Required Qualifications
Administrators are expected to have had camping experience and often have come up through the ranks during summers as campers, CITs, and junior counselors. Career administrators also are expected to have bachelor's degrees, or higher, in fields related to camping, such as outdoor education, recreation, physical education, and even business administration.
Camp administrators are expected to have excellent organizational skills as well as people skills. They must be familiar with their organization's philosophy and be prepared to foster it.
Written and oral skills are a must, and more and more these days, computer skills are required.
Assignment Lengths
It is more common to find camp administration jobs that are full-time. Although the arrangements will differ with each organization--from the director who lives on-site at a resident camp year-round to the administrator who is based in a city office-- many top administrative positions offer permanent, secure year-round careers.
Some organizations might require their administrators to split their time between the resident or day camp during the spring and summer months and the headquarters office during the offseason. Duties will range from hands-on programming and supervision while at camp to budgeting, recruiting, training, and policy setting in the off-season.
Salaries for Administrators
Salaries will vary a great deal depending upon the hiring organization and its budget, the administrator's duties, and the particular position held. The range can be anywhere from $10,000 to $45,000 a year.
Fringe benefits, in addition to the usual health plans and vacation and sick leaves, can also include room and board during the camping season. Some private camps may provide opportunities to buy into the business and share profits.
Career Advancement
Qualified camp administrators can move into executive positions with nonprofit agencies or become directors at larger camps. They can move up the ladder as regional or national administrators of or consultants to related associations, or become part or full owners in camps or conference centers.
Firsthand Accounts
Julie Casanave, Program Director
Julie Casanave has a long history with summer camp. In 1981 she started as a camper at Camp Newfound for Girls in Harrison, Maine, and then became a junior counselor in 1987. From 1988 to 1992 she was a cabin counselor; from 1990 to 1992 the head of the boat dock; in 1992 head of the Challenge Camper Program; and then in 1996 she became program director. She earned her B.A. in English in 1992 from Principia College in Elsah, Illinois.
Off-season Julie is a publications manager for a communications training company. This has kept her busy from 1992 to 1996. She was able to work out a leave of absence this past summer. Prior to 1992 she was a student and had her summers free.
How Julie Got Started
"Camp Newfound is an overnight summer camp for kids who go to Christian Science Sunday School. The camp runs for seven weeks. Kids come for the first three weeks, the last four weeks, or all seven weeks.
"Obviously, I just about grew up at Newfound. My interest in working there comes entirely out of my love for the place. It was a natural evolution for me to step into the counselor role after so many years as a camper. I loved what the camp experience did for me as a child, and I wanted to give back what I got. Besides, you can't really beat spending summers outside-in the sun on a lake playing with kids.
"Camps provide a remarkable opportunity for growth for kids, and being a part of it just makes me feel great. I never wonder if I'm doing something worthwhile."
Being a Program Director
"I was program director this past summer. That means that I was in charge of making sure everyone was having fun. My job involved making sure kids were taking the activities they wanted and that counselors were teaching them well. I was also in charge of coming up with rainy day activity ideas. I worked with the program director of the boys' camp (owned by the same people) to create and organize all-camp co-ed activities for the Fourth of July, the Olympics, weekly socials, beach parties, and other events.
"It's not bad being in charge of fun, but it is hard work. I never knew if my well-planned ideas would fly or not. There are all sorts of variables I couldn't plan for. I couldn't predict how they would affect my ideas: Would the weather cooperate? Would all the necessary equipment be available, and would it work? Would the counselors participate and lead the activities as I expected? Would the kids respond to the activities as I hoped? I never knew the answers to all these questions.
"Because of that, I had to be flexible, to be spontaneous, to lean on others, to delegate, to not feel overly responsible for making sure everyone was having a good time, and to know the difference between what I did or didn't have control over. I learned to appreciate the variables. Sometimes things worked out better than I could've anticipated."
A Typical Day
6:00 A.M. Shower, dress, spend some time getting inspired for the day. Make last-minute adjustments to today's schedule and make copies for counselors.
7:00 All-staff meeting. Director shares inspirational reading makes announcements. I hand out revised schedule and make sure everyone knows what classes they're teaching. I remind social committee that they're meeting with the boys' social committee after fourth period to start decorating for the dance.
7:30 Flag raising, breakfast.
8:75 To main office to discuss what else needs to go into the newsletter that goes to all the parents.
9:00 Morning meeting. Everyone gathers in Lower Lodge for thirty minutes of inspirational reading, singing, and sharing of ideas. I make announcements about today: remind kids to sign up during free period to choose their next week's activities; tonight's Hawaiian luau dance with the boys.
