Preseason

[Sparkes]

When I went to camp last year, I arrived a few days early and worked for preseason. I ended up having the best time ever, and am looking forward to going back again. I found that the preseason workers bonded so quickly and ended up hanging out for the rest of the summer, despite being in different age groups. So, my question to all of you is, do you work preseason? And if you do, do you find that preseason workers tend to stay close throughout the summer?

[speedx5xracer]

I worked 2 weeks of it last summer and this summer i working the whole 6 weeks of pre camp. Some of us remained close otheres had a falling out (b.c the were just bad people). But over all its the best time ever.

[rockinsmiles]

We don't have a "preseason" at the camp I work at. We do have a spring season. Sometimes the workers for the spring season (and even the fall I guess) decide to work during the summer. The difference is spring staff normally have to have a college degree to work during the spring and they live in the staff house. They seem to be a bit closer with each other just cuz they have gone through a season together and all. However, we all "blend" together nicely!

[camper]

we don't have that either. our maintenance crew and caretaker take care of all of the preseason stuff.

[Melk]

I worked outdoor ed in may this past year. It was nice I got to work with some of our new staff and our new program director. I also worked with some staff that had worked the summer before and could not work this past summer so it was nice to be able to spend some time with them.

[audur]

We don't have an actual preseason, but sometimes staff arrive a few days early and get free room and board for helping out with whatever needs to be done around camp... I arrived a few days early last summer and I had a BLAST in the few days before staff training started - even though all we were doing was stacking wood and driving around and cleaning, it was great. I started hanging out with the two people who eventually became my closest friends during that time, too - and since they had completely different jobs than me (I was a UC and they were the CIT II director and waterfront director) I probably wouldn't have had the chance to develop that initial bond with them over the summer.

[campCardinal]

I haven't worked preseason because you must be in college to work it. This summer I was going to work preaseason, but I've opted to travel abroad for 4 weeks instead. I've talked to the preseason staff and they love it. It's a much smaller group and they live in one cabin together. They all do odd jobs around camp and bond quickly. Also, their friendships stayed tight most of the summer- which was cool. I'm hoping to do preaseason work next summer (2007).

[CAMPFRIEND]

When I was a counselor I loved to go to camp and work before the summer. I get to do it all year now! It's so much fun to see staff come back and be so ready for the summer.

[collissimon]

I did preseason last summer, but didn't really like it to be honest! It was really weird, because camp was so empty, and there were big gaps of time where you didn't have much to do (e.g. in the evenings, esp. cos I couldn't go out to the bar last year), so I got camp-sick (at camp!) and home-sick for the first time!

[ocean]

we dont have preseason at my camp. If we did I would be working at it.

[Flukie]

No "real" preseason like some of you have. We have a Work Weekend in April when the camp is opened for resident camping. The tents go up, the beds and mattresses go out and the lodge gets cleaned.

Some of the staff arrives at camp the Thursday before pre-camp to move everything from the attic down - all the sailing equipment, the arts and crafts supplies and so on. The office gets set up by the Ad-Staff and onward we go. :)

[h0dGi]

I dont really know what ya mean by preseason stuff, but at our camp you go two weeks earlier than campers, for training.

[EchoLaker]

I work some of pre-season, being a member of the office staff and the accountant, so much happens before Master Orientation even gets under way - so I'm there about 10 days before the main staff arrival (17 days before camper arrival) - there are some that are on camp from May 31 to really get things started !

I hope to be earning a little extra this summer by working some post-camp in the office - whilst our camp is used by various band camps, high-school football camps, the Echo Lake IDEA, and a girls basketball camp.

[Indigo]

We have troop camping in the spring and fall, but the summer camp staff has nothing to do with that. We also have a spring/fall program at the barn, where we give trail rides, with no camping involved (I work at that). Aside from that, the only "preseason" we have is precamp (just for staff) and ad staff week the week before that.

[Sparkes]

I dont really know what ya mean by preseason stuff, but at our camp you go two weeks earlier than campers, for training.

Preseaon is before training, generally to help out with some maintenence stuff. Raking leaves, setting up activities, painting ping pong tables. Generally only a few members of staff help out, and it's for a few days before the other staff arrives for training, which is all before camper arrive.

