Staff Training

[Lilly]

What is your favorite part of pre-camp? How does your camp make training more interesting?

[Skater Bubbles]

I love Staff Training cause it is when you really bond with the staff. Some of my favorite activities are: the night swing, the campout, and the photo scavenger hunt!! There are many more great things about staff training, I will post more later!

[Dave]

The funnest thing we do at our staff training is icebreakers, and I hate icebreakers so my training days aren't fun. For some reason they don't let us play any games.

[camplover86]

we split up into small groups and had a campout! it was super fun, except it had been raining all day and took us 3 hours to start the fire for our dinner! it was a really good bonding experience. One of the people in my group is now one of my best friends!

[camper]

our orientation includes the following:
-checking each bunk porch for each camper's trunks and duffels (we have to check and make sure every kid has at least 2 but no more than 4 bags)
-unpacking the entire lower camp's trunks
-getting the upper camp bunks ready to be unpacked
-making job wheels/clothespin lines for mail/signs for above the younger kids' beds/daily schedules on poster board for outside of each bunk
-tours of camp for new staff led by the old staff
-age group meetings w/the groupheads
-specialist meetings w/area directors
-a speaker about sexual harrassment/abuse
-speaker about insurance policies
-another camp-related speaker that is different each summer
-meetings w/the whole staff led by the directors/head counselors to go over policies and procedures, intermixed w/icebreakers and games
-waterfront orientation w/a mock general swim
-bowling in town one night
-square dancing w/lou flago one night
-some other stuff that is slipping my mind right now, lol.

some of the stuff is coed like the all-staff meetings and speakers, but a lot of it isn't. to make orientation more fun we have the fun icebreakers and games mixed in w/the meetings and some of the speakers are interesting. also the evening activities we do like the bowling and square dancing, which are things we bring back later in the summer for the campers.

[rockinsmiles]

My favorite part of staff training is definitily the bonding that goes on with the staff. 2 weeks of training you really get to know each other. i dont really like the work shops all that much but they are ok. we do do fun activities though. for one of our trainings we got to throw paper airplanes at the owner. that was funny. we were suppose to have a staff camp out but that got rained out. but our fun staff activities run through out the summer. i have to say my least favorite part though is the cpr/first aid training. or our GLBT (not infomative at all!) work shop. i really like training though. i think it makes actual camp so much more fun!

[Indigo]

I love meeting the new staff, and making new friends, even if I barely ever see them for the rest of the summer!

[code3cadet]

two words Bob Diter, good touch bad touch

[camper]

oh man, good touch bad touch...don't even start. that guy ALWAYS comes to our camp...i think ditter was there one summer also but not since i've been a counselor, i was a camper so i wasn't there.

[speedx5xracer]

two words Bob Diter, good touch bad touch



Haha, we get the same speach from our insurance liason Norm Freidman.

[camper]

yup. norm friedman is our guy from amskier. he has the goofiest voice...he's the good touch bad touch guy. does ditter do that same one or do you have norm friedman too code3cadet?

[audur]

I think my favorite thing we did last summer was drive to a different camp owned by the council (that's not used for actual summer camp), and meet up with the staff from another camp for some training... we stayed there two days and it was great. We did a fun thing in the evening where we did all sorts of brainstorming stuff, but in a crazy way, where we had teams... I think it was called Camp Jam, or something. It was so much fun for me to get to see another camp, too, since I've never seen any (american) camps except mine. We also did diversity awareness training, had a sexual harassment talk and some other stuff, which was actually fun cause we weren't at our camp. I also liked some of the crazy games we played, and I loved our overnight. Precamp this year was SO much more fun than my first summer!

[code3cadet]

yup. norm friedman is our guy from amskier. he has the goofiest voice...he's the good touch bad touch guy. does ditter do that same one or do you have norm friedman too code3cadet?

we watch a video of bob ditter. it is so funny. the opening shot is of kids swimming in the pool. then he tells us that we have one of the best jobs in the world. then he tells us all the :D good touch and then :eek: bad touch. but he is like this is good touch, this is bad touch. good touch bad touch. like we do not understand. but all somer on staff we are like is this good touch or bad touch. we mess around to much jet my co-couseler and I.

[camper]

haha yeah code3cadet we always make fun of good touch bad touch and whatever norm friedman says all summer...he makes everyone feel like we're pedophiles though b/c we all hug the kids and let them sit on their laps if they want to, haha.

[CAMPFRIEND]

I think that part is in all of our traings.. Bob Ditter is a great speaker!

