.
Um, no.
So I let them know I would be driving her home that night.
I didn't want to have to send her home. I tried everything I could with behavior management strategies. I was patient, I was reasonable. I was firm, I was fair, but ultimately, she just couldn't function at camp. I felt like a failure that I couldn't get through to her, and I was frustrated with her stubborn attitude and opposition. That being said, she wasn't a bad kid. She was a little girl who was away from home for the first time. The two things she said to me over the course of all the time we spent together were, "you have to get up too early here" and "I really miss my mom." This was a kid who was tired and homesick and instead of crying like most kids, her pain manifested itself into bad behavior. I get that. I was trying really hard to remember that and be empathetic instead of just annoyed.
I wanted to leave at 4pm, but there were homesick campers and scheduling changes and counselor needs to attend to first. The Assistant Director had left earlier in the day to be gone for a conference, which meant I was leaving with no one to be the person "in charge", so I was trying to get everything settled. Finally at 7pm, we got into the van for the three hour drive back to the city. She slept the whole way and when we arrived, her older sisters were waiting to greet her with a hero's welcome. She was smiling and happy, and I had to once again, remind myself that she was just a little girl.
It was 9:30 when I dropped her off and I was not interested in turning around and driving back. I figured that by the time I got back to camp it would be after midnight and no one would be awake anyway, so it would be fine to just get up early and return the next day. So I drove 15 minutes to my house, watched some tivo-ed "So You Think You Can Dance" and went to bed early. Well, first I had to answer a phone call to figure out what to do about a camper who needed medication she didn't have, and then a phone call that started with, "HAS ANYONE CALLED YOU YET?" -J
"...no... what's wrong?"-Me
"We don't have any water in the main building." -J
It briefly crossed my mind to get off of my comfortable chair in my wonderful house and drive as fast as I could back. And then it crossed my mind to hide in a closet and never come out and never go back to camp. And then I took a breath and realized that there wasn't anything I could do at that time of night anyway, so I told them to get the big water jugs we use for the overnight, fill them with water and have the kids brush their teeth with that. Solved.
At 4am I was awake, 4:15 in the car, and back at camp by 6:30 the next day. I was EXHAUSTED. And frantic, because that building includes the kitchen, the showers, and the only bathrooms the kids will use. With no water, we had no working bathrooms, but we had kids using the toilets anyway. AHHHHH!!!!!! So I frantically starting calling around to find information about our utility company... Oh, um, we don't have city water, we have our own well (a very nice woman from a local utility company explained patiently the way things work), so then I started calling plumbers. There are no emergency numbers in Small Town Up North, so I sat and quietly panicked for a while.
At 8am, I finally got a hold of a local plumber who I convinced to come out ASAP. Ten minutes later, he was at camp, and about 20 minutes after that, we had water back. Crisis over.
That didn't mean that the trouble was over. Soon after the plumbing issue was resolved, I began a day long standoff with three kids. I had already spoken to all three of them several times, and Thursday it blew up. None of the counselors could handle them and so they sat in my office, except that they didn't sit quietly. They made noise and wouldn't sit and let me know several times that they hated camp, me and that they would be telling their parents how awful it was. We called their parents, who let me know they didn't drive and I would have to deal with them (sound familiar? Yeah, we have a large group of scholarshiped kids here this week and the nuns who sponsored them didn't have a plan for getting them back in case of behavior problems). I couldn't face driving back again, and yet, they just weren't listening.
In nine summers of camp, I have never felt as powerless and unsure of what to do as I felt on Thursday. I wanted to cry in exhaustion and frustration, and I felt like the whole camp was in chaos. At lunch, I brought the three trouble kids with me to the dining hall and sat them at a separate table. "Please just sit there and be patient" I asked them. Maybe I looked pathetic or they realized they broke me, or what, but they sat, quietly, and ate nicely.
At lunch I received a phone call from our Office Manager letting me know that J's mom had called her and yelled at her for 45 minutes. Apparently, according to J's mom, I had turned into Hitler since the Boss had left, and the reason he left was because I had worked hard to get rid of him. Also, how dare we have such inadequate facilities without water?
My first instinct was to go in and kick J straight in the head. It seemed like the best way to handle the situation. I TRIED TO GET RID OF HIM??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Yes, I totally wanted to deal with broken boats, angry kids, plumbers and never sleep, this was all part of my plan. Even typing this makes my blood boil. How dare she? I'm having a positive attitude, because that is what a professional does. But I am doing the work of two full time people right now. And it's not easy. And really, her timing couldn't have been worse, as I was in the middle of the behavior crisis, sleep deprived, and drained.
After the phone call, two of my staff (my absolute best staff) approached me to share a concern about some other staff who weren't doing their jobs. Apparently 3 staff had left their campers during an activity, hadn't been helping, etc. (one of those staff being the girl whose mom considers me Hitler by the way). And that was the final straw.
I walked the three trouble campers back to my office and said, "Thank you for turning your behavior around during lunch. You made a good choice and I am proud of you for that. Now let me level with you. We're going to have a grown up conversation right now. (You should have seen their faces change when I said that). Here's the deal. I think that you made some bad choices, but I also think that you got a bum deal because some of your counselors weren't doing what they were supposed to. I am sorry for that. Grown ups aren't supposed to make mistakes, but sometimes they do. And so you'll have to be patient with us. You are not going home. You are going to make better choices and stay here."