I hope to be earning a little extra this summer by working some post-camp in the office

I worked post season last summer (I work in the office too) and, unlike preseason, it was absolutly miserable! I spent three days saying good bye to all my friends and everyone I worked with, and I went from being at a camp with hundreds of friends, to just me! It was the worse feeling of lonliness ever! I hope your experience turns out better!

[EchoLaker]

I worked post season last summer (I work in the office too) and, unlike preseason, it was absolutly miserable! I spent three days saying good bye to all my friends and everyone I worked with, and I went from being at a camp with hundreds of friends, to just me! It was the worse feeling of lonliness ever! I hope your experience turns out better!

I did a voluntary week staying on at camp this season, for the Echo Lake IDEA, a program where we host some 50 kids generally from the NYC Metro area.
And the emptiness of camp was somewhat lost on me by the fact I was doing counselling.
Doing some postseason "work" earns like $150 a week I think - although I will already have said goodbye to all my colleagues as I have to close the accounts off for the season a few days after the regular staff departures - normally ending them with the money luggage drop off drivers. But it is horrid time seeing the dining hall gradually dwindle down to it's last few tables.

I guess it depends what I spend of my salary during the season; having already seen certain cities on a budget last season, I'd like to have the extra money so that things are a bit more comfortable when I do travel, and I can hopefully get out to a few other outposts - like Halifax (the hub of Canadian staff), and maybe Edmonton too.

[Sparkes]

I know what you mean - I made a lot of money post season too. This year though, I'm opting to go traveling after camp with friends instad of hanging around working. Everyone was scattered across the U.S by the time I was finished work, so I didn't travel.

And by the way, Halifax, and the rest of Atlantic Canada, is absolutly beautiful. Though, being that I am an Atlantic Canadian, I am biased! ;)

[campCardinal]

Our preseason is a month long. It starts May 1st usually. We rent our camp out to various organizations who use our facilities. Preseason staffers will help run things like the ropes course or work in the kitchen. However, most of their time is spent doing maintence. Painting cabins, building trails, organizing supplies, cleaning all the mattresses at camp, sweeping out the cabins, bleaching all the bathrooms, answering phone calls, mailing letters, stuffing envelopes, etc.

It's not the most glamorous work by any means. The staff last year ended up rebuilding a lot of things that had been ruined in the off season-- and it was apparently really awful (the heat, little help, and they were exhausted!)

The only downside of working preseason is that by week 2 you've already been at camp for 6 weeks! A lot of the preseason staff gets burnt out earlier... Especially if the preseason staff works the full summer-- that's 15-16 weeks! That's a long time to be at camp-- even though we all love it...

[Fallen]

All the camps I have worked for have pre-camp training as they call it. The Ad Staff, Unit Leaders and Program staff will come about a week earlier than the counselors to do extra training and learning what they need to know. Plus then they are familiar with things before the rest of the staff gets there.

Then about a week before the kids come there's more training on all kinds of things. I enjoy it because it helps me get to know the rest of the staff alittle better before working with them and even though camp seems empty we seem to eat better and have more food to eat than when the kids get there you have the same stuff week after week. We don't do too much setting up other than the program areas and a quick clean before open house.

[campCardinal]

We also have staff training -- or as we call it, week zero. It's one week before the kids arrive. All the staff comes (at least those not still in school). We go through a typical week at camp-- but of course, some things are different. We get our unit assignments, and meet all the staff. It's a great time.

[who_stole_my_loofa]

Our caretaker lives right next door to camp so he's there all year. Our preseason lasts about 6 weeks before camp when the maintenance and kitchen crews begin to arrive for their training. They have time when they train and time when they work around camp. About 2 weeks later (4 weeks before camp) other staff begins to arrive (swim staff, staff that need to Red Cross or like Rifelry training, etc) and when they are not training they help paint and set up and whatnot as well. 3 weeks before camp starts Area Leaders come, 2 weeks before Unit leaders come and 1 week before all staff comes- none of them really help with the preseason set up of camp- they are mainly there for training or to train others. I guess technically if other people want to come early and do preseason maintenance they could-- but I don't know anyone who has..

[Campy Measius]

The beginning of June the 3 directors of the 3 community services Y camps in NS get together and have "work camp" which is the same as what you guys call preseason. We travel to the different camps and paint and what not, we program training session (takes place the last week of june) and do lots of paperwork haha.
The assistant directors join us the week before training session begins.