[rockinsmiles]

i must ask what is "bad touch good touch"? i might regret it but i cant stand it any more!

[code3cadet]

Where you can touch the kids and where it is not safe to touck the kids. Like sitting one your lap more then 1 min is bad touch. holding a kids hand more then 2 sec is bad touch. huging a kid lower body is bad touch. things like that anything that stimulats the kid is bad touch no play fighting.

[camper]

yeah its kind of funny, b/c like i mentioned before we hold the kids' hands and they sit on our laps all the time...of course they initiate it, but its funny that after that speech we're always like, "so basically, all of our counselors as campers were pedophiles and so are we" haha.

[code3cadet]

yeah its kind of funny, b/c like i mentioned before we hold the kids' hands and they sit on our laps all the time...of course they initiate it, but its funny that after that speech we're always like, "so basically, all of our counselors as campers were pedophiles and so are we" haha.

Haha ya I try to not let the kids do that to me. but some time you have to give e hug or hold a kids hand or let him sit on your lap. as staff we sit on each other lap and I go up to that staff and ask them waht bob ditter told us

[camplover86]

I think my favorite thing we did last summer was drive to a different camp owned by the council (that's not used for actual summer camp), and meet up with the staff from another camp for some training... we stayed there two days and it was great. We did a fun thing in the evening where we did all sorts of brainstorming stuff, but in a crazy way, where we had teams... I think it was called Camp Jam, or something. It was so much fun for me to get to see another camp, too, since I've never seen any (american) camps except mine. We also did diversity awareness training, had a sexual harassment talk and some other stuff, which was actually fun cause we weren't at our camp. I also liked some of the crazy games we played, and I loved our overnight. Precamp this year was SO much more fun than my first summer!

We also went to another camp in our council. with the staff from all 3 camps, and did camp jam!

[code3cadet]

I have never got to do that. but when i was with cub world in portland i got to see the day camp that was down the hill at are camp

[Dave]

haha yeah code3cadet we always make fun of good touch bad touch and whatever norm friedman says all summer...he makes everyone feel like we're pedophiles though b/c we all hug the kids and let them sit on their laps if they want to, haha.
I never knew a kid sitting on your lap for more than a minute is bad. Counselors at our camp do it all the time. If we're all sitting on the ground (counselors and campers) for a while, the kids will usually sit on a counselor's lap.

[Skater Bubbles]

We have a similar "good touch, bad touch" kind of talk. But we also have campers sitting on counselors laps all the time. We try to follow the rules we heard during training, but sometimes it's just too hard. When it comes to hugs we are taught the side hug and the hug and role method.

[Flukie]

I really like the idea of meeting other staffs - I'd love to see if we could do something like that. Our Council's other resident camp though is about 4 hours from us... But still, it'd be fantastic to meet them! We have no connection with them at all.

The best thing we did was our mock cook-out. Groups had to req their supplies and cook their meal - and then we all shared. It introduced box ovens, dutch ovens and foil cooking, which was fantastic.

[CAMPFRIEND]

I never knew a kid sitting on your lap for more than a minute is bad. Counselors at our camp do it all the time. If we're all sitting on the ground (counselors and campers) for a while, the kids will usually sit on a counselor's lap.


I think the point is you never know how parents will act if they find out their child is sitting on someones lap. I think that you just have to becareful of who and how long they are sitting on your lap. It's the never ending battle of what is right and what is wrong for a counselor. I have been in a lot of meeting about this topic, and we all have different views.

[Dave]

From what I know, I don't think we've ever had a complaint about that. I know there are no rules about it. Maybe I'll talk to my camp director about it before camp starts.

[CAMPFRIEND]

I think that with all that is going on in the world today you just nee to becareful. There are parents out there who will take you to court for anything! It just takes one counselor to give us all a bad name!

[code3cadet]

Ya It is hard for me to let the kids sit om my lap. i am a big tough guy. and I am just learning to be caring. it is hard for me to even hold a little boys hand. with all the things that are going on; on the west cost. touch the kid for a high five with they thing that the men are child preditor. but by the end when i know the kids i worm up to them but not at the start

[code3cadet]

All the kids tell me at my work that they are going to take me to court. If i do not hear it i thing that I am not at the camp.

[camper]

lol there's always that one kid who says, "my dad is a lawyer i'll sue you!" about EVERYTHING!!! haha.