An hour after they told me they hated me and wanted to go home, all three asked if they could hang out with me the next day too. When I asked them why they said, "we really like you." And for the past two days, they have gone to activities and made good choices, but also been glued to my side every moment they have free.
Anyway, the whole group gathered at the flag pole to split up for the fourth period and I said, "Okay, we have a really fun surprise! All of the campers are going to go with S and S, for extra fun games in the field, and all of the staff are going to come with me." Everyone looked a bit shocked, but the shock worked well because everyone did exactly what they were supposed to.
"We're going to pause."
"Sometimes, when things start to get out of control, we just have to stop, take a breath and center ourselves. So that is what we are doing." I was whispering. They were captivated, or maybe just drained, but I had their attention either way. I acknowledged the challenges we had faced throughout the week and praised all of the things I appreciated. And then I let them know some of the observations myself and their co-workers had noticed. I pointed out expectations and then asked for feedback, other issues, advice for each other, etc. We had a good discussion and I could actually feel the energy go from chaotic to calm. It definitely helped me feel calmer and more in control.
After the meeting we went back to regularly scheduled activities. We had an all-camp game, evening prayer, and ended the evening with the weekly dance, which is always pure happiness and enjoyment for everyone. I was in the common area outside the showers as the youngest campers came down from the dance, and little John, who I have talked to at least 15 times because he is the most high maintenance, sensitive kid ever, said, "I just want to party all night long!" And gave me a thumbs up. If we can make that kid happy, clearly the dance is the perfect activity.
I missed most of the dance, as I was sitting with two little girls who were terribly homesick and inconsolable. I have spent quite a bit of time with both of them, chatted with both of their moms, and pretty much done everything in my power to make sure they were okay. It was actually a pretty relaxing night, because they were both fairly calm and good natured and we spent some time playing cards and chatting.
I went to bed feeling much more at ease about camp and the week as a whole. Today I have spent a fair amount of time with campers (behavior issues, homesickness and of course my three new shadows who would rather skip swimming and all of the fun kid activities to hang out in my office and watch me type), but there haven't been any natural disasters or catastrophes, so that's good.
So let's start where I left off. Tuesday night, I am soaking wet, haven't eaten and the pontoon is across the lake. I am on my way to my cabin to change, and I get bombarded by three different counselors needing me to talk to their groups about being disrespectful to each other, about being too slow and not listening, about... ugh, we had a lot of issues going on. So I met with groups, one at a time. I listened patiently, worked through the issues, set out clear expectations (still soaking wet, and getting cold, but patient nonetheless).
Eventually I was able to eat dinner, change my clothes and take a deep breath. At 10pm, I was in my office, finally checking email and one of the kitchen crew girls came in. She was VERY unhappy with the other girl she works with. So I spent some time with her, talking it through, calming her down and trying to figure out what she can do to deal with the other girl's "annoyingness".
Wednesday-a lot of behavior problems, a lot of homesick kids, a lot of counselors not being as focused as they should have been. I spent the majority of the day in my office mediating conflict. I spent a lot of time with one child in particular, who started Monday with an attitude of absolute defiance, spent the majority of her time on Tuesday in my office, and finally got to the point of being unable to be in a group. I called her parents who let me know that they don't drive and I would have to deal with her.
Um, no.
So I let them know I would be driving her home that night.
I didn't want to have to send her home. I tried everything I could with behavior management strategies. I was patient, I was reasonable. I was firm, I was fair, but ultimately, she just couldn't function at camp. I felt like a failure that I couldn't get through to her, and I was frustrated with her stubborn attitude and opposition. That being said, she wasn't a bad kid. She was a little girl who was away from home for the first time. The two things she said to me over the course of all the time we spent together were, "you have to get up too early here" and "I really miss my mom." This was a kid who was tired and homesick and instead of crying like most kids, her pain manifested itself into bad behavior. I get that. I was trying really hard to remember that and be empathetic instead of just annoyed.
I wanted to leave at 4pm, but there were homesick campers and scheduling changes and counselor needs to attend to first. The Assistant Director had left earlier in the day to be gone for a conference, which meant I was leaving with no one to be the person "in charge", so I was trying to get everything settled. Finally at 7pm, we got into the van for the three hour drive back to the city. She slept the whole way and when we arrived, her older sisters were waiting to greet her with a hero's welcome. She was smiling and happy, and I had to once again, remind myself that she was just a little girl.
It was 9:30 when I dropped her off and I was not interested in turning around and driving back. I figured that by the time I got back to camp it would be after midnight and no one would be awake anyway, so it would be fine to just get up early and return the next day. So I drove 15 minutes to my house, watched some tivo-ed "So You Think You Can Dance" and went to bed early. Well, first I had to answer a phone call to figure out what to do about a camper who needed medication she didn't have, and then a phone call that started with, "HAS ANYONE CALLED YOU YET?" -J
"...no... what's wrong?"-Me
"We don't have any water in the main building." -J
It briefly crossed my mind to get off of my comfortable chair in my wonderful house and drive as fast as I could back. And then it crossed my mind to hide in a closet and never come out and never go back to camp. And then I took a breath and realized that there wasn't anything I could do at that time of night anyway, so I told them to get the big water jugs we use for the overnight, fill them with water and have the kids brush their teeth with that. Solved.
