ACA Home Forums ABC game, take 2

W- wildlife you run into on the trail.

W - waking up in a tent for the first time (if you have never done it before!)

theme - things to write home about!

X- Xclamations by the campers when they do something for the first time, or just say something funny

things to write home about

Y - yelling when the shower water suddenly goes cold!

theme - things to write home!

Z- zipping around camp when you have a million things to do and so little time- either with the kids or on TO

Y - yellow sunshine - we don't see it often in scotland

Next theme - things you wish you had know before you first worked at camp

A - Ask. I wish I had known my first year that I could ask for help, for ideas, for anything. My ad staff wasn't so great, so we felt like we had to do everything on our own... now I know I can ask for help about anything.

theme - things you wish you had know before you first worked at camp

B-bring cards, books and stuffed animals to share with the campers

C - chocolate in the USA is rubbish compared to over here so bring some with you!

theme - things you wish you had known!

D - Down time, I wish I knew to take my down time and not try to be a "super star." My first summer I wore myself out because I stayed in the unit and didn't take my time off.

- Teenster

E - eating I know it sounds basic but most of us don't really eat properly these days so learning to eat 3 meals a day at camp is hard but essential!

theme - things you wish you had know before you went to camp

F- fun times are included in the whole summer, including staff training, but expect that staff training will be long and probably overwhelming. It will get better, but you have to go with it during training week. They have so little time to teach so many things that we need to know. Let them (aka don't ambush the directors in front of the whole group and make it seem as if the whole staff agrees that apparently we can't handle even training week...). I was still in the mode of camp=vacation but does not equal job and I was sooo loving precamp for the first time, so I knew what to expect in the job at this camp and staff training was all just fun for me so I loved it.

wow, must be my evening for ranting...

theme- things you wish you had known before you went to camp

G- Games! Games to fill time, games to teach outdoor basics, games to be silly with, games for inside ( rain or turtle time). I never seem to know enough games!

H - Head, Hands, Heart, and Health. I hate to go all 4H on here, but I have found that the ideas in the 4H pledge are a good model of a camp counselor to keep in mind:
"...my HEAD to clearer thinking
my HEART to greater loyalty
my HANDS to larger service
and my HEALTH to better living..."

If you're always thinking before acting, thinking about the impact of your words and actions, you should be an excellent camp staffer. Your heart to be compassionate to children when they need you, and to your fellow staffers too. Yours hands to help guide, "greater service" by helping others even when not asked to. And health needs to be a priority for you just as much as campers! Please take care of yourselves!

theme- things you wish you had known before you went to camp

I- "I am not in the mood right now" means that you should do what you can/need to get in the mood, whether it is talking to someone, putting it aside for later, or whatever because you need to be there for the campers for the whole week, so taking care of that so you can be fully there the rest of the week, even if it means a few minutes of destress as long as the kids are safe and entertained.

Yeah, can ya tell I'm having a sucky day? At least I'm not working. Actually, right now I'd probably love to be at work because it is at a preschool/daycare so the kids would destress me.

J - Jumping in the lake fully clothed is a perfectly acceptable thing to do! It doesn't matter what your fellow counsellors think it is acceptable!

theme: things you wish you had known!

K-kicking up your feet is about all you will want to do on your 2 hour TO so you won't have time to spend the little money you make, which means that you make about as much as someone working part-time regualar jobs but you spend less!

L - learning to light one match fires is fun even if it is dangerous - but also that the kids love learning to light fires

theme - things you wish you had know before you arrived

M - meal time at camp is not the time for yourself, to take time off, or to worry about your diet. In fact, eat up, because you need all the energy from food that you can get.

N- nothing gets by the kids- I was going to wear a forrest gump shirt my parents brought me from San Fransico or wherever, which I didn't think was bad, but the kids saw it and said ":O Your shirt says stupid on it." Yup, never wore that shirt at camp with the kids there after that. The quote is "stupid is as stupid does"

O - opening mail from home infront of the campers isn't a great idea - especially if you are struggling with homesickness or kids who are upset cos they haven't got mail

theme - things you wsh you had known

One of my camps had campers and staff receive mail at meal times in front of everyone. Which was awesome for people who got mail, and disappointing for those who didn't. Thankfully, they did away with that.

P - Parents, if you meet them, will ask you loads of questions. Sometimes their requests are out of your control. If you don't know how to answer them, be courteous to them and direct them to someone who does.
Sometimes they might get snappy, wonder why you don't know or argue with you, but it's best to just direct them to someone who can help or calmly escort the parent to find someone who can resolve any problems.

theme - things you wsh you had known

Q- quiet time is sacred. Do not interrupt quiet time/rest hour on a day when I need it. Although actually, the kids are more likely to get away with something like whispering on a day when I really need rest hour because as long as they are whispering, I can read but if I have to stop to keep telling them to be quiet or they keep asking me when they can talk, I can't and then i don't get the rejuvination I need. But on other days, oh man, it's quiet time for them because they need it too and that's my job to make sure they get it, but to "let them get away with talking" or "give them a reward" sometimes just has to happen. Like if you know your group will not last through the silent time let them think that you are giving them something really cool that you like more than they do! hehe

wow, my posts are definitely odd today. Oh well.

R - reading material for while you are stuck outside the shower house is a good idea as long as it is camp appropriate!

theme - things you wish you had known!

S- snacks are awesome, but racoons are sneaky, smart little guys and they will find it and it is creepy to know that they have been in your tent. Whatever snacks you buy, make sure to consume on TO or they must be in an AIR-TIGHT container and/or house that doesn't get coons and critters.

theme- things you wish you had known