Least Favorite

[rockinsmiles]

Ok so I know we all adore camp and its freaking hard to say what our favorite part is. So my question is what is your least favorite thing about camp? Or what is your least favorite camp moment/memory?

[martha27]

packing up and saying goodbye :(

[campCardinal]

MY least favorite moment was from this past summer. I had worked the first 5 weeks of camp and took off a week and a half because of an injury. I came back for half of a week and wasn't an actual counselor because I was still healing. I just hung out in the office and helped where I was needed. Anyways, while I was gone another one of my best friends also left to get ready for school for 2 weeks... and they brought in people to replace us. Well, the people who replaced us were younger staff (17 year olds) and they did an alright job- they were enthusiastic, but didn't always put the campers first. It's alright though, things worked out. so then it was time for my return and my friends return which meant 2 of the younger counselors were being moved back to their original jobs. They knew this would happen and everything so it wasn't a big deal. The problems started when 2 of the younger peoples best friends were still in our unit and were somewhat mad that I was back. They thought it wasn't fair that I took their friends job (even though that's how it was always going to be... because I'm old enough to be left alone with campers, it makes things easier). So, midway through the week I just broke down and was in an awful mood. My unit leader sat with me and just let me talk it out- and we got things worked out... but it was such a low point for me.

Basically, I was feeling like I was putting in a ton of work and a ton of effort. Also, I wasn't completely healed (I had surgery on my injury... so I was in a bit of pain still). So, I was busting my butt and these other counselors just kept complaining about me and saying how I shouldn't be back because I was still healing. It sucked a lot. Luckily, we worked through the problems, and I'm friends with everyone now. It was just hard coming back into things and the vibe was completely different than when I had left.

[camper]

packing day is the WORST. you're sad about leaving but you still have to pack your whole bunk of kids, plus yourself.

[CAMPFRIEND]

For overnight camp I think that it would have to be the last day of camp! I think for day camp dealing with all of the parent phone call late at night.

[Dave]

Like most other people have said, the last day of camp is the worst.

I think I've told the story about how one of my campers hid to stay at camp for our late stay when he wasn't supposed to. That was the worst moment of camp for me.

[who_stole_my_loofa]

man packing day is soooooo bad cause not only do we have to pack all the kids but we also have to suffer through the camp play.

[Skater Bubbles]

ThE LAST DAY OF ALL OUR SESSIONS- BECAUSE BESIDES PACKING AND SAYING GOODBYE WE HAVE TO CLEAN ALL OF CAMP!!

[camper]

ugh skaterbubbles...i don't know if i could do the last day of camp more than once, let alone once a week even if i was forced to!

[KiwiCRB]

Post camp definatley bites... especially when some staff members don't do their part of the work. I hate it when my campers are really homesick. It makes me feel like im not doing enough and they hate it because of me.

[rockinsmiles]

Maybe i should have said besides the last day of camp. haha. no really it is the worst thing about camp though. i dont like it at all. being at a week long session camp we do have to deal with it every week but it just isnt as bad as the last week. that time is really bad. i know my worst camp moment was actually when i was a CIT. its a bit long of a story so i wont go into now,,, but even though it is my worse camp moment (and probably was my worse camp week) it was still an awesome time. funny how camp works.

[CIT386]

I don't like the last day of camp or at the end of sessions. But than I can start my count down for the next summer.

[Flukie]

Getting the call to plunge the toliets in the units or the staff house. :) The rule of thumb is the staff tries it before putting in a work order! I think we need a lesson on how to plunge during pre-camp this year... Course, it's a great skill to have - I help unclog them at school now.

[audur]

I don't like the last day of camp, like so many others... and we have to do it pretty much every single week (although I was lucky last summer and got two two-week groups!) BUT, I reallyreally like opening day, so I guess it sort of evens out...

Besides closing day, I think my least favorite thing about camp is the food. Gross! I guess it's not so bad if you're from the US and you're used to it, but it always takes me a while before I can eat properly when I come to camp... your food is just so weird. Plus, I don't eat red meat, and I was SO SICK of veggie patties last year I could've screamed! But you gotta get your protein somehow, I guess...