At 4am I was awake, 4:15 in the car, and back at camp by 6:30 the next day. I was EXHAUSTED. And frantic, because that building includes the kitchen, the showers, and the only bathrooms the kids will use. With no water, we had no working bathrooms, but we had kids using the toilets anyway. AHHHHH!!!!!! So I frantically starting calling around to find information about our utility company... Oh, um, we don't have city water, we have our own well (a very nice woman from a local utility company explained patiently the way things work), so then I started calling plumbers. There are no emergency numbers in Small Town Up North, so I sat and quietly panicked for a while.
At 8am, I finally got a hold of a local plumber who I convinced to come out ASAP. Ten minutes later, he was at camp, and about 20 minutes after that, we had water back. Crisis over.
That didn't mean that the trouble was over. Soon after the plumbing issue was resolved, I began a day long standoff with three kids. I had already spoken to all three of them several times, and Thursday it blew up. None of the counselors could handle them and so they sat in my office, except that they didn't sit quietly. They made noise and wouldn't sit and let me know several times that they hated camp, me and that they would be telling their parents how awful it was. We called their parents, who let me know they didn't drive and I would have to deal with them (sound familiar? Yeah, we have a large group of scholarshiped kids here this week and the nuns who sponsored them didn't have a plan for getting them back in case of behavior problems). I couldn't face driving back again, and yet, they just weren't listening.
In nine summers of camp, I have never felt as powerless and unsure of what to do as I felt on Thursday. I wanted to cry in exhaustion and frustration, and I felt like the whole camp was in chaos. At lunch, I brought the three trouble kids with me to the dining hall and sat them at a separate table. "Please just sit there and be patient" I asked them. Maybe I looked pathetic or they realized they broke me, or what, but they sat, quietly, and ate nicely.
At lunch I received a phone call from our Office Manager letting me know that J's mom had called her and yelled at her for 45 minutes. Apparently, according to J's mom, I had turned into Hitler since the Boss had left, and the reason he left was because I had worked hard to get rid of him. Also, how dare we have such inadequate facilities without water?
My first instinct was to go in and kick J straight in the head. It seemed like the best way to handle the situation. I TRIED TO GET RID OF HIM??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Yes, I totally wanted to deal with broken boats, angry kids, plumbers and never sleep, this was all part of my plan. Even typing this makes my blood boil. How dare she? I'm having a positive attitude, because that is what a professional does. But I am doing the work of two full time people right now. And it's not easy. And really, her timing couldn't have been worse, as I was in the middle of the behavior crisis, sleep deprived, and drained.
After the phone call, two of my staff (my absolute best staff) approached me to share a concern about some other staff who weren't doing their jobs. Apparently 3 staff had left their campers during an activity, hadn't been helping, etc. (one of those staff being the girl whose mom considers me Hitler by the way). And that was the final straw.
I walked the three trouble campers back to my office and said, "Thank you for turning your behavior around during lunch. You made a good choice and I am proud of you for that. Now let me level with you. We're going to have a grown up conversation right now. (You should have seen their faces change when I said that). Here's the deal. I think that you made some bad choices, but I also think that you got a bum deal because some of your counselors weren't doing what they were supposed to. I am sorry for that. Grown ups aren't supposed to make mistakes, but sometimes they do. And so you'll have to be patient with us. You are not going home. You are going to make better choices and stay here."
An hour after they told me they hated me and wanted to go home, all three asked if they could hang out with me the next day too. When I asked them why they said, "we really like you." And for the past two days, they have gone to activities and made good choices, but also been glued to my side every moment they have free.
Anyway, the whole group gathered at the flag pole to split up for the fourth period and I said, "Okay, we have a really fun surprise! All of the campers are going to go with S and S, for extra fun games in the field, and all of the staff are going to come with me." Everyone looked a bit shocked, but the shock worked well because everyone did exactly what they were supposed to.
"We're going to pause."
"Sometimes, when things start to get out of control, we just have to stop, take a breath and center ourselves. So that is what we are doing." I was whispering. They were captivated, or maybe just drained, but I had their attention either way. I acknowledged the challenges we had faced throughout the week and praised all of the things I appreciated. And then I let them know some of the observations myself and their co-workers had noticed. I pointed out expectations and then asked for feedback, other issues, advice for each other, etc. We had a good discussion and I could actually feel the energy go from chaotic to calm. It definitely helped me feel calmer and more in control.
After the meeting we went back to regularly scheduled activities. We had an all-camp game, evening prayer, and ended the evening with the weekly dance, which is always pure happiness and enjoyment for everyone. I was in the common area outside the showers as the youngest campers came down from the dance, and little John, who I have talked to at least 15 times because he is the most high maintenance, sensitive kid ever, said, "I just want to party all night long!" And gave me a thumbs up. If we can make that kid happy, clearly the dance is the perfect activity.
I missed most of the dance, as I was sitting with two little girls who were terribly homesick and inconsolable. I have spent quite a bit of time with both of them, chatted with both of their moms, and pretty much done everything in my power to make sure they were okay. It was actually a pretty relaxing night, because they were both fairly calm and good natured and we spent some time playing cards and chatting.
