Curfews

[collissimon]

At camp this year, they introduced a curfew, to make sure there was more than one counsellor in a bunk overnight. The previous system had someone on OD (http://www.talkcamp.com/showthread.php?t=319) till a maximum of midnight. There was one designated person, who slept in the bunk, who was on ‘twelves’, someone who would sign in and would stay in the bunk before, or till midnight. The rest could technically (but didn’t usually) go off and do whatever they pleased.

This year, this was changed. Instead of OD’s finishing at 12, they finished at 1am, by which point everyone had to have signed in. Those not signed in would have a ‘talking to’ if it became a pattern. If someone tried to sign in intoxicated, a Director was called, and not usually happy for being woken up.

The system had its hiccups, mainly that the senior staff (Unit Leaders, Support Intervention Team etc.) were having to do Super-OD’s (supervising the sign in sheets etc.) till beyond 1am, and were then having to be up before 7.15 for the morning briefing. I was wondering how other camps dealt with the issue of a curfew. Do you have one at all? How do you enforce it?

[Dave]

Great article. Thanks for submitting. :D

[daisy]

We have a 1 am curfew. Each counselor gets one night off a week, and on your night off you must be back at camp by 12:30, so you can be back in your cabin by 1, or you can choose to stay gone all night, and be back by 7am. After the campers go to sleep, someone must be covering each cabin, which can be done from outside. If it isn't your night to cover you can go visit other counselors who are covering, go play basketball in the gym, whatever. At 1, someone from adstaff walks around to make sure that everyone is inside. Curfew is on a 3 strikes system, so each time you are caught outside, you get a strike, and if you get to three, there will be some sort of consequence... I don't know what, because it never happened this summer.

[Flower]

We don't have a curfew, unless you want to count the first bell the next morning. I think that the idea is that if you're old enough to take care of someone else's kids, you're old enough to know how much sleep you need at night. Each cabin has at least two counselors (some have three). One of these counselors is on every night (or some nights two in the cabins with three), so there is never a problem with not having people there to cover cabins. In three years there, I saw a few occasional problems from counselors not coming back on duty ready to do their job that got dealt with. By and large it worked very well though, I thought, and treated us like adults.

[prettysocks]

It was suggested that you be in bed by midnight, for your sake and others. On our night off (starts at 6pm) you had to be back by midnight. Someone got fired for being late last year. The logic behind that was, you're taking care of high-needs children that aren't yours, so you have to show responsibility, and take care of yourself so you can take care of others. On that note, if anyone had ever shown up intox'd, they'd also be fired on the spot.

That made my camp sound really strict, which it isn't. It's an amazing amount of fun... but it's true, you do have to take care of yourself or you'll get burned out and sick (which people did get).

Going to bed by midnight isn't a bad thing, though... Most nights you're %100 ready for bed by about 9pm... but we usually didn't get out of the cabin unltil 11pm!

[collissimon]

I agree with your intoxication policy prettysocks, because if a kid gets up in the middle of the night, you may not be able to deal with them effectively if you're as pissed as a newt!

What population do you work with prettysocks?

[speedx5xracer]

1215 back at camp and 1230 in your bunk, you miss 2 times your fired. You come back drunk off your @$$ your fired.

[EchoLaker]

At camp this year, they introduced a curfew, to make sure there was more than one counsellor in a bunk overnight. The previous system had someone on OD (http://www.talkcamp.com/showthread.php?t=319) till a maximum of midnight. There was one designated person, who slept in the bunk, who was on ‘twelves’, someone who would sign in and would stay in the bunk before, or till midnight. The rest could technically (but didn’t usually) go off and do whatever they pleased.

This year, this was changed. Instead of OD’s finishing at 12, they finished at 1am, by which point everyone had to have signed in. Those not signed in would have a ‘talking to’ if it became a pattern. If someone tried to sign in intoxicated, a Director was called, and not usually happy for being woken up.

The system had its hiccups, mainly that the senior staff (Unit Leaders, Support Intervention Team etc.) were having to do Super-OD’s (supervising the sign in sheets etc.) till beyond 1am, and were then having to be up before 7.15 for the morning briefing. I was wondering how other camps dealt with the issue of a curfew. Do you have one at all? How do you enforce it?


We use the system that you're now using; and find that naturally people stagger their own sign-in times anyway, as it's difficult to stay out until 1 AM every night if you're going to stay on the ball all week until your day off.

Our curfew is 1 AM, each village has a sign-in venue, and a Head-OD for that night in each village who stays at that venue all evening (except when delivering mid-OD snack); at 1.01 AM it's the job of the Head-OD to communicate to the Village Head Counselor any one who isn't checked in, and that'll normally lead to a talking to in the morning.

1st Offense - You forfeit your next evening offsite for an OD shift.
2nd Offense - You do back to back OD shifts.
3rd Offense - Breach of Contract - FIRED.

With regards to the Head ODs, they rotate dependant on which shift they are on, and so only themselves do one Head ODship themselves, along with the ODers they are heading, so over tiredness isn't too much of a problem.

