Category: Staff Corner

We have started a new format for connecting with staff this year and are holding monthly meetings via Zoom as a way to see each other (think mini-reunion!) and discuss pertinent topics of interest relating to camp.  Recently we asked 4 alums to join us and share their insight on how working as a counselor at Woodland or Towering Pines has benefited their career (and life!) success.  Let me just say that we were BLOWN AWAY by what our panelists shared – each person had very specific skills and experiences learned at camp that transferred to the ‘real world’, be it in the workplace or at home and raising a family.

Let me introduce you to Becky Coady Langton (on right in above photo), a former camper/staff member and now camp parent, who was one of two Camp Woodland representatives on the panel.  Becky was a camper for one year as a CIT in 1988 and worked several summers as a cabin counselor teaching gymnastics and anything that involved “jumping around.”  She is an exercise physiologist and currently works as an instructor in the Health and Fitness Science Division of Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh, North Carolina. Becky’s two kids, Sydney and Sam, attended camp for the first time this past summer!

Becky recalls gaining confidence and the ability to publicly speak as skill sets that were most developed during her time as a staff member.  She feels that this pushed her ahead of her peers, many of whom today have an intense fear of speaking in front of others.  Becky finds that having the ability to work with diverse experience and talent levels and massaging that atmosphere in way so that everyone is having fun (even if all you have is a paper bag!) were some of the biggest takeaways from her camp experience.  Camp certainly is the stage for learning how to make the best of every situation!

Becky teaches about the positive effects of exercise and a healthy lifestyle on longevity and chronic disease prevention.  One of the things that speaks to Becky the most about her experience at camp is being active and always doing something.  In the health world, physical activity rounds out and provides balance along with the emotional, social, environmental, intellectual, spiritual, financial and occupational dimensions of the wellness model.  Becky allows how all of these areas melded together describe the camp experience on steroids!  She attributes being at camp on her own without her tribe and THRIVING was a catalyst for her to seek out a career in health science and promotion.  So cool!

When talking about different aspects of applying for a job, Becky reminded us how important the first phone call can be because this is when the applicant has the opportunity to engage in a conversation with a potential employer and share about themselves.  According to Becky, the candidates who do this best find their voice, find their WHY and know in their gut what they want to do and are connected to it.  Being able to then verbalize who they are in a way so that the person conducting the interview can FEEL the energy and passion is what helps a person stand out from the masses of job candidates.  Becky believes the “amazingness” within each person that fuels this energy and passion grows at camp.  Being leaders of crazy and fun and being children ourselves as camp counselors fosters that amazingness!  So true!

Becky also pointed out how being able to communicate well verbally, utilize active listening and motivational interviewing, and understand nuances such as making eye contact and offering a firm handshake count as social collateral in a world where people are lacking in these areas.  This is another chance for job applicants with work experience at camp to shine because face-to-face interactions and being unplugged are the norm and not the exception.  Working at camp nourishes the exact skills that make for a strong candidate in just about any career field!

Next up – meet Rachel Davidson in Part 2 of how working at camp translates to the real world!

The summer is almost over and camping days will be through;

We’d like to express our appreciation and say THANK YOU!!!

For the many times you lent a camper your helping hand;

For Lip Sync and Song Contest you tirelessly did plan.

For tucking campers into bed each and every night;

And helping them to overcome a small or large and scary fright.

For singing all those crazy camp songs;

Or just helping girls try to get along.

For taking campers on really awesome canoe trips;

And teaching girls to ride and giving them tennis tips.

For searching high and low for a gold painted rock;

Or helping campers dive from Woodland’s very own dock.

For going along to Cathy’s and eating a scoop or two;

(A counselor’s example is something important for all to do!)

For the spirit displayed at Olympics and Saturday night shows;

The difference you made? Sometimes you’ll just never know!

For zany campfires and wild things done to your hair;

For all the little things you do to show you really care.

For being hostess, making coffee, and just being on the ball;

For putting your arm around a child, a simple gesture says it all.

We Created Our Own Scene at Woodland in 2017;

Cheers to the super star counselors and staff – our dream team!

So here is a toast for everything you do;

From the bottom of our hearts we say THANK YOU!

