section
1
Vision
Section Objectives
1. To know what the mission and purpose is
of Camp Sonshine
2. To understand the Core Values of our
organization
3. To know the importance of humility as a
Head Counselor.
4. To read and know what a level 5 leader is
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Core Values
Integrity: Deciding to do what’s right: every time, with
everyone and in every place
Growth: Challenging ourselves and others intentionally to
produce positive change
Community: Connecting each other in relationships of love
and trust
Legendary Service: Delivering the exceptional and
exceeding expectations
Fun: Making the most of every opportunity to create
moments of smiles and laughter
Safety: Protecting the hearts, minds and bodies of the
community we serve
INTEGRITY
Deciding to do what’s right: every time, with everyone and
in every place
Values Accountability
Believes in taking ownership and responsibility for individual
actions without providing excuses.
1.
Demonstrates an appreciation and respect
for deadlines.
2.
Pursues responses to communication in a
timely fashion.
3.
Accepts assigned responsibilities and
stands by decisions made.
4.
Accepts responsibility for his/her decisions
and actions; holds himself/herself accountable.
Demonstrates Integrity
Takes personal responsibility to protect the viability of
the organization through statements and actions that are
trustworthy, honest, and credible.
1.
Is trusted to be fair and objective and to do
what
is best for all concerned.
2.
Keeps personal and organizational
confidences
when appropriate.
3.
Is trusted to “do the right thing” in their
use of work hours and camp resources;
understanding that credibility, objectivity
and trust are fundamental to our work
4.
Is consistently true to his/her word.
GROWTH
Challenging ourselves and others intentionally to produce
positive change
Is a Good Leader
Instinctively steps forward to improve the performance of the
organization by attracting people to follow her / him through
guiding, coaching, directing, influencing, and empowering
the human resources of the organization.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Sets a good example and exemplifies the
vision and values of the organization through
actions and decisions.
Willingly addresses negative behavior and
coaches to a positive outcome.
Recognizes and develops another’s potential;
coaches and encourages other to make
positive change.
Possesses an expertise that inspires others and
willingly shares knowledge and experience.
Desires a Challenge
Is stimulated by the opportunity to combine knowledge, skills,
and resources to meet objectives requiring special effort.
1.
Recognizes a need for improvement, sees
problems as opportunities or challenges, and
provides options for solutions.
2.
Challenges “the way we’ve always done it”
and willingly gets involved in finding solution.
3.
Demonstrates flexibility to change for the
greater good of the organization.
4.
Motives and inspires himself/herself and others
to continuous improvement.
COMMUNITY
Connecting each other in relationships of love and trust
Shows Empathy
Demonstrates an ability to understand and care about
others.
1.
Demonstrates sensitivity to others in a
variety of situations.
2.
Will consider many perspectives when
making decisions.
3.
Knows how to express opinions and ideas in
ways that are respectful of others.
4.
Considers all opinions even when they differ
from hers/his own.
Builds a Team Environment
Demonstrates the belief that working with others, welcoming
contributions from others, positively participating and
enjoying the resulting synergy will achieve the best results.
1.
Actively participates in (or leads) group
meetings and /or committees and gains
consensus in decision-making.
2.
Makes time available to assist others.
3.
Does her / his fair share and carries own
work load.
4.
Looks beyond own job tasks to come
to a conclusion that benefits the entire
organization.
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Core Values
LEGENDARY SERVICE
Delivering the exceptional and exceeding expectations
Is Professional
Projects confidence, a quality image, and business
etiquette.
1.
Is appropriately professional in demeanor
and actions.
2.
Delivers prompt, friendly, and courteous
service to internal / external “customers”.
3.
Listens in a way that helps others feel
understood.
4.
Follows through on member requests in a
timely manner and shows a strong work ethic.
Is Motivated by Satisfying External / Internal
“Customer” / Employees
Is driven by fulfilling and exceeding external / internal
“customer” needs and expectations.
1.
Shows enthusiasm in serving the external /
internal “customer”.
2.
Takes external / internal “customer”
complaints seriously and provides
resolution in a professional and timely
manner, while solving underlying causes to
prevent reoccurrence.
3.
Provides service above and beyond what is
expected from a member or co-worker.
4.
Upholds and continually improves the
reputation of the organization.
FUN
Making the most of every opportunity to create moments of
smiles and laughter
Demonstrates Creativity
1.
Takes initiative to turn a negative situation
into a positive experience
2.
Enthusiastically participates in activities with
internal and external ‘customers
3.
Encourages creative thinking by challenging
others to think “outside the box”
4.
Recognizes opportunities and demonstrates
competence in program and activity
development producing fun-filled
experiences for internal and external
‘customers
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SAFETY
Protecting the hearts, minds and bodies of the community
we serve
Demonstrates Care and Concern
1.
Develops relationships of respect and
shows care and concern for the emotional
needs of internal and external ‘customers’
2.
Makes every effort to ensure the physical
safety of internal and external ‘customers’
regarding the use of equipment and
activities
3.
Develops programs and activities ensuring
the physical and emotional safety of
internal and external ‘customers’
4.
Avoids words and actions that would
diminish or cause harm to internal and
external ‘customers’
Vision
The first thing we will focus on is called “Vision Casting”—
during this time the Camp leadership team will explain what
we feel is our vision from the Lord for the summer. It is
important for us as a team to take ahold of this vision and
allow God to accomplish it through us. After this, you will
have the opportunity to finalize your own personal vision
for the summer. Having your own personal vision for the
summer will help you walk away from this summer having
gained not only leadership experience but confidence in the
plan and purpose the Lord has for you. Don’t worry if you
are not sure how to go about this, just prayerfully commit it
to God and with wisdom from Him and the Camp coaching
team’s assistance, it will come. I Corinthians 2:5 says, “So
that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men (not yours
or anyone else’s), but on the power of God.” (There is more
than enough available.)
MISSION STATEMENT
Camp Sonshine creates fun memories where children and
youth experience God’s love.
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Humility
Humility is defined as a lack of false pride, a modest estimate of one’s own worth; a sense of one’s own unworthiness through inperfection or sin.
This is because it is such a important characteristic to a
Godly leader. If we don’t remind ourselves that our source
of strength, ideas, wisdom, etc. comes from God, we
begin to think that we can and are fulfilling the plan for our
lives. This is obviously not the case. Pride keeps us from
truly being all of our potential in Christ. It keeps us from
realizing the everyday grace we receive from the Father.
As a Head Counselor, it can keep you from doing the
one thing that is so important to your role...serving! Being
a servant to those whom you are leading is a defining
leadership quality. It doesn’t display a “better than you”
air. A servant is simply here to serve. That is the heart of
leadership.
What does the Bible have to say about humility? Take a
few minutes and look up some verses.
Leadership Thought:
Take a moment to reflect on the quote below. How will
this help you as a Head Counselor? How will this help
you with your staff?
Attitude
How will humility help you be a better Head Counselor this
summer?
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude
on life. Attitude, to me is more important than facts. It is
more important than the past, than education, than money,
than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than
what other people think or say or do. It is more important
than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break
a company...a church...a home. The remarkable thing is
we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will
embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we
cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain
way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we
can do is play on the one string we have and that is our
attitude...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens
to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...
we are in charge of our ATTITUDES.
Charles R. Swindoll
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Level 5 Leadership
The book Good to Great defines a great organization as “one
that delivers superior performance and makes a distinctive
impact over a period of time.”
Level 3 at Camp:
-Creates a team that focuses on the mission and goes after
it with all dilligence.
Good is also characterized as the “enemy of great”. Being good
is an enemy to great because we often settle for what is good
and not strive to become truly great. At Camp Sonshine, we
don’t want just a good organization. We want to be an organization, as it is defined, that “delivers superior performance and
makes an distinct impact over time.” Becoming a great organization takes years to accomplish, and it begins with our staff.
Level 2: Contribuiting Team Member
-“Contributes individual capabilities to the achievement of
group objectives, and works effectively with others in a group
setting.”
One of the defining characteristics of a “Good to Great”
company are its leaders, “Level 5 Leaders.” What is a “Level
5 Leader”? Here is what it is not: “Level 5 Leadership is not
about being ‘soft’ or ‘consensus-building.’ The whole point of
Level 5 is to make sure the right decisions happen- no matter
how difficult or painful- for the long-term of greatness of the
institution and the achievement of its mission, independent of
consensus or popularity.” We need your help to stand by our
mission and our Core Values that God has given us. It takes
“Level 5 Leaders” to do this. The levels build upon each other,
so Level 2 is higher than Level 1 and so on. Let’s go through
each level now.
Level 5: Executive
-“Builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend of
personal humility and professional will.” They also “display a
compelling modesty.”
Level 5 at Camp:
-Humility, that this work isn’t about you, but what God wants
to accomplish through you here by way of Camp’s mission.
We are here to be ambitious with what God has called us to
do. You had the opportunity already to read our Core Values
and Mission.
Level 2 at Camp:
-God is bringing you to Camp this summer because you have
gifts that He would like you to use here. We need you to bring
those gifts and be able to line them up with our mission here.
At times, that means letting someone else shine instead of
you. As a leader, you may be actually behind the scenes
making something happen, but you may not get the credit.
You may, in fact, have to give the credit to your staff. When
something goes wrong, you may need to take the blame not
because you did anything wrong, but because you desire
what’s best for your team.
Level 1: Highly Capable Individual
-“Makes productive contributions through talent, knowledge,
skills, and good work habits.”
Level 1 at Camp:
-We would not have asked you to be in the position of Head
Counselor unless we felt like you had what it took to do the
job well. We want God to shine through you this summer. We
feel like Camp is a place where staff get to come and get to
be who God has created them to be.
Now that you’ve looked each level of leadership, how do
you think this will make you a better Head Counselor this
summer?
Level 4: Effective Leader
-“Catalyzes commitment to and vigorous pursuit of a clear and
compelling vision, stimulating higher performance standards.”
They also, “do whatever it takes” to make the company into
a “great” one.
Level 4 at Camp:
-We need hard workers. People that will get behind Camp’s
mission and run with it; be willing to give their all to see the
lives’ changed.
Level 3: Competent Manager
-”Organizes people and resources toward the effective and
efficient pursuit of predetermined objectives.”
Collin, Jim. Good to Great. New York: Harper Collins,
2001
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section
2
Counselor Care
Section Objectives
1. To learn and grow from what former staff
have said about their HCs.
2. To grow in how to build and maintain a
great team.
3. To understand how important
implementing Daily Coaching Sessions and
One on Ones are in being an HC.
4. To know how to ask the right questions
when leading One on ones
5. To understand that genuine and specific
appreciation is so important.
6. To learn how to become good at
confronting
7. To understand the importance of
being spiritually strong for you staff.
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Voices from the Past
Your number one role as a Head Counselor this summer
is to care for the staff in your group. This may mean
gathering supplies for them or taking their group if they
aren’t feeling well. They may not be performing up to
their potential so you need to speak with them or they
just need some free time ideas. It is our desire to see
our staff perform like they never have before. In order
for this to happen, we need your help. You have been
chosen and this job will not only be one of the most
rewarding, but also one of the most challenging.
The Counselor Care section is packed with great tools
for you to use with your staff. From how to plan a meeting to confrontation, this section will help you become
an amazing Head Counselor to your staff. Let’s start by
reading comments from former staff about their Head
Counselors. Make note of the things you do and don’t
want to be this summer. This will be one of the most
important things you will read in this book!
Well I didn’t feel appreciated by my head counselor. I know
he was going through things of his own, but it would have
really made a difference if he would have pulled me aside
every once in a while to remind me that I was doing a good
job or put a note in my box. Anything that said that he was
happy that I was a part of his team.
He did challenge me. He put me in positions I didn’t want to
be in and it helped me a lot for the future
I do wish that someone could have shown me the way that
they would like to see me doing my job.
I feel like she could have participated a little bit more in my
everyday needs not just when we had one on ones. I felt
like she cared but it seemed as though sometimes other
things were more important to her than what I was doing.
When I was setting up in the morning by myself it would have
been a great help to have my head counselor help me set
up. I felt as if I could have been more encouraged and told
what I was doing right rather then just I was doing wrong.
I would have loved more criticism, I wanted to improve more
as a counselor but I don’t really know what more I can do.
If the head counselors don’t do their job than the
counselorscan’t do their job which in return means that the
head counselors can’t do their job. My HC could have helped
me be more successful by getting the materials I needed. It
got to the point that I tried not to make up activities where
I needed materials because I knew I wouldn’t have them.
Toward the end of camp my head counselor was able to follow
through better and to relate to me as just another person. Had
I felt heard at the outset, even if she had said, ‘I don’t know
but I’ll find out,’ and followed through, I would have been able
to relax and tend more closely to what I needed to accomplish
...having to spend so much time backtracking on questions and
reminders and puzzling what to do.
I feel like she could have spent a lot more time with my group,
so when I told her something she had an idea of what I was
talking about, but there were a lot of days when I didn’t even
see her for five minutes the whole day.
She could’ve gotten to know me a lot better as a person,
not just as a camp counselor. I felt as though my head
counselor focused more on my mistakes more so than my
accomplishments, and it would have been nice to hear more
encouraging responses from her.
Providing lots of encouragement. I find that I feed off the
mood of my superiors, so always being friendly & in a good
mood, even when it wasn’t such a good day, would probably
help a lot.
My HC did amazing job for me, there when I was sick, or just
there to visit.
Being more specific with encouragement in person. Rather
than being specific with the negative things. Sometimes felt
that their way was seen as the only way to do things.
I just wish she would have followed through more strictly on the
areas of growth I needed her to challenge me with. She didn’t
hold me accountable for some things that I really needed her
to, but I understand she was busy and had a lot to do.
He was really good at challenging me. He would frequently
give us challenges on pieces of papers of what he wanted us
to do that day.
My head counselor could have tried to get to know me on a
more personal level. She didn’t get to know me at all, really.
Also, she never did anything to encourage or praise myself
or my fellow counselors. She also never planned anything
herself, or helped with ideas for my OBVIOUSLY struggling
fellow counselors.
Challenged me to open up my relationship with God. Have
time for me and him. I am growing more in that. Now I have a
need to know the word.
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Being What They Need...
The most vital part of our program is by far our staff! While the
wrong people would be unsuccessful even with an incredibly
planned program, the right people could take even a mediocre
program and make it incredible. AND the right staff with an
outstanding framework of leadership support—as well as
a great program—cannot help but be successful! Some of
you are new to Camp Sonshine, some of you are new to the
Head Counselor program, and others of you are old-timers
around here. With all the differences in your Camp Sonshine
experience, life experiences, and different personalities, there
is one thing you all have in common: you each possess what
it takes to make this summer successful.
So what will your counselors need you to be this summer?
Let’s take a look at a few...
What a Head Counselor is...
A Mentor...a Coach- They need you to be on their side working
alongside them to help them make this summer successful.
An Administrator- They need you to be organized. The
schedule can be so hectic at times that it’s hard to remember
your name much less what supplies they asked you to get for
their activity that morning.
A Problem solver- They need you to help them work through
the daily camp challenges like a roommate that is keeping
them up at night, a camper with difficult behavior they don’t
know how to handle, or a new creative idea to make their
activity even better.
An Encourager- They need to hear from you when they do a
good job. It will be important for you to find how they each are
encouraged whether it’s in the words that you say or bringing
them a cold soda on a hot day. Be on the look out for what
they do well.
A Confronter- Problems and conflicts will arise this summer.
They need to know that you will challenge them forward when
they are giving their all. Whether they admit it or not, counselors
need you to be able confront them.
Flexible- Plans will change. They will make mistakes. It is
important for you to remain flexible when mistakes happen
or the schedule changes. This flexibility helps them relax
and remain confident in the craziest of circumstances. We
guarantee that whatever attitude you have will filter down to
your team.
Patient- Some of your staff will need more time than others to
understand things or if they are running late. This will be an
important tool in your belt.
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Gracious/Polite- They will make mistakes. Let’s say that
again. They will make mistakes. One of the most defeating
things a counselor is for them to get yelled at or made to feel
stupid for messing up. Always be gracious in word and deed.
Extend the same kindness that you would want if you were
in their shoes. Even reprimands can be given graciously and
politely. Don’t forget those pleases and thank yous too.
Proactive-This means many things from making use of any
spare minutes you have to not procrastinating. You may be
thinking how does help me take care of my counselors? Your
staff need you in the trenches with them, and that means
thinking ahead, taking the initiative, being ready, and staying
excited.
Sincere-It is obvious when someone is fake or condescending.
They need you to mean what you say whether you are
encouraging them or just asking how their day went.
Trustworthy-The Bible speaks about letting your yes be yes
and your no be no. You must be a man or woman of your
word. If your staff can’t trust you to do what you say you will
do, you are in for a difficult summer.
A Servant- Their helper. They will need your help in so many
ways. Being available to serve them is an important ingredient
to being a successful Head Counselor
Intuitive- This is a funny sounding one, but being sensitive to
where your staff are emotionally and spiritually will help you
meet them where they are at. Remember, they have family
and friends outside their camp life just like you. Things happen
and they may need your understanding.