I went to bed feeling much more at ease about camp and the week as a whole. Today I have spent a fair amount of time with campers (behavior issues, homesickness and of course my three new shadows who would rather skip swimming and all of the fun kid activities to hang out in my office and watch me type), but there haven't been any natural disasters or catastrophes, so that's good.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Adventure on the High Seas
"Hey, we're on the pontoon near the sunken island and the boat is dead. Can someone come help us?"
That was the walkie talkie call I received at 4pm this afternoon.
As I've blogged before, the pontoon is dying a slow and painful death. Our Assistant Program Director just got it running again this morning after our weekend adventure. So this wasn't surprising and it wasn't the first time. Well, actually, it was the first time it's happened with kids, but during training week, some of us had been in it when it stalled and just one canoe was able to tow us back to shore.
Today, however, was WINDY. The waves were intense. But I figured two canoes would do the trick... Four of us fought the waves and made it out to the pontoon, ready to tow it back in. No worries...
Oh, but did I mention that the pontoon was also sinking. Not Titanically or anything, but the lower half is definitely deeper into the water than was normal. So me, J, A, and S spent about a half hour standing in the water up to our waists, pulling at the pontoon to get it straight, roping the canoes onto the pontoon, pulling the canoes to get them straight, fighting with the canoes as they SMASHED against the side of the pontoon, fighting with the massive pontoon that was being tossed around the waves like a toy, getting soaked up to my chest. It started out as a fun adventure but got really frustrating as I realized there was NO WAY, no possible way those two canoes were going to pull the pontoon. An entire fleet of canoes wouldn't have budged the pontoon. It was a cute thought though.
Eventually we drifted close enough to shore and we were able to get is to a dock. I walked up to the house it belonged to and met the owners, who were very nice, albeit surprised to see me emerge from the water into their backyard, soaking wet and out of breath. We helped the kids climb out and we sent two counselors to canoe back to camp and get the van. It was about a two hour adventure in total.
After our (very late) dinner, we sat down to de-brief. I wanted to make sure none of the kids were traumatized. However, it turns out this was the highlight of their week so far. We have a full group of adventure loving campers. So then, no one is traumatized. Well, I'm kind of feeling traumatized as we have a dead boat and a canoe docked across the lake and no plan for getting them back. UGH! That will be my adventure for tomorrow.
That was the walkie talkie call I received at 4pm this afternoon.
As I've blogged before, the pontoon is dying a slow and painful death. Our Assistant Program Director just got it running again this morning after our weekend adventure. So this wasn't surprising and it wasn't the first time. Well, actually, it was the first time it's happened with kids, but during training week, some of us had been in it when it stalled and just one canoe was able to tow us back to shore.
Today, however, was WINDY. The waves were intense. But I figured two canoes would do the trick... Four of us fought the waves and made it out to the pontoon, ready to tow it back in. No worries...
Oh, but did I mention that the pontoon was also sinking. Not Titanically or anything, but the lower half is definitely deeper into the water than was normal. So me, J, A, and S spent about a half hour standing in the water up to our waists, pulling at the pontoon to get it straight, roping the canoes onto the pontoon, pulling the canoes to get them straight, fighting with the canoes as they SMASHED against the side of the pontoon, fighting with the massive pontoon that was being tossed around the waves like a toy, getting soaked up to my chest. It started out as a fun adventure but got really frustrating as I realized there was NO WAY, no possible way those two canoes were going to pull the pontoon. An entire fleet of canoes wouldn't have budged the pontoon. It was a cute thought though.
Eventually we drifted close enough to shore and we were able to get is to a dock. I walked up to the house it belonged to and met the owners, who were very nice, albeit surprised to see me emerge from the water into their backyard, soaking wet and out of breath. We helped the kids climb out and we sent two counselors to canoe back to camp and get the van. It was about a two hour adventure in total.
After our (very late) dinner, we sat down to de-brief. I wanted to make sure none of the kids were traumatized. However, it turns out this was the highlight of their week so far. We have a full group of adventure loving campers. So then, no one is traumatized. Well, I'm kind of feeling traumatized as we have a dead boat and a canoe docked across the lake and no plan for getting them back. UGH! That will be my adventure for tomorrow.
Back to Normal!
Campers are back and, as promised, I will never complain again since they aren't families. In the end, Family Camp wasn't as absolutely awful as I'd originally complained, but I was still happy when they left and I was thrilled when a bus of children showed up yesterday.
This is our biggest week so far this summer. We only have 100 campers, which is HUGE for us, but I used to work at a camp that averaged 150-180 campers per week, so really, HUGE is relative. Remembering the other camp helps me keep perspective when I am scheduling and think, "oh, there are so many"... um, not really...
Yesterday went very smooth considering we have so many more campers than we are used to. Counselors have gotten the hang of everything and they are able to take initiative without me there to lead. And that's good, because, as always, I spent the day running from place to place.
There were parents to speak with and phones to answer. Our Registrar had just returned from vacation and was slightly overwhelmed by the mound of papers on her desk, so I spent some time on the phone with her, and then sent her an encouraging email. This week we have two extra people helping out- a new kitchen helper and a new lifeguard. Both are 16, young, excited, but, well, 16, so I had to explain/babysit more that usual. Run, run, run...
