Staff Training

June 2 began the marathon with lifeguard training. This year I had 8 people go through the class (I usually have 3 or 4). I sort of hate "pre-camp" training. They are at camp and getting to know each other, but they aren't officially at camp yet. We don't play get to know you games or go over the policies of camp. So it's just sort of an awkward in between time. But the staff did a great job with lifeguard class and settled into camp and so it all worked out. CPR/First aid was all day on June 6. There were only a few in that class because so many had been part of lifeguarding. The lifeguards spent the day helping out with projects around camp.

June 7 was the first full day of staff training. Training is 8am-9pm every day. There are a few scheduled breaks, but for the most part, it is nonstop activity. The first few days involve a lot of sitting and listening. I break up the day with frequent songs and games, so that the days don't get too long as we cover the important things like camp rules, safety, child development, etc.

By the third or fourth day of training days become much more interactive and hands on with staff actually learning and practicing the activities. The staff members are all 19 years old. Last year, we had mostly seniors in college or recent college grads. Consequently, they seem INCREDIBLY young this year.

Overall, training went really well. I had 3 come to me crying, unsure if they were cut out to be a counselor. I actually worry less about those kinds of staff- I knew they were listening to me and taking the seriousness of this job to heart. We talked through it and they all bounced back and ended training with excitement for the summer. I think some of the other staff are a bit overconfident right now. I think actual children are going to be surprisingly more difficult to manage than just talking about campers, but they'll get the hang out if.

Usually when staff training ends, I just want to lay on my couch and not move. The BF usually comes up for the weekend and we hang out. But there were about a million different things I wanted from my house and 7 different stores I wanted to visit to buy specific items. It was too much for him to bring me- it would have been like a scavenger hunt. So I decided to go home for 24 hours.

Training ended at 12 and I was in the car by 1:30. I got home, dropped off the dogs and ran around to all of the different places I needed to go. BF and I went out to a nice dinner, relaxed and watched a movie on the couch and went to bed early. This morning, I planned to sleep in, but was awake by 8am.

It looks like I got into a fight
(my leg looks similar)

My voice is scratchy and sounds terrible from 12 days of talking and singing loudly. My body is bruised from moving things around and getting camp ready, as well as some particularly gross looking bruises from canoe tipping. My allergies have kicked in and my eyes are dry and red. So overall, I wasn't feeling my prettiest. So I went to get my nails done. They were broken and jagged and ordinarily I wouldn't bother, but I needed a little pampering.

I had a nice lunch with my mom, stopped at my office to make a few copies and was back to camp by dinnertime. It was a whirlwind, but I am happy I made the trip.

Usually I think nail art is tacky,
but I figured it would be fun fo camp

As we begin the summer, I feel... good... I hesitate to say that, but I feel GOOD. I came to camp feeling  SO negative and apprehensive. And last summer was SO difficult. The business manager 'S' was new and even though she is smart and works hard, everything was so new for her, it was difficult. This year, she is totally self sufficient and she makes my life so easy.

Property Manager 'T' was new last summer. I was nervous about him and we were still figuring each other out. This summer, he is confident, knows exactly what needs to be done and makes my life so easy.

My cooks last year were terrible. The head cook was a basket case, the assistant cook went crazy because she was trying to make up for the head cook. It was a battle all summer. This summer, I have two new cooks and a new housekeeper who are all FABULOUS. The cooks work together as school cooks, and have transformed the kitchen. They are competent, hard working, confident and make my life easy! The new housekeeper has scrubbed every inch of camp and I have never seen this place so clean. It is amazing.

Assistant Director 'A' is amazing as always, but this year, as a full time staff member, she is more confident, more independent and is making my life easy. My summer program director is new to the role, but she is so confident, so easy going, and so good- she reminds me of PDS (who was my program director for 4 years and the greatest staff member/human being of all time!).

Last summer's unofficial theme was "struggle"- everything was just DIFFICULT. And then it flooded. And so the fact that everything is going so smooth this year, that everything is so easy, is making me a little nervous. I think I'm a little scarred from last year. This is the way camp is SUPPOSED to run- a group of competent people doing their jobs well to operate efficiently and successfully. I know this is normal. But I am not quite used to it and so I've been cautiously peering around corners, and fear there is something dramatic waiting to crush me as soon as I let my guard down.

I'm hopeful though. I'm hopeful that last year was a fluke. I'm hopeful that this is a sign of the summer ahead. I am hopeful that we will have sunshine and happy campers and an amazing summer!! Bring on the campers....