Humble- Last but certainly not least, humility is one of the
greatest qualities of a leader that can learned. To understand
that this summer isn’t about you or us, but it is truly about
God working in us and through us. We can do nothing in and
of ourselves, but with God, there are endless possibilities
to what we can do. Your staff need you to say you’re sorry
when you make a mistake, to recognize them even though
they wouldn’t have had the success without you, and to look in
the mirror when failures come instead of pointing fingers.
Do these things sound impossible? Well, they’re not. We
have confidence in all of you. Some of the areas you will
excel in and some may need some work. No matter what,
we are all here to make sure you get the training you need
all summer long, so that you can be what your staff need
you to be.
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Building Your Team
Ideas to Build Your Team
Imagine for a second you enter a small room, and sitting in
this room, there is small group of complete strangers. You
look around the room looking for someone who might know
what is going on, then you realize that someone is you!
You might be saying, “How do I build a team from scratch
and then keep it that way?” Below is a list ideas that past
Head Counselors have done to build their team to last from
the first meeting to the first week and throughout the summer.
•
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•
•
•
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•
•
•
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Scavenger Hunt around the grounds so they have to
work together.
Theme days for just them...like crazy hat day for just
your team.
Praying together as a team- This is huge! More than just
beginning and ending meetings with prayer, it’s great to
find times when you can pray as a team, and pray for
each other.
Have fun-not just work- Give your team a name. Make it a point to spend time together that wasn’t just
work related.
Silly Routines- Create your own culture. There were
certain jokes, rituals, and memories that only we shared.
Have a staff member share a joke every morning, or give
away an award each week or day.
Be willing to go the extra mile. You can’t do everything
for your staff, but you have to be willing to serve them. It
may mean taking them to the grocery store in a pinch if
they need it, or helping them with a really special project
for their campers. Don’t play favorites, but be willing
to help everyone, and you’ll help create a team that is
willing to help one another.
Team building activities- Things like having each person
buy something from the dollar store that reminds them
of another team member or playing games in pairs. It’s
also sometimes good to encourage counselors to
work together on some tasks such as CPAT (Counselor
Planned Activity periods) or devos (Morning Devotions).
Too much of this can be bad obviously, but in moderation,
it’s great!
Nicknames- Self explanatory, and fun. Also, they stick.
Secret sister or brother times- where each person has
someone from the team to appreciate or encourage and
it’s anonymous.
Let them enjoy being together just talking. It helps them
feel more and more comfortable around each other.
Take them out on the weekend.
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Take your group aside and go through basic introductions
so that they would get to know each other a little better
(basic details as well as why they came to camp). Share
your heart with the team right off the bat and your vision
for the team.
After you get to know each other a bit better, we shared
what we felt we brought to the team and how we could
support one another.
Split them into pairs and have them share their burdens with
one another and pray together. Sounds simple, but if there
is a difficult week, it really helps break down some walls.
In the middle of the summer make a 1-10 scale on the
floor with tape. (huge, human sized) Ask the counselors
questions such as:
• “How would you rate your success as a counselor?”
• “How close do you feel to the team?”
• “How tired are you?”
• “How do you feel you are doing spiritually?”
• After each question, have the people on the extreme
ends share with the group. This is not an easy
exercise, but it helps point out the ways in which your
team can support each other. It builds on the
teams strengths.
Your Ideas
Now that you’ve read some ideas try to come up with some
on your own!
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Regular Coaching Sessions and One-on-ones
Regular Coaching Sessions
One-on-Ones
Regular coaching sessions allow you to remain up to speed
on what is happening with your staff member. Maybe your
counselor has a camper that is taking more of their time than
any other camper. Maybe they are struggling with creativity
at their activity area. Maybe they had an awesome day and
you get to hear about it. Maybe they need some guidance
and support. Maybe they need some accountability you
discussed in your last one on one. Whatever is going on with
your staff member, it is imortant for you to know what is going
on everyday. Why? There are so many reasons: it helps little
issues to not grow into big ones, it helps your staff know they
can count on you, it helps you to know what they need, it
helps you briefly observe them at work, etc. Frequent time
with your staff members in Regular Coaching sessions where
you can talk about the job they are doing is proven to reduce
the necessity of confrontation and disciplining staff members.
A one-on-one is something that should happen once a week. It
is an opportunity for HCs to meet with each of their counselors
on an individual level with no one else around and to find
out where they are at. It is also an awesome opportunity to
really invest into their lives. A practical guideline to adhere
to is the matter of having to do a one-on-one with a member
of the opposite sex. Make sure you do it in a visible area like
an empty table in the arrival area or any area where others
are around. This helps you stay away from the appearance
of anything potentially damaging to your reputation. Here
are some ways...
At camp, a Head Counselor doesn’t always have time to have
extended meetings with each of their Counselors everyday.
We define a Regular Coaching session as an opportunity to
check in with your staff regularly. These aren’t one on ones.
Examples of “checking in” includes: talking with them on the
bus going to the pool, stopping by their activity as a sort of
“rounds”, walking by them and their group on the way to an
activity, etc. The possibilities are endless. These sessions are
no longer than 5-7 minutes. Any longer than that it’s better to
set up a seperate meeting with your staff member. We want
to remember that we are here to focus on the campers and
our ministry jobs, but making time for them is important too.
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Regular Coaching sessions are opportunities to ask the right
questions. Please see page 17 for an example Coaching
Session.
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Tulgan, Bruce. H.O.T. Management. Massachussetts: HRD
Press, 2004
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Give counselors specific feedback on their work. HCs should observe and have brief Regular Coaching
Sessions with their counselors before a one-on-one, and
go into the meeting with tips on ways to help them be
more successful.
Pray with them. While we want to see them be successful in the work they are doing. Being genuinely concerned with every area that they wish to share shows that you care about them as a person.
Mentor/Coach them individually. Maybe the Lord gave
you a verse that will encourage them, they may need
your help working through a roommate issue, or aren’t
sure how to handle a camper with difficult behavior. No
matter what issue, think of yourself as their coach. Don’t
forget to listen; truly listen! This can be one of the most
valuable tools to one on ones.
Support them in any area even if it has nothing to do
with camp
Find out where they are at spiritually and help them
Find out how they are going with achieving their vision
or what they want to gain out of the summer personally,
and encourage them in that.
Ask them if there is any area in which they are struggling
with and then ask how can you as an HC help them and
support them in that area.
Follow through after each one-on-one. Write them a note thanking them for their part in the meeting. In a Regular Coaching session, ask them how are they
doing with what you discussed in your one-on-one.
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Asking the Right Questions
“The Role Truth About Camp Supervisors”
Ask the question to your staff, “What can I do to help you
do the very best job you can do?”
Seven for Success: Helpful techniques for asking this
question to your staff
1.ONE:
(a) Problem: When we ask this question, staff
often are looking for an ulterior motive. Why?
Lack of trust, previous experience, etc.
(b) Skill: Watch your face and voice. They
should always agree.
2.TWO:
(a) Problem: They lie. They’ll say: “Oh, nothing.”
Why? Fear of perception, you won’t think
they are competent or they don’t want to
bother you.
(b) Skill: Be a model, you go first.
1) Say something that indicates that you
don’t believe things are perfect. “It must
be really difficult to have four year olds.
I know I’ve lost my patience before.
What do you find difficult?
2) Talk about what you’re trying to do to
improve/change/upgrade. “I sometimes
have problems with . . . and I . . . “
3.THREE
(a) Problem: They say “I don’t know.”
(b)Skills:
(1) Teach them that “I don’t know” is not
the end, it is the beginning.
(2) Give them time.
(3) Prime the pump: say, “Well, what about
...“
(4) To generate more candid and complete
responses, ask:
• What is the hardest/slowest/most
frustrating part of your job?
• What is the greatest/most enjoyable
part of your job?
• What do you wish you could do more
of? What do you wish you didn’t
have to do?
• Is there any room for improvement?
What?
4. FOUR
(a) Problem: People have trouble talking about
this in groups.
(b) Skill: Try to ask individually!
(1) Avoid memos about this sort of thing
(2) Have regular one-on-ones and ask “the
question”
FIVE
(a)
(b)
Problem: We don’t listen.
Skill: Be sure you listen with credibility.
(1) The two most important things to do:
i) Repeat: “So what you are
saying is . . . .”
ii) Ask follow up questions.
SIX
(a)
Problem: Nothing happens – You don’t follow up on what they say!
(b)
Skill: Best way to increase communication is to make sure that action is Taken. Make sure needs are met.
SEVEN
(a) Problem: Many Head Counselors begin using
these techniques, but then decrease usage or
stop altogether when they get no answer.
Quality Questions
Choosing Choices
When the people whom we lead come to us with questions,
problems, requests for permission, and other issues, we
have several choices available:
Choice One: “Do it this way”a) There is no reason to delegate
because I know
more than you and can do it faster with less risk.
b) Concerns:
i. It is true that if we answer for them, it will be done
correctly if they follow our instructions.
ii. Our fear is that “I won’t always be there.”
iii. They will need to solve problems when no one
is around.
iv. If they ask permission to do something and we
say no or yes, what have they learned that they
can use in the future?
Choice Two: “You decide.”
a) Here we say “You work it out”
b) This is the “Sink or Swim” approach
c) If we ask them anything, we may have one or two
standard questions:
i. “What do you think?”
ii. “Well, I think you should think about it
some more and let me know what you think
would be good to do.”
d) Concerns:
i. Without a guide through the process,
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Asking the Right Questions
they may be practicing the wrong process
asking the wrong questions.
ii. They may lack motivation or courage to do it
on their own.
iii. They may resent being alone with this new
and challenging responsibility.
iv. They may misinterpret this as a lack of
support and interest.
Choice Three: Use questions to teach the process of
thinking, communicating, and solving problems.
a) Advantages to this approach:
i. It produces independent thinkers and leaders
who will be able to act wisely even when
someone is not looking over their shoulder.
ii. It develops strong bonds as we invest time
with them.
b) Concerns:
i. It is the “wrong” image for a boss, teacher,
leader, advisor, etc.
ii. We view ourselves and want to be viewed by
others as the one with all the answers, the
person “in charge.”
iii. There is a male “war management” model;
· Don’t let them see you hesitate
· Give orders and move them out! (This is
not the time for Carl Rodgers . . . )
· Questioning things is not appropriate
· Respect = obedience
iv. Too time consuming
v. Too hard
· Requires self-awareness of our own
processes
· Requires skill and practice
· Requires self-control and patience
Key Conclusion: As Head Counselors, our most important
tools are questions, not answers
A. Our role is not just to provide answers, it is to help guide
them in a question.
Quality Questions to Ask Staff
2) Picture the ideal situation you are looking for: how
is it different from what you’re seeing now?
3) What troubles you about what is happening now?
4) What could you have done (differently), knowing
what we know now? (other options)
5) If it happened again, what would you do now?
6) What is the hardest/slowest part of this job?
7) What is the most frustrating part of this job?
8) What is the most enjoyable part of this job?
9) What do you wish you could do more?
10) What do you wish you didn’t have to do at all?
11) What do you wish you could do faster or better?
12) What are areas of the job, as you see it now, do you
feel confident in handling?
13) Are there any areas about which you feel
apprehensive?
14) Skill-wise, are there areas in which you feel less
than competent?
15) How do you feel about your relationship with other
staff/directors?
Summary
A. Question: Does this mean you never express an
opinion?
1) Answer: NO!
2) Not all situations call for us to be a teacher of
leadership and thinking.
3) Time and other pressures don’t always permit us to
teach
B. We are looking for a certain ratio
C. The general goal: to self-monitor
1) “Sort what you say”
a) Get in the habit of classifying what you
say into a question pile or a statement
pile.
b) Increase your awareness.
D. Two very specific goals:
1) Goal One: there should be a greater number of
questions
2) Goal Two: At least decide consciously which tool you use.
Ask yourself, should I make a statement here or ask
another question?
A. The standard utility tool to initiate discussion
about any problem, issue or challenge, whether
raised by you or them:
1) Say, “Please talk to me about . . . “
B. Standard follow up questions:
1) “Tell me more”
2)“Why?”
3) “Because . . . “
C. Good Questions
1) If we could wave a wand and make things the way we
want it, what would it look like – how would you describe
it?
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Appreciation
Over the years “Appreciation” at camp has become an important topic to discuss. Why, you might ask? While showing
appreciation for hard work and a job well done is always
welcomed, it is easy to get caught up in the fact that it must
be done and thus, becoming meaningless and ingenuine.
We want to encourage and appreciate staff for their hard
work, their ability to do the job without complaining, or just
going above and beyond.
Write below why you might appreciate a staff member.
It is also important to not only notice what a counselor might
need to improve, but also to look for areas to appreciate and
encourage specific things they are doing correctly or even
excellently. Specific is terrific! It is easy during the hot days
to just pick out what your staff are doing wrongly, so that is
why it is equally important for you to intentionally appreciate
them when they do something well!
Look at the list of ideas below. This list of appreciation ideas
that has been compiled from years of Head Counselors.
1. Pray for them
2. Give them a balloon
3. Secret password to the ice cream shack
4. Words of encouragement
5. Quality time
6. Notes in the mailbox, lunches etc.
7. Treats in mailbox, lunches, etc.
8. Counselor of the Week (C.O.W)
9. Finding out their favorite snack or candy and
giving it to them
10. Good comments from parent evals
11. Have their group write special comments about
each person
12. Make a card for them
13. Take funny photos and make a scrapbook
14. Make breakfast for them
15. Take their group for a period
16. Make a video
17. Make a tape with their group telling stories about
them
18. Slurpie on a hot day
19. Just saying Hi
20. Visiting their group
21. Make a daily comment on something positive
22. Little coupon book
23.Smile
24. Take ice water to them on a hot day
25. Make them laugh
26. Eat lunch with their group
27. 7-11 Run
28. Buy them a soda
29. Have dinner with them
30. Give them a certificate for something random
31. Encourage them in front of their group
32. Sing to them
33. Starbucks—that is always good
34. Pizza party
35. Take ice to them
36.Watermelon
37. Decorate t-shirts for them
38. Write them a poem
39.Hugs
40. Laugh with them
41. Draw them a picture
42. Play with their kids
43. Cry with them
44. Listen to them
45. Make the Monday evenings special
46. Foot washing
47. Say Thank you
48. Act silly
49. Lead by example
50. Dance—it just makes you feel better and them
laugh!
51. Relate to them
52. Give them a bug
53. Refill their water bottle with cold water
54. Make signs for them
55. Develop an incentive program
56. Vacation in a box (maybe only a 5 minute vacation)
57. Random drawing for random things
58. Give them cheese for their sandwich
59. Teach them a new skill
60. Celebrate their birthday even if it is not
61. Give them a new pair of socks
62.Flowers
63.Balloons
64. Give them a pat on the back
65. Buy and ice cream and tell them the secret
word of the day at the ice cream shack to retrieve it
66. BTCOD—beyond the call of duty award
67. Tell them they are GREAT!
68. What ideas do you have?
69. Find out their love language - and show them
appreciation in that way!!
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Confrontation
H.O.T. Management
H.O.T. (hands-On-Transactional) Management is on the
cutting edge of management training today. We highlighted
Regular Coaching sessions earlier in this section and would
like to highlight one more: Dealing with Performance Issues.
This section has invaluable information to help your role as a
Head Counselor. We need Head Counselors, Leaders, Managers, Supervisors, etc. that won’t be afraid to take their role
and bring out the potential that is in all of our staff. We are all
here to ensure that each camper comes away from their camp
experience seeing the love of God in their counselor.
What do you do when despite your regular coaching sessions
and one on ones, your counselor still fails to meet his or her
expectations from Camp?
3) It’s important to be aggressive with follow-up with anything
discussed. Remember, we’re not going to let them off the
hook. They are in our care!
Tulgan, Bruce. H.O.T. Management. Massachussetts: HRD
Press, 2004
Staff Discipline
Below is Camp’s discipline policy for staff. It is important
that each of these steps are followed consistenly for every
staff member, and at the same time, each case should be
seen individually. This process is to help our leadership staff
know what the processes are that need to followed and to
set expectations for the staff.
Number One: You can’t let people off the hook! That’s the easy
way out for you and them. It diminishes your credibility as their
Head Counselorand undermines the team. Most of all, you let
down the counselor who is having the problem. They came to
camp to be successful not to fail.
Minor Offense Category
1) Missing Curfew (3 times or less)
2) Staff Tardiness
3) Movies, games music
4) Conduct & relationships with other staff
5) Apperance and Dress
How do you keep them “on the hook”?
Procedure:
Here are some steps to help manage this:
1) Increase your hands-on approach by droppingin more often
during the day.
You may need to be even more specific with your expectationsfor them. Be sure to write these expectations down. It may even
be appropriate to fill in a Staff Incident report or Conference
Sheet for you to have for future conversations.
2) If the first step is not working, then Tulgan states to “diagnose the problem”.
It’s either ability, skill or will.If it’s ability, it’s more important to
discuss this with your Program Manager and follow closely. We
need to work through whether the counselor is in the right seat
at camp. If it’s skill, maybe some extra training is needed. First,
it’s important to identify if they have the heart to change then
it becomes a matter of will. Maybe the extra training timecan
be spent with the Program Manager. If it’s will, it’s important to
give specific examples of what you are seeing and what you
need to see from them. Ask them for feedback. Maybe there
are issues that you are not aware of such as things happening
at the dorms or back home. Maybe they just need to discuss
an issue with the job. Either way it may mean discussing with
your Program Manager what the options are to motivate this
staff to meet his or her expectations.
