Meet Our 2019 Head Counselors
As we quickly approach our first session at main camp, let's get to know our 2019 Head Counselors. Meet Nemo, Frames, Peanut Butter and Mec. Our Head Counselors have an important role at camp. They train, support, and encourage the Group Counselors throughout the summer. Head Counselors get to know the campers in each of their groups and provide extra leadership and support. Together, our 2019 Head Counselors have 24 years of experience at GAC. They are looking forward to using their experience to help campers have fun, make friends, and grow this summer. On the first evening of the session, Head Counselors visit each of their cabin groups, introducing themselves and making sure campers know that they are another person that campers can turn to (outside of the counselors in their own group) if they need anything. The Head Counselors regularly join cabin groups for meals, activities, and campfires. They also administer a mid-session evaluation where campers can let them know about any issues or concerns they have. Head Counselors are trained to follow up with campers discretely. We talk about the mid-session evaluations in our First-Year Families Orientation Video. What's their favorite thing about working at Gold Arrow Camp? Nemo: "Beautiful sunsets, meeting new friends, and living the dream." Frames: "Being able to truly be myself!" Peanut Butter: "Connecting with the staff and being in nature." Mec: "Hanging on Shaver Island, ... Read more
Sunshine & Signe Whitson, holding each other's books.[/caption]
Signe trained GAC staff to help them understand the challenges that young people face, and they can best respond to children who are in distress of any kind.
If you'd like to read more about Signe or look at her books, more information is available on 
We recognize the need to prepare our counselors to intervene when campers are in emotional distress. To that end, we brought Kettle, who is currently a certified Mental, Emotional, and Social Health First Aid Instructor, back to camp to train our counselors, so that they could better respond to children who need emotional help at camp.
Kettle was able to use the training and her experience at camp to make the training very practical for our counselors. She was also able, outside of her training, to speak with staff about what she did that was effective when she was a counselor at GAC.
You can read more about Kettle