The Fun Begins today!

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Camp is a Place
– hiking trails, climbing tower, campfire, cabins
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Camp is a Program
– citizenship, appreciating nature, teamwork
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Camp is an Experience
– memories, close living, new skills, friendships
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Camp is You, the Counselor
– your attitude, your leadership, your helping

• B
Belonging
: Feeling a sense of connection to others
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M
Mastery: Trying and Learning new things
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I
Independence: Making decisions and a chance to lead
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G
Generosity: Caring about others and how I can help

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Begins with you as Counselor
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Ideal Camp Counselor Activity
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Draw on newsprint a picture of a Super Successful
Junior Camp Counselor….and what skills they need to carry around in their backpack of camp skills

Counselors have the responsibility to help each camper to gain the most that is possible from their camping experience….
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Roles of the Camp Counselor
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Leader, Participant, Friend, Analyzer, Cabin
Leader, Activity Helper, Resource Person,
Good Listener, Teacher, Organizer

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Responsibilities of the Camp Counselor
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Keep Campers Safe, Keep Campers involved,
Provide Leadership, Work as a Team Member
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Relationships of the Camp Counselor
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Develop Good Relationships with Campers,
Other Counselors, Camp Directors, Camp Staff and with Parents

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Language Issue
– no profanity tolerated by Directors and Staff
– no profanity tolerated by Counselors
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How to Handle?
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You are there for the campers--make good friends of all in your care
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Act as someone your campers will want to look up to
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You need to help each other

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It is more than just a nice touch
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It is a tool that can add incredible power to your teaching
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It can set moods, energize, relax, focus, command attention, convey a message, invoke laughter, build teamwork, and help remember key information

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Songs are a tool that can build connection and identity to your group
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Songs can be used over and over that brings a connection to a time and a place
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Check out YouTube for great camp songs and also google “Camp Songs” and you will find lots of camp songs from camps and scouts

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Be enthusiastic—SELL YOUR SONGS!
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KNOW YOUR SONGS!
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To teach new songs break them down into sections that are easy to learn
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If actions are involved, teach the actions first
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Enjoy the fun of singing together

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Mm ah went the little green frog one day.
Mm ah went the little green frog.
Mm ah went the little green frog one day.
Mm ah Mm ah Mm ah ah ah.
• We all know the frogs go Sha la la la la, Sha la la la la, Sha la la la la
• We all know the frogs go Sha la la la la, They don’t go Mm Mm
Ah
• Honk honk went the big Mack truck one day,
Splish splat went the little green frog.
Little Frog doesn’t go Mm ah anymore, cause he got slurped up by a dog. Roof, Roof.

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Grey squirrel, Grey squirrel, Shake your bushy tail,
Grey squirrel, Grey squirrel, Shake your bushy tail,
Put a peanut in your hand and shove it up your nose.
Grey squirrel, Grey squirrel, Shake your bushy tail.
Repeat

• I’m alive(hands on head), awake(hands on shoulders), alert(hands on knees), enthusiastic(hands on feet) [clap]
I’m alive, awake, alert, enthusiastic [clap]
(same Actions)
I’m alive, awake, alert, (same to knees)
• I’m alert, awake, alive, (knees to head)
I’m alive, awake, alert, enthusiastic [clap]
(same actions as start)

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Continues with understanding your Campers
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Ages & Stages for Junior Campers Activity
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Pair up and on newsprint, draw a Junior Camper and list things you know about them at this stage in their life….interests, likes and dislikes, relationships

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Very active and likes movement
• needs opportunities to share their thoughts and reactions
• enjoys making and doing things
• relates best when they can do or experience with their senses when learning
• someone who still looks for adult or older teen approval
• often surprised at what they can accomplish
• someone who has very little middle ground in their attitude… things are fun or boring, right or wrong, fabulous or disgusting