1)
Verbal warning from HC or appropriate supervisor (Staff Incident report should be filled out)
2) Program Manager Conference with signed agreement
3) Assistant Dir./Director meeting- becomes a major offense
Major Offense Category 1) Step 3 minor offense (i.e. If a minor offense is 2)
3)
4)
repeated even after meeting with Director)
Staff Attendance
Substance Abuse Unhealthy Relationships with staff and minors
Procedure:
1) Meet with director (Suspension Form)
2) Dismissal
“maybe if she pushed me
harder to do something in
a certain area then I would
be more successful in that
area she pushed me in.”
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Confrontation
Confronting successfully
When Confronting…
1) Be emotionally present
· Live in reality
· Reflective
· Be there: mind, body, and soul
· Move away from lecture mode
· Be warm; deal with anger/mad somewhere else
2) Be clear about “you” and “I”
· Know what you want to say; be sure it is what you
want.
· Rephrase “you need to change” to “I need you to
change”
· Deal with your fears ahead of time. We are separate
individuals; we don’t do things the same way.
3) Clarify the problem
· Be specific: “give me an example” or “let me give
you an example”
· Refrain from using the words: always and never.
· Clarify the effects of the problem. Tell them how they
make you feel.
· Clarify what you want to change.
4) Balance grace and truth
· Too much grace can connect with others but lose the
truth
· Too much truth can lose the connection
· Lead with grace and follow with truth
· Be aware of which one you are prone to
· When in doubt, go with grace because you will
never be able to solve a problem unless there is a
connection.
8) Apologize for your part in the problem
· Admit your part in the argument or discussion
· Say what is bothering you
9) Avoid “Shoulds”
· You should…
· The attitude of one up.
10) Be an agent for change
· Offer to help: “Do you mind if I…”
· How can I help?
· Have signal for each other
11) Be Specific
· Give examples.
· “We need to talk about…”
12) Differentiate between forgiving and trusting
· Sometimes it’s a one time thing and
sometimes it’s a character issue
· Go after patterns not events
· Forgive but don’t expect full trust
· Give feedback: whether or not it’s been
improving
“I do wish that someone
could have shown me the
way that they would have
liked to see me doing my
job.”
5) Stay on Task
· Take time to prepare so you won’t forget what the
point is
· You’re the one with job to get done
· Keep them on track
· Sometimes it is best to drop the issue and go into
their defensiveness; you’ll get the real issue.
6) Use the formula, when you do “A”, I feel “B”
· Don’t put them in charge of your feelings
7) Affirm and Validate
· Let them know you are on their side
· Hold onto your point and listen; you won’t lose
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Staff Spiritual ImpacT
As a Head Counselor your role is crucial. From a spiritual
standpoint, God, the Chief Shepherd, has entrusted these
counselors to Camp Sonshine for the summer. Head
Counselors are the under-shepherds who must care for the
flock. Jeremiah 3:15 states, “Then I will give you shepherds
after my heart, who will lead you with knowledge and
understanding”. Your counselors will look to you for leadership
in many aspects including spiritual. It is vital then that you
understand your role and acknowledge your need for God’s
grace to fulfill it. It is important for you not only to maintain your
time with God during the busy summer weeks, but it will also
be important to encourage your counselors to do the same.
We cannot give out what we do not have. Spending time with
God will be the difference between an average summer and
an amazing summer for our staff and us.
Your role in spiritual impact
One of the challenges that Head Counselors face is understanding what role they play when it comes to Spiritual Impact.
After all it is the group and activity counselors that have constant contact with the children. A Head Counselor however
is called to lead. And not just to lead when it comes to Risk
Management and field trips but also in the area of Spiritual
Impact. If this is the case then how can we be effective in our
role as Spiritual Impact leaders?
Embracing the Vision
In Exodus, Chapter 18 the story is told of Moses’ father-inlaw, Jethro’s, visit. During his time Jethro notices that Moses
is sitting from sun-up to sun-down counseling all the people.
Jethro tells Moses that, “what he is doing is not good. You and
these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out.”
His advice to Moses is a lesson that we can take hold of today.
“Select capable men from all the people-men who fear God,
trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain-and appoint them as
officials (leaders) over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens…
that will make your load lighter because they will share it with
you…and all these people will go home satisfied. (Exodus
18:21-23 NIV)
What tremendous advice given to Moses that day. Again in
Numbers 11:16, 17
“Bring me seventy that are known as leaders and officials
among the people…that they may stand there with you…I
will take of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them.”
As Head Counselors, you too have been chosen and have
been placed as leaders over your peers. Just as Moses’
leaders shared the task with him, you are called to embrace
the vision of Camp Sonshine, and in this case, our spiritual
impact philosophy. In turn, you share it with those you lead.
The result is that our counselors will have a greater circle of
support in their endeavors to reach the children.
Carriers of the Ark
“…When you see the covenant of the Lord your God, and
the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out
from your positions and follow it.” (Joshua 3:3)
Joshua’s instruction to the people that day was to move out
when they saw the ark on the shoulders of the priests. The
priests in this story represent the leaders who were to go out
ahead of the people. On the shoulders of the priests was
the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord which represented the
presence of the Lord. One of the greatest ways that we as
leaders can help our staff this summer is to be those that carry
with us the presence of God. Leading our staff in Spiritual
Impact is more than words, it’s a responsibility. In order for
our staff to know which way to go, we cannot just tell them
but lead them. We must model what we expect of them. This
may require us going the extra mile when it comes to serving
or saying “no” to a weekend invitation in order to spend that
time with God. On a more practical note, utilizing teachable
moments and creative impact ideas during staff orientation
is a simple way that we can lead. If you read further into this
account, the reason that the people were to follow the Ark
was because they had “…never passed this way before” (v.4)
“I wish they would have
challenged me to open up
my relationship with God.
To have time for me and
Him. Now I have a need to
know the word.”
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Staff Spiritual ImpacT
It was a new journey for them as it will be for many of our
staff and for some of us as well. God knows where we need
to go, however, and what we need to do. When we as leaders are carriers of Gods presence, we can be assured that
as we experience God ourselves we will be more effective
as we serve those around us.
Notice that after the work was inspected, the blessing followed.
As we see our staff apply themselves to reaching their campers
through Spiritual Impact let’s be careful to acknowledge their
efforts. Above all, our prayer should be that God would bring
the increase on all our efforts this summer.
Inspecting the Work
The building of the tabernacle was a major undertaking
with very specific instructions. It was important that that
tabernacle was built as the Lord had commanded. After the
project was completed Moses inspected the work:
What are some other ways we can inspect the work?
“The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had
commanded Moses. Moses inspected the work and saw
that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So
Moses blessed them”. (Exodus 39:42, 43)
Though not always a fun thing to do, leaders have a
responsibility to ensure that the plans are being carried out
and in an appropriate way. As Head Counselors, you are
a key part of the Administrative team and as we learned
earlier, you share in this vision. As important as fun and
safety are to us, we are primarily in the business of planting
seeds. It is our desire to lead in this area; to make sure that
our counselors have the tools they need and that the work
is getting done. Here are just some of the ways that we can
inspect the work:







Scan this:
Give and ask about ideas counselors have for creative
impact in morning group time and follow-up with them
throughout the day. This will help counselors to see it
as important.
Allow time in Monday night practice for testimonies
of what God is doing in the children. Celebrating the
victories encourages your staff.
When you approach a group or activity during the day
ask, “what are we working on/learning about today?”
It reinforces lessons when campers talk through it and
models what we are expecting for our staff.
Talk to children about lessons learned in assembly or
Discovery Time.
When you are around a group do not be hesitant to
speak with campers yourself. The Head Counselor’s
role is just as important as the counselor’s in reaching
out to campers.
Challenge counselors with their knowledge of the theme
of the week, the memory verse etc.
Have a clear understanding of the Funnel Concept.
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section
3
Public relations
Section Objectives
1. To learn tips about how to work
successfully with parents
2. To practice phrases that can be used when
parents are upset
3. To learn phrases that help diffuse
potentially difficult situations
4. To know how to greet campers and parents
in person and over the phone
5. To understand how to work together with
our Immanuel’s Church family
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Working with Parents
Parent Tips
Many camp directors, teachers and others who work with
children often have an especially difficult time maintaining
a productive, cooperative relationship with parents. All too
often relationships with parents of children in school or some
other program can become adversarial, counter-productive
or strained. This is unfortunate, given all that a healthy
working alliance with parents can yield.
First of all, parents have valuable information about their
children—from special fears, to learning styles to particular
ways to connect with them—that could be especially helpful
to others trying to work productively with them. If parents
distrust school or camp personnel, they will not share this
information, even though it could be crucial to the happy
adjustment and progress of their child.
Another important factor has to do with a child’s compliance
with homework or practice or special assignments. Parents,
who have an adversarial or combative relationship with
teachers, etc., will often undermine their child’s work outside
the classroom or program. Children can literally not buy
into a course, set of rules or assignments if they sense their
parents do not approve of or have a lack of faith in the school
or program personnel.
One area where this can be especially problematic is a child
who clearly has too much power at home. Often parents
of special needs or gifted children bend the rules at home
and set limits inconsistently. This can be because of a
struggle between the two parents themselves, where a child
becomes a pawn in the struggle or it can be because the
patents “do not want to stifle the creativity of the child” or it
can be because of the inadequate parenting they received
when they were children. (After all, you cannot teach what
you never learned.)
In this case it is important to be clear with parents that your
observations are professional and not based on something
you take personally. In other words, you need to be credible
and be able to speak generically about what is best for
children. What is clearly best for children is that they have
respect for authority and that they conform to discipline
(which is distinct from punishment) in order to make the
most out of their efforts. Children who do not have internal
discipline cannot put in the hard, often rigorous work needed
to get ahead, be successful or improve. Children without
internal discipline are often miserable, demanding and
actually end up being less successful than they could be.
In addition, children with too much power have to worry about
the effects of their power. They are often secretly frightened
about their imagined responsibility for what goes wrong. One
thing is clear—children cannot run the classroom or the workout
room or the practice rooms. Whoever said that children always
know what was in their best interest, anyway? It is the guidance
of caring, responsive adults—nurturing authorities—that
help children grow into responsible and productively happy
individuals.
One factor in working more successfully with parents has to do
with our own psychology. If people who work with parents are
concerned about their own adequacy, then parental attacks are
going to sink in much more personally. The first golden rule of
working with parents is not to take things personally. Otherwise,
the feelings run to high and things escalate to a point where
there is often a stand off and little hope for progress.
The next tendency of people is the need to be right. Most
people say they want to solve problem, but down deep we all
like to be right. Who likes to be wrong? The trick here is to
avoid getting into a contest about who is right, but focus on
what is in the best interest of the child. The tendency to be
right has ruined many relationships. It is like talking about
politics or religion!
Remember that you are a professional and that on the one
hand, you have spent your life learning what is best for children;
and on the other hand, you are still learning and can learn from
a parent’s knowledge of their own child. Yes, many parents are
too close to their children to see them clearly or with objectivity;
but unless you make a parent feel heard, they will not listen
to some of the very useful things you might have to say or
the observations you have made. Make sure, too, that you
seek out each parent’s point of view. Very often one parent
dismisses the opinion of the other. There are always at least
two perspectives on how a child is doing and when you have
a fragile alliance with one parent, you may be able to achieve
a stronger alliance by bringing in the other, more silent parent.
Phrases for Frantic Parents
Sometimes in a ‘crunch’, when emotions are running high,
finding the words is just about all you can do to defuse or
alleviate things. These phrases are designed to help you.
ACCEPTING / DEFUSING
1) Thank the parent for calling.
“I appreciate your call Mr. / Ms. _______________________
___________”
2) Give credit for being a good parent.
“Obviously, the reason that you are calling is:
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Phrases for Frantic Parents
. . . because you are concerned.”
. . . because you care about your son / daughter.”
3) Explain the importance of their call.
“It is important that we hear from parents. Sometimes children
do not tell us, and we might never know.”
“You know your child best, which is why I need your help.”
“You want the best experience for your son / daughter and
so do I.”
TAKE OWNERSHIP / MAKE A PLAN
1) Admit what you did not know or did know.
“To be honest with you Mr. / Ms.________, I was not aware
of the problem.”
“Actually we did not know that your son / daughter
. . . was feeling left out.”
. . . had lost his / her bathing suit.”
. . . thought that his / her counselor was angry with him / her.”
STRENGTHENING THE ALLIANCE
1) Enlist the parents input (towards a solution, not a
fight).
“What do you think might help Mr. / Ms.__________?”
“What can we do to help your son / daughter be more
responsible and therefore feel good about himself / herself?”
2) Encourage a parent to support their child in talking to
you about the problem.
“Please tell your son / daughter that we spoke, and have
him / her come to me and let me know when he / she isn’t
understanding what I am saying.”
3) Reassure a parent about the strength of their influence.
“Coming from you, Mr. / Ms.____________, it will have so
much more impact than if it comes from me.”
“I really don’t think that I am going to be successful without
your help.”
2) Admit what went wrong and own it!
“Yes, we did have a problem with the overnighter.”
4) Get back up - help from someone who may have a
better relationship or more neutral position with a parent
than you do.
“You are right, your son / daughter did get blamed for the
problem.”
FIRMER APPROACHES TO CONFLICT RESOLUTION
3) When you do not know something, make a plan to find
out!
“I will look into it and get back to you tomorrow afternoon.”
**MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW THROUGH; MAKE SURE
THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO CALL THE PARENT BACK AT
THE TIME YOU SAY YOU WILL.
EDUCATE PARENTS ABOUT CHILDREN IN GENERAL
“Sometimes children ‘make things up’ when they are feeling
upset or uncertain about something else. It is almost as if they
are trying to get our attention.”
“Do you know what this might be?”
“You have a perspective on your child Mr. / Ms.__________,
which no one else has.”
“That is why it is invaluable for me to be able to talk with you
about your son / daughter.”
Clarify your overall goal. Come from a position that is
your best professional judgment and not one that is
personal.
“I want what is best for your child at camp.
I am sure that is what you want too. That is what you hired
me for - to give you my best professional judgment.”
State what you will do when you state what you will not
do.
“No, Mr. / Ms__________, I will not take your son / daughter
out of that group, because I think that it will defeat what it
is you say you want for him / her. I will give him / her more
support and we can work on some changes in his / her
activities.”
Clarify your role - with yourself as well as with parents!
Be realistic about that you can accomplish and what
you cannot.
1) Reassure the parent by explaining what typically
happens.
“When children first come to camp they get nervous about
fitting in and getting to know everyone. What your son /
daughter needs is some reassurance from both of us that he
/ she can do it”
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Communication
More Tips and Phrases
• Avoid the trap of ‘being right’. If anything, make parents
‘right’.
• Establish and go back to common ground.
• Be clear about your limitations.
• Avoid taking it personally.
Listen and then repeat:
“I heard what you are saying...”
“So you believe this is a bad idea because...”
“You disagree for the following reasons...”
“I understand that your concern is...”
“I hear you saying...”
“I want to make absolutely sure I’m getting this...”
“Tell me more...this helps me understand”
“I want to hear/learn more...”
If they don’t think you are getting it and keep talking:
“I’m having trouble getting was you are saying.”
“I want to be sure I am clear”
“Wait, please, is this what you are saying”
“Before you tell me more, can I make sure I’ve got what
you’ve said so far?”
“I get things best a little at a time.”
“You know this better than I do; I’m hearing it for the first
time...”
When things get hot...
“I am not getting everything at this volume”
“The volume is making me miss big parts of what you are
saying.”
“I want to hear this”
“Do you believe I get what you are saying?”
“No....Please help me get what you are saying.”
Communication
Relating to parents is an important and delicate aspect of
your ministry as well as that of the counselors.
Policies
•
•
•
Parent calls—Directors, Program Managers, Head
Counselors, Nurse or the Claming Tent person are
the only people who should be calling parents on
the phone (apart from Camper Calls). Counselors
should not call parents except to make Camper
Calls. At that time, it is important that counselor know
the specific guidelines to do so.
Approval for materials sent home! Do not send
any papers you have created (announcements, etc.)
home with campers unless okayed by a Director or
your Program Manager.
No notes or messages from parents to camp.
Staff Orientation
Working with your counselors and parents…
It is very important that you train your counselors in how to
relate with parents according to the following guidelines for
counselors.
Greet Parents! All parent should be greeted warmly upon
arrival (i.e. stand up, shake hands, greet by name, or introduce
yourself.) It is really important that counselors greet parents!
Have your counselors practice this skill during training.
• Smile
• Say Hello
• Shake their hand
• If you can’t think of anything to say, just tell them that you are really glad their child is at camp. It will
be helpful for your counselors to know that it is normal to feel
nervous about parents, but it is important to greet them even
if they feel nervous.
Greet Campers! It is also important that the counselors greet
each camper individually. This will help parents and camper
relations, and it is a big part of our camp vision of building
relationships.