9:45 Work out activity choices for sign-up. Make copies for everyone. Talk to counselors in charge of sign-up, and make sure they know what's expected.
11:00 Make calls about next week's entertainer. Talk to boys' program director about social: Are dinner details in place? Does the kitchen staff know what they're supposed to be doing? Write one more newsletter article.
Noon Lunch.
1:00 P.M. Rest hour (this is sacred!).
2:00 Create next week's calendar to hand out at tomorrow's staff meeting.
3:00 Talk with director about offering a softball clinic next week.
3:30 Revise sign-up choices to accommodate softball clinic. Make new copies.
4:00 Oversee sign-ups in Lower Lodge. Check out each camper as they leave the lodge.
5:00 Review master camper schedule. Is every girl signed up for something? Work out any conflicts. Advise campers and/or counselors of any changes.
6:00 Join social committee to help decorate for dance.
6:30 Dinner starts. Help kitchen staff move shish kebabs, etc., to outdoor barbecue pits.
7:45 Dance starts. Have some fun!
9:00 Begin "pucker patrol" (my favorite part of dances).
10:00 Dance ends. Start clean-up.
11:00 To bed. Make some notes about revising tomorrow after-noon's activities. It's supposed to rain.
The Upsides and Downsides
"I most like the camaraderie among staff and seeing kids have fun. I like least that there is very little down time. Also, I feel as if most of my interaction with people is business related. I rarely feel free enough to just chat with people (staff or kids)."
Advice from Julie
"A camp job is like nothing else in the world. If you're tottering on the line about whether or not to take a camp job, do it. Do it while you're young-in high school, college, or as a recent grad. You probably won't have the energy (or schedule) for it later. The things you learn about yourself are invaluable. And the skills you develop are strong, tangible, transferable skills.
"What you'll learn at a camp about working with people and run-ning a program will stand you in good stead wherever you end up.
"But working at a camp is not a vacation. It's a unique sort of community that fosters strong relationships and forces you to grow.
"The qualities you'll need? You should be an initiative taker, resourceful, someone who pays attention to and follows through on details. Someone who can make a plan and implement it or be willing to change it at the last minute. You either need to have enough energy to do it all yourself or have good powers of delegation. You also need to be willing to fail and not take it personally. Learn from it and move on."
On Getting a Job
"Certainly being a camper first gives you a huge advantage when thinking about being a counselor. You can adjust to the role of counselor more quickly because you understand what the camp experience is like. You know the traditions and understand the systems.
"But it's certainly not a given that if you were a camper you'd be hired as a counselor at the same camp. There are plenty of campers I wouldn't want to see on staff! But our strongest staff members are usually the ones who have some history with us.
"In terms of whether it helps in actually getting the job, I'm not involved in the hiring process, but I can say that most of the staff had some type of camp experience before being a counselor. I can think of only three or four out of thirty who hadn't been to a camp before. I don't think that means that we've turned away people because they haven't had camp experience. I think it only means that those with camp experience are mostly the ones who apply. Usually the prospect of living with someone else's children for two months for practically no pay doesn't appeal to someone who has not been to camp before.
"I don't think not having been to a camp will preclude you from getting a counselor job. Having been to camp, however, will make your understanding of and transition to the job a bit easier. Employers will look for some kind of previous work with children. We look for people who can love kids, keep them disciplined appropriately, and teach a skill. Any concrete evidence of your attitude, creativity, and energy will help get you the job."
Tracy Larroude, Camp Director
During the school year Tracy Larroude is a classroom teacher at Hodge Elementary School in Savannah, Georgia. The camp at which she is director-Hodge Summer Computer Camp-is a two-week summer day camp, offered to all children in the Chatham County School District.
Tracy has a B.A. in recreational studies and a master's in early childhood education.
How Tracy Got Started
"In June of 1993 I did an internship for my undergraduate degree at a camp for overweight children. I was a student intern, so it was not difficult to get the job. This is my first year working at a computer camp. I was offered this camp job by my principal. The person who ran the camp last year changed schools. I believe that I was offered the job because I have a strong knowledge of computers."
What the Work Is Like
'The job is very demanding in the months before the camp and less demanding when the camp is going on. In the months before the camp, I have to hire the staff, order materials, make the bro-chure, and place the children into the classes. To hire the staff, I have all interested teachers write proposals of what they want to do and how they are going to utilize technology in their class.