Out of the blue, a guy showed up to talk to me about our roofing situation, and I wanted to tell him to make an appointment, because I was in the MIDDLE of something (hello, Interim Exec... What? You didn't think that's gotten old yet, did you?), but the roof situation is a priority, and he was offering a pretty sweet deal, and, while I like to blog about being an elitist Interim Exec, I'm not really living that out. I appreciate every little bit of help, so I dropped everything to talk to him.
In our kitchen, we have two head cooks, who plan and prepare meals, order food, etc. We also have two 16 year old helpers. During the day, the cooks prepare dinner, and then the girls put it in the over and serve it at dinnertime. As the fifth (of 10) table went through the line last night, I heard, "how many tables do we have left, because we're out of taco meat?" You should have seen my head snap around when I heard that. So I ran back into the kitchen to find out what had happened. Apparently there was a miscalculation or something, because, indeed, no more meat. "Um, like, vegetarian tacos?" was the suggestion from the girls. "Um, like, no way" was my response. They suggested we re-heat some corndogs from lunch. I suggested they find me some hamburger and a big pan. I spent an INTENSE 15 minutes browning 20 pounds of hamburger to make more tacos. Actually, the really miserable part of that whole experience was for the staff keeping hungry, impatient kids busy as other kids were eating around them. So I wasn't really complaining about my job.
After dinner, I worked on schedules, dropped schedules for a half hour while I listened to a counselor who had a bad weekend and a bad day and needed me, worked on schedules, went to the opening campfire for a little while, spent some time with the Leaders in Training group, worked on schedules, and was in bed by 1am (which isn't bad for a Monday night).
This morning I was up and in my office by 6:50, finishing up a few last minute changes to schedules, checked voicemail and email, and so on and so on... I am so glad to be back to normal.
This is our biggest week so far this summer. We only have 100 campers, which is HUGE for us, but I used to work at a camp that averaged 150-180 campers per week, so really, HUGE is relative. Remembering the other camp helps me keep perspective when I am scheduling and think, "oh, there are so many"... um, not really...
Yesterday went very smooth considering we have so many more campers than we are used to. Counselors have gotten the hang of everything and they are able to take initiative without me there to lead. And that's good, because, as always, I spent the day running from place to place.
There were parents to speak with and phones to answer. Our Registrar had just returned from vacation and was slightly overwhelmed by the mound of papers on her desk, so I spent some time on the phone with her, and then sent her an encouraging email. This week we have two extra people helping out- a new kitchen helper and a new lifeguard. Both are 16, young, excited, but, well, 16, so I had to explain/babysit more that usual. Run, run, run...
Out of the blue, a guy showed up to talk to me about our roofing situation, and I wanted to tell him to make an appointment, because I was in the MIDDLE of something (hello, Interim Exec... What? You didn't think that's gotten old yet, did you?), but the roof situation is a priority, and he was offering a pretty sweet deal, and, while I like to blog about being an elitist Interim Exec, I'm not really living that out. I appreciate every little bit of help, so I dropped everything to talk to him.
In our kitchen, we have two head cooks, who plan and prepare meals, order food, etc. We also have two 16 year old helpers. During the day, the cooks prepare dinner, and then the girls put it in the over and serve it at dinnertime. As the fifth (of 10) table went through the line last night, I heard, "how many tables do we have left, because we're out of taco meat?" You should have seen my head snap around when I heard that. So I ran back into the kitchen to find out what had happened. Apparently there was a miscalculation or something, because, indeed, no more meat. "Um, like, vegetarian tacos?" was the suggestion from the girls. "Um, like, no way" was my response. They suggested we re-heat some corndogs from lunch. I suggested they find me some hamburger and a big pan. I spent an INTENSE 15 minutes browning 20 pounds of hamburger to make more tacos. Actually, the really miserable part of that whole experience was for the staff keeping hungry, impatient kids busy as other kids were eating around them. So I wasn't really complaining about my job.
After dinner, I worked on schedules, dropped schedules for a half hour while I listened to a counselor who had a bad weekend and a bad day and needed me, worked on schedules, went to the opening campfire for a little while, spent some time with the Leaders in Training group, worked on schedules, and was in bed by 1am (which isn't bad for a Monday night).
This morning I was up and in my office by 6:50, finishing up a few last minute changes to schedules, checked voicemail and email, and so on and so on... I am so glad to be back to normal.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Free Stuff
Camp is a non-profit organization. That means that the majority of our operating budget comes from generous people who donate money. In addition to money, people are also generous with things (like boats and vans) and their time. I am extremely grateful for everything this camp receives. Please be clear, I sincerely, deeply appreciate each and every thing, small or large, that is contributed to this place that I love so much.
That being said...
People donate things for a reason. If said item was in perfect working order, said donors would keep and enjoy it themselves.
For instance, the GIANT pontoon that was donated this year. It's huge. You can comfortably fit 15 kids an two counselors on it. It guzzles gas like nothing I've ever seen before, but it runs and it fits all the kids. The floor boards are rotting, but we also received a donation of the really expensive outdoor plywood, so at some point, the two donations will meet and everything will be great.