Certainly shouldn't come back incapable of doing your job, as once you return back to your cabin your responsibility starts up immediately should there be a problem; and for safety of the campers anyone who is spotted (by Head OD, Directors or Camp Security)overly intoxicated upon return is sent to "dry-out" in the staff lodge, and 99/100 times will be fired the next morning.

[campCardinal]

Our curfew is midnight. The on duty person must stay until a counselor is in each cabin. We're not allowed to leave at night... and if we're off for the whole night, we can't sleep at camp. So, we basically just hang out in the mess hall after the kids go to bed. The support staff makes sure everyone heads to be around midnight. Most of us are responsible to at least go to our porches- we may not go to sleep at midnight- but at least be in the cabins. This is a respect issue- respect the person on duty by being back on time. Also, responsibility. To be a good counselor you need sleep. Yeah, it's fun to stay up until 4 in the morning with people, but you need your rest to be a good counselor too. We don't have any problems... and if we do the unit leaders handle it one on one.

[rockinsmiles]

We have a 12:00 curfew but it was really like 11:45 (the director, assident director, and head counselor would walk around and sometimes agents and volunteers would be out) but normally no one stayed out that late. And unless we were having some funky week where there were only 2 counselors per cabin, we had to have at least 2 staff in the cabin while we took our break at night. This basically gave all staff a 30 minute break at night and we can not leave the camp grounds. Our night off this past year was from 6:00 to
9:30. There were some problems with staff getting back late so our director made the rule that if you were more than 5 minutes late you lost your night off the following week. As far as drinking goes..not allowed during camp sessions. We could do it on the weekend (not on camp grounds) and we encourged to do so on Friday nights so we could "recover" on Saturday.

[Skater Bubbles]

12:00 have to be back in your cabin

[who_stole_my_loofa]

We have 12:30 in camp curfew and 1:00 in cabin curfew. We have OD charts and everyone has to check in- if they don't check in then the hill OD that night sees that you're not in they alert the camp OD- a director- and they alert the security car to look for you and then you're in a lot of trouble. It usually never gets to that point. Most people get in time evrey night- but i've seen people sign in and sneak out which is the worst of all. Everything in enforeced by taking away hours off or other time off or doing favors for the area leaders. Last resort people get fired

[camper]

1 am curfew on your nights off, you have to be checked in by then. you can hang out on the road, your bunk's porch, or other bunks porches as long as you're quiet. you also obviously can't be visibly drunk when you check in...not to say that people don't hide it very well, b/c a lot of people do. it's the head OD's call. if anyone looks to her as if they would be unprepared to deal w/a problem in the bunk should one arise, that person will definitely be in trouble.

punishments for missing curfew:
once: extra night in
twice: lose a day off
three times: i don't think it's ever happened...but you would probably be fired b/c by that point it's clear that you really don't care.

[collissimon]

We don't have punishments for missing curfews... well we don't yet! Apparently it's changing a bit this year, but I don't know how!

[KiwiCRB]

We don't have a curfew since we're not allowed to leave camp at night. The in cabin part is really left up the staff members themselves. Everyone knows what time they have to be up in the morning and since they are responisble for a group of kids should be responsible enough to get into your cabin and sleeping when you need to.

[Flukie]

Let's see... If you are On Taps - you are responsible for staying in your unit, in the center, from 9 - 11 pm so that you can hear what is happening and the girls can find you. If you are Off Taps, you can be out of the unit (but IN CAMP) from 9 - 11. At 11, we shut down the stafff house and all staff must go back to their units. If you are off for 12 hours (1-week sessions), you need to be back at flag to meet your group the next morning, while for 24 hours off (2-week sessions), you meet your group at evening flag.

[Sparkes]

We have to sign in by 1:00am, but most of us try and be back for 12:50am, cause your to be in your bunk at 1:00 (if you don't sign in your going to be hunted down the next day by senior staff). The person who is on OD for the cabin stays in the cabin for the night - they generally stay on the porch till all the campers are asleep, and then go to bed themselves. All the campers know that if you have a problem the counselor on OD is the one to approach with a problem. If your off for the night, your going to be leaving camp between 9ish and 11ish, back for 1am. If you have the day off, you leave after sing in the morning, and again your back for 1am. There are always times when someone in the bunk has come back after partying, but it's the counselor on OD who has the responsibilty to get up through the night, and the campers all know that.

[prettysocks]

I agree with your intoxication policy prettysocks, because if a kid gets up in the middle of the night, you may not be able to deal with them effectively if you're as pissed as a newt!

What population do you work with prettysocks?

Precisely! .. and my camp is for kids (ages 7-18.. sometimes 7-25) with physical/mental disabilities (not all have mental disabilities, but all have a physical disability). *imisscamp*

[camplover86]

We have to be checked in and back in our units by midnight on our nights off. There is a 2 drink rule, if you have had more, just don't come back. You can stay out overnight if the director knows before hand, in which case you have to be back by 8am i think.

