It is always exciting this time of year, as I receive confirmations from our returning staff and begin putting together our staff for the coming summer. Here is the first of our Camp Staff 2010 bios!

Courtenay, our Head Counselor

Courtenay is a self-proclaimed camp “lifer” who previously worked at Grippen Lake Camp and Camp Iawha before joining the Maple Key staff in 2009 as our Sprouts Sr. Counselor. In addition to her considerable camp experience, she is also an elementary teacher and brings a wealth of new ideas and energy to everything she does.

As 2010 Head Counselor, Courtenay will have a leadership role among the staff and will help plan special events. She will continue to work with a group of campers (age group yet to be determined) but will also spend some of her time leading training sessions for LITs and providing ideas and support to other counselors. When you arrive at camp to drop off or pick up your child, Courtenay will be the staff member there to greet you.

Welcome back, Courtenay!

Here’s a little gift for my returning staff, as well as past and present MKDC campers… can you think of any more? Comment below to add your own!

You Know You’re A Camp Person If…

• Everything you own has your initials on it.
• Most of your stories start with “and then there was this time at camp….”
• Sharpies, pens and duct tape are worth more than gold.
• You can make up a song/cheer about anything.
• For Staff: You feel naked without a Walkie-Talkie strapped to your body.
• You have started a collection of outfits for possible colour war themes.
• Your year only has two seasons – Summer and Non-Summer.
• You know how to whip up your own playdough… in case of emergency!
• Everyone in your family wears jewelry that you made at camp

The interviews are the most important part of our hiring process for camp staff. This is when we really get a feel for who you are as an individual, and get an idea of how you might fit into our camp family. I know going to a job interview can be intimidating, but it is important to remember that we want you to do well, too. Good interviews are much more pleasant for everyone! Here are some tips for how you can prepare for your interview with us.

1. Think carefully about why you want to work at camp. Camp is much more than a job for me, and I want to work with people who feel the same way. Be prepared to discuss why working at camp is a good fit for you.
2. Please take the time to browse our website (if you are reading this, it’s a good sign!) and find out more about us before you come to the interview. Not only does it help you focus your answers to the questions we will ask, but it also helps you decide if you are a good fit for the type of program we run.
3. If you have any questions about our camp, please feel free to write them down and bring them with you. I want to make sure you have all the information you need before you decide if you want to work with us.
4. Be prepared and on time. There is no quicker way to set a bad impression than showing up late.
5. Be ready to tell us (in detail!) about your previous experiences working with children.
6. Most importantly, come prepared to show your personality. We are looking for outgoing, interesting, confident counselors.

When our campers graduate from our regular program, those who are interested in taking their camp experience to the next level are encouraged to apply for the MKDC leadership program. First is the Leader-In-Training (LIT) position, which helps campers to gain experience as a role model for our younger campers while building valuable life skills. Fifteen year olds who have successfully completed the LIT program will be invited to become Counselors-In-Training. CITs perform many of the duties of a Jr. Counselor while continuing to receive guidance and training.

Besides having the opportunity to continue to grow and have fun at camp, there are many benefits to MKDC’s leadership program:

1. For a kid who has grown up at camp, becoming an LIT is an opportunity to discover the other side of camp life – to experience some of the planning that goes on behind the scenes to make camp magic happen. Taking part in the staff secrets behind such events as colour war is an exciting feeling for former campers.
2. Young teens (13-15) aren’t old enough for most jobs yet, but are feeling the pressure to begin building job experience. Camp leadership training provides them with valuable job experience and skills they can put on their resume. CITs who successfully complete the program also have a “foot in the door” to becoming a future full staff member at Maple Key.
3. LITs learn a variety of important life skills while they are at camp. Empathy, responsibility, confidence, and teamwork are all heavily emphasized at in the leadership program. Whether LITs plan to become camp counselors or not, these skills will serve them well in both their work and personal lives.
4. All Leaders-In-Training receive a formal evaluation at the end of the summer, in addition to regular check-in points throughout the camp session. This encourages real growth in a short period of time, as well as providing a written evaluation that can be kept in the LITs portfolio and used as a written letter of reference.
5. Being an LIT is fun! Leaders-In-Training get to continue to participate in the camp activities they love, plus take on special responsibilities such as refereeing the (very funny!) counselor hunt. Isn’t that better than sitting at home?

With the holidays barely behind us, for most campers and parents the summer probably seems a long way off. For us camp directors though, the planning and hard work has already started. Scheduling, staff recruitment, and program planning are all very much underway. This YouTube video is a great illustration of just how soon summer will return to us.

Our winter newsletter and march break registration package were mailed out on Friday. Did you receive yours? Please comment and let us know. If you do not receive a package and would like one, please contact us.

As the summer approaches, there are few things more exciting for me than going through the many applications we receive from talented, interesting people who are vying for the chance to work with us at camp.

I love reading cover letters and resumes, and imagining what each persons talents and experience would contribute to the enjoyment of our campers. But we also receive a few applications that unfortunately leave me wondering… “What were they thinking?”

Many of our applicants are highschool students who may not have much experience in responding to job listings. So please, future applicants, read this carefully. Your application is the first thing I see, and is what helps me decide who will be chosen for an interview.