We've been using the pontoon (the giant, gas guzzling pontoon) to take groups tubing. It is killing the green part of my heart (as well as the green part of camp's wallet) to use it, but the speed boat (also donated) is really broken, and the boat guy says it is not worth the money to fix it. So we use the pontoon. Today, after the families left and we cleaned camp, myself and 6 of the staff took the pontoon out for an afternoon of tubing. It was hot and sunny and the water was warm. I got to work on my tan and go tubing for the first time since I've been here. So wonderful.
And then it made this funny noise and refused to start. Hmmm... We gave it a little while, and tried again. Nothing. So after about 15 minutes, we decided to send 2 staff (a lifeguard and a very athletic counselor) to swim to shore and get some more people and canoes to tow us in. Uh huh, ridiculous, but that's the story of how camp works sometimes.
About 30 feet from where we were floating, our swimmers ran into a boy in a nice pontoon and they asked him for help and he towed us in. A MUCH better plan than the canoeing thing.
I don't know what is wrong with the pontoon now. I guess I can call the boat guy to come have a look at it. Ugh. Sometimes it's just one thing after another......
That being said...
People donate things for a reason. If said item was in perfect working order, said donors would keep and enjoy it themselves.
For instance, the GIANT pontoon that was donated this year. It's huge. You can comfortably fit 15 kids an two counselors on it. It guzzles gas like nothing I've ever seen before, but it runs and it fits all the kids. The floor boards are rotting, but we also received a donation of the really expensive outdoor plywood, so at some point, the two donations will meet and everything will be great.
We've been using the pontoon (the giant, gas guzzling pontoon) to take groups tubing. It is killing the green part of my heart (as well as the green part of camp's wallet) to use it, but the speed boat (also donated) is really broken, and the boat guy says it is not worth the money to fix it. So we use the pontoon. Today, after the families left and we cleaned camp, myself and 6 of the staff took the pontoon out for an afternoon of tubing. It was hot and sunny and the water was warm. I got to work on my tan and go tubing for the first time since I've been here. So wonderful.
And then it made this funny noise and refused to start. Hmmm... We gave it a little while, and tried again. Nothing. So after about 15 minutes, we decided to send 2 staff (a lifeguard and a very athletic counselor) to swim to shore and get some more people and canoes to tow us in. Uh huh, ridiculous, but that's the story of how camp works sometimes.
About 30 feet from where we were floating, our swimmers ran into a boy in a nice pontoon and they asked him for help and he towed us in. A MUCH better plan than the canoeing thing.
I don't know what is wrong with the pontoon now. I guess I can call the boat guy to come have a look at it. Ugh. Sometimes it's just one thing after another......
Jigsoring
Jig-sor-ing- definition: the act of putting a jigsaw puzzle together (while having an Australian accent).We have become obsessed with puzzles. I've never participated in such intense, focused activity, nor did I realize just how fun puzzles can be.
At the beginning of this week, someone found a 1000 piece puzzle and laid it out on a table. Throughout the week, all of us have worked on the puzzle at different times. Some of us have been more intensely focused and dedicated several hours, while others drop in occasionally. I have had to go out of my way to avoid the whole area, because what always starts as "I'm just gonna try to fit in one piece" or "I just have 5 minutes" usually leads to 2 hours of intense puzzle work.
Last night, there were 9 of us working intently. There was maybe 100 pieces left, but it was 10:30. "I'm going to bed in 5 minutes". That's the exact phrase all of us used, at least 15 times. As we had less and less pieces left, we started moving more quickly, 9 hands flying around the puzzle, bumping into each other, grabbing for pieces, while we made demands of each other such as, "I need a reddish piece with a blue corner." As the puzzle got closer to being finished, we got more and more excited as we placed each piece. The room was thick with excitement, as I've only ever seen at a sporting event or a really intense board game and we started to cheer each time a piece was put in. I never thought I would say that putting together a puzzle was fun, but it was a blast!
At 11:15, we had all but two pieces in. The Assistant Program Director had bet several people a million dollars that not all of the pieces would be there, and it was a concern that we pondered throughout the whole week (several, as in, 10 or more, suggested we count all the pieces to make sure they were all there, but we never did, we just had a lot of worried talks about whether we thought they were all there or not). After we put the last piece that we had into the puzzle, we all HIT the ground, searching for the missing pieces... And when we found them, and put them in, completing the puzzle, there was a roar of cheering, high fives, laughter and a group photo taken.
This group of staff is so wonderful for several reasons: the close nit, nearly family-like bond that we've developed, the ability to make absolutely anything and everything fun, the sense of community and teamwork that goes in to EVERYTHING we do, and an overall atmosphere of happiness and fun.
This morning, next to the completed puzzle from the night before, someone had opened and laid out another 1000 piece to work on. And as I type, the music is blasting and 3 people have already completed the edge... and so it begins again...
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Maid of Honor
My best friend is getting married in a month. Well, actually 21 days. As Maid of Honor, I have several honors that day, including that I get to wear a bright turquoise, strapless dress and walk down the aisle in front everyone. It's a nice dress, unfortunately, I may have had one too many s'mores this summer (and maybe a few extra desserts leading up to the summer), and when I put on the dress, I have a very real resemblance to Jabba the Hut tightly wrapped in turquoise ceran wrap.When I got to camp in May, I vowed to myself that I would run every day and get in really great shape by the wedding. But it's been a busy summer and the 3 minutes of free time I have per day, I usually spend sitting quietly, being thankful I don't have to move. But today, in an attempt to escape a very tedious "to do" list, I decided to go for a run.