[CAMPFRIEND]

I think that is crazy. I don't think that counselors or any staff should drink on their night out! You have to come back and work with kids and if you drink you might not think!!

[prettysocks]

We have to be checked in and back in our units by midnight on our nights off. There is a 2 drink rule, if you have had more, just don't come back. You can stay out overnight if the director knows before hand, in which case you have to be back by 8am i think.

... I agree.. I think one drink is one too many.

[Dave]

I agree with you campfriend. That's kind of strange for a camp to allow their staff to drink. Then again, I've never worked at an overnight camp so I don't know what staff usually do on their "off nights" anyway.

[CAMPFRIEND]

I think that on days off or a weekend you can do what ever you need. I just stand strong on not drinking when you have to go to a cabin with campers..

[Fleur]

I agree with you campfriend. That's kind of strange for a camp to allow their staff to drink. Then again, I've never worked at an overnight camp so I don't know what staff usually do on their "off nights" anyway.

Dave, just curious, but do you have any problems with staff getting completely intoxicated after camp hours? As much as it's probably not the same as being at an overnight camp, I know of a few staff who have turned up at camp in the morning who weren't in the best shape.

[Dave]

Dave, just curious, but do you have any problems with staff getting completely intoxicated after camp hours? As much as it's probably not the same as being at an overnight camp, I know of a few staff who have turned up at camp in the morning who weren't in the best shape.
Are you talking about at a day camp? If so, I really don't care. Other staff have told me about parties and whatnot during the camp season. I've never really noticed any people coming into camp who, as you said, weren't in the best shape.Then again, I never really looked for it. If they want to come in to camp like that, then let them. If they somehow get caught, it's their loss. Just keep in mind that all this is coming from a person who doesn't drink or party like that. I don't see the point. But that's another conversation for another time.

[CAMPFRIEND]

Dave, just curious, but do you have any problems with staff getting completely intoxicated after camp hours? As much as it's probably not the same as being at an overnight camp, I know of a few staff who have turned up at camp in the morning who weren't in the best shape.

I know I have had staff who drink after the camp day. We can't stop that.. But our counselors don't have to take care of kids at night. I have never had a proble with the with a hangover the next day. Most wait until the weekend to drink.

[Dave]

I know I have had staff who drink after the camp day. We can't stop that.. But our counselors don't have to take care of kids at night. I have never had a proble with the with a hangover the next day. Most wait until the weekend to drink.
Same at our camp. Most wait until the weekends. And like you said, there's nothing you can do once they leave camp.

[camplover86]

We do have the 2 drink rule, but our counselors don't really drink during camp sessions, for 2 reasons, some arn't old enough, and we are all just too tired. I think that rule is put in place for the few who do. I know we had a counselor come back very intoxicated one night... im not sure what happened to her, but i don't think it was very pretty.

[runrachrunn]

I know I have had staff who drink after the camp day. We can't stop that.. But our counselors don't have to take care of kids at night. I have never had a proble with the with a hangover the next day. Most wait until the weekend to drink.

We actually did have a problem with drinking, the first summer I was on staff at the day camp. The staff happened to be particularly rowdy that summer, and there were parties regularly 4-5 times per week.

I remember that towards the end of the summer, one of our pool staff offered up her house for a party (her parents were away). all the swim staff ended up getting sloshed, and since we all had to turn up for work the next morning, the pool managers basically had to deal with 15 hungover teenagers, all of whom had to teach swimming to little kids... It was not safe at all.

Since then, there's been a crackdown at the day camp on substances of any kind. A number of staff have been fired on the spot for smoking, and possessing vodka in water bottles.

[campCardinal]

I suppose a lot of staff at my camp drink when they are off. We have weekends off and one night during the week every other week. Staff will often spend the weekends at parties and such.

I don't know much about it, seeing as I'm 18 and it's illegal. I know there are plenty of underage staff at these parties, but it's a personal choice for me. We've had people come back to camp (and regret it...). We've never had anyone return to camp drunk though... mostly because if you have a night off you're not back at camp until lunch the following day.

[collissimon]

In years past, I wouldn't drink either, because i was underage, and didn't want to endanger getting a visa in future years.

This year will be my first full summer of being over 21, but I still don't think I'll be going to the bars much, because I don't think I personally can't be a good counsellor and deal with drink, that's not saying other people can't or shouldn't, just that I know that I can't do it.

[rockinsmiles]

We cant drink on our nights off period. People are normally hungover on saturdays from some sort of party on friday night, but we cant be on sundays (when the campers arrive). If we were ever hungover on sunday I know our director would be super pissed (and not in the aussie way hehe). Also our director made it clear that if anyone was caught drinking underage or was at a party with under age drinking we would be fired. That isnt to say we couldnt drink but if the cops got involved we were out.

[Strand]

We have no curfew. Our lights out is 11:30. Campers are forbidden to leave their bunks unless it's an emergancy. The rule does not apply to counselors. But we can't drink for any reason.

Most counselors I know are chatting in the mess hall until 12:00 at night drinking soda from the canteen.