1. Please follow the instructions on our application page and on the application carefully. This is the first test to see if you are Maple Key material. All of our staff must be thorough and able to follow directions.
2. We require certain qualifications in order for you to work at camp, which are listed on our hiring portal. Make sure that you have highlighted these qualifications on your resume. If it looks like you don’t have these required skills, we won’t call you.
3. Be detailed. Your application package needs to help us form a picture of who you are. I can’t tell you how many resumés I have looked at that list the place of employment and name of position, with either just a few bullet points underneath or no explanation at all. I don’t just want to know that you’ve had jobs before this one,  I want to know what skills you have developed at those jobs. List the dates of employment, explain what your responsibilities were, and what you learned. The same applies to volunteer positions and co-op placements. If you are new to writing a resume, (or even if you aren’t!) Job Explorer is a valuable resource.
4. Babysitting IS work experience! Don’t leave it off your resume. What shows more about your character than someone trusting you with their children? Especially when you are applying to work with children?
5. If you send your application via e-mail, please use the same care you would use if you were sending via snail mail. That means using proper address and signing your name. We expect our counselors to communicate in a professional way. (And by the way, consider what message an e-mail address like hottie2432@whatever.com is sending to us!)
6. We need to know that you are grown-up and mature enough to handle being a role model for children. Please handle all aspects of the application process yourself. That means NOT getting your parents to call or email on your behalf. We are hiring you, not your parents!
7. Use proper formatting, and attach your resume in doc or pdf form. Resumes that have been pasted directly into the e-mail are difficult to read or print.
8. Don’t be afraid to let your personality come through in your cover letter. We need camp staff who are outgoing, interesting, and confident in who they are.
9. There really is no excuse for typos, spelling or grammar errors on your resume, application form or cover letter. Take the time to proofread, use the spell check… get a buddy to read it over for you. Show you care enough to get it right.
10. If you are unsure about something, please just ask. We are happy to answer your questions, especially if the result will be a better application.

Working at camp is an amazing experience, but it’s not for everyone. Do you have the right stuff to be a counselor? Here are just a few questions you should ask yourself before applying to work with us. (Hint: These are also the types of things we might discuss in an interview!)

• Can you put the needs of others before your own?
• Are you comfortable acting silly in front of others?
• Do you have a lot of patience?
• Can you stay unplugged (NO cell phone or iPod) for the whole work day?
• Do people often describe you as caring, honest, respectful, and responsible?
• Are you a hard worker?
• Do you genuinely enjoy spending time with children?
• Are you organized?
• Do you have lots of energy, and a great imagination?

Working as a camp counselor is hard work, but it is also very rewarding, and a whole lot of fun! If you think you have what it takes to be part of the Maple Key team, download our application form and send it to us with your resume. We look forward to meeting with you!

I worked at a few different camps before I started Maple Key. I’ve also had many other types of summer jobs, including working in a greenhouse, serving dinner at weddings, and managing a computer database. While I gained valuable experience from all of these jobs, the camp positions I held (as both a counselor and activity specialist) were by far the most challenging, but also the most memorable. Camp provides an environment unlike any other, with so many opportunities to develop new skills. You could use your summer vacation simply as an opportunity to make money, or you can make the choice to do something more. If you’ve never worked at camp, here are some reasons you should consider working with us:

1. Working at camp will help you to develop experience working with children. I’m probably starting with the obvious, but there is more to this than you think. Yes, gaining camp experience is very useful for students who are interested in a career in education, but also child care, child psychology, social work, athletics, recreation, tourism, or health care. Most importantly though, camp experience is excellent training for anyone who will eventually become a parent!
2. Working at camp builds teamwork skills. Yes, you have to work as a team as part of most jobs, but camp takes the challenge to the next level. Camp requires you to problem solve as a group on a regular basis, and provides many opportunities to learn to both follow and lead.
3. Camp is a healthy, active environment. It is well documented that staying active will improve your health, reduce stress, and increase your productivity in all areas of your life. Will you get that opportunity working in an office or fast food joint?
4. Camp counselors learn to specialize in “soft skills” – those qualities that allow you to work effectively with others. Soft skills are essential to becoming a valuable employee, regardless of what field you hope to enter.
5. The work you do at camp will have a lasting effect on the lives of your campers.  Nothing is more satisfying than knowing that you have helped a child to make a friend, or to develop a new skill.
6. You will build new friendships and memories. One of the most frequent comments I hear from staff after camp is that the summer was successful because of the bonds that form between staff. Our counselors are carefully chosen with the team as a whole in mind. When you have a happy, energetic group of people all working towards a common goal – this is where the magic happens.

True Story: It really says something about the working environment a camp offers, when a counselor says, upon receiving her paycheck, “I forgot we got paid for this!”

Just a few days left! No matter what you celebrate, we hope that everyone has a wonderful, relaxing holiday.

Here are a few holiday links that I think our campers will enjoy:

Claus.com – Find out if you are on the nice list, or go to elf school

NORAD Santa Tracker – Follow Santa’s flight around the world on  Christmas Eve

NorthPole.com – Print & colour stories about Santa, play games, and find new recipes to try

Reindeer Orchestra – Honk the reindeer noses to play your own Christmas carol!

Christmas Pairs – An online “concentration” game – match the cards to win!

Love from everyone here at MKDC! <3