When I walked outside wearing running shoes, a tank top and my iPod, my staff reacted as if I was carrying a rocket ship, planning a trip to the moon. It was a mixture of perplexed shock and confused worry. Several suggested I take a walkie talkie "just in case, you know... you need us" and one suggested he drive behind me in the golf cart. I used to be in great shape. I worked out 7 days a week and trained with a really tough personal trainer 3 days a week. I was the picture of physical fitness. So, it's been a while since I did anything resembling exercise, and my body type is more "soccer mom after giving birth" but I watch the Biggest Loser, and if those people can get in shape, there's hope for me.
So I went for a run. Er, well, I walked... um, okay, hobbled (and crawled, but just a little ways). I went two miles. Yes, okay, it took the better part of the day, and I had to stop for a short nap on the side of the road, but I did it. It was not fun. I hated it. But this is my best friend we are talking about. I don't mind the extra rolls, I love me and the more of me there is, the better. But I think my best friend will be mad if I ruin all of her wedding photos by looking like the blue kool-aid mascot and taking up the majority of the photo. So instead of getting her the expensive, wonderfully thoughtful gift that she and her future husband will love and enjoy, I decided to get in shape and avoid taking all of the attention away from her on her special day. So I hobbled for her. And for the next 20 days I will do the same. Because that's what the Maid of Honor does.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Dad
My Dad accepted the position as Camp Caretaker today. He has been doing the job for a month, but finally today, we met with the Board President and they negotiated a contract and he accepted the job year-round. He will be selling his house and moving here. I am very excited about it because it's a great fit for him and also, it will benefit camp so much.
After the meeting, he and I went around camp and made the longest "to do" list I've ever seen, but we were both so excited we were just talking over each other and bouncing around and both of us were getting progressively louder and more excited by the passing minutes. We share a very similar vision of where we want camp to go and it is exciting to have someone with the skills and ambition to make it possible. I never imagined I would work with my dad, but now we are partners and it is the best situation I've ever been in. We work well together and I can depend on him and I really enjoy spending time with him. We've come a long way from the screaming fights in my teenage years.
On Sunday, my dad is leaving for Alaska for the next two weeks. He has gone to Alaska for the past 4 years to mine for gold. He talks about it nonstop and it is his passion. I am excited for him to go (and also to stop talking about going and come back with new stories). What I didn't expect was to be so emotional when he left camp today. We have pretty much been together nonstop for the past month. He's here for everything, and he's the one I vent to most often. He is part of the camp community and all of the staff love him. And now he's going to be gone and I really don't want him to go! I'm going to miss him a lot (and I'm also afraid something is going to break and I will have to fix it myself).
Working at camp has been a roller coaster of surprises. I never expected that my boss would leave, that I would love my staff as much as I do, that I would love being here as much as I do. And I never expected that I would have the opportunity to work with my dad and get so close to him. It's been a really nice surprise and a blessing I will appreciate the rest of my life.
After the meeting, he and I went around camp and made the longest "to do" list I've ever seen, but we were both so excited we were just talking over each other and bouncing around and both of us were getting progressively louder and more excited by the passing minutes. We share a very similar vision of where we want camp to go and it is exciting to have someone with the skills and ambition to make it possible. I never imagined I would work with my dad, but now we are partners and it is the best situation I've ever been in. We work well together and I can depend on him and I really enjoy spending time with him. We've come a long way from the screaming fights in my teenage years.
On Sunday, my dad is leaving for Alaska for the next two weeks. He has gone to Alaska for the past 4 years to mine for gold. He talks about it nonstop and it is his passion. I am excited for him to go (and also to stop talking about going and come back with new stories). What I didn't expect was to be so emotional when he left camp today. We have pretty much been together nonstop for the past month. He's here for everything, and he's the one I vent to most often. He is part of the camp community and all of the staff love him. And now he's going to be gone and I really don't want him to go! I'm going to miss him a lot (and I'm also afraid something is going to break and I will have to fix it myself).
Working at camp has been a roller coaster of surprises. I never expected that my boss would leave, that I would love my staff as much as I do, that I would love being here as much as I do. And I never expected that I would have the opportunity to work with my dad and get so close to him. It's been a really nice surprise and a blessing I will appreciate the rest of my life.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Family
I hate Family Camp. I've been trying to think of a nicer way of phrasing it, but that's literally as gentle as I can put it. I really hate Family Camp. I like families. I particularly like my own family. But I hate Family Camp.
Last night at the campfire I got poked in the shoulder by a flaming marshmallow. I routinely roast marshmallows with 50-100 campers. I've never been poked. Kids were starting marshmallows on fire, flinging them around, poking their sticks into the fire with nothing on them, running around, jumping on the benches... And the parents were just sitting there. How much can I really yell and lay down the law when parents are sitting there, laughing at their adorable children playing? Answer- not at all. So I sat there, biting my tongue and promising that I would never complain again about making jello, cleaning up after kids and everything else, as long as the families would go away and the campers (and rules) would return.
We have families here until Sunday. So I will be hiding in my office until Sunday. And next year, I'm going on vacation during this time of the summer.