From taco bar to lasagna, we had amazing food to eat;

The kitchen staff worked hard to keep us going on our feet.

For Chet this was year thirty-four and he knows all;

Together with Evan they are always on call.

Jess & Amy, our camp nurses of multiple years;

 We are grateful for their smile and words of good cheer.

Jess teaches girls to swim and ski, yes it is true;

Aman is the gal who takes the little ones on hikes and to Farm Zoo.

Daphne scores targets and wears camo from time to time.

To Silver Birch this terrific trio brings love & sunshine.

Jackie saves bread tags for Treetops in case you didn’t know;

Colette has many talents and always goes with the flow.

Arantxa can be found at the courts and helping campers take aim;

Ffion is keen in crafts and drama and to camp we are glad she came.

Grace can flip, ride and sail and do it all you see.

From Driftwood to Starshine, she made the move with ease.

Qualifier rounds and Rec Swim keep Caroline on the move;

It’s on the dock and at the Rec Hall where Elena finds her groove.

Paige summons Zulu and is the queen of sail race;

While Sofia teaches girls to swim and at canoeing she is an ace.

Sam gets up early to take care of her campers at the barn;

Then off Tamarack she goes to share her wit and charm.

Kate is a gal of the ring for riding is what she does best;

Chelsea posts pics on Instagram and is at the barn with the rest.

Claire sails on the high seas and goes to coed show practice at night;

Tori takes charge of Rec Swim – having her here is such a delight.

Alexis has a love for tie-dye and teaching ducks to swim in a pool;

Add Regina to the mix – with the CIT’s they have kept their cool.

Spoon assassins for Natalie and teaching tennis, too;

Sara is dying for more pancakes and her very own canoe.

Thanks to Calla and program notes we know what is coming next;

We can’t forget about Olympics and Co-Ed Show, she simply is the best.

For all this and more we thank-you for everything you’ve done;

Without you at Woodland, summer days wouldn’t have been as much fun!

Now that the summer is over and camping days all through;

We’d like to express our appreciation and say THANK YOU!!!

For the many times you lent a camper your helping hand;

For Lip Sync and Song Contest you tirelessly did plan.

For tucking campers into bed each and every night;

And helping them to overcome a small or large and scary fright.

For singing all those crazy camp songs;

Or just helping girls try to get along.

For taking campers on really awesome canoe trips;

And teaching girls to ride and giving them tennis tips.

For searching high and low for a gold painted rock;

Or helping campers dive from Woodland’s very own dock.

For going along to Cathy’s and eating a scoop or two;

(A counselor’s example is something important for all to do!)

For the spirit displayed at Olympics and Saturday night shows;

The difference you made? Sometimes you’ll just never know!

For zany campfires and wild things done to your hair;

For all the little things you did to show you really care.

For being hostess, making coffee, and just being on the ball;

For putting your arm around a child, a simple gesture said it all.

So here is a toast for everything you do;

From the bottom of our hearts we say THANK YOU!

From taco bar to lasagna, we had amazing food to eat;

The kitchen staff worked hard to keep us going on our feet.

For Chet this was year thirty-three and he knows all;

“It’s not about me” was his famous call.

Amy was our nurse for a second summer this year;

 We are grateful for her smile and words of good cheer.

Everything Clicked at Woodland in 2016;

Cheers to the super star counselors – our dream team!

Jess taught girls to swim and dive, yes it is true;

Alexis led us in animal care at Farm Zoo.

Jackie was at the beach and gave the Silver Birch girls lots of TLC;

While Grace was flipping, riding and sailing and could do it all you see.

Katelyn could be found at the barn and helping campers take aim;

Fer had talents in crafts and dance and to camp we are glad she came.

Claire sailed on the high seas and had campers run laps at night;

While Sofia taught dance moves and her creativity is out of sight.

Paige drove the crash boat and hoisted many a sail up a mast;

Jenny was queen of the courts and Woodland plays were such a blast.

Ana escorted girls to Mass and calls to Mexico she did make;

Ceci spent most of her days at the beach on Sand Lake.

Tori and the Starshine girls did just fine;

Regina scored targets and always kept her campers in line.

