The Greatest Internship
By Alison “Bean” Moeschberger
I still cringe every time I hear a counselor tell me that they’re not returning to camp next summer because they have to get an internship to prepare for their “real job.” It stings because this is my real job, but, more than that, I believe wholeheartedly in the training and life preparation counselors experience while working at summer camp. It would be easy to say that camp counseling is a good internship for people who want to work with children for their career, but the work experience camp counselors gain at camp translates to strong, employable skills that any company would be excited to see in their applicants.
6 Critical Skills Counselors Develop at Camp:
Responsibility
There is no greater responsibility than caring for other people’s children. Camp counselors are responsible for the 24-hour care of a group of children. They have a very significant presence on the camp’s organizational chart, and their work with campers is essential to camp’s operation.
Teamwork
Camp provides a unique opportunity where counselors live, work, and play together. The friendships they develop over the summer are some of the strongest and most long-lasting relationships. Camp counselors learn to live in community with people who have very different personalities and life experiences. They adapt and work well with a range of people.
Creativity & Problem Solving
Whether it’s altering the plan for the day because of weather or figuring out a more efficient way to move 10 children from one place to another, camp counselors are constantly provided with opportunities to solve problems and be creative. They must be flexible and be able to think quickly when alternative solutions are required.
Communication Skills
Without the distraction of technology and social media, camp counselors strengthen their communication skills by engaging in face-to-face interaction with campers and fellow counselors. They learn how to lead group discussions and practice conflict resolution almost daily.
Leadership
Children want and need positive role models in their lives. Camp counselors are closer in age to campers than most of their adult role models at home, and the unique relationships they can form are hugely influential as campers navigate adolescence. Counselors are forced to examine themselves and share important life lessons with their campers. They need to remain appropriate in their language and appearance at all times, and living closely with children often causes counselors to see themselves from a different perspective. It is a powerful experience to be a role model for a child.
Selflessness
The nature of the job as a camp counselor is humbling. Camp counselors focus primarily on the safety and happiness of the campers in their care, at the expense of personal freedom and privacy. Young adulthood can often be a very self-centered time. People seek instant gratification and act more spontaneously. The selflessness practiced at camp makes counselors happier and more fulfilled, and we often hear that counselors feel like the best version of themselves because of camp.
Internships are temporary positions that are designed to provide on-the-job training and work experience, and there is no better internship than becoming a camp counselor.
Sources:
http://www.acacamps.org/blog/counselors/10-reasons-why-businesses-should-hire-former-camp-counselors
http://www.acacamps.org/campmag/1405/camp-belongs-resume
http://college.usatoday.com/2011/07/27/opinion-skip-the-internship-go-to-camp/
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/25/the-internship-that-looks-good-vs-the-job-that-pays/
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/the-camp-counselor-vs-the-intern/?_r=0
Wolfie
Episode 36
On episode 36 of the POG-Cast, we’re talking with Wolfie about backpacking and the Outdoor Leadership Course. Wolfie led OLC trips in 2017 and 2018 and has amazing things to say about the experience for teens. We still have space in our second OLC for 2019, which you can find out more about on this page. If you would like to hear more about the OLC, you can also check out the third ever episode of this very podcast, where Soy chatted with Mac and some OLC participants about the trip. Today’s episode also features a joke about seafood and music as well as a brand new GACspiration about love.
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2019 Theme: Filling Buckets
by Alison “Bean” Moeschberger
Every summer at Gold Arrow Camp, we choose a theme to guide our efforts in helping campers become the best versions of themselves. This practice started in the summer of 2012 when the staff selected “gratitude” as the guiding theme. We followed that with kindness (Cool 2B Kind), relationship building (Creating Connections), helpfulness (Give a Hand), grit (Growing Grit), positivity (The Energy Bus), and 2018’s focus on friendship (Find-a-Friend).
One thing that makes life at camp special is that we live in a community where our shared experience is derived solely from our interactions with each other. At camp, we exist in a perfect bubble, shielded from input and news from life outside of GAC. This provides us the privilege and responsibility of maintaining our own positive and encouraging atmosphere. Every interaction we have with another person is an opportunity to have a positive, negative, or neutral impact. It is easy to be too self-focused and worry about our own agenda and needs. Encouraging others and actively seeking opportunities to have a positive impact are noble challenges we are excited to embrace in our community.