Last night at the campfire I got poked in the shoulder by a flaming marshmallow. I routinely roast marshmallows with 50-100 campers. I've never been poked. Kids were starting marshmallows on fire, flinging them around, poking their sticks into the fire with nothing on them, running around, jumping on the benches... And the parents were just sitting there. How much can I really yell and lay down the law when parents are sitting there, laughing at their adorable children playing? Answer- not at all. So I sat there, biting my tongue and promising that I would never complain again about making jello, cleaning up after kids and everything else, as long as the families would go away and the campers (and rules) would return.
We have families here until Sunday. So I will be hiding in my office until Sunday. And next year, I'm going on vacation during this time of the summer.
Random Acts of Kindness, SO RANDOM!
I was working in my office a while ago when one of my staff came in to let me know there was a guy outside who'd offered to fix our wagon.
...Um... what?
So I went outside to find Wally (the first guy in this small town I've met not named Willy). Wally let me know he'd been driving by (his wife was in the car), on the way to a garage sale, and he's noticed our wagon was broken and would he like us to fix it?
...Um... what wagon? What are you talking about?
There is a small green wagon that was laying on the side of the field. I think my dad used it for a while, to drag wood and other random things, but then it broke and we were going to throw it away. I forgot it was there.
But I still didn't quite get it. Why did he want to fix it? What was he talking about? I live in the city, people don't just stop by to help. But as we chatted, he let me know he was of the same religion our camp is, and he's retired, and he has a welder, so he could fix it. He likes to help people. Hmmmmm.... Um, okay.
So Wally took the wagon apart and plans to fix it and bring it back. I'm still slightly perplexed over what just happened, but he and his wife couldn't have been nicer, and maybe our wagon will be fixed. And they were driving a convertible, so maybe they will decide to give us some money someday. Or maybe this will help me learn what it means to love thy neighbor and help others and be kind and stuff...
...Um... what?
So I went outside to find Wally (the first guy in this small town I've met not named Willy). Wally let me know he'd been driving by (his wife was in the car), on the way to a garage sale, and he's noticed our wagon was broken and would he like us to fix it?
...Um... what wagon? What are you talking about?
There is a small green wagon that was laying on the side of the field. I think my dad used it for a while, to drag wood and other random things, but then it broke and we were going to throw it away. I forgot it was there.
But I still didn't quite get it. Why did he want to fix it? What was he talking about? I live in the city, people don't just stop by to help. But as we chatted, he let me know he was of the same religion our camp is, and he's retired, and he has a welder, so he could fix it. He likes to help people. Hmmmmm.... Um, okay.
So Wally took the wagon apart and plans to fix it and bring it back. I'm still slightly perplexed over what just happened, but he and his wife couldn't have been nicer, and maybe our wagon will be fixed. And they were driving a convertible, so maybe they will decide to give us some money someday. Or maybe this will help me learn what it means to love thy neighbor and help others and be kind and stuff...
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Low Energy
This week is Family Camp. About half of the staff are at home. We have 7 staff working this week and a handful of staff just chillin'. From Saturday- Wednesday, we have just two families here and then Wednesday- Saturday we will have five families.
I have been very glad for the opportunity to catch up on emails, paperwork, organizing projects, and take a breath. I have a lot of things to do this week, and I am happy to have the chance at some uninterrupted work. That being said, it's been a low energy week so far and I am ready for kids to come back.
When kids are here, it's nonstop, intense, and I am pulled in 15 different directions every minute of every day. The only time I have to get all of the little things done is if I wake up early or stay up late. But the kids and the intensity of all of it gives me energy and the adrenaline keeps me going at an inhuman pace. And I like it that way. Without that, this week is dragging, and so am I.
Also, kids are easy to deal with when they are on their own. As soon as their parents are here, they get whinny, cry easily, have tantrums, and are bratty. Parents, FYI, your kids don't act like that when they are here without you. I think most parents would be surprised at how independent, capable and resilient their kids are when they aren't here. But this week, we have parents and kids together and I've already seen 3 kids cry at several different times. Ugh. I'll take 50 happy kids over one whinny kid any day!
It's not all bad. I'm getting a lot done, sleeping a little later than usual and relaxing every evening. I can't complain about any of that...
I have been very glad for the opportunity to catch up on emails, paperwork, organizing projects, and take a breath. I have a lot of things to do this week, and I am happy to have the chance at some uninterrupted work. That being said, it's been a low energy week so far and I am ready for kids to come back.
When kids are here, it's nonstop, intense, and I am pulled in 15 different directions every minute of every day. The only time I have to get all of the little things done is if I wake up early or stay up late. But the kids and the intensity of all of it gives me energy and the adrenaline keeps me going at an inhuman pace. And I like it that way. Without that, this week is dragging, and so am I.
Also, kids are easy to deal with when they are on their own. As soon as their parents are here, they get whinny, cry easily, have tantrums, and are bratty. Parents, FYI, your kids don't act like that when they are here without you. I think most parents would be surprised at how independent, capable and resilient their kids are when they aren't here. But this week, we have parents and kids together and I've already seen 3 kids cry at several different times. Ugh. I'll take 50 happy kids over one whinny kid any day!
It's not all bad. I'm getting a lot done, sleeping a little later than usual and relaxing every evening. I can't complain about any of that...
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