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Someone who identifies with peers but still looks to adults for guidance
• someone who likes to be in groups of others that are similar to them
• someone who prefers sex segregated groups but starts showing short-duration interest in opposite sex---often a group of guys showing or goofing off for a couple of cute girls
• someone whose success or failure is still very self-centered so comparison to others may not be preferred

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Homesickness
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Let the us know right away if you find a camper that is struggling with this—especially the first night
– Be careful not to make any promises
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We will try to connect them with someone else at camp that they know
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Many times they just need some assurances and reminded that they will be home in a short time

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Fighting among cabin mates or in activity groups
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Again let us know as soon as you find it is a problem
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We will try to work with individuals first to resolve issues
– We will mediate between those that are struggling and at last resort call parents

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Bullying
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What is Bullying?
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Bullying may be physical, verbal, emotional or sexual in nature. For example:
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Physical bullying includes punching, poking, strangling, hair pulling, beating, biting and excessive tickling.

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Emotional bullying includes rejecting, terrorizing, extorting, defaming, humiliating, blackmailing, rating/ranking of personal characteristics such as race, disability, ethnicity, or perceived sexual orientation, manipulating friendships, isolating, ostracizing and peer pressure.

• Verbal bullying includes such acts as hurtful name-calling, teasing and gossip.
• So What Can we Do…..
– Post and make sure you cover clear behavior in some ground rules on poster board including rules against bullying.
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With any observation of a youth teasing or using name calling that does not respect another youth, do not tolerate it.

– Remember to be careful that you can get to the bottom of what is going on between two youth.
– It is best to pull a child aside to stop a behavior and not to try to draw attention to the child’s behavior in front of the group.
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It is great to encourage specific good behavior praising youth for positive actions and catching kids doing good.

– One of the best preventions is to have good supervision for all youth throughout the camp
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You may need to take preventive action if you notice a child not fitting in right away to help them make friends and connect to others in the group as a strong prevention against bullying.
– If a youth is not able to change their bullying behavior and it becomes a consistent problem, we may need to share the problem with a parent.

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Bullying behavior being tolerated in camp can have very negative consequences when a parent approaches you and shares how their youth was harmed and not inspired by their participation in your program. We want all youth to feel safe in our care.

• B
Belonging
: Feeling a sense of connection to others
•
M
Mastery: Trying and Learning new things
•
I
Independence: Making decisions and a chance to lead
•
G
Generosity: Caring about others and how I can help

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Pull out your Camp Schedule and lets identify what youth need each of the scheduled activities and events can meet….

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When campers first arrive, belonging is key for the first afternoon and evening
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Camp orientation tours are helping campers
Master the camp starting points for activities and KP for meals
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Campfire is belonging and mastery as they learn new songs or connect with old ones

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Mealtimes can be belonging/mastery and independence as they make choices around the table
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Activity times for some will be mastery and independence if they try something new and generosity as they help each other out or take turns

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Swimming/Archery is a chance for belonging and an opportunity of mastery
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Tuesday is a day full of Belonging as you get acquainted in the new groups
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Tuesday is also a day full of independence as you choose and practice skits and experience activities
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Tuesday is also a day full of mastery in identifying important team building skills

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Do you have any other situations that you think we should discuss?

• The Three R’s….
• Four things that Camp is….
• Three skills of a Great Counselor….
• Three traits of a Junior Age Camper….
• What is B M I G? ….

We’re from I-O-Way, I-O-way,
State of all the land,,
Joy on Ev-’ry hand.
We’re from I-O-way, I-O-way.
That’s where the tall corn grows.

You asked what land I love the best, Iowa, tis Iowa,
The fairest State of all the west, Iowa, O! Iowa,
From yonder Misissippi's stream
To where Missouri's waters gleam
O! fair it is as poet's dream, Iowa, in Iowa.
See yonders fields of tasseled corn, Iowa in Iowa,
Where plenty fills her golden horn, Iowa in Iowa,
See how her wonderous praries shine.
To yonder sunset’s purpling line,
O! happy land, O! land of mine, Iowa, O! Iowa.