[who_stole_my_loofa]

some of us from the US it takes a lot to get used to the camp food too. when I was a kid i thought it was great and I don't know if it's just changed from then to know or my taste for food has. I assume the latter though. But I know at my camp we have a lot of carbs cause our kids are very active. It takes a lot for me to get used to the food at camp also because at home I eat fish and veggies for almost every meal.

[audur]

Hehe... it's not just the crazy amount of carbs and cheese (WHY do you insist on serving cheese with practically every meal??) and fried food... it's also the fact that the bread is weird, the veggies taste different, the milk products are different... even something simple like toast and a glass of OJ tastes way, way different in the US than it does at home. Pretty much the only thing that tastes the same is the fruit - and I guess that's because we get our fruit from the same places you get yours!

[Skater Bubbles]

yeah camper, doing the last day of camp 8 weeks in a row really bites, but you do get to do some of the best things at camp like skit night and getting new campers 8 times. So there are positives along with the negatives. But 8 packing days stinks, especially if the counselors get moved around and have to pack their stuff up to a different cabin!!

[rockinsmiles]

oh i hate moving cabins! it bites so bad. then again i hate packing. i dont mind packing the campers as much.

and as far as camp food goes it takes me awhile to adjust too. im use to a lot more freash food and fruits and veggies. plus we have something sweet after every meal besides breakfast and im not use to that either (i know i can opt out but when its starring you in the face and you havent tried it before...). but i think it is entertaining to see the internatioanls' responses to our food. haha. however i did get to try some dutch candy this past summer...let me say i didnt care for it that much! :)

[who_stole_my_loofa]

I was thinking about it- and I think in terms of actual activities at camp- I hate rifelry, I refuse to be an assistant for it, that's pretty much the only activity. And I'm not a huge fan of overnights- otherwise I'm pretty cool with everything.

[rockinsmiles]

my activity has to be aquatics. the campers love it but there isnt really much for me to do (aka boring) and it was the first activity for that morning. though i really think now i could make it more exciting. i think it all depends on mind set if you are going to enjoy the session or not..of course that varies from day to day.

[Skater Bubbles]

I really don't like the camp dance. There is always drama and issues.

[KiwiCRB]

Thats what i like about working at an all girl camp. The drama about boys is drastically reduced.

[Flukie]

Our staff would probably add that sitting beach bites for counselors. All their kids and the sailing staff head out on the water, while one staff member sits on the beach and for two hours straight counts the boats. She's supposed to be the first line of defense if they capsize. Now, if the sunfish capsize, it's not a bit deal. But if a mercury capsizes - oh, shit. They have to evacuate the whole beach and pull out almost all the staff to help flip it. We didn't have one incident this summer with the mercs - and a lot of staff were like, there is no point to sitting beach. (And to be honest, I'm not sure that there is a point...)

[code3cadet]

The owner his comes to camp one time a mouth and changes everthing. keeps the staff up all hours of the night and do not care about what the staff are or do.

[tajarbud]

Ok, Nobody has added this---I realy do not like camper check-in. The adults bringing the campers to camp can run the entire spectrum of attitudes/expectations. Some are happy :) to go with the flow but others :( do not want to wait in line, are offended when they must be reminded that they are in a no smoking facility, they try to walk their dogs through camp (camper packet clearly states that pets should be left at home), campers who have not brought health forms---or have meds that are not prescribed for the camper, etc, etc.....I am so happy when all the campers have checked in and with their unit. Don't get me wrong--I have good, and supportive parents who bring their camper to many programs at camp...their are just alot of personalities at check-in who don't believe the procedure really apply to them:rolleyes: . ...this got longer and longer....sorry.

[Dave]

I forgot about that. Since we're a day camp, the parents don't have to be there the first day. Instead we have a meet-the-counselors day the day before camp starts. I hate that day. First we have to put our artistic skills to the test and create a bunk poster. I hate doing this because no one can ever draw, we have trouble coming up with a bunk name, and we have little time to put the poster together. But we manage to get it done.

