Tips

[prettysocks]

We're not supposed to accept gifts, but if the parent is forcing it, we either a) suggest they make a donation to the camp (which is a non-profit organization, and is completely fundraised money) OR b) accept it and proceed to bring it to the Camp Director discreetly. At precamp last year, we were told some parents bring a cake or chips and pop or cookies, etc, but no parents (about 170 kids throughout the summer) gave us anything.

Quite frankly, I was shocked at Dave's camp's suggested tips. Not to be offended, Dave, please.. I've just never heard of such a thing!

[camper]

prettysocks- i don't think it's intended to be like "our staff need tips give them this much" but probably more of like, "we don't want you to give them $100 each, here is an upper limit so you don't go overboard.

[prettysocks]

camper - yeah, I guess I understand.. And I assume Dave's camp had problems at one point, which was probably the initiation of the "tips" page on his camp's website. :P I'm just more shocked that some camps, and, parents I guess, after already paying for their child to go to camp, and knowing the staff are in a paid position, would still give them more money. But hey, if it's a sort of tradition or thing everyone looks forward to (campers, parents, and staff alike) then... the more money the merrier, eh? :)

[Dave]

I think it is sort of a tradition. I know the kids always look forward to handing us the tips on the last day of camp. And last year the parents were given a $35 limit on a tip for a counselor. Most parents don't tip this much anyway, but they did set a limit anyway.

[collissimon]

I had a look at your parents manual Dave: it looks cool! I do think that the tipping bit is quite subtle, it's at the bottom of the page, and the amounts they suggest aren't excessive. I suppose it depends how many staff members there are!

Has your camp always tipped? I think mine have. I suppose it also depends on how much the camp charges in the first place as well.

[prettysocks]

I just thought of something else.. I think I'm thinking of reasons why this wouldn't ever work at my camp (regular tipping).. Each camper has upto 25 counselors/staff/admin/helpers/programmers that they see each day, and for the parents for tip 25 people.. would be ridiculous!

Another thing, a lot of the parents that send their kids to this camp don't have a lot of money, as raising a kid with a disability is hard on the wallet (they don't actually pay to come to camp - Easter Seals does - at $2000 a kid/10 days [for the first session only; if more than one session/per kid is attended, family pays] ).

[Dave]

I had a look at your parents manual Dave: it looks cool! I do think that the tipping bit is quite subtle, it's at the bottom of the page, and the amounts they suggest aren't excessive. I suppose it depends how many staff members there are!

Has your camp always tipped? I think mine have. I suppose it also depends on how much the camp charges in the first place as well.
I believe tipping has always happened at our camp.

I just thought of something else.. I think I'm thinking of reasons why this wouldn't ever work at my camp (regular tipping).. Each camper has upto 25 counselors/staff/admin/helpers/programmers that they see each day, and for the parents for tip 25 people.. would be ridiculous!
I'm not sure how your camp is set up, but at our camp the parents only tip the counselors in the bunk.

[prettysocks]

I'm not sure how your camp is set up, but at our camp the parents only tip the counselors in the bunk.

Okay.. Then each parent would still have to tip 9 counselors. It just wouldn't work at my camp! I've come to that conclusion! Consider yourselves lucky, those who get tipped! :D

[Dave]

Okay.. Then each parent would still have to tip 9 counselors. It just wouldn't work at my camp! I've come to that conclusion! Consider yourselves lucky, those who get tipped! :D
Wow I didn't realize you had 9 counselors in a bunk. Do you have really big bunks or just a really close counselor to camp ratio?

[CAMPFRIEND]

Okay.. Then each parent would still have to tip 9 counselors. It just wouldn't work at my camp! I've come to that conclusion! Consider yourselves lucky, those who get tipped! :D

You must have a lot of kids in your bunk! or you have big cabins!!

[Melk]

We are not alowed tips at my camp. We are told if a parent tries to give us one then we should have them donate the money to the camp insted. Sometimes campers will send staff care packages once the camper is not at camp anymore. And this summer one of my campers sent a letter to the camp saying that she had so much fun in one week that she wants to come back untill she is to old for staff. That made me super happy because it made me feel I was doing my job right.

[Fleur]

Counsellors aren't tipped at my camp. In the 4 years I've been at the camp, I've never seen anything explicitly written about whether staff can or can't accept tips, but I also haven't heard of any parent who has ever tried to tip a counsellor while I've been there.

Some parents do however give gifts to the cabin and bus counsellors on their child's last day of camp. I've received an assortment of things, from a box of doughnuts, to an exotic-looking, frilly tank top thing (which I am threatening to wear at the staff banquet this summer.)