In keeping with our core value of equipping campers to bring positive changes to the world, we’re proud to announce our 2019 summer theme: Filling Buckets!
Carol McCloud’s children’s book Have You Filled A Bucket Today? is our inspiration. McCloud tells the story of a young boy and the impact his kindness and encouragement have on his community. Every person carries an invisible bucket. When someone does something kind, encourages another, or helps in some way, it fills another person’s bucket. Conversely, negative interactions empty people’s buckets. In the story, the boy discovers an important truth about kindness. He realizes that when he encourages others, his own bucket is filled. We’re thrilled to make our GAC community stronger by helping campers understand that encouragement makes others feel valued. Together, we will experience the joy that comes from making others our focus.
There are many opportunities at camp to fill other people’s buckets through kindness and encouragement. Filling Buckets means using our words and actions to show how much we care:
- Sharing a heartfelt smile
- Greeting each other by name
- Helping others without being asked
- Giving sincere compliments
- Recognizing others for bravery and achievements
- Encouraging others when they succeed and also when they’re struggling
- Elevating the needs of others above our own
- Seeking opportunities to have a positive impact on others
Filling Buckets builds on the work we’ve done in the areas of positivity, friendship, and kindness. The friendships we forge at camp are special for many reasons, and we know that keeping the focus on lifting each other up will add depth and richness to our connections. It is our sincere hope that 2019’s GAC campers will take this theme home and continue to make positive changes in their communities by being kind and encouraging with everyone they encounter. Everyone deserves a full bucket!
Enjoy this video of Monkey and Soy announcing the theme on our Facebook page.
Moana
Episode 35.
On Episode 35 of the GAC POG-Cast, Soy was joined by Moana. Moana came to camp only knowing one person, and had a great summer. Her insights into how to get the most out of camp when you’re pretty new to the culture and community of GAC were outstanding for new campers and first year staff as well.
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GAC Runners are headed to the Spirit Run!
Once again, the GAC Runners will be headed to Newport Beach on March 17th, 2019, for the 36th annual Spirit Run. This race is a favorite for us as we get to see so many long-time GAC families and campers at the expo. There are races for all ages and skill levels. We’d love to have you join us for the Spirit Run. Details and registration information are available here.
More information about the GAC Runners program is available here.
Mrs. Friedman and Jojo’s Cake
Episode 34.
On Episode 34 Soy is joined by Shari Friedman who sent us a picture of her daughter’s GAC themed birthday cake. The conversation started with the cake but also talked about how counselors have an impact on campers, the friends that kids make at camp, and how camp changes her daughters every year. In addition, Soy shares a GACspiration and a Joke of the Cast about education.
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2019 Dance Themes!
One of the highlights at the end of each session is our dance at Granite Grove. After dinner, campers head back to their cabins to clean up and get dressed up in costumes to match the theme of the dance. Then, as cabins, they head down past the waterfront to dance the night away under the lights and a ceiling of stars at Granite Grove.
There are group dance favorites, like Footloose and Tragedy, along with snacks and our photo booth. At the end of the evening, campers head back to get ready for bed, exhausted and elated at the same time!
Here are the themes for 2019!
June Specialty: Safari
Session 1: Super Hero
Session 2: Sports
Session 3: Hawaiian
Session 4: Western
Mini Camp: Space
Bugz
Episode 33
On Episode 33 of the Gold Arrow Camp POG-Cast, we’re joined by Bugz, who spent most of her childhood being a camper, OLC hiker, and Junior Counselor before joining us as a Group Counselor this year. Soy plays and sings this week, Sunshine shares words of wisdom about sunbeams and there’s an oceanic Joke of the Cast!
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Avo
Episode 32.
On this episode of the as-yet-unacclaimed GAC POG-Cast Soy and Avo sat down and chatted about what it’s like to come to camp as a new person and why she enjoyed teaching watersports last summer. Soy plays guitar, there’s a GACspiration, and a Dad Joke of the Cast.
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Lyric Returns
Episode 31.
On this episode of the GAC POG-Cast, Soy is joined by his first ever return guest, Lyric. Lyric was in the studio to chat about his second year on staff and what it was like to become a Group Counselor this summer. As usual, there’s a GACspiration as well as Joke of the Cast inspired by a great Disney movie.
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