•
Get on the camper’s eye level (if the camper is shorter
than you).
• Smile and say hello. (Use the camper’s name!)
• Tell the camper you are glad he/she is in your group.
• Introduce the camper to the other campers.
• Give the campers a nametag.
Questions? All questions or problems relating to camp should
be referred to a Head Counselor, Program Manager, Director
or office. Counselors must know that if they do not
know the answer to a question, they should never make
something up or them yes. Parent Calls—the following people
are the only person who may call parents.
• Directors, Assistant Directors, Program Managers
• Head Counselors
No notes or messages!—Parents have been notified in the
Parent Guide that any important messages must go through the
office, but they may need to be reminded of this. This would
include if a child is to be picked up early, ride another bus or
leave with someone else. If a parent tries to give you money
for their Child’s tuition, Overnighter, Latestay, Extended Care,
Transportation, or anything else imaginable, nicely explain
to him or her that you are not permitted to take money for
accounts, and ask him or her to take it to the Main office.
Representing Camp—be aware of when and where you
discuss camp and camper situations (i.e. restaurants, extended
care). Remember you are a representative of the
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Communication
camp for the entire summer (i.e. weekends, after the camp
day, etc.) Camper names should never be mentioned in public
places. Do not ever comment negatively regarding any child
in the presents of any parent.
Formal parent communication from the camp
• Parent Guide—each family receives a Parent Guide in the
spring. It contains vital information, policies, procedures, tips,
etc. Many of the procedures that the counselors are asked to
follow result from the procedures explained in the
Parent
Guide. Because of this, it is important that staff members
be familiar with the Parent Guide and follow procedures as
covered in training.
• Sonshine Express and Group Schedules—The Sonshine
Express and group schedules are both available to parents
online. The Sonshine Express has important reminders in
it pertaining to each particular session. Parents receive a
postcard from the counselor before the start of each session
with instructions as to how to access schedules online. This
way the parents can be informed of what activities the child is
doing. Any special things the parent might need to know about
the first day (swimming, Camp Store, etc) should be passed
on to them during the camper call. Counselors will prepare
the first parent mail out during training.
Neighbor Relations
Camp Sonshine has neighbors very close by. Although groups
may not seem loud to you, voices may be carrying more loudly
than counselors realize.
Counselors should NEVER allow their groups to wander off
camp property. If there are questions or concerns in reference
to this, please see Paul.
At camp houses: Montgomery County has a noise ordinance,
and we want to stay on good terms with the neighbors as well.
Outside Quiet Hours are 9:00 PM to 9:00 AM every day.
Every staff member is reminded that when in public, he/she
is a representative of Camp Sonshine and Jesus Christ.
Because of this, staff members are asked to never bring up a
camper’s name or discuss campers when in public places. This
applies even to times when you think no one is listening—in
restaurants, stores etc.
2014 Head Counselor Training
Church Relations
As a ministry of Immanuel’s and a member of the wider body
of Christ, we are highly supported by this church. Despite
having their building and grounds taken over in the summer,
they continue to be extremely gracious and generous to
camp. Just ask, most would be willing to do anything to see
Camp succeed in its mission.
We could not exist without the church’s support, and
we appreciate everything they do for us. To show our
appreciation, we want to do what it takes to be good stewards
of these grounds and the resources so readily made available
to us by the church. It is our desire to go above and beyond
their requests. We need your help to make sure these things
happen:
• Take care of the building.
• Honor the requests that have been made concerning
off-limit areas (These areas include: Pastoral Bathrooms, 3rd
floor offices, 2nd floor Reception area and Pastoral offices,
and Sanctuary) and keep volume low when in hearing
distance of offices. We will only use the Sanctuary balcony
on rainy days.
• No eating in off-limits areas. The church has spent a
lot of money painting walls, replacing carpet, etc. in various
rooms. Please do NOT eat in the Middle School Room (113),
in the Senior High Room (224), or in the Sanctuary.
•
Make sure that trash is picked up inside and outside
after any of your groups use an area.
• Please do not place heavy items on the fountain walls in
the rotunda. This area can be used, but it is important to be
aware that nothing can touch or damage the plants.
•
No doors should ever be propped open!! The church
spends thousands of dollars every summer to make sure
the building is nice and air conditioned. So let’s keep the
cool air inside!
•
Use of helium balloons must be approved by your
Program Manager first. When using balloons, make sure ALL
are deflated when your activity is complete. If any balloons
are mistakingly let go of in the building, you must either try
to retrieve it yourself or let a member of maintenance know.
Stray balloons left in the ceilings set the alarm of in the
evenings. This costs lots of money because the emergency
crews consider this a false alarm and charge us for coming
out.
• When you see Immanuel’s staff, be friendly and express
your appreciation.
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section
4
Health & Safety
Section Objectives
1. To understand the role of the Camp
Sonshine Nurse
2. To be familiar with the health policies
located in Camp’s Healthcare Plan
3. To become an expert in accident
prevention
4. To be familiar with the legal concerns of
being a camp
5. To learn the emergency procedures of
Camp Sonshine
6. To understand the signs of child abuse and
how to report it
7. To learn about what it means to be “En
loco parentis” and other supervision musts
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4
Playing It Safe
There is a lot of information in here that you will need to
know. As a Head Counselor, another important role will be
to ensure the health and safety of campers and staff on the
camp grounds. From being certified in CPR and First Aid
to doing 360s while on the grounds, you are a health and
safety supervisor. Below is a brief explanation of some of
the materials.
Healthcare Plan- This is all of the policies regarding healthcare that Camp must follow in order to be licensed and
accredited. Although there will be more training on this, it is
essential to read it through.
Code Red Days
We discussed earlier what kind of activity options there are in
a Code Red Day were to be declared. There are important
precautions to take, however, on these hot days with regards
to the campers and staff health.
To avoid any problems during the hot weather, you should
take the following precautions with your group.
· Constantly encourage campers and staff to
drink water (most of them should have water
bottles, if not, stop frequently at water coolers
and fountains).
· Do as many activities as possible in the woods
or in the shade (the woods are usually about
ten degrees cooler than other areas).
· Minimize the amount of high-energy activities
that you do with your group (avoid a lot of tag
games, soccer, etc.).
· Watch for signs of heat exhaustion—cool,
moist, pale, or flushed skin, cramps, headache,
nausea, dizziness, and weakness. Should you
notice any of these signs, immediately take the
camper to the First Aid Station.
· Let them cool off inside!
Accident Prevention-: Keeping Campers Safe
By Seymour S. Lebenger. P.D.
I’ve served in camps for over 45 consecutive summers.
Every major accident could have been avoided. It’s easy to
remember past accidents, and promise vigilance, but how
do we sustain our caution, or continuous inspection for
safety? How do we obtain a high degree of safety, yet keep
all the elements of excitement and fun? How do we make
staff members understand the need for safety when every
situation dealing with young people is a potential accident?
I had to learn through tears, pain and blood that my job as a
director is to employ accident prevention throughout camp.
Supervise unstructured time
Accidents occur during idle or transitional time when campers
make their own fun. Campers who finish a fully supervised
activity may still have spirit even though counselors are tired.
This combination can lead to accidents.
Plan this time like any other; hold ongoing tournaments, trivia,
quizzes or contests. When an activity ends, campers know
to gather for the next ongoing activity. After an exciting or
exhausting event have ready a relatively calm activity that
requires minimal active supervision. Lunch or a movie calms
campers and gives counselors a chance to step back a moment
and regain momentum. Remind staff how important supervision
is during free time. As you walk around camp, try to hit activities
as they finish so you can help staff carefully observe campers’
behavior during unstructured and transitional time. Don’t keep
campers waiting in long lines. Campers push during a long
wait, then rush all at once through a narrow door. Don’t call
the entire group to an event at once. Have adequate space
for a group to enter and leave an area.
Examine Games
We work on a razor’s edge between safe games and unsafe
games. Examine each program for potential dangers or
hazards. Make sure appropriate rules are followed. The need
for baseball batters to wear a hard hat and for catchers to wear
a face mask is easily seen, but what safety rules and equipment
do you use for cage ball (the 3-foot inflatable ball)? Players
push, kick, and jump on top of the ball. And as they push and
jump on each other, campers can easily fall off the ball. The
game is loads of fun and a good tension release, but it takes
caution to make it safe. Think of substitute games or change
the rules for games with higher risks of injury. For example,
if you let campers play dodge ball, have a rule that all balls
must be thrown with a bounce before hitting the opponent.
Observe games and step in if the play escalates beyond safety.
For example, a street hockey game in which altogether when
players imitate the “Pros” by fighting and cross-checking.
Examine Facilities and Special Programs
Review your insurance costs. Certain activities, considered
to have a higher risk of injury, are surcharged by insurance
companies. Horseback riding, gymnastics, riflery, and scuba
diving may fall into this category. Give special emphasis to the
supervision, equipment, and inspection of the facilities for these
activities. Review and evaluate your safety records
and accident reports. Do they give the information you need
to improve the safety of programs and facilities? Where are
accidents happening? What time of day? What types of
activities? Ask your insurance agent for suggestions.
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Playing It Safe
Increase Staff Awareness
Make your staff accident-aware. Distribute and discuss
representative’s accident reports and safety concerns with staff
members at orientation. Ask returning staff to share accidents
they have seen and how they would prevent similar incidents.
WE shared these examples of preventable accidents and
corresponding lawsuits:
o A softball hit a catcher, who wasn’t wearing a mask, two teeth were knocked out; $300,000.
o Two campers ran into the gym and collided heads;
$1,000,000.
o A ball player slid into third base and twisted an ankle;
$1,000,000.
o A camper swung a tote bag with a lock inside; it hit
another camper in the face and knocked out a tooth;
$2,000,000.
o A camper walked barefoot and stepped on glass;
$10,000.
o A camper ran into the dinning room, slipped on the
wet floor and hit his head on the table edge;
$15,000,000.
Discuss accidents at weekly staff meetings during the camp
season. Involve the camp nurse. These examples were
taken from the medical log and discussed as they occurred.
We asked staff if and how each incident could have been
prevented.
A camper tripped on uneven ground in a relay race. A camper
cut himself in art. A camper fell while playing basketball
because of sweat on the floor. One camper broke another
camper’s nose in a fight. A counselor gave a camper a
piggyback ride; the camper fell. A swimmer hit her head on the
side of the swimming pool. In a camper-counselor volleyball
game, a counselor hit the ball at a camper and broke the
camper’s thumb. A camper ran into a clothesline anchored
between two trees. A camper fell off the stage during a play.
A camper was stung by bees.
Changing Attitudes Toward Safety
Interviews with counselors reveal number of reasons their
attitudes toward safety changed. They were asked to
complete the sentence, “I never took safety seriously until
...“
Their responses included the following:
• “I saw a camper in my group get seriously hurt.”
• “I got older and had children of my own.”
• “A friend was involved in a horrible lawsuit over
an accident.”
• “Some parents ask me why I hadn’t done
something to stop the game in which a camper
was hurt.”
• “Advisors talked to me about legal liability.”
• “After a close call in which we escaped serious
injury, I realized how careless we had been.”
• “I got hurt during an activity.”
Carelessness:
“Carelessness is a popular way to hate a kid in Christian
ministry. If you love someone, you don’t do a careless job
in safety. Carelessness will undermine your goal of bringing
them to Christ and establishing them in the church.” Jerry
Petillon, fifteen year youth ministry veteran in Detroit.
Accident prevention leaves no room for passiveness. Review
past accidents and the ways they could have been prevented.
Actively sensitize and supervise your staff. Examine your
camp’s activities and facilities. Above all, build an accident
aware staff to help stop accidents before they happen.
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Playing It Safe
Counselors who have learned the importance of safety in
the ministry have identified five major reasons they were
previously unconcerned.
1. I was young! Young people feel indestructible. They
believe that nothing can hurt them. Challenges are to
be taken, not analyzed. The younger the counselor,
the less likely he or she is to be adequately concerned
about safety. Counselors don’t have to give up their
enthusiasm and energy, but when they face safety
issues, they must force themselves to think like a person
who has lived a few more years than the kids in their
group.
2. I didn’t have children of my own. Having a child
sharpens a person’s awareness of danger and safety.
One role of a parent is to think ahead and anticipate
any potentially harmful situations. Parents “childproof”
a room to keep children from encountering things that
could hurt them. Responsible counselors should think
the same way.
3. I wanted kids to like me. No counselor wants to
spend every activity or trip saying “NO” to the campers
in the group. Not wanting to offend or drive away a
camper, counselors are sometimes afraid to confront
campers involved in dangerous activities. But the
mature counselor knows that campers are not offended
when they are confronted in a personal, affirming way.
Campers don’t want to be yelled at or condemned in front
of their peers, but they generally appreciate a respectful
call to responsibility and maturity.
4. I couldn’t afford it. Preparing to operate a safetyconscious camp costs time and money. Unfortunately,
many camps run their programs on last minute
schedules without considering safety issues. Safety
requires training in specific subjects such as first aid,
water safety, and emergency procedures.
5. I had no experience. A few trips to the hospital
emergency room will change a counselor’s attitude
toward safety. This is a painful and costly method of
learning. Pride and stubbornness keep some counselors
from learning by any other means than their own failures.
It is a heavy price to pay.
Inquiring Minds Want to Know!
Safety Issues:*
The Parents Want to Know:
• Are you protecting my children from danger and
harm?
• Do you model a responsible lifestyle for my kids?
• Are you teaching my kids to make good decisions?
• Do you think through all the activities before you ask
my child to participate?
The Camp and Church Want to Know:
• Are you being an ambassador for Christ to everyone
involved by showing care and concern for each person’s
safety?
• Will you actions bring sorrow to people under our care?
• Are you teaching and modeling maturity to your campers?
• Are you exposing us to any unwise liability?
• Will you bring us any bad publicity?
The Campers Want to Know:
• Will you carelessly hurt my friends?
• Will you pressure me to take chances I cannot handle?
• Are you concerned about my future?
• Will I be haunted by sad memories of a careless accident?
The Insurance Carrier Wants to Know:
• Is our contract with your camp a wise investment?
• Will you follow the rules and restrictions we specify?
• Will you do your job as our partner in protecting these
campers?
Fun or Safety?*
For most counselors, fun is the primary drawing card for
campers. Not many kids are attracted to a camp because it
is safe! It would seem that any camp emphasizing safety will
appear boring and can expect a drop in attendance.
Just consider the connotations that “fun” and “safe” carry for
most campers and their counselors:
Fun means . . .
Safety means . . . Saying yes to kids
Saying no to kids
Kids like the leader
Leader unpopular with kids
Risk, danger, excitement
Rules, caution, boredom
Yes – go for it!
No – don’t try it!
Never being bored
Never being alone
Freedom
Supervision
Funny stories to tell
Oppressive adult presence
Spontaneity
Worry and Paranoia
Living by faith
Fearfulness
Many counselors falsely assume that being safe means not
having much fun. Deep in their minds, they believe that if they
decided to run a safe youth program, it probably won’t be fun or
an effective way to reach kids today. Surprisingly, safe programs
can still be plenty of fun. It does take planning and recruiting
more qualified counselors to make plans both fun and safe. On
the other hand, the counselor can be confident that the fun won’t
come to an abrupt halt because of a serious injury that could
have been prevented with proper planning. Of course, you can
do the best possible job of planning events and protecting kids
and still see campers injured or even killed. There are many
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Playing It Safe
forces beyond your control. You are responsible, however, to
recognize the forces you do control and make them safe for
the campers you love.
That Fateful Day*
Alan had the world’s greatest job. Here he was in his midtwenties playing basketball in a small church gym with a
group of guys from his YFC/Campus Life club. Spending time
building relationships with these guys was what his supervisor
wanted him to do.
He broke loose from his man and bolted toward the basket.
On the way, he tripped over the foot of another player, lost his
balance, stumbled, and then crashed into the unpadded wall
underneath the backboard. He lay on the floor motionless while
the teenage guys stared at him in shock. Today Alan is living
a productive life as an inner city worker for the Presbyterian
Church, but when he moves, he does it in a wheelchair. He
has been paralyzed since that fateful day of basketball.
If you had come to a gym to play basketball or a similar
game and saw no padded protective mats on the walls,
what decision would you have made?
Dangerous Camp Games and Situations*
Mud sliding and assorted variations. One camp counselor
told me how his group rescued its week of rain at camp by
having a mud sliding event. Evidently he is still unaware that
some of the most tragic accidents and costly lawsuits involve
mud events.
In a well-publicized case several years ago, a youth
organization created a mud siding pit. One student ran, slid
across the mud, and crashed headfirst into the hardened earth
at the end of the pit. The impact broke his neck and paralyzed
him. After that incident, most youth organizations banned
activities involving mud. Many insurance companies handling
camp and youth activities specifically exclude it from coverage.
The safety principles involved here apply to other games:
• Avoid games that might result in headfirst collisions with
other people or natural objects. The risk of a broken neck
paralysis is enormous.
• Avoid games that incite reckless or overaggressive
behavior.
• Avoid games that are hard to supervise. If you can’t stop
an activity quickly, you don’t have enough control.
minute later, the middle of the room looked like a Dallas
Cowboys goal line. I took ten minutes to un-pile everyone.