[code3cadet]

the kids at my camp tell me that they are going to call there lawyers. and I tell them to use my cell phone they tell me never mond I was just joking

[Dave]

the kids at my camp tell me that they are going to call there lawyers. and I tell them to use my cell phone they tell me never mond I was just joking
I love doing stuff like that. If a kid says they're going to do something drastic like that, you allow them to (and even offer to assist them) and then they'll tell you they were kidding.

[code3cadet]

I love doing stuff like that. If a kid says they're going to do something drastic like that, you allow them to (and even offer to assist them) and then they'll tell you they were kidding.

ya most of the time it works with they younger kids.

[rockinsmiles]

Where you can touch the kids and where it is not safe to touck the kids. Like sitting one your lap more then 1 min is bad touch. holding a kids hand more then 2 sec is bad touch. huging a kid lower body is bad touch. things like that anything that stimulats the kid is bad touch no play fighting.

Ahhh ok. We didnt have anything like that during training but after one of the weeks where these 12 year old girls were all over the male couselors we got a talk. I think its a lot easier in this case being a girl. I mean we give hugs all the time and if at least from my experience the younger girls love holding your hand or crawling in your lap. I normally dont like them in my lap and sometimes i dont want them touching me period. I'm like "im hot and sweaty you hot and sweaty and its 90 plus degrees out...not a good mix!" the guys have to be a lot carefuler though. i mean if you hug a girl (and its not departing day) your sceen as "trying to get her" or worse. and if it is another guy (and not your sport type of hugs here) then it is just sceen as weird. where as with girls it isnt as much as a deal (though i try to avoid the guys especially the older ones).

[rockinsmiles]

speaking of "touching" (that kind of sounds strange) does any one hav CPI during their training?

[Dave]

speaking of "touching" (that kind of sounds strange) does any one hav CPI during their training?
What's CPI?

[code3cadet]

What is CPI WE have PC

[rockinsmiles]

I actually forget what it stands for (something like Prevention Interference...i could have that wrong though and im drawing a blank for the "C"). but it goes over all sorts of "safe" physical restraining (we dont go over much of that) and the different scales of an "acting out" camper. plus people's comfort zones and fighting, stuff like that. It involved a lot of hands on activities. Like we would have a partner and your partner and you would stand at different sides of the room. Your back would be up against the wall and you had to matain eye conntact with your partner while they slowly walked towards you. Sometimes you could tell them to stop when you couldnt stand how close they were and other times you couldnt. Then we would do roll play. One person as the counselor while the other person was a camper. The people acting as campers would go in another room and the coordinator would tell them how to act. It was really interesting cuz it was towards the beginning of training and the staff didnt know each other that well.

It made for fun inside jokes though. Anytime people were play fighting or anything we would come running, waving our arms, and shouting "CPI!" "CPI!" ah good times :)

[code3cadet]

oh MAT that is what they call it over here. we do not go over it we do not touch the kids at all

[rockinsmiles]

Ok im pretty sure i remember now "Crisis Prevention Intervention" dont quote me on it but i think that is what CPI stands for.

[code3cadet]

ya they tell use that we do not touch the kids at all even if they are hitting us. we ned to step back and do nothing

[rockinsmiles]

we are pretty much encourged to do the same (i think most camps are) but i do remember one of the counselors talking about when a camper punched him in the pool. the camper was pretty small and it didnt hurt the counselor but it did upset him that the camper did that. basically he put his hand over the campers fist, picked him out of the pool and set him on the side and told him never to do that again (and probably something else but i dont remember what).

[code3cadet]

we would get fired for that

[Dave]

We'd get in trouble for doing something like that as well. We're not allowed to put our hands on our campers forcefully like that.

[code3cadet]

we would like to do it some time but we can not.

[EchoLaker]

I think our pre-camp orientation rules - just the right amount of fun mixed with actual prep for the task ahead.


We had a staff tribal held on a couple of afternoons during Week Zero, with a proper tribal break and everything - great chance to get painted up in colors!

We also had a staff party on-site the day before the kids arrived.

Plenty of good ice breaker, team building games - along with getting a taster of what our camp calls the "Core Competencies", and of course all the health and safety stuff, and as been mentioned earlier the ground rules for what's "Camp Appropriate".

All of which leads the staff to be able to reach their mission statement, "to deliver the Complete Camper Experience (CCE)" - which consists of a social element, a healthy living element, and a programmatical element.

Forget Fire Triangles folks, (heat, oxygen, fuel), this was our CCE Triangle, take away one element, and it meant our campers were being deprived of their CCE - it was down to us as a complete team (involving the support staff functions) to deliver to the campers.