Camp Walden

Daily & General Expectations

Wake Up

-Get yourself & your campers to the dining hall on time for breakfast (8:15 AM).

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Dining Hall

-This is not your social time. You are on duty supervising campers.
-Organize a system for picking up & the distribution of the food.
-Manage table clean-up - on top & below.
-Keep campers in the dining hall despite the heat by keeping them entertained.
-Demonstrate & model respect during announcements and for the dining hall & the staff who prepare our meals.

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Clean-up

-This is not your nap time. You are teaching/instructing your campers on how to care for their home.
-Set standards for cleanliness.
-Assist individual campers to maintain healthy standards throughout the summer in the cabin and unit as well.
-Model cleanliness with maintaining your own area.

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Activities

-Counsellors: Arrive with your campers on time and dressed appropriately for the activity.
-Counsellors: Encourage the entire cabin to join you in the fun.
-Counsellors: Insist that your kids respect the specialty staff and the processes they have established.
-Specialists: Create relationships with all the campers who arrive at your activity.
-Specialists: Have high expectations and provide challenges for campers' diverse needs & different levels of skill

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Rest Hour

-You may be attending meetings during this time or perhaps preparing for evening program. Do so after you have ensured that campers are safe and attended to during this time.

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5th Period

-You are on duty during this camper option period.
-Counsellors: Accompany your campers to the areas that they would like to visit.
-Counsellors: Assist specialists in their areas.
-Counsellors: You might be involved in programming work but you know where your campers are at.
-Specialists: Create interest in your area. Plan for special days, events, & 5th period specials.
-Specialists: Provide activities for the campers who want to excel in your activity area. Create opportunities for individual campers to take on leadership & shine.

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Evening Program

-Model respect for the staff who are organizing - assist with preparation, planning and getting supplies.
-Help with keeping kids quiet & motivated.
-You may volunteer or be asked to run evening programs throughout the summer - try for creativity & originality. Your planning & timely follow-through is essential.

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Round-up & Lights Out

-Assist Head Staff in getting campers to their cabins.
-Help campers wash up & brush their teeth.
-Don't leave the cabin unless your campers are in pyjamas and have settled down with LIGHTS OUT.
-Check out with the staff who are on O.D.
-Be prepared to return to your cabin if a situation arises.
-Take interest in what goes on at your cabin when you are not there - check-in on them periodically.

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The Cabin

Walden has always focused on the importance of the integrity of the cabin group.

-Establish a caring & helpful relationship with each camper and support & encourage positive interactions amongst all. This includes swift reactions to bullying and cliquishness.
-Attend to the needs of the group by attending to the personal needs of each camper.
-Create a feeling of trust, respect and helpfulness by demonstrating & practicing these characteristics at all times.
-Create a safe haven for your campers - an atmosphere where kids welcome challenges and experience growth.
-Do not separate yourself from the campers with "curtains" or "staff designated areas".
-Stop and Report all forms of malicious pranking with great vigilance.

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Camp Wide Activities

-Sit with your kids during mass programs in Omni or at any event where the camp has gathered.
-Fully participate and help to maintain the energy & fun of every event.
-Assist the organizers when asked and help maintain order & quiet when necessary.

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Health & Hygiene

-You are the campers' summer guardians.
-Check with them if they are feeling ill and ensure they are seen by the MASH team.
-Maintain cleanliness in your cabin and insist that kids maintain personal cleanliness.
-Monitor their shower activity, their washing up, and their oral hygiene.
-Help with your campers' laundry - do not dump the clean laundry bag - rather organize distribution.
-Check that sheets have been changed.
-Scan your campers for concerning skin rashes or injuries.
-Help your campers with their belongings - check activity areas to make sure your kids have not left behind lost clothing.

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Camp Policies

-Fulfill all of camp's policies because you have committed to them and because they keep camp safe.
-Remember, the use of alcohol or drugs (or being in the company of someone using alcohol or drugs, or even storing alcohol or drugs at camp!) is a serious breach of the commitments you make to supervise campers and keep camp safe.
-Be prepared to take appropriate action when campers are not fulfilling camps policies.

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