The innocent young victims were small young boys and girls
who were pushed down and trampled by the bigger guys
coming from the sides of the room. Three kids were taken to
the hospital for X-rays. Five or six more were panic-stricken
because they had been unable to breathe at the bottom of
the pile. What a “great” way to start a weekend camp.
Scaring Kids. Manny was new to camp. One night the
groups set up a funny game where after spending a few
minutes in the dark, a person would be blasted with a bright
strobe light and see himself in a mirror. The game worked
really well on Manny. When the light flashed and he saw
a face right in front of him, he reacted spontaneously and
punched the mirror, cutting his hand. If you decide to scare
campers, be ready for a physical reaction or response. Don’t
have anything or anyone within reach that could cause injury.
Manny’s family sued the church and was awarded $25,000
in damages.
Throwing Games. Throwing any objects at camp needs
to be carefully monitored. Throwing activities need to be
defined with a safe target, specific objects to be thrown, and
a clear starting a stopping point.. If a “throwing” atmosphere
develops at camp, you can expect anything and everything
to be thrown – paper wads, pencils, wrapped candy. Some
of the objects will be absolutely harmless. Others can be
dangerous. You can’t expect campers to always know the
difference and to exercise good judgment.
Pile-On Games. At a youth camp two hundred kids were
packed into a long, narrow meeting room. The Head
Counselor, wanting to mix the crowd and get everyone excited,
drew an imaginary line down the center of the room and told
campers to change sides as quickly as possible at the count
of three. Doesn’t that sound like great fun? A
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Playing It Safe
Sports Games. Most camp injuries are connected to
playing some type of sports. Many injuries are unavoidable
and common. The major risks involve injuries to the head,
neck and eyes. Insurance companies warn against games
in which dangerous objects are thrown or launched towards
another person. Oversized slingshots used to launch water
balloons and paint balls are usually excluded from coverage
because of the potential to injure a person’s eyes.
If you decide to include sports in a program, minimize your
risk by following these guidelines:
• Don’t play on any athletic field without first inspecting it
for hazards and dangerous debris.
• Don’t use games that encourage any throwing of objects
towards another person’s face.
• Don’t mix big and small, weak and strong campers in
contact sports. Smaller campers usually get crunched.
• Don’t make everyone in your group play the game. The
reluctant participant is often the first one injured.
• Don’t incite or encourage aggressive or rough play.
• Don’t let athletic equipment be used without supervision.
• Don’t hesitate to step in and stop a situation that is getting
too rowdy, rough, or uncontrolled.
Adhering to these rules would have helped avoid a situation
that almost turned into an ugly scene. At a summer camp,
groups were encouraged to enter athletic teams in various
sports for competition during the week. The boy’s basketball
division was really lopsided. Most teams were weak and
unskilled, but two teams were loaded with varsity athletes.
Instead of running the tournament as usual, with all the teams
playing each other, we had the two top teams play their own
best-of-five series for the championship. What seemed like a
great idea on Monday had us practically calling the National
Guard on Friday. We encouraged competition between these
teams from two different cities and backgrounds. Every day
the games got more intense. The level of the players was
far above the skill of the referees to control the game by
making good calls. When the gun sounded to end game five,
players were ready to fight. It took a long time to cool down
the players. Too much competition had been encouraged,
and it was allowed to get out of control.
Good supervision of sports activities means watching to see
if anyone is becoming angry and looking to take revenge
for any perceived wrong. Be assertive and pull that person
out of the game until he or she cools down. The gung-ho
camper who is going crazy swinging his pillow in the giant
pillow fight needs to feel the hand of a counselor on his
shoulder, warning him to ease up or sit out.
Hide and Seek (and all variations of nighttime madness)
After sports, the second major setting for injuries at camps
is the late night “run wild” games. For example, one
counselor gathered his group for late night hide-and-seek.
Among the rules: Don’t climb any tress. Of course, the
counselor climbed a tree to hide, fell out, and broke both
arms. (Do you doubt that there is a God?) Amazingly, this
counselor is now suing the church for damages. Campers
love these games, but we must thing through the risks they
present and design a safety system to keep campers from
hurting themselves.
Twist and Run. This favorite camp game (put your forehead
on a bat, spin around ten times, and try to run back to your
team) is a prime example of how to modify a game to be both
fun and safe. It is enjoyable to watch players trying to hard
to run straight and ending up on the ground. However, there
have been several injuries during this game. One girl fell, as
she was running back to her team. Her head found the only
rock on the entire field. Several more were injured when they
crashed into other runners. The chance of injury might seem
remote, but the family of the camper who is hurt might not
understand those odds. Maybe you are wondering: Should I
stop using this game because I know of several injuries it has
caused? I don’t believe you have to zap these games because
of a few injuries. They are still usable, if you take some extra
safety precautions. A creative solution for the Twist and Run
game is to assign leaders to run alongside the students and
act as spotters, ready to catch them or break their fall.
Public and Private Pools*
Public pools with certified lifeguards on duty make your
safety job easier. Streams and ponds make it more difficult.
You can minimize your risks by following these guidelines:
• Never allow swimming unattended by a trained adult.
• Forbid running, pushing and fighting around the pool.
• Beware of the diving board, use it with caution.
• Don’t overload the pool.
• Don’t allow students to jump on top of others.
• Forbid “chicken fighting” (riding on a person’s shoulders).
• Don’t allow anyone to be held under water.
• Keep electrical devices away from the pool. Make sure
that electrical outlets are equipped with ground-fault
switches.
• Keep emergency response equipment and phone
numbers handy.
On the Witness Stand: The Case of Creative Camp
Craziness*
It was a tradition. Every year the camp staff introduced
some wild new activity during the week. The goal was to do
something even crazier than the year before.
This year the staff found some old motorless go-cart frames.
The campground was situated on the side of a steep hill. They
decided they would offer “The Great Camp Derby” by racing
the go-carts down the path past all the cabins. With
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Playing It Safe
no brakes on these go-carts, the staff decided they would stand
at the bottom of the hill, holding mattresses from the cabin
bunks to catch the racers as the sped across the finish line.
Twenty feet beyond where they stood was a public highway,
which was the main entrance to that portion of the camp.
The go-carts rolled during the afternoons of camp. No one
got anything worse than scrapes and bruises. Since on one
got hurt, how could there possibly be a problem?
Imagine yourself in the courtroom answering the questions of
an attorney. For what purpose did you undertake this activity?
Why didn’t the go-carts have any brakes? Why did you not
take any precautions for a car passing by on the road when you
held these races? What reasonable safety precautions should
a parent expect a counselor to take to protect the children?
Why Parents Sue*
1. Surprise! The parents had no ideas that their child would
be doing the activity in which they were injured.
2. Lack of communication. When the counselor seems
unavailable or uncooperative in providing information
about an activity or after a camper has been injured, the
parent’s anger rises.
3. Wrong decisions. If parents feel that the counselors
made a mistake in planning or allowing a certain activity,
they might sue to change the way decisions are made
about camp activities or their supervision.
4. Covering up. When parents feel that an organization is
withholding information or trying to transfer blame, they
may become angry enough to sue.
5. Young counselors. When young counselors are the
primary staff leading an activity during which an accident
occurred, parents can jump to the conclusion that their
child was not supervised by a capable leader.
Risk Management: Legal Concerns
Don’t wait until after a lawsuit is filed to find out what
constitutes negligence and what duties are expected ofthe
camp staff. Keep in mind the following comments:
· The best safety system is a preventive one.
· All activities should be carefully planned and
supervised.
· No injury is a minor injury.
· Standardized forms for injury reports should be
used.
· Reports should be filed immediately and in
complete detail; refer media to the camp
spokesperson only.
· If faulty equipment is involved, get all possible
2014 Head Counselor Training
·
information about the equipment.
A safety in-service program should be held
during your staff training session.
Written plans for every conceivable emergency that may be
encountered need to be available and well understood by
all staff persons. These emergencies include injuries, the
disappearance of a camper, drowning, drug abuse, suicide,
floods, fires, tornadoes, and others related to your specific
location. Knowledge of first aid, the ability to act under a
stressful situation and common sense are needed to handle
an emergency situation effectively. The line of communication
needs to be known by all. Who should first be notified of
the situation? When, where, and how should others be
notified? What others, such as other staff, campers, parents,
police, lawyers, insurance company, or the media, should
be informed? Documentation of every incident is mandatory
for legal reasons as well as using that information for future
evaluation. Your memory will be at its best immediately after
the emergency. Write everything down.
Most of your legal liability concerns as a leader is with lawsuits
alleging negligence. Negligence is when a leader fails to
act, as a reasonable and prudent leader would act in a similar
situation. There are four factors to consider in determining
whether or not a leader is negligent.
1.
The presence of duty. You owe your campers seven duties.
• You first must provide them adequate supervision.
Specific supervision in games and other activities is
of utmost importance.
• Sound planning is another duty. You must plan
activities that are within your camper’s skill and
abilities.
• You must make your campers aware of the inherent
risks in activities. For example, if you were playing
the game of Dizzy Izzy relay, the first person in line
takes a bat, places one end on the ground and his
head on the other end, and spins any number of
times around the bat. After a certain number of spins,
the camper then returns to his line, obviously running
in an erratic pattern. There is an inherent risk that
he could fall or run into objects or other
players. Campers need to be aware of these
inherent risks.
• Providing a safe playing environment is a fourth
duty and a very important one. This includes the
proper use of equipment as well as maintaining a
safe playing field. It is your responsibility to inspect
your facilities, equipment, and playing areas
regularly.
• You must evaluate campers’ disabilities. You must
determine the extent of a camper’s disabilities so
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Camp Sonshine Emergency Procedures
as to decide whether her or she is able to participate
in various camp activities. This can be a difficult
task, to determine whether a camper is actually
disabled enough to miss certain activities or whether
he or she is just trying to get out of them. You also
need to consider whether the disability could be the
result of a possible child abuse situation.)
• You must match or equalize opponents in
competitive recreational situations. The more body
contact involved in the games, the more careful you
must be in matching participants according to height
and weight.
• The seventh duty is to provide proper first aid.
The camp director must establish emergency
measures that, when necessary, can be put into
action immediately. The campsite must be located in
a safe environment. Adequate insurance coverage
is a necessity.
2. Breaching that duty. Was that duty breached, and
did you fail to do something you should have done? Was
something wrong done? Did you do what you thought was
right, but you did it incorrectly? The likelihood of negligence
increases if the answer to any of these questions is yes.
3. Cause of the injury. Was your breach of duty responsible
for the injury? Negligence on the part of the injured person
or the behavior of a third party may also be considerations.
4. Extent of injuries. The greater the extent of injury, the
greater the chance of negligence.
Forms
Injury report forms must be filled out when any accident
occurs. In order to record all the details of the accident,
file a report immediately; this will help you get the essential
information. Filing reports for every accident will make
you more safety conscious, and your staff will provide the
safest environment possible for the campers. An increased
awareness of safety should result in fewer injuries and lower
insurance rates. Parents will be better satisfied, and possibly
camp fees may be kept lower. Keep a record of accident
reports for several years after the injury.
A record of medical history must be kept on each of your
campers. Keep these forms and update them every year.
Use them in determining the appropriateness of an activity
for your participants.
*Adapted from Better Safe Than Sued by Jack Crabtree,
Group Publishing Co.
Emergency Procedures
Being familiar with our emergency procedures in the event
that something were to happen is essential to your role
asleadership. While we trust God for safe summers each
year, it is mandated to us by the county, state, and our ACA
accreditation process that we have clear emergency
procedures in place. There are specific roles each of us
needs to play. Below you will notice three types of emergency
situations that we could potentially have at camp. If there is
an emergency you will be contacted via the walkie-talkie
informing you of which procedure should be followed. It is
important that all groups take roll before they leave for their
emergency location and after they arrive. Please familiarize
yourself with these.
In the event that Group Head Counselors are off-grounds
during emergency, you will be contacted via your cell phone
for information and instructions. If there is an emergency at
a location off-grounds, please follow the procedures of that
location.
Building Evacuation (such as a fire)
a) Main Office, call 911.
b) Group HCs: Find all of your groups and have them
follow the building evacuation drill.
Activity HCs: You and your staff should report to
the Command Post in the Nurse’s Station.
c) Have all group counselors move all campers their
tables in the arrival area.
d) A Program Manager will contact the Head Counselors
whom they are directly responsible for to assure all
campers are accounted for.
Outdoor Evacuation (such as high winds)
a) In the event that something dangerous such high
winds or extreme storms are forecasted, or an other
emergency during which our outdoor grounds become
unsafe, each Group Head Counselor should have his
or her groups report to their Rainy day locations as
quickly as possible.
b) Activity HCs and their staff should report to the
Command Post in the Main Office.
Grounds Evacuation (any situation when parents are
called to pick campers up)
a) Groups should evacuate immediately to
their Rainy or regular arrival locations. The location will be announced over the walkie.
b) Parents will be contacted to pick up their child as normal from either of these locations.
Dealing With Parents and Other Outsiders
a) Under no circumstances will parents and/or visitors
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Camp Sonshine Emergency Procedures
b)
c)
be allowed onto the camp grounds during an
emergencyor a potential emergency unless the
Executive Director feels it is in the best interest of those
involved and will not pose a threat to the safety of others.
Staff must give their attention to campers and not to
others. (i.e. the media, parents, etc.). The Executive
Director is the only person authorized to speak with
the media. Staff should be trained to say, “I need to
attend to my campers. They are my first priority.” if
someone attempts to get their attention. If a member
of the media approaches you to speak with them, refer
them to speak with the Executive Director. You, along
with other members of leadership, are the only ones
allowed to speak with parents.
If a parent is angry or upset, have an HC call a Director.
It is important to remain calm and simply let them know
a Director is on their way who is happy to speak with
them about their concerns.
Medical Treatment
a) If injured persons cannot be treated by the camp, we
will call 911.
b) Transportation will be made by ambulance.
Location of Staff and Assistants
a) LITs should remain with their assigned counselor and
follow the directions of the Head Counselor over that
area.
b) Staff should always remain in their regular assignments
unless directed by you or a member of leadership. You
will only make this announcement after you have heard
from the Executive Director.
a)
Building Evacuations or Fire Drills should be
conducted at the beginning of each session.
Groups should proceed to the nearest emergency
exit as quickly as possible to their Arrival Area
picnic table. Having an on-going contest with
them through-out the summer would be a great
way to make this fun...they have to beat their
best time!
b)
Bus Drills should be conducted at the beginning of each
session before or after a field/pool trip. There are
three
types of bus drills: rear exit evacuation, front exit
evacuation, and rear/front evacuation. All three must
be gone over during these drills, but only one must be
practiced. Make sure two counselors exit first to assist
campers out. You should stay on the bus until everyone
is off. During the drill, campers may take their stuff with
them, but in the event of an emergency, they should
leave their stuff behind. Once everyone is out of the
bus, counselors should take roll. A drill form should be
completed and turned in the day you complete the drill.
Communication Plan
In the event of an emergency, an incident at camp, or an
emergency in the community, the camp will make every
effort to send a written notice home with the campers. If the
number of affected families is small enough, however, they
shall be contacted by phone. All inquires made by the media
shall be answered only by the Executive Director.
Other Emergency Considerations
a) When in doubt, always proceed to the Rainy Day Arrival
Areas for instructions during an emergency.
b) If emergency vehicles should have to enter the
campgrounds, please be aggressive in helping to keep
campers away from the roads and the vehicles
themselves. Group counselors should keep the
campers engaged in circle activity.
c) Please be aware how children can react verbally &
physically to emergency situations. The response of
the staff to an emergency should be to assure the
children everything will be okay. Verbal prayer should
be limited to thanking God that everything will be all
right.
Drills
Drills should be conducted by you once a session. There
are two types of drills: Building Evacuation (Fire Drill) and
Bus Evacuation.
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Missing Camper Practices
a) Instruct and remind counselors to teach their campers
never to leave the group or its activity area without
permission.
b) Campers shouldn’t be sent anywhere by themselves!!
c) If there is a missing camper, counselors should scan
their area and immediately find someone with a walkie.
d) Once it is understood that the camper is missing, what
area the camper was in, and a brief description of the
camper, the person informed should make a walkie
announcement. Briefly explain that there is a “Code
9” and all leadership in close proximity to where the
camper went missing should go to channel 5 for more
information right away.
e) The following search and rescue plan should be followed
if a camper goes missing in any of these areas. You
are responsible to choose an area to search if you are
near the location of the missing camper. When you are
on channel five on the walkie, each person should let
everyone know what area you are checking.
f) Once the camper is found, let everyone know on
channel five.
Area
Description
Ednor Park
Basketball Courts
Fields
Baker Property
Fort Area
Hill up to Ednor
Lower Path
Outdoor Stage
Wilderness Ranger
Middle Paths
Calming Tent
Tent Platform Area Drama Area
Nature Area
Lagoon
Ropes
Upper Path
Playground / Climbing Wall
Camp Store PondArchery
Water Tag
Pond Welcome Area Arrival Area
Ice Cream Shack
Nurse’s Station
Pong’s
Kindergarten Tent
Fields/ Orchard
Go-Karts- track four
Bus Lot
Parking Lots
Go Kart Tracks Lost & Found Bus Church Building
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Map of Grounds
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section
5
Camper Care
Section Objectives
1. To understand the pressures that children
face today
2. To understand that often kids are good but
they have difficult behavior
3. To learn tips to help you with the difficult
behavior
4. To know and understand what bullying is,
how to identify it, and how to prevent it.