Mera had a love for overnight camping and wet canoe trips;

To the archery range and canoe dock Caroline did skip.

Grace was up and at ‘em early and took care of her campers at the barn;

Then up the hill she went to share her wit and charm.

For Natalie there is nothing this girl can’t do;

Add Sara to the mix and they made quite a crew.

Thanks to Calla and program notes we knew just what to do;

We can’t forget about Olympics and Co-Ed Show, too.

For all this and more we THANK YOU for everything you’ve done;

Without you at Woodland summer days wouldn’t have been as much fun!

Grace cares for 4- and 2-legged friends

This person mentioned that Harvard was launching a project to “Make Caring Common”.  Through an article online, I discovered that intent of this project is to “help educators, parents, and communities raise children who are caring, responsible to their communities, and committed to justice.  Leading colleges and universities are joining together to reshape the college admissions process and promote concern for others and the common good.” (Click here to read more…)

Sam promotes respect for the outdoors and nature

The first thing that crossed my mind when I read this post-conference is that any student who has “camp counselor” on her resume, should automatically rocket to the top of the college application pile!  At Camp Woodland, we are all about caring and being responsible to our community.  Because caring for one another is so important, we build the foundation for this to happen starting on the very first day campers arrive.

Sara instills confidence at the Ropes Course

Counselors are key to helping cabins create a contract that encompasses ideals to live by such as respect, honesty, enthusiasm (and FUN!).  We honor this pact and the family (community) we will become through a special Cabin Unity Campfire.  We revisit this contract often throughout the summer to stay true to the promise we made to each other.  Caring for the common good of others is definitely a common practice at camp!

Once in college, there is a lot of pressure for students to pursue an internship as a stepping stone to get into graduate school or to land a job post-graduation.  Returning to camp summer after summer can be a challenging decision for staff to make because it doesn’t seem possible that such a “fun” job can prepare someone for the real world.

Sofia teaches teamwork in dance class

What is interesting to note; however, is that the skills that are at the top of the list for job success include creativity, flexibility/adaptability, initiative, teamwork, leadership, responsibility, critical thinking, and problem solving…just to name a FEW!  These are the skills that will help you to get a job, keep a job, and advance in your career.  While it may be compelling to consider an internship or other job preparation this summer, working at camp provides specific training and experience in these very same competencies!

 Katelyn guides campers to

Are there skills/experiences are you hoping to obtain through  internship opportunities that we could help you cultivate at camp?  There are many leadership roles at Camp Woodland…we would be happy to see if there is something that would help you on your path to your desired career goals!

by Jenny de la Fuente

There is something very mystical that I still don’t quite understand about my summers at Camp Woodland for Girls. Even though every summer appears to be very similar to previous summers, every year I learn something completely new about myself.

Jenny Celebrates 10 yrs

I have been going to Camp Woodland for ten consecutive summers since I was 13 years old. Woodland keeps old traditions alive from year to year; we sing Princess Pat after dinner and go on nature walks in the Climax Forest. We get excited about Song Contest and hope that our song will get picked for Co-ed Show. We work hard to get that flip right for the gymnastics shows or to play in the TP/Woodland Tennis exchange. It seems like summers blend together making separate memories become a single journey. How can a place where campers return summer after summer allow you to learn so much about yourself?

Cousins

Camp is a place that permits you to learn about yourself in so many different ways. My first summer I learned that it is okay not to be fluent in English because at camp everyone understood that it is not my first language, and they encouraged me to keep practicing. Camp is place where you challenge yourself everyday by going outside of your comfort zone. It is actually very gratifying to know you have the courage to explore new things. Camp Woodland is the place where I have met the most amazing people and where I’ve made friendships that will last my entire life.

Final Banquet Tennis Awards

Camp Woodland is the place where you let go of the stress and pressures of daily life. The only things that you actually have to worry about are having fun, being yourself, and doing cabin clean up every morning. At camp you get the chance to connect with nature and leave technology behind. It is a great feeling to be with the people you are supposed to be with and do the things you are supposed to be doing at any given moment. Something that I personally find so hard to do these days!

My days at camp have been the happiest of my life so far, and I can’t wait to go back and create some new memories for myself and live new experiences that will allow me to grow as a person.