I've been at camp a bit now, we've been setting up the waterfront, putting up tents and getting the property ready for the summer. It already feels like I never left! People have been arriving over the past couple of weeks and we had alumni weekend, from the 6th-9th, where staff, campers and families from the past years of camp come back for a reunion. It was good to see everyone and to get a chance to catch up on months passed. Over the weekend, we spent time preparing and serving food for the alumni, then joined in the festivities. It was an amazing, yet tiring weekend. It was great to see the lifelong friendships that we are always told about, right before our eyes.
Even though I've been back for a couple of weeks now, I still remember last year like it was yesterday. Meeting people at the hostel in New York, waiting nervously for the bus to pick us up and gazing out the windows to catch a glimpse of the amazing property which was soon to change me. As we pulled up there were returning staff waiting for us, helping unload the bus and get us settled in our rooms. Fast forward 12 months and it was me unloading those bags and bringing new counsellors into the camp family.
Sunday marked the day of new staff arrivals!! On Sunday, we spent the day finishing off alumni weekend with a brunch, then organising and preparing for the new counsellors to arrive. Last year we all moved in to a big building with all overnight, pioneer village and day camp staff together. This year we, as day camp, moved straight into our accommodation for the summer, which is called Lakeside. There are two of us in each room and I have a new counsellor called Charlotte as my room mate, who I'm excited to get to know. We gave everyone a tour of camp then had dinner together. It's different to see so many new faces around, and to adjust to being the one showing people around and telling them about camp, rather than a new, timid, staff member as I was last year. After dinner, we got to know a little bit about each other then had an early night to prepare for 'Aquatics week' which starts tomorrow. This is where all the new staff train to be lifeguards!
Aquatics week consisted of American Red Cross lifeguarding school which took everyone through rescues, rules, regulations, CPR and other general waterfront training. After a week that has been hot and sunny 10% of the time, and wet and freezing 90% of the time, we now have about 50 new lifeguards! Now that everybody is lifeguard trained, we commence orientation week!
Stay tuned....
Jess
:)
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