Well, tomorrow is the end of staff training. All the staff trainings that started in early May and continued with specialized training and, this week, resident training have all come down to tomorrow. After tomorrow evening, the counselors will head out for 24 hours of sleep, peace, and quiet before week 1 begins Sunday. They will be nervous, scared, anxious, excited, and unsure but they will do just fine. As I told my girls today, hundreds have gone before you and been great and they had the same concerns you do. I'd be more concerned if they weren't nervous and anxious. This means that they care, that they want to do a good job. Our weeks have been filled with some challenges, both in staffing and in trying to get prepared. And I've been getting to know my group of counselors and while they are a bit "squirrelly" and unfocused at times, they are so much fun and they are honest and truthful and desire to do a great job. And I had a counselor who experienced a "God moment" yesterday that shook her to the core and, while she's not "religious", she felt like God was saying, quietly, I'm here. Wow! Amazing! Love it!!!
So I've been thinking alot about what goes into a great Tecumseh staff person. There is so much that goes into making this a great experience for the campers that they don't realize all the hard work that goes into the magical experience. The training our counselors go through and the dedication and sacrifice that it takes to love on kids for 9 weeks and give of yourself is extremely hard. Yes, you "play" a lot but they are building up the generation to come. They are teaching level 2 skills and showing kids that they matter and that they are LOVED. There is so much learning that can take place on the rock wall, in the pool, sitting at the dinner table, or even while walking from one place to another. There are God moments and learning moments every day, every where. I told my girls yesterday that it was my job (and others) to fill their cup to the brim so that they could them pour themselves into the kids and their cups would be full so that they could go on and fill the cups of those around them. We help the staff be the best they can be so that they can go out and help those kids be the best they can be.
So what goes into a good staff person?
1. Love-love those kids, love your fellow counselors, and love GOD!
2. Openness-be open to new experiences, new ways of doing things and looking at life, open up to their fellow counselors and campers and allow them to see you, the real you.
3. Faith-You can't get through the summer by yourself. Only through God's strength and the wisdom He'll provide when you have no idea what to do or say to your campers will you make it.
4. Flexibility-Rarely does anything at camp go according to plan. I mean, you're dealing with kids, the outdoors/weather, and a million things could go wrong (or right) at any given moment. Go with the flow!
5. Giving-Give of yourself this summer and God will change you in unexpected ways. He will take your effort and multiply it. Nothing goes unnoticed and without an effect somewhere on someone. Give completely of yourself and you will experience amazing!
6. BE THIRD!- You can't do this job and think only of yourself and expect to get a great experience. You've got to be thinking of others, your campers, your fellow staff members. God is first, the other man is second only to Him, and I am third.
Now, you could not do any of those things and then not realize the full potential of this place to change you and shape you. But put a little hard work into it, do those things, and YOU will be changed by a summer here at camp. It's a real job. It's a hard job. But it's the most rewarding job there is. You will make an impact on kids this summer. They will go away knowing God more because they knew YOU. Go out there and give it all you have and you will be rewarded with, well, everything. I changed my summer as a counselor. I gave it 110%. I am better because of it, different and better. Tomorrow is the cardboard testimony chapel. I'll tell you what my cardboard will say.
"Before camp, I felt like I had to fit into the life I was expected to take."
"Because of camp, I found the freedom to be the person I was meant to be!"
I wouldn't change that for a million bucks!
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