Then comes the worst part, which you might think is the best part. The campers come to camp for the first time that summer. If it was just the campers I wouldn't mind, but the parents come along as well. I really don't like dealing with parents face-to-face. Luckily I haven't been a senior counselor yet so I'm not in charge of the bunk (thus they don't ask me many questions). But next summer I might possibly be a senior counselor so I'm going to be asked all the questions. Ugh. That's one of the bad things about being in charge of the bunk. Oh well.

[tajarbud]

You should do fine...just remember to make eye contact, smile and talk directly to each parent...Parents have a better feel for their child's well being if the counselor actually makes eye contact...and are not talking to the floor or ...that's what I've been told by some of our parents. :)

[Dave]

Thanks for the advice. I'll have to keep that in mind. :)

[rockinsmiles]

Since we are a 4-H camp a lot of the campers come with counties and the counties provide some sort of bus for them to come to camp on. However we do have what we refer to as "open enrollment" where the parents or family, friends, etc. bring the camper. Some weeks we have higher open enrollment than others. the thing i dont like about it is that the camper might check into the cabin with their parent and then the parent leaves the cabin with the camper...you have no idea if the camper is going to come back after their parent leaves camp or if there is going to be a wondering camper around camp. Which i might add is against camp policies (100% supervision). But basically i dont like arriving day period. just because the campers arrive at random hours and those that get their early you have to entertain and there isnt much planned for that first day anyways. and since there isnt as much planned (especially for the younger campers) it seems to make home sickness come alive at night. im so glad when monday comes!

[camper]

our parents aren't there on the first day of camp since all of the kids come up on buses, so the bus counselors and people in charge of the buses get all of the first day questions. i guess our visiting day, right in the middle of the summer, is like all of your first days haha.

[CAMPFRIEND]

Check-in day is the worst. I love parents who ask a million questions to all of the staff members they see. I had one parent who would talk to all of the staff and asked the same question to make sure that we were all doing the same thing. I had one counselor who gave a different answer then all of the rest and she flipped out. I think that the crazy part was the question was about about how many times would he 7 year old get to shower per day. For all of us who have worked with 7 year olds, you know how many of them love to take showers at camp. Her son did staff at camp, and on the first night she called and asked to see if he son had taken a shower.

KNow you all know some of the joys of being a camp director. You get all kind of fun questions and phone call at all hours of the day!

[code3cadet]

I love check in day. you got to meet all the perants and make them thing that there kids are with some one out of there mind. you get to eat all the food that are for the perants. you get to stick the kid that you do not like on you co-counselor side. and you get the chance to take the kid down to the pool and hope that they go under and naver get back out. bad kids that is

[CAMPFRIEND]

I have to say there is better food on check-in day. I wonder what parents would think if they got to eat the same food as their child?

[code3cadet]

ya I could not beleave how better it was in check in day

[Dave]

I have to say there is better food on check-in day. I wonder what parents would think if they got to eat the same food as their child?
We don't serve food on visiting day (at least not that I know of), but most of the activities are open, like swimming and ga ga. It's so tempting to go join in a game of ga ga with the kids, but we're not allowed to leave our bunk.

[Skater Bubbles]

Because our camp sessions are only 1 week long we don't have a "visiting day" but our check in days for each session are one of my favorite and least favorite things combined. I hate having to tell all of my girls the rules each week and the down time between all of the campers staggered arrivals, plus the food that night is always my least favorite! But on the positive side, I love gettting to meet and know new campers!!!

[CAMPFRIEND]

We don't serve food on visiting day (at least not that I know of), but most of the activities are open, like swimming and ga ga. It's so tempting to go join in a game of ga ga with the kids, but we're not allowed to leave our bunk.

It must be fun to see the parents do all of the camp activities? I know that we had family camp and the parents are just like big kids for the weekend. I miis it so much.

[Dave]

It must be fun to see the parents do all of the camp activities? I know that we had family camp and the parents are just like big kids for the weekend. I miis it so much.
Well most parents just watch the kids play, but there are always some parents who love to play as well. Most parents who participate in the activities go swimming. But there are some parents who play the other activities.

