What made you want to work at a camp?

[CAMPFRIEND]

I know that I wanted to be a counselor when I was 7 as a camper. What made all of you want to work at camp?
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[Skater Bubbles]

I have always wanted to be a first grade teacher so I have always been volunteering and taking jobs that wiil further me in my career path and give me more experince, so camp was a perfect fit for me!

[Indigo]

Honestly, I wasn't too sure about the idea of working at camp. I just knew I wanted to be at camp, I didn't really think I'd be much good at any job. I always loved it as a camper, and I figured they might hire me for some really low position that I'd be tolerable at. But I showed myself, when I was finally hired as a counselor, I was darn good at it! And getting better every year!

[camper]

i'm just an all around camp person and as it turns out, not a bad counselor either!

[rockinsmiles]

because i love camp! :D plus being a camper was awesome and so was being a CIT. however i felt limited in what i could do and how i could contribute to camp after a few years of being a CIT. being a counselor (or just being at camp period) rocks!

[ocean]

After my first year of camp in 6th grade I knew that I wanted to work at camp. It was just a natural decision that I made at an early age.

[camplover86]

I always wanted to be just like my counselors when i went to church camp at the presbyterian camp in Kansas. But i never even thought i would be a counselor at a girl scout camp! i never even went to girl scout camp when i was younger, but now i wish i had!

[Dave]

Well for me I either had to work at camp or at a Shoprite. So I chose camp because I figured it would be more fun than pushing carts or working a cash register. I'm glad I chose camp because it's a lot more fun! :D

[CAMPFRIEND]

Kids or carts :confused3 I would have to say kids!!!
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[Dave]

Kids or carts :confused3 I would have to say kids!!!
The only good part about carts is you get to push them around! (pun intended):laughing:

[CAMPFRIEND]

The only good part about carts is you get to push them around! (pun intended):laughing:

Good point!
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[who_stole_my_loofa]

The first time I went to sleepaway camp I HATED my cousenlors in my cabin(turns out I had one of them again the next year.. that sucked). So I kind of started to take to counselors in other cabins. One Julie and the other Amy became my favorite counselors(from other cabins) and people used to call me little Julie. The next year I returned to that camp Julie was my unit leader and I remember she created this awesome cheer that talked about like all different kinds of cereal(I wish I remember how it went). Anyway I've always known I wanted to be a counselor since I met Julie.

Loofa

[CAMPFRIEND]

Loofa - That is a great story! I think that we all find people at camp that we like to be with.

[CAMPFRIEND]

OK, So for all you new site members.. What made you want to work at camp?

[Melk]

well I had so much fun after going to camp for just one week that it seemed only natural....

[h0dGi]

I think coz I go camping like probably every month here in Aus, the whole camping overseas, looking after kids and stuff, really appealed for me! I have done this thing for a week before, looking after heaps of 10 year olds, and that was awesome!
I think it would just be such an experience though! :)

[campCardinal]

Honestly, my junior counselor my first year as a camper. I idolized her. Looking back she wasn't that great of a counselor (like, by following rules and such-- but I didn't know that then). On my first day of overnight camp I was scared. I was with 2 friends from school and our cabin was us 3 and 10 other girls that all came together. We felt very secluded and were very shy. My JC just came over and played cards with us that afternoon, and from then on she was my favorite counselor. She put up with me always sitting by her at meals and asking her silly questions all the time. It was awesome.

After that summer ended I knew I wanted to be a camp counselor. I really wanted to be MY camp counselor. I guess it's only fitting that my first night as a counselor -- I went and played cards with a few of my campers on the floor. :)

[daisy_0144]

Initialy, when I became a cadette girl scout, there were no activities other than selling cookies and working as a counselor at day camps. It was the only way to participate in girl scouts. I fell in love with it and was hooked by the second week.:) I think this will be my seventh summer!

Sidenote: I really think Studio2B is a great program and will hopefully keep girls and young women in scouting.

[KiwiCRB]

Pretty much the same as Daisy... I was a PA (program aid) starting in the 7th grade and my camp director and program director are the ones who run that program so i got to know the really well.
Speaking of Studio2B... even though it isn't really campish.... i've been on our comitee here since it launched, but it isn't going very quickly... too bad... it really is a good program if people would give it a chance.

[CAMPFRIEND]

It takes a while to get a new program going.. I know that all to well. Just keep your hopes up and it will happen!

[Sparkes]

Well, I never went to camp as a kid, and when my girl guides had camps, I never went (I'm what you call an indoor kinda person). So, when I told everyone I was going to the US to work at a camp, my family and friends were somewhat shocked. I went to camp in order to experience something new, both in culture (cause its a mainly Jewish camp and we have like, 7 Jewish people that live here in total), place (cause it was in a different country) and oppertunity (I'd never done the cmap thing before). And I found out i really liked it!

