Advanced Staff Training

This is my 12th summer of camp and I think the 10th time I have helped or fully led staff training. I love staff training. I love scheduling it, love leading team building, I love every part about it.

But this year has been a different challenge than I've ever experienced before. I have 17 return staff and 4 new staff. Of the four new staff, one was a counselor for several years (at a different camp), one was a volunteer missionary with teens all last year and the other two are just really "with it". We're not working with your average bunch staff. They have been humoring me- acting out scenarios, responding to my lectures, and participating, but it's clear that they are a little bit bored because they have done this before and know what to do.

So when PDP came to me and suggested that instead of just doing a normal staff overnight camping trip, we canoe (nine miles) to the site, I actually considered it. Two years ago, he took a group of 14 year old boys, so I didn't think it was an impossible feat. I knew it might be a challenge and some people wouldn't be excited about it, and also that I would have to change around the entire training schedule to accommodate it.

He, PDS, and I talked about it, discussed worst case scenarios, emergency procedures and every possible thing we could think of. We brought APDA into the discussion and she burst into tears- she was not excited, but even with that hesitation, we moved forward with plans.

A little while ago, we made the announcement to the staff- some cheered, a few cried. On a scale of one to ten (their feelings about the trip)- there were some tens, some zeros, some in the middle. I told them to think about it overnight, write down any questions they have, but not to spend the night panicking. I'm slightly nervous about this idea, but I think it will work out okay.

We'll see...