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5
Good Kids, Difficult Behavior
What is a “Difficult Kid?”
Most children are considered difficult from time to time. The
cause of their behavior is often obvious. They are tired,
cranky, hungry, frightened or just plain stubborn.
However when we refer to “Difficult Kids” we are not
talking about these types of children. The reason for their
behavior is not always obvious. It is often perplexing or
makes no sense at all. Their behavior is often chronic and
is characteristic of defiant, disrespectful or belligerent. It is
usually self-defeating and results in serious consequences
or punishment, which rarely changes the difficult behavior.
Sometime difficult behavior is not angry or defiant; it can be
lazy, lethargic, or unmotivated. They seem to care about
nothing.
In these situations both types of behaviors the children appear
to be either unable or unwilling to stop the difficult behavior
regardless of repercussions. They do not respond to reason
and can seem committed to self-defeating behavior. They
also seem oblivious to others feelings. Consequently these
children have the ability to make you very, very angry and
feel as though nothing seems to work with them.
For children with difficult behavior to be successful in a group
environment, they must first learn these basic concepts:
• They have to be able to CONTROL themselves in
order to learn anything and they have to learn a
great deal in order to succeed.
• They have to be able to COOPERATE in order to
work within a system.
• Finally they have to learn the basics of common
COURTESY because courtesy is the ability to
recognize that other people have rights too.
How Do We Judge Children?
Most of us have the tendency to judge people without
realizing we are doing it, especially when working with difficult
children. These types of children stimulate strong emotions
in us - everything from rage to despair. These reactions, in
turn, lead us to make certain assumptions regarding their
character and potential for success. Just as our emotional
reactions to these children lead to judgments, our judgments
have significant impact on our expectations for them. All
children respond to our expectations. If we believe they are
trouble (and will continue to be), often they are! In essence,
we label these children! The labels serve to limit possibilities,
creativity and expectations. They can cause us to give up
unnecessarily or respond inappropriately. Children with these
labels tend to have trouble believing in themselves because
so many had already given up on them. The first step in
working with difficult children is to suspend your judgments.
Start with the idea that this child has the potential
for success at some level, and, that with creativity,
perseverance and the right structure you just may be the
one to help him or her succeed.
Some ways we judge children:
• How they dress
Some of the best-dressed children are the most
emotionally needy while those who looked tattered and
torn can be full of ambition and intellectual curiosity.
• Personal Hygiene
It can be an indicator of the caring and nurturing a child
is receiving, but it is not an indicator of their potential
for success
• Family Structure or History
• Intellectual Capacity
IQ is not necessarily an indicator of creativity
• Level of Maturity
Frequently we can judge a child as immature when in
fact they are developmentally arrested
• Ethnic Group / Race
• Personality Type
Most of us enjoy some personality types more than
others. Know your preferences and beware of your
judgments about children with personalities that maybe
irritating to you.
• Coping Style
Some children cope with stress, trauma, fear or pain
by quiet withdrawals - other can react with anger
or agitation or even aggressive behavior. Negative
judgments about coping strategies can stand in the
way of teaching a new coping skill.
One of the most significant ways we judge difficult children is
by comparing them to ourselves and the way we remember
ourselves as children. There are more difficult children with
severe problems than ever before. Many believe the problem
lies in fact that those of us working with these kids are simply
not expecting as much from them as was expected of us.
Today’s children live in a very different world from the one in
which most adults grew up. Years ago, children were very
protected from the adult work. We knew our parents knew
everything or at least they know lots of stuff we didn’t. There
was a very definite line between the children’s world and the
adult’s world. Not so anymore. Today’s children have been
robbed of an age of innocence. They are exposed on a daily
basis to situations and circumstances that most adults never
imagined until long after they became adults. Essentially,
today’s children have been under protected and overexposed.
They have been overexposed to many negative forces which
rob them of their innocence and leave them feeling or sensing
that they are NOT SAFE. Safety, remember, is the most basic
emotional necessity for all human beings.
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5
Great Expectations
Just as a photograph that has been overexposed does
not develop properly into a clear picture, children who
are overexposed to negative forces often do not develop
properly. Children must feel safe to develop properly and
achieve their highest potential.
Today’s children may be overexposed to:
• Adult situations and information
Either though real-life circumstances or through
media! These situations require mature mental and
emotional capacities to process and understand.
• Conflicting messages and values.
Values and morals that used to be passed down
through family members are now presented
through the media as well. This means children
are exposed to different ideas of right, wrong, good
and bad. It is confusing for kids to be exposed to
multiple value systems, leaving them to figure out
these powerful issues on their own.
• Trauma and Loss
More children than ever are experiencing the loss
of a parent through death or divorce.
• Violence and Brutality
Today’s children can turn on the TV at any hour of
the day or night and witness acts of violence and
brutality.
• Passive Activity
It is not just the content of TV programming that
can have an impact on kids’ lives, but the act of
watching it!
• Life-Altering or Life-Threatening decisions
Even elementary school kids are forced with
choices about drug use and sexual activity which
can be life-destroying.
• Negative and Disrespectful Adults
Children are often hard put to find positive role models
• Noise and Stimulation
They have little time to think, imagine or
daydream. We live in a very noisy world.
• Environmental Toxins
The results of overexposure can leave children traumatized
without anyone realizing they have been exposed to trauma.
How Difficult Children View the World
•
Have no concept of future
Often they are unable to tell you what they want
to be or do when they grow up except in the
most fantastical terms. The here and now is all
that is real to them. This presents numerous
problems because the most traditional discipline
methods are based on the ability to perceive future
consequences for here-and-now behavior.
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•
•
•
•
•
•
Have no internalized behavior management skills
Self-control is a learned skill. It is taught by providing
appropriate and consistent external controls
throughout the development of a child.
However, this takes time, attention and consistency.
Many families have little time for this very important
process. Consequently many children are deficient
in this very important skill.
Have poor impulse control
Impulse control is a consequence of training and
maturation. When children have not developed
the skills to effectively communicate their emotions
(Developmentally Arrested) they are very apt to act
without thinking. People working with these children
often do not realize they have not developed the
skills and therefore expect them to have the internal
controls they simply don’t possess.
Appear indifferent to traditional discipline
methods
Most traditional discipline methods rely on the child’s
ability to cognitively project into the future. Without
the ability to conceive of the future, traditional forms
of discipline are likely to be ineffective.
Have an extremely negative reaction to threat or
use of force
Professionals often working with difficult children
often try to appear forceful, thinking to frighten the
child into compliance. However, threatening words
or gestures or even threats of dire consequences
will often cause these children to ‘feel’ as though
they are engaged in mortal combat. Their reactions
are intense and usually involve inappropriate anger,
violence or an extremely defensive shutdown or
‘stonewall’ reaction.
Appear to ‘space out’ easily
This behavior is usually a process many children
who have experienced traumatic and painful
circumstances use as a coping mechanism. They
don’t choose to space out, it usually just happens
when they feel stressed or threatened. Forceful
efforts to get them to ‘snap out of it’ will also backfire.
Are unable to articulate feeling or thoughts
Developmental arrest can affect language-processing
skills and leave children with inadequate or
inappropriate communication skills. Many people
working with difficult children often mistake their
silences in the face of stressful situations as a
reluctance to trust or tell anyone their true thoughts
or feelings. Sometimes this is true, but more often,
they simply cannot identify their own feelings much
less explain them to someone else.
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Stay either physically agitated or completely
lethargic all the time
Some children are unable to relax. Other children are
unable to be still for physiological reasons they cannot
always control.
•
The Impact of Trauma on Children
Many children have experienced great trauma, which
has a significant impact on their emotional, psychological
functioning and, in turn, on their behavior. Understanding
how trauma affects behavior can help you deal more
effectively with difficult children.
The following is a brief explanation of the emotional and
psychological effects of trauma.
• Disassociation
When trauma occurs, the mind finds a way to
help the individual get through it, and it does this
by disconnecting the mental processes from the
emotional pain, horror or terror of the event.
In normal circumstances, it can be problematic
because it prevents the normal thinking/feeling
interaction that is necessary for good decision
making to take place.
• Inappropriate Reaction
When the thinking and feeling components of a
person do not interact properly, it can cause the
person to become highly reactive to even minor
irritation or stimuli. Often the reactions do not fit the
situations they are facing.
• Hypersensitivity
This inability of the emotions and intellect to interact
properly also causes extreme sensitivity to many
things that would not necessarily bother people who
are aware of their emotions and able to think them
through. Anything can trigger their hypersensitivity
like, light, noise, touch, tone of voice, colors, closed
in places, or anything that may unconsciously
remind them of previous trauma.
• Ineffective Cognitive Processing
When feelings and thinking do not interact, then
good decision-making doesn’t happen. Difficult
children act on impulse, which is usually emotionally
driven, rather than making decisions and taking
action based on a cognitive process. When we
ask children with difficult behavior, “What were you
thinking?” after a negative occurrence, children will
often shrug their shoulders and say, “I don’t know.”
Sometimes their response may just be the shrug.
Either way, these children are telling the truth. They
don’t know what they were thinking when they chose
a particular course of action. They can think, just not
always at the moment they are feeling an intense
emotion. Imagine how frustrating and troublesome
it would be for you if you could not
think clearly or effectively any time you were upset.
The Most Important Strategy of All
Working with difficult kids takes enormous fortitude. When
your personal energy supply is depleted, your effectiveness
will diminish.
One of the most distressing things about working with difficult
children is that their needs are usually so much greater than
you are able to meet. You can’t change the circumstances
of their lives, their personal history or their environment, yet
we often spend great amounts of energy fretting about these
issues. Stay aware of what you can control. You can control
how you interact with difficult children. Usually you can control
the environment you create for them and the quality of the
relationship you have with them.
Personal Power Tools for Working with Difficult Kids
Before you consider strategies for working with difficult kids,
give some attention to these personal tools.
Personal Power Tool # 1 - Individual Energy Supply
To respond effectively to the high energy levels of difficult
children, it is essential that you become aware of your personal
energy supply and make a commitment to protect yourself from
feeling depleted.
Personal Power Tool # 2 - Attitude
Your attitude can become a vital power tool when you recognize
that it is the one thing over which you do have control.
Recognizing your freedom to choose your response to any
challenge enables you to focus on the power you have rather
than the power you don’t have.
Personal Power Tool # 3 - Body Language
Body language can be an expression of attitude. Make
certain it does not attempt to intimidate (leaning over a seated
child), threaten (pointed fingers), or disparage (sneering facial
expressions).
Body language is a powerful tool when it expresses confidence
(squared shoulders, weight evenly distributed on each foot),
openness (arms loose and hands at your sides) and authority
(serious facial expression, not smiling, but not angry or
threatening).
Personal Power Toll # 4 - Voice
Have you noticed what your voice does when you are in the
midst of a frustrating episode with a difficult child? Does it go
up? If it does you are in danger of sending a message that
says, “I’m out of control” or “I’m losing it” or worse yet, “I don’t
know what to do with you.” Difficult children need to know you
are in charge and know what you are doing.
Personal Power Tool #5 - A Sense of Humor
More can be accomplished with difficult children by using
friendly humor than almost any other form of communication.
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Personal Power Tool #6 - Creativity
Hand in hand with humor, creativity is an essential power tool
for working with difficult children. These children are highly
resistant to traditional forms of discipline. Let yourself be
creative in searching for both rewards and consequences,
which will impact these children.
Ten Things to Remember to Remain Calm, Effective
and Energized
1. Choose a response, prevent a reaction.
2. You cannot force a child to behave.
3. Behavior is a consequence of feelings and needs.
Address the feelings and needs or the behavior will
not change.
4. If the strategy you choose does not teach a skill, it will
not be effective.
5. Tell them what you want them to do, not just what you
do not want them to do.
6. If the behavior is unacceptable in the workplace, make
it unacceptable in the classroom.
7. They do not have to like it.
8. They do not have to like you.
9. If you want respect, be respectful.
10.If you keep doing what you are doing, you will keep
getting the same results.
Guidelines for working with Difficult Kids
1. Keep Your Cool
Trust is difficult and fragile for trouble kids. Once it is
gone, it can be impossible to get back. Troubled kids
strive for their own success if they trust you, and they
will revert to self-destructive behaviors if they don’t.
You lose your temper when you are tired. Nothing is
more damaging to your effectiveness when working
with difficult kids than to allow your personal energy
supply to become depleted.
- Take some deep breaths
- Tell the child you are too angry to discuss the
problem now and when you will discuss it
- Say your feelings in the form of an “I” message.
(“I feel furious when you _____ and I want you to
______.” ) Be sure to include a description of the
behavior you want.
- Remind yourself that the goal of the child’s
behavior may be to make you angry. If they can
pick a fight with you, then the issue will become
the conflict between the two of you instead of their
inappropriate or negative behavior.
- Lower your voice.
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2. Remember, when feelings are intense, thinking is
impaired. Walk them through the thinking process.
Difficult children frequently act on impulse.
Ask
yourself what do you want the child to think?
Example: “You can continue to do what you are
doing, but if you do, you will _______________
(describe what will happen).” Outline their choices
with them.
3. Be Authoritative, but not authoritarian.
Authoritarian - “Because I say so, and nothing
matters here but what I say.”
Authoritative - “Everyone here is important but I’m
in charge.”
Threats have a rebound effect on difficult children.
4. Create future for them.
Let children in your care know that you can imagine
them succeeding and want to be part of their support
team. Let them know how the current situation and
their behavior will impact their future both in the short
term and the long range.
5. Affirm their ability to make good choices.
The goal with difficult children is to teach them that
when they do something, almost anything actually,
they are making a choice, and they have the ability to
make a good choice. It is especially helpful to affirm
their ability to make a good choice when they are
very agitated and most apt to do something wrong.
6. Let them know where you stand.
Make sure all the limits and boundaries are clearly
defined before a negative behavior occurs.
7. Be calm and consistent.
Means more than not losing your cool, it means
staying composed and collected when you are
dealing with disrespectful, disruptive and defiant
behavior.
8. Distinguish between the person and the behavior.
“I like you but I don’t like the way you behave, and I
will not tolerate your negative behavior. I think you
can do better than that.”
9. Affirm their strengths.
When you see the positive possibilities of a child’s
negative behavior, you can acknowledge and affirm
their strengths with them and then help redirect
their negative behavior into positive outlets for the
same trait.
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Good Kids, Difficult Behavior
Remember to Keep It S-I-M-P-L-E
S - Structure which simply means making sure that everyone
is aware of the rules or limits, what happens when everyone
follows the rules, and what happens when they don’t. Be
Consistent. Always follow through with consequences.
I - Instruct ensures that the kids know exactly what you
want them to do and not just what you don’t want them to
do. State your expectations clearly and positive. “Please
walk” instead of “Don’t run”. Be firm and respectful, never
threatening in any way.
M - Monitor which is another word for watching or paying
close attention so that you can be certain to follow through
with whatever you have said you would do. Make sure they
have your full attention once the structure is set. Let them
know you have confidence that they can and will make good
choices. Be clear about your expectations for them when
they must be left alone. Clearly define when your time is
your own and what is expected of them while you are not
with them. Be fair, firm and consistent.
P - Praise is all too often forgotten in working with difficult
kids. It is one of the most powerful tools for influencing
behavior. Remember how praise affects you. Understand
your reluctance to praise. Praise the deed not the person.
Praise the process not just total success or achievement.
Grades and other rewards for achievement are no substitutes
for praise.
L - Laugh. More can be accomplished playfully than
forcefully any day of the week. This is especially true with
the willful stubborn or oppositional child. Humor builds trust.
Gentle and loving teasing can often replace nagging. Never
let teasing or playfulness embarrass a child. Be willing to
let them take the lead in play.
E - Empower or encourage which simply means teaching
children how to think not just what to think. Teach them to
understand their choices. Freedom to think and disagree
is not the same as freedom to do whatever they choose.
Let them learn from their mistakes. Encourage them
when they make mistakes. Beware of letting comfort and
encouragement substitute for structure. Teach them to
encourage themselves.
Can You Identify the Child’s Strengths?
Uncovering character strengths require creativity and effort.
• Defiant behavior can hide leadership potential.
Help the child understand his or her leadership
potential. Structure opportunities for the child to be
placed in leadership roles even small chances to
lead can help, for example, leading a line of children
to lunch. Make leadership opportunities contingent
on complaint behavior.
• Attention-seeking behavior can hide persistence and
perseverance. Acknowledge the positive aspects of
this behavior.
•
•
•
•
Give these children a chance to get some one-onone attention. Make one-on-one time contingent on
cooperation and appropriate group behavior. Teach
them how to use their persistence and perseverance
to get a really hard job done.
Clowning/show-off behavior can hide creative thinking
and talent. Acknowledge their talent and help them
see how it could work for them in the future. Structure
opportunities for these children to entertain the group
or lead in creative activities.
Disrespectful behavior can hide boldness and daring.