[collissimon]

I had a year out before I went to university, and spent most of it working in a supermarket and a special needs school. I wanted to end the year with something a bit different, so I applied to work in camp, with an opportunity to work in a different country and with a different population of kids.

It worked out well!

[runrachrunn]

I've been going to camp since I was 3. I LOVED it. I love being outside, and more off, I love being with kids. So what could be better than putting the two together?

I have a feeling that I'll be working in informal education for the rest of my life. While i'm off next year I'm going to explore different places where I can get my degree in Recreation.

[softballkid019]

i knew the moment i first went to camp i wanted to work there. of course i was only like 10 years old or so. but i didn't just want to be a councelor i wanted to be a wrangler. the funny thing is i wasn't even in a horse unit. the moment i say the horses i knew that was what i wanted to do. i didn't actually get into a horse unit till my third summer. my last summer as a camper i was a WIT (wrangler in training) and i knew i would love working at camp. sadly i didn't not return to camp as a camp for the rest of high school. i had other conflicts and i had to give up something. i actually forgot my dream of becoming camp staff and it wasn't untill i was looking for a job for the summer for after graduation that someone in my family said what about camp. i said ok and i got an application. i applied to be just regular unit staff. i really wanted to apply for a wrangler position but i figured they would have it filled by the time so i just put it as my second choice. i was so happy when they offered me a wrangler position it was great. the moment i set foot on camp i knew it was where i belonged. it was just like i felt as a camper and i loved it!

[prettysocks]

I went to camp my whole life.. Not summer camp every year, though, but at least 2 or 3 weekend camps with Girl Guides each year.

When I became of age to start getting summer jobs, it was either something like McDonalds or a clothing store, or.. OUTSIDE... WITH KIDS... CAMP... Oh yeah, baby.

I also remember one summer at camp, I had this horrible, mean counselor.. And I guess it was a goal to someday be a better counselor than her.

So my first camp I worked at was naturally Girl Guide summer camp, because it was a sure-shot job, and I liked the sound of being outside allll summer. And I did enjoy it! But some parts of that camp were crappy (mainly the CD's other admin, and there was so much gossip).. So I tried for something different the summer after, and ended up working up my current camp!

AND THAT'S HOW I DECIDED TO BECOME A CAMP COUNSELOR.

[happy_camper]

bump.

My story:
I've been a Girl Scout since I was 4, and attending Service Area day camps since day one. They were all held at the camp I now work at. SA Day camp was the greatest part of the summer for me, and I always wanted to be a Program Aide. Since I hadn't been to a resident camp, I hadn't had any interactions with counselors or the resident camp experience. I became a PA and LOVED it. When I was in 7th grade, I went to resident camp for the first time, and my experience wasn't that great (note: it was at the other Girl Scout camp in my area, not the one i work at) but it was a horse program and I then decided I wanted to be a wrangler. After watching the wranglers, I decided I didn't want to do that, so went for CIT instead. I always knew I wanted to work at camp (since I was 4), but when I became a CIT, I knew it was in the unit that I wanted to work. My 2 years as a CIT were the two greatest camp years of my life. I'm now a junior counselor, and I love it. I just wish that I had attended resident camp more, but I don't dwell in that regret because every day that I experience with my kids, it is like I'm doing it as a camper. And that is a wonderful feeling. Camp has always been a huge part of my life, and I just want to share that with my campers. I want it to be the best years of their life, too.

[crbtigger]

My first year at girl scout camp I HATED IT, so I went to church camp the next year and i HATED IT even more. By that next summer I was old enough to be a CIT and I had made up my mind that I was going to make CAMP a positive place for girls and I didn't want them to have a bad camping experience like I did. wow and now look where I am, who would have thought?!?

[techgirl]

I haven't ever been a camper or worked at a camp, but I recently heard about a local camp and asked around about it. My roommate worked at a summer camp last summer and absolutely loved it, so I became really interested and started looking at other camps in the country, not just locally, and now I'll be working in New York!

[Mouse...]

I went to camp for many years as a camper and loved it so much it became my dream to work there. To my delight that is how things have worked out.

[LifeIsGood]

Since I am approaching my 4th summer at camp I guess I can tell the story without feeling bad.


My main motivation was that after freshman year of college I didnt want to move back home and live with my parents. As horrible as it sounds, I had no car and knew I would be miserable. Camp seemed like it was worth a shot. I tried it, it sucked me in and I never left.

I never went to camp as a kid and never came from an outdoorsy background. My family still cant figure it out since we were one of those families who spent the majority of their time outdoors walking from the car into the air conditioned house. Go figure.

[gabor85_hungary]

After being a camper for 10 years, the camp director offered me that if I come as a counselor assistant next year then I won't need to pay the tuition fee: ) This "elevator speech" worked very well... And of course I fell in love with that position at the first time.