Hey Camp Fans!
We’ve been having a blast sharing all your great responses to our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest right here on the Everything Summer Camp Blog. After our seven lucky winners, everyone else who submitted received a $15 gift certificate to our online store! Today’s post is from Angela D. (or should I say Wisp), who wrote in to tell us about her summer as a staff member at Camp Cahinnio. Here’s her submission:
“I recently worked as a staff member at a Girl Scout camp here in Arkansas. Located in Booneville, Camp Cahinnio is a snug little camp nestled into the woods. This was my first year working as a staff member there and it was an amazing experience. We had a week or so of pre-camp training where all the employees worked together to clean up the camp for campers and learn the essentials to caring for campers needs. Pre-camp also gave us a lot of time to bond before campers came. Each staff member whether a cook or
a counselor had their own camp name. My camp name was Wisp. My favorite part of training week was getting to stay in the platform tents that we call Tipi. This area had wooden platforms with an open tent set on each platform. It was the first time I had really slept out in the open like that because I have only ever camped in tents before. The best part was getting to walk a few people that I worked with who had never used a latrine to the latrines. Every time they would make me giggle because of the funny things they would comment about.
lI was a unit counselor for our BA unit, which stands for Broken Arrow. This unit housed the youngest of the girls that attended camp. The girls were usually aged six to eight years of age and they were cute to work with. Our BA girls stayed in air conditioned cabins, but they were not allowed to let the A/C go down past 70 because that would make them sick.
lMy largest challenge came the first week we had girls at camp. Some of our girls came to us saying their was a giant spider in their cabin. Another counselor and I walked into their cabin to find this really enormous spider crawling up their wall. I was terrified because I do NOT like spiders. I took the little child sized broom and let the big spider crawl on it and then put it outside. I think it helps me to be brave when there is someone there who needs more comforting than me.
lOverall, I had a lot of fun. I spent about five or so weeks there and it was a really great experience. Depending on what all is going on in my life next year I might sign up to be a unit counselor again. It was a growing experience and I hope that I helped to better the futures of the young girls I camped with.”
Glad to hear your camp experience as a staff member was such a great time for you—everything except the part about the spider. If any readers out there are interested in joining the Girl Scouts in Camp Cahinnio or becoming a staff member there, check it out sometime. As always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks!
- John