"After hiring the teachers, I have them order what materials they need. After the classes are in order, we send the brochures to all of the elementary schools in the district. This year, we had an overwhelming response, and unfortunately we could only take about half of the applicants."
A Typical Day
"Once all of the 'hard work' is done, the actual camp work is easier. During a typical day I will go to the classes and monitor the teachers and see if they need any help with computers, printers, software, etc. I also monitor the children and make sure all of them are demonstrating good behavior. Our camp is for two weeks from 9:00 A.M. to 12:15 P.M., and many of the children do not come from our school, so we have to closely monitor them.
"I usually come in about 8:30 A.M. and leave about 1:30 P.M. The atmosphere is much more relaxed than the regular school year. The classes are smaller and the kids enjoy what they are doing on the computer-99 percent of the time!"
The Downsides
'The downside is dealing with parents who expect the world. This is a free camp for the students, and some of our parents don't seem to appreciate what we are doing.
"Another downside is working with the staff. That was the most difficult part of running the camp for me. Most of the time they are cooperative, but there are always some who are not. I am a teacher during the school year along with them, so sometimes it is difficult to tell them what to do and what not to do.
"It is also difficult dealing with deadlines, budgets, and rules, and it is even more difficult having to relay them to peers.
"I definitely like being able to order the best materials (twelve color printers, three computers, and software), knowing that next year we will be able to use the materials in the classroom. But I dislike all the paperwork!"
Advice from Tracy
"Start early and create a database of all students, with phone numbers, addresses, classes, and other important information. This makes it much easier to access information."
The Skills You'll Need
"To be the camp director of a computer camp you need to have very strong computer skills. Many problems arise with hardware, so the director needs to be familiar with basic troubleshooting. We are fortunate enough to have our computers under warranty, so there is a person who will fix problems too hard for me. For example, we had a disk stuck in a drive and a monitor that was not working. The tech came out and fixed both problems within twenty-four hours. My job is to survey the problem and fix it, if possible. And if I can't fix it, call the tech. My only problem is that we have PCs and Macs at our camp. I am a PC person so the Mac problems are difficult for me; I have to rely on another teacher to help me.
"I believe that to be a camp director you need to have very strong people skills. I talk with parents in the morning and the afternoon, and there is not a day that goes past when there is not some type of request. The purpose of our camp is to recruit children to come to our school, so I am always trying to listen and adjust to the needs of the parents and students. I believe that you have to be outgoing, friendly, happy, and confident that you have an A+ summer camp."
Scott Edgecombe, Counselor, Drama Director, Program Director
Scott Edgecombe has been working in camps in a variety of capacities for more than seven years. He earned his B.A. in English from Ontario University of Western Ontario in 1991.
How Scott Got Started
"I spent seven years pursuing an acting career in Los Angeles before I found out that kids were the real reason I was put on this earth.
"I have been going to camps and working in them since 1977.1 have been a CIT, a counselor, and a program director.
"I applied to be a volunteer counselor for Camp Laurel, an overnight camp for kids living with HIV/AIDS here in Los Angeles, but when they saw my experience, I was offered the program director job.
"At first I was hesitant, but I needed the money at the time. From that point I never looked back. I spent the next two years running the program for three camps and falling in love with the kids of Camp Laurel.
'This past summer I spent my first session with the camp as just a counselor. I certainly do not belittle the role by saying just. The week I spent with those kids changed my life, and I came back to the city, quit my acting career, and have decided to spend my life giving as many kids as possible the chance to go to camp and be a kid. In that week I changed lives forever, and in return, found my life that I had not yet realized was inside me. It's for the kids."
What the Job Is Like
"I love working with kids, and this is where they get to be themselves and just have fun. For me it's a chance to make new friends and be a big brother for the week. It's the only job I have ever had where I get ten times as much in return for all my work. How could you not want that all the time?
'The actual days as program director were pretty stressful for me because I let it get to me. I had to make sure everyone was where they should be for the entire week. When someone was confused, they came to me. When there were any questions, I had to guide them, and I spent most my time watching them way too closely, not trusting they could handle it on their own. From 7:00 A.M. to 1:00 A.M. each day, I was worrying about how the next hour would run. The actual camp is much harder than the paperwork!
'The upside is the kids. The downside is not getting to know them well enough because you are busy making sure they are having fun. I also hate disciplining people. The salary isn't great either, it's enough to eat, sleep, and go out once a week."
Advice from Scott
"You need to love what you do with all your heart. It's not a job, but a position you decide to take in a child's life. Years from now those kids will remember you; it's up to you to decide what they will remember."