[Skater Bubbles]

We have a family camp and the parents love doing the kids' activities as much as the kids do!!

[code3cadet]

The parents drop off there kids at are camp and can not wate to leave for there 1 mouth brack away from there kids. I hate when they write letter to there kids telling them that they love them. when we all know that they do not care for tham. i had this mom tell there is in a letter that they love them and then when I had to send him home early they did not want to pic the kid up. they are still on there barck

[camper]

i think thats going a little extreme to say that the parents "can't wait to leave" or "don't care for them"...i'm sure they're excited for a "break from the kids" but i'm sure they do miss them, even if it doesn't seem like it. and you don't know what the circumstances are either as for the reasons the parent couldn't/didn't want to pick the kid up. i definitely know that type and most of the time the parents care more than you think. of course there are also those that truly don't care, those are the kids who are being raised mostly by their nannies instead of their parents. i've found at my camp though that 99.9% of the parents care about their kids very much.

as for visiting day, watching the parents play the sports is really fun! we have a visiting day schedule but most of the families don't follow it and go pretty much wherever they want at camp haha.

[code3cadet]

i think thats going a little extreme to say that the parents "can't wait to leave" or "don't care for them"...i'm sure they're excited for a "break from the kids" but i'm sure they do miss them, even if it doesn't seem like it. and you don't know what the circumstances are either as for the reasons the parent couldn't/didn't want to pick the kid up. i definitely know that type and most of the time the parents care more than you think. of course there are also those that truly don't care, those are the kids who are being raised mostly by their nannies instead of their parents. i've found at my camp though that 99.9% of the parents care about their kids very much.

as for visiting day, watching the parents play the sports is really fun! we have a visiting day schedule but most of the families don't follow it and go pretty much wherever they want at camp haha.

At the camp that I work at they most of the campers have nannys and the kids are lucky to see there mom and dad 1 time a year. most of the time it is there nannies that write the letters to the kids. but there are the mom and dad that care for there kids that like 40% at my camp. but that is not how I am talking about

[EchoLaker]

Visiting Day !

This must sound strange - but this is the one day I did not enjoy this summer (other than packing/leaving).

It's great for the kids, make no mistake, they get to demonstrate what they're doing/learning and introduce their councelors.

BUT, I've seen it from the other side - I was working in the main office on Visiting Day, and I'll echo some of the comments made - the parents do go the whole spectrum.

Things like confiscated goods that we take when we sort the mail - some parents will just march on into the mailroom, see something that they recognize and start shouting without listening to reason.

Other than that, you get the parents who seem to think that just because you are an international staff member, that you don't know what you're talking about, and as such insist and seeing the "Office Manager" for a second opinion. Boy is it great when the office manager gives the same answer to the query that the internationals do !

Then, it comes to the end of Visiting Day, and you've got the parents who just don't want to leave, despite there being a clear timetable, and despite PA announcements for the past 30 minutes advising them that campers are to be dropped off at the cabins rather than the cars so that we can smoothly make the transition into a full afternoon schedule.

Argh.


Obviously this doesn't apply to all camp parents; infact some are totally adorable and want to meet the person who's been dealing with their enquiries and connecting them through to their son/daughter on the phone call appointments.

I had more good things about visiting day than bad, but it's such a hectic day that the problems created are just bigger in magnitude.


Campers (particuarly the younger ones) seem to have a bout of homesickness for a week after Visiting Day - it's horrible ! And the experienced camp directors know this, and it's why we get straight into the activities at 3.10 PM after the parents go at 3 PM - to get back into the Camp routine again.

[camper]

ohhhh visiting day. did i mention visiting day on my previous post on this topic? i don't remember. its pretty much the same as echolaker's...in fact, almost exactly the same.

[CAMPFRIEND]

I think that it all depends on what job you are doing at camp on visiting day. Some like it some hate it!

[camper]

i think the majority of counselors at my camp would NOT put visiting day on the list of favorite days. lol.

[rockinsmiles]

Guess i should be thankful we are a one week camp and have no such thing as visiting day! :D