Since this behavior usually elicits a strong reaction
from most adults, be careful to distinguish between the
unacceptable behavior and the underlying character
strength. To acknowledge the strengths of a child who
acts disrespectfully is not to condone their disrespectful
behavior. It gives you the chance to discuss how the
underlying traits of boldness and daring can be used
positively. Model respectful behavior!
Argumentative behavior can hide cleverness and
quick thinking. Teach these children when it is, and is
not, useful to argue. Do not let them argue you out
of a position that you have taken, but do structure
opportunities for them to argue with other students
even if it has to be done in a role-playing situation.
Apathetic behavior can hide natural objectivity. Tell
these kids that you can’t believe they don’t really
care about themselves or others. Be careful not to
say that you know what they are thinking or feeling.
Just let them know that you have faith that at some
level they want to be successful and you want to help
them. Try to find out what they do care about, and
give them opportunities to talk about it, or show them
how whatever you are trying to teach applies to their
interests.
Intervention Strategies
•
•
•
•
•
Make sure all the limits and guidelines for
appropriate behavior are well known. Remember
to keep it S-I-M-P-L-E!
Make sure the consequences for negative behavior
are clearly defined.
Be careful of your own agenda. Know your goal.
The only practical reason to respond to difficult
behavior is to teach children appropriate, healthy
behavior.
Be respectful! Model, model, model!
Create Future! Say things like: “I can imagine you
doing __________ when you grow up.” “You are so
creative!” “You have a lot of energy.” Or “I bet you’ll
end up being ______________.” Be careful that the
future you help them create is positive.
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Good Kids, Difficult Behavior
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Keep your perspective. Avoid generalizing (“You
always…” or “You’ll never…”) the behavior or making
a small issue into a large problem.
Ignore some behavior (for a short time). Waiting
until you can deal with an issue properly can send a
clear message to the child that you are not going to
allow him or her to take control of the situation. Make
brief eye contact with them to let them know that you
are aware of their behavior, but you are in charge of
your time, not them.
Use the Socratic Method.
As often as possible, whenever you want to call
attention to unacceptable behavior, give a command or
reprimand, ask a question instead. Say for example:
“excuse me, what are you doing?” “Excuse me, what
did we discuss?” “Is this what you are supposed to
be doing?”
Listen to the child’s story. Sometimes children
have a clear idea of why they have done something
unacceptable. Give them a chance to explain when
possible.
Acknowledge their point of view.
Identify and match their pace. When a child is
extremely upset and you are trying to get them to calm
down or back off from a confrontation, adjust the speed
and rate of your speech to match the child’s speed
and rate of speech. Make sure your voice stays calm
and firm, but speak quickly if they are speaking in a
pressured or rapid fashion.
Speak softly. It is more effective to speak softly, firmly
and empathetically.
Beware of Body Language - theirs and yours.
Kids watch adults. They are keenly aware of your
mood and attitude. Remember that 70% of what you
communicate is communicated before you open your
mouth.
Choose your stance and location carefully. Go to
the child, do not get too close, but do not talk to them
from across the room. Squat down and make direct
eye contact.
Be aware of personal space. Some people are very
sensitive to their own personal space and will feel very
threatened if you get too close.
Ask permission to gently touch. Sometimes a
gentle touch can calm a child down, but always ask a
child if it is okay to touch them. Never touch children
when they or you are angry.
Articulate effective thinking. It is very difficult for
an upset child to calm him or herself down or make a
good decision. Tell them clearly and concisely what
you want the children to do to calm themselves down
and begin to think. Say, “You can calm down now. You
can back off. We can work this out. You can take a
deep breath.”
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Do not say, “Calm down now. Back off. Stop yelling.”
If you are commanding instead of coaching them on
what they need to do.
Go to the big picture. Help them see how their
behavior affects the entire group or family, and
other’s perceptions of them. You may think this is
obvious to the child, but many difficult children are
unable to mentally observe their own behavior.
Outline choices - theirs and yours. Explain the
child’s choices and the consequences of those
choices. Help the child understand that negative
behavior is a choice which carries with it negative
consequences, and you will choose to make sure
they experience the consequences of their choices.
Affirm their ability to make a good choice.
Express confidence that they can and will make a
good choice.
Give them time to make a good choice.
Problem solve with them. Ask, “What could you
have done differently?” or “What else could you
do next time? Help them identify other options or
possible solutions.
Use stories and metaphors. Let your examples
relate to familiar objects, things or people. This takes
some of the ‘heat’ out of confrontations as well as
making kids more receptive to your message.
Follow through. Always follow through immediately
with the consequences as stated.
Consider time out as an immediate consequence.
Make sure children are absolutely clear about what
choice they made that caused them to be placed
in time out before they go into timeout. Any further
discussion of the situation should be discussed after
they have served their time. Do not talk to them
about the issue that caused them to be placed in
time out while that are in time out. This defeats the
purpose of time out.
Conference with the child. All difficult behavior
has a root cause and getting to the root of the needs
and goals of the child’s behavior is the best chance
of eliminating the negative behaviors. Whenever
possible, find a time and place to speak quietly and
privately with difficult children both before and after
disciplinary action has taken place.
Humor them. Be careful to make fun with a child
but NEVER fun of a child!
Affirm they can do it. Teach affirmation.
© Adapted from Good Kids, Difficult Behavior. Joyce
Divinyi, M.S., L.P.C
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Bullying
Successful Bullying Prevention and Management
Think back to your elementary/grade school years, and ask
yourself if you can recall the top three favorite memories of
your childhood. They probably involve something loving,
connecting, or good to eat. Now, do the same for the least
favorite memories, and for many of us, there’s a painful
memory of bullying that we may recall. Many of us can’t remember what we had for lunch last week, but can remember
in exquisite detail the memory of a bully — and the hurt and
suffering we experienced.
Bullying 101: What Is It?
Bullying is any intentional, hurtful act, committed by one or
more campers against another. It can also be committed by
counselors against other counselors or campers. In fact it can
happen when anyone in power or seeking power intentionally
hurts another person. It is not fighting (between equals) or
rough play. Fighting between equals is really an escalation
of conflict. Rough play is normal between kids, but has a
safety net built in. If one kid says stop — it’s over.
Bullying happens because there is an imbalance of real
or perceived power between a bully and a victim that is
exploited. The primary goal of the bully is to increase his/
her power. The secondary goal of the bully is to increase his/
her social capital by getting support from those around who
observe bullying and do not help the victim. As observers
allow bullying behavior to happen, the bully grows in status.
Generally, the bully’s wish for power is greater than the
empathy he or she has for others, which makes bullying
easier for him or her than it would be for most other children.
When bullying occurs, the bully thrives on the power of not
responding to the victims hurt and upset. It may intensify as
long as no one stops it.
Types of Bullying Behavior Seen in Camp
Bullying behavior is divided into three types: Physical,
Relational, and Verbal. These behaviors are further divided
into mild, moderate, and severe, which can help define the
extent of the problem and determine if a certain type of
bullying behavior is escalating. Bullying behavior usually has
an escalating pattern — it generally starts out mildly to give
the bullying child a chance to observe a victim’s reaction.
This can escalate in severity if the victim does not send a
signal to the bully that this behavior is unacceptable. For
example, bullying that begins as a physical type can escalate
in severity with more physical bullying or move into other
forms, like exclusion and verbal harassment.
Physical
Physical bullying is the type of bullying most easily observed
and most commonly thought of when we talk about bullying.
This includes punching, hitting, shoving, hair pulling,
excessive tickling, cutting in line, rat-tailing, defacing personal
property, or stealing one’s belongings. It’s observed in the camp
environment in many forms — a child’s stuffed animal is stolen
or destroyed, a child is knocked down in front of others, a chair
is pulled out from a child before he or she sits down, a child is
physically bruised over and over again. It also includes crossing
over into one’s personal space when a child is told not to. This
can make a camper very uncomfortable and intimidated.
Verbal
Verbal bullying involves hurtful name-calling, mocking, teasing,
gossiping, intimidation, or threatening to embarrass a child.
Verbal bullying is harder to observe unless you are within
earshot of it. The hurtful unwarranted nickname, comments
about clothes, or being told that you are unpopular can all be
meant to undermine a child’s self-worth. Verbal bullying has to
be included as bullying behavior because of its insidious nature.
How vulnerable is a child when a painful comment like “nobody
in this bunk likes you” is expressed to an unsuspecting camper?
Relational
Relational bullying has at its meaning an intension to exclude
through leaving others out, humiliation, threats to reveal
personal information, blackmailing, manipulating friendships,
and the use of peer pressure to hurt another or push someone
against their will. I’ve seen girls and boys preventing others
from joining them at a table, creating a pact to not pass a ball
to a child who wants to play a game, leaving one child behind
on purpose when they leave a bunk, and kids in a bunk who
refuse to let a camper join in on a night activity like playing
cards or another game.
In summer camp, exclusion is often the most painful kind of
bullying. When campers experience exclusion, their summer is
compromised because their social network is damaged. Verbal
bullying may be more painful then physical bullying because
words don’t heal as quickly as a punch or shove. Hurtful words
and name calling can undermine a child’s self-esteem. Verbal
bullying can linger psychologically with a victim and undermine
his or her sense of self for a long time; whereas, physical
bullying may be the least painful for children because many
times there is a beginning and an end.
The Bullies and the Victims
The Bullies
Remember the image of bullying you may have experienced
earlier in life. Who was that bullying kid? Today’s bullies are
not necessarily the big school yard brutes who have low selfesteem and are looking to improve their feelings of inadequacy
by bullying. In reality, there is no evidence that this is so. A
camp bully may be popular, seek social status, be smart, wellconnected, and even well liked.
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Some may look like “mean girls” and some may not (Wiseman
2002). They are more comfortable with aggression and use this
to earn social rewards by making others uncomfortable and
hurting them. Usually these skills outweigh any empathic side.
They are masters at denial — and blame. The problem is that
many of these kids look and feel like “leaders.” Leaders may
be hard to differentiate from a bully because they may have the
same qualities — except they lack empathy and a willingness
to look at their own personal responsibility for their behavior.
One way to remember this when looking at your campers or
staff — leaders are inclusive and bullies tend to be exclusive.
The Victims
Victims on the other hand, are kids who are “vulnerable” in
some way and feel less socially connected (Olweus 1993). A
camper who is alone, less socially assertive, passive, meek, or
quiet may be an easy target. Bullies test out their power until
they find a target that won’t fight back — or won’t get the social
support they need from others around them. When bullies see
they can brutalize someone, they seek the support of others to
blame the victim for their “deserved” attack. There are always
reasons that bullies find to hurt others, even though no one
deserves to get bullied.
The “Observers”
Remember the statistics cited earlier about the number of
kids involved as bullies and victims. In any bullying situation,
there are approximately 80 percent of kids or more who may
observe bullying but may do nothing to stop it. When victims
see that observers do not step in and help them, or counselors
do not intercede, the victims feel worse. The victimization they
experience feels justified if no one steps up to stop it. There
is an added effect on the observers over time, too. If no one
steps in to help a victim, the observers try to justify their own
unhelpful behavior. They themselves begin to “blame” the
victim for the bullying they receive. This cycle makes the victim
feel even more bullied (Coloroso 2003).
Characteristics
Boys vs. Girls
Boys are generally seen as more physically strong, so we
believe that boys use physical forms of aggression more than
any other type. Nothing could be farther from the truth. From
my own research, boys tease and use relational forms of
aggression in summer camp more than they do physical forms
of aggression. Although “rough and tumble” play is common
in boys, they have become sophisticated in their ways to hurt
verbally and exclude other kids. These forms of aggression
can leave scars for boys who emotionally do not know how to
handle these feelings.
Additionally, my research has shown that girls, on the other
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hand, are much more comfortable with “indirect” forms
of communication and use verbal teasing and exclusion
more than double their use of physical forms of aggression.
Gossiping and exclusion are the two most common forms
of bullying for girls — and it has almost become a “universal
language” for them. The problem in camps occurs when
counselors model this behavior, so campers feel justified in
their behavior.
Younger vs. Older
Developmentally, bullying behavior is expressed in children
as early as they begin to interact with each other. The adult
response to this behavior, as well as how children learn
to manage these interactions, is critical to their future
development. Kids have a lot of practice in these techniques
by the time they become campers. The real problem with
bullying manifests itself by ages nine/ten — when kids
recognize their own power over others. Children who have
tested out bullying behavior and succeeded at it will develop
more entrenched bullying by ages nine/ten. From my
experience, it is much harder to create empathetic children
when they see their bullying behavior brings them the power
status they seek.
Bullying generally moves from physical forms to verbal and
relational forms as children hit teenage years. As physical
forms of bullying decrease by high school, the verbal and
relational forms can still maintain themselves. This is why
we must work to create camp environments in which this
behavior is not allowed. Camp has to be a place that is
different for children and allows them to thrive socially without
the emotional and/or physical safety fears of bullying.
The camp environment is generally more relaxed than a
school environment. Bullying occurs during free time, in the
shower when kids are vulnerable, or at night when counselors
may be outside the bunk. The more subtle forms of bullying,
like teasing and exclusion, can happen when groups of kids
are away from their counselors or have less supervision. It
can also happen around a counselor — if that staff person
sees nothing wrong with this behavior and is complicit in it.
One of the best markers for finding vulnerable and potentially
victimized children is to watch your bunks and observe those
campers who don’t have someone to walk with, or find the
camper who is always late to leave the bunk and doesn’t
feel part of the bunk community. The children who do not fit
in become isolated and potentially targeted — and they may
try to hide this from others.
What Are the Dynamics of Bullying?
Most children, 80 percent – 85 percent, have developed the
social skill to function well in their own age-related space
without significant adult intervention. When they
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have conflicts — get teased or “dissed,” and feel excluded
from their friends — they can find a way to deal with it.
Sometimes they get angry, feel hurt, give it right back, but
do not break down. The top 80 percent of kids can manage
much of the bullying and aggression they experience on their
own because they read each other well and have these social
competencies to stop it and regulate each other. They know
when they hurt someone by the reaction they get, or they
see when they have crossed the aggression line by the other
child’s reaction. Most of these kids have friendships that are
supportive so when tough times occur in their social world,
they have each other, and get over the “bad stuff” without
consistent adult involvement.
Bullying issues are especially problematic for the 20 percent
of kids who are at the bottom for many reasons. These
children may not have honed social competencies that
signal kids to stop aggressive behavior the way that others
do. They generally do something to signal a “bullying kid”
to pick on them because the reaction they give is an open
invitation to aggression from the kid(s) who want power and
control over them. In fact, their emotional reactions to the
bullying become enticing to the child seeking attention from
his peers in his/her quest for power and attention.
Here’s the problem and the solution stated simply: Teach kids
to handle bullying, and they won’t be victimized repeatedly.
If we can help kids who get teased learn more effective
strategies, they will develop better social competencies
and resilience. Does this mean that we can teach all kids to
eradicate bullying? No, because kids test out aggression with
each other all the time. But we can make kids less “victim
prone” and less apt to be singled out for the bad bullying
behavior that can make them feel terrible.
What else makes the bottom group of kids a target? Many of
these children do not have a strong social network to rely on,
and without a social network, they risk exclusion, isolation,
teasing, and physical bullying. Making a friend can reduce
bullying by 50 percent or more for these children. That’s
the number one successful strategy for reducing bullying in
camp. If your camp can help children develop friendships
and link kids to a “real friend” during the summer months, you
have found the number one ticket for children to come back
to camp every summer and develop a sense of resilience
and eligibility for social connectedness. It’s a win-win.
What Skills do Kids Need to Manage Bullying?
Watching children play and observing their interactions can
be an illuminating lesson for you in the “right and wrong” on
managing bullying. The kids who are the best at managing
bullying behavior may get right up to a kid who picked on
them and give it right back with words. Other kids push
someone back if the bullying gets physical in a regulated
way without escalating it. Other kids roll their eyes when others
are around to let the aggressor know that they have
crossed the line. Some children walk away smiling so they
don’t look like losers. Children who bully move quickly away
from those who don’t give them power.
The 20 percent without power and without the “toughness” or
“ability” to fight back with words or actions need our attention
the most. These children need the most support from staff
and counselors! However, what they need the most is not our
intervention during every social conflict.
We need to build skills and resilience in our children to provide
them the skills to deal with these problems. If campers do
not learn to do this on their own, they will never develop selfesteem — which is building confidence from one’s defeats and
finding their ability to overcome adversity. Think about this — if
we intervene all the time as adults, what have we taught our
campers? We have taught them to rely on us for their problems,
which creates further dependency on us and a diminishing
belief in themselves. That model is a “no-win” model. So what
can we do to manage bullying in summer camp? Let’s work
toward achieving the following twelve goals as a means toward
successful bully prevention and management in camp and
attain a true “win” for your staff and campers.
nine Goals Toward Bullying Prevention at
Summer Camp
Goal 1 - Changing our belief that we as adults have to “fix”
the bully problem for children.
We have to work with kids who become victimized by helping
them develop tools that reduce the emotional reaction they
exhibit. Victims need to be taught to “toughen up,” get less
serious about the teasing, walk away with dignity, and/or create
humor in negative social interactions. When you can take away
the social enjoyment that bullying kids receive, you’ve taught a
great skill to that camper who will feel more confident.
Goal 2 - Focus on the bottom 20 percent and encourage
positive roles for observers of bullying.
Since most bullying is a problem for the 20 percent of children
at the bottom of the social confidence ladder, it is critical to find
things that make these campers shine and feel successful.
Finding a “friend” for a child who needs connectedness is the
number one priority to reduce bullying.
Goal 3 - Encourage reporting to adults only when things
are serious.
When kids are completely isolated and excluded and have no
social interaction, we as adults need to intervene because it
is serious. When children who don’t have skills are repeatedly
tormented because they can’t be taught skills easily, we have
to develop a plan to observe them and
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encourage positive social interaction above and beyond. Our
role is to help campers believe they can manage things on their
own because they can — with needed encouragement and
support. When we help kids feel good inside and overcome
adversity when things are anything but serious, we help kids
feel resilient.
Goal 4 - Role-play skills with them.
When you observe children falling down when they are
young, they look for the adult reaction before they cry. If
there is no adult available, sometimes there is no crying. If
they see a sympathetic adult rush in and rescue them, their
tears may become bigger. They are taking their cues from
others to learn how to gauge their reactions. If we lessen
the emotional reaction to bullying events, we begin to help
children emotionally regulate themselves. Obviously, if the line
is crossed and a child is injured or hurt, the child who was the
aggressor earns the potential for discipline and consequences
because they crossed the line.
When a child is teased about something, don’t create an
emotional reaction as the adult. Instead, try to show children
that they can be winners and feel good if they don’t show
their emotions too strongly, and can move on quickly. When
children can smile or joke about the teasing and learn to keep
their emotional thermometers in the “cool” range withougetting
upset, the teasing begins to end. I try to role model to kids how
I get teased by making fun of myself. When I show them that
I am vulnerable and don’t care what people say about me, I
deescalate the situation and help them see that teasing does
not have to “break” them. Role-playing scenarios like this with
campers can be very effective.
Goal 5 - Teach kids to lighten up by laughing at themselves
and with others.
The real power in our campers’ ability to decrease bullying
is helping them learn how to lighten up. I like to do this by
showing kids that we are good role models in this regard. If
you as adults can laugh at yourselves and share your own
vulnerabilities and experiences with them, it helps them feel
less emotionally vulnerable and alone. Helping a child who has
been picked on find humor in the situation is helpful.
Goal 7 - Teach empathy by role modeling empathy for
kids.
When you show empathy to others and demonstrate
inclusiveness and interest in everyone, you teach kids to
challenge themselves to raise the bar on their own behavior.
Being strong and clear with your boundaries can be a form
of empathetic modeling as long as your style is consistent,
you don’t show favorites and demonstrate that you do not
exclude others.
Goal 8 - Create environments that match words with
actions.
It is helpful to have campers involved in planning or building
aspects of their community both physically and emotionally
as a way to connect them more closely with their experience.
Goal 9 - Challenge kids to rise to new levels of
behavior.
Camp can challenge children to rise above their comfort
zone and challenge themselves through safe risk-taking.
Challenging campers to do the same on the bullying is
no exception. Creating programs to reduce negativity by
challenging campers to bond collectively can be powerful
alternatives to social behavior which creates the bullying
dynamic. For example, camp programs (Dellasega 2005,
Honigfeld 2005, Vaughn 2005) which encourage adolescent
girls to participate in clear, direct communication are great
examples of programs that aim to change the typical
behavior patterns of communication patterns and bullying in
this age group. All children need programs that encourage
them to find the best in themselves in skill building and
behavior with their peers. Incorporating training to promote
excellentcommunication skill building and character
development for all campers and staff really raise the bar for
camp success. Remember, the bottom 20 percent of children
can take up 80 percent of your time, so increased training in
bully prevention strategies should always have this group in
mind to maximize the camp experience that allows kids to
have real fun, growth and social success.
Goal 6 - Create discipline and consequences that are fair
and reasonable.
Discipline and consequences should match the crime and
always have the intent of repairing the hurt or damage caused
when campers abuse their privilege and hurt others repeatedly.
One of the more successful strategies to deal with bullying
is to have children make a call home to parents if they are
involved in repeated or serious incidents of bullying against
another camper.
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section
6
administration
Section Objectives
1. To understand the Outside/In Day
procedures
2. To know what you responsibilities are when
on grounds
3. To become an expert on pool/field trip
procedures
4. To learn how to stay organized throughout
the summer
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6
Outside/In Days
Rainy Days
3:15-4:00
4:00
-Make sure counselors are sitting down
doing quiet games like cards and board games with campers in their their areas.
-Buses will leave from outside the FLC!
Rainy days are apart of the Camp Sonshine experience.
We call it “Liquid Sunshine” around here. It is important for
you as a Head Counselor to be at the top of your game during these times. Often with your other responsibilities, your
counselors will need lots of help from you. Please know that
just because it looks like it will rain, it is sprinkling or even Although hot weather is normal and welcome (for the most part),
raining, or the weather man says there is a 100% chance of there are some days when the air quality, combined with the
rain, doesn’t mean that it will be a rainy day! Please know heat, cause a “Code Red” day. On these days, the National
that everyone needs to know what the plans are and so as Weather Service advises everybody in the area to limit his or her
soon as the best judgment can be made, it will be! A high outdoor activities. Many campers may have medical reasons for
level of patience and flexibility are needed during these days. needing to go indoors on a Code Red day. If any campers feels
Remember that when it is a Rainy Day, and the rain stops, they need to cool off inside, for any reason, they may. Campers
a call may be made to resume activities outside. Listen for with asthma or other respiratory difficulties should spend the
the Quazar announcement over the walkie. Here are the majority of their time in the shade or indoors. Whether or not
general things you’ll want to know for Rainy days!
they go indoors, these campers should not participate in any
Rainy Arrival
high-energy activities on a Code Red day.
8:15
-A Rainy Arrival is usually called by this time
Whenever we learn that a day is a “Code Red” day, we
8:15-8:30
-Help inform all staff that it is a Rainy will announce it in morning devos or by Head Counselors
Arrival only at this point
going around to groups. You must inform your campers
-Go to your Rainy Arrival Posts
of the option to go indoors; stating they may chose to use
-Lunches will be in the Rotunda Balcony
that option at any time during the day. Once a Code Red
8:45-9:15
-Campers Arrive
day has been declared, indoor activities will be available for
-Make sure counselors are sitting down campers who chose to miss their regular activities and spend
doing quiet games with campers
time indoors. There are two options for indoor activities:
-Work out with Program Managers a back 1. If only a few campers in a group feel that they need
up plan for field or pool trips in case a to be indoors, then the counselor may check them in at the
Rainy Day is called and you can’t go with Assembly Room for supervised activities and continue with the
the regularly scheduled event.
rest of their group through the normal schedule. (Assembly
Rainy Day
Room option is available from 10:30AM through 2:30PM.)
8:15-3:20
-A Rainy Day could be called at any point 2. If more than 3 or 4 campers in a group feel that they
in the day depending, of course, on the need to be indoors, then a counselor will need to sign up for
weather.
a Free Time room and do activities with your group in that
-Look for the Rainy Day Room Locations room. The Free Time rooms, balls and games will be available
in the Lower Rotunda
for checkout by a stationed person in the Assembly Room.
-Make decision with Program Managers about what you will be doing, if needed. If a “Code Red” day is unusually and extremely hot and humid,
-If you are on grounds that day, your help then we may switch to a Rainy Day Schedule and have all
is requested to support the group and activ- activities indoors. If this happens, follow Rainy Day plans
ity counselors.
above. See the Health and Safety section for tips on how to
Rainy Departure
keep campers and staff cool!
2:45
-A Rainy Departure is usually called by
this time.
-Help inform all staff that it is a Rainy
Departure.
-Assist in the Fellowship Hall and FLC
with chair set up for indoor departure!
-Go to your Rainy Departure location
“Code Red” Days
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On-grounds and Off-grounds
Inside/Outside Policy
Philosophy
• Let’s be there for our staff when they need us.
Off Grounds
• 1 trip a week off grounds per Head Counselor
• Maximum of 1 Head Counselor gone at same
time in one Program group.
• Have Program Manager or other Head
Counselor in group cover walkie calls for you.
• All Head Counselors should tell his/her Program
Manager or Director
• Tell them when leaving and when you get back.
• Tell them who is covering for you
Inside
• Be on the grounds outside as much as possible
• ½ hour a day inside
Things to do while on grounds
• Look around and see what is going well
or what may need improvement
• Coach your staff
• HC Daily Checklist
• Hang out with your groups
• Pick up trash
• Eat lunch with a group
• Give your staff a break
• Stop by the camp store
• Bring your staff a treat
• Visit one of your counselors at their activities
H ead Counselor Pool Procedures
At the pool, Head Counselors are ultimately responsible for
the groups they are with. This includes the actions and safety
of campers and Counselors, money taken for payment, time
deadlines, attendance, and giving necessary information
to Counselors, office staff, and Directors. This checklist is
designed to help you in performing these responsibilities.
Preparation
• Get check or cash from office (Rockville pool only)
• Go over pool guidelines with Counselors.
• Remind Counselors of time to meet at buses to leave Camp in morning meetings
• Make sure you take the pool bands and sunscreen with you each time.
• Bring a waiting kit for the bus ride
• Make sure you have any medications and your first aid
kit (that may need to be distributed during the time
campers are at the pool.).
• When you get on the bus, make sure your cellphone is
there and working. You shouldn’t ask pool staff to use the
2014 Head Counselor Training
phone. This is what the cell phone is there for.
*At some pools, there is a 15-minute adult swim in the
middle of our swim time. The campers will have to get out
of the pool at that time. Counselors will be responsible for
having something for the campers to do or be entertained
by. Previous counselors have put on diving competitions or
shows, which went over well with the campers.
Responsibilities
1. Listen to attendance being taken by each counselor on
each bus—both when leaving Camp and before returning. Buses may not move until every counselor
has take attendance.
2. Make sure one counselor is seated in the back seat of
each bus, watching the emergency exit door.
3. Announce guidelines to campers and counselors on
buses before getting out at the pool.
Guidelines
• Remind counselors to have campers use the restroom
while they change or before they get on the bus.
• Campers must stay with their groups.
• All campers must wear a wristband indicating their swim
level.
• Campers may only swim in the areas their counselors
or you tell them.
• Campers are never allowed to do flips into the water,
even off the diving board.
• Campers must ask a counselor before going to the restroom or changing rooms and be supervised by two staff members.
• Give the counselors the needed amount of wristbands
for their counselor group each session.
• Discovery campers should always go to the women’s
restroom with a counselor.
• Campers are to walk through changing rooms without
stopping • All groups find a place to leave their belongings. (These are the meeting places for the groups when
campers are called out of the pool.)
• Please keep from asking the pool personnel for
anything unless you would like them to make an exit
announcement or extreme emergencies.
• Counselors must give swim tests on the first day of each session to any new campers
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More Pool Specifics
Pool Rules
· No running—anywhere
· No shoes in pool area
· No splashing or dunking
· Obey lifeguards—if they blow a whistle, pay attention
· Absolutely NO HORSEPLAY by campers or counselors
Responsibilities continued...
1. Find out # of campers in each group—add for
the total. Each pool will want to know how many
campers there are and staff when you arrive.
2. The pool staff will let you know if your group exceeds
the number that has been prepaid. Please call the
Main Office and ask for a credit card number if your
head count exceeds the prepaid number. It is very
important that you keep the receipt and return it to
your Program Manager upon your return to camp.
3. W a l k a r o u n d w h i l e c o u n s e l o r s a r e
giving swim tests and just be available.
4. We give our own pool tests. This is agreed upon
ahead of time with each pool. If a camper does
not pass the swim test he or she will be given
the wristband for the level passed. All campers
must always wear a Camp Sonshine swim band.
5. During swim time, each pool area needs to be
supervised by a counselor. Assign counselors to
different pool areas to supervise campers. One
counselor should also be stationed out of the pool for
those campers that do not wish to swim. It is important
to encourage them to swim, but not to force them.
6. Counselors MUST be in the pool with their campers
and not clumped together. It will be important for
you to monitor staff and separate them if necessary.
7. Most pool offices will call all Camp Sonshine campers
out of the pool if you ask them to. When Camp Sonshine
is called to get out of the pool, meet your campers
at your group’s spot. It is very important that you get
everyone out of the pool with enough time to get
changed, load the bus, and arrive back to camp on time.
8. Immediately, go to each counselor, have them
do a head count and remind them to look
around for their campers’ belongings.
9. Staff are not allowed to use any hot tubs or
indoor facilities where camps are not permitted.
Identifying Weak Swimmers
Even though there are trained lifeguards at the pools and
beaches we visit – you should always pay close attention to
those campers swimming.
Weaker swimmers often recognized by:
• Cautious behaviors such as grabbing on to the
gutter or side of the pool
• Holding on to another person
• Depending on the use of a flotation device for
support
Behaviors you should look for in distressed swimmers include a
swimmer who is on or just below the water surface in a slightly
diagonal position, making often splashy, ineffectual swimming
movements with their arms and legs. They may or may not be
able to call out for help. Many people think that if someone is
not calling for help, that person is not in trouble. Remember that
when someone is drowning, he or she is trying to breathe, not
speak. It may appear that the person is splashing or waving.
Typically, the person thrashes in the water with arms extended,
attempting to keep his or her head above water.
Other important things to remember:
• Swim tests: When in doubt about a child’s swimming
ability – don’t take a chance, put them on the lower
swim level.
• Be diligent with the swim test, ensuring each child is
comfortable and displays control in water.
• Be aware of campers eating before swimming; there
should be a break between eating and swimming of
30 minutes.
• Have a zero tolerance for older campers who influence
peers to engage in dangerous acts or aquatic skills
beyond their capabilities
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More Pool Specifics
Emergency Procedures
Strangers:
Teach your campers what to do if approached by a stranger.
They should run away and find a Camp Sonshine staff member
immediately.
Medical Emergency:
The basic procedures to follow in case of a medical emergency
would include:
· The counselor or lifeguard immediately checks the area
and the victim and begins following basic Red Cross Rescue
or First Aid procedures.
· A counselor, or other adult, proceeds immediately to the
nearest Head Counselor.
· If the situation is life-threatening, immediately call 911. If the
situation is relatively minor, the HC determines further
procedures from that point on.
· Direct communication with a Director as soon as possible
is imperative.
· If a camper is hurt while at the pool, the pool personnel must
be notified. However, if a child is in need of a band-aid the HC
can administer first aid as needed.
Non-Medical Emergency
For non-medical emergencies (tornadoes, lightning, etc.)
Counselors should follow instructions given by lifeguards and
pool personnel.
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6
Staying Organized
To be a successful Head Counselor, you are going to need
to be organized. From keeping track of what forms to turn
in and when to what supplies your counselors need for the
day, you have to find a system that works for you. If you are
not proficient in the area of organization, we are going to
do our best to help you become and stayed organized. Here
are some tips...
5) A Hip-pack (we have one for you). Now I know this doesn’t
sound like the coolest thing to wear, but it happens to be very
handy.-It can hold little first aid supplies like bandaids
• Small laminated schedules
• It is also a great thing to attach you walkie to so
your pants don’t fall down
6) When you say you are going to do something, do it. Oth1) Print a copy of a weekly calendar each week
erwise, work something out with the person that will fit your
-You’ll find a few examples of weekly/dai- schedule better! Being a man or woman of your word is an
ly calendars in the next couple of pages. Try essential quality of leader. You know what it feels like to be let
them out and see which one works for you. down. We all want to be someone people can trust. Your staff
2) Set a time on Friday afternoon, Sunday evening, or early need you to be trustworthy!
Monday morning that you can review the upcoming week’s
events, projects, etc.
7) Admit it when you mess up. Saying your sorry is an important
• Keep this “Weekly Review” consistent each phrase to learn. It doesn’t say you are a weak leader...it says
week so you can be ready all summer long.
you’re a humble one.
• When you review, make a list of everything
going on in the week ahead including all of
Why do 6 and 7 help you to be organized? We look at them
the things you need to do. Some examples:
as some of the driving forces behind being organized. If these
meet with my staff about overnighter, write
things are important to you, then being organized will be as well.
my staff an encouraging note, get Theme Day
supplies together, turn day trip forms, turn
in daily report, follow up with parent about
concern, one on one with two staff, one on
one with Program Manager, restock first aid
supplies, etc.
• After you make your list, plug the items into your
weekly calendar.
• Just keep adding through out the week as things
come up.
• Write with a pencil!
• Throw away unwanted papers or other items!
3) Your handy clipboard (we have one for you)- This clipboard
will allow you to store papers you need to keep with you as
well pens and pencils. Keep you clipboard with you at all
times! This is also a great place to store your pocket guide.
• Put your calendar on it and never let it out of
your sight!
4) Your backpack- very important. Here are some things that
could go in it to help you out.
• Pens and pencils. You staff will love you when
they lose their pen and you have one for them.
• First aid kit
• Hand sanitizer
• Sunscreen
• Hat
• Extra pair of socks (you never know!)
• A few extra pool bands
• Extra copies of forms
• Candy or stickers (you might see a camper or
staff doing something great!)
•
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