Counselors On Target

This past summer, our staff meetings focused on the personal and professional development of our counselors. We explored positive leadership qualities, relaxation techniques, and several other topics meant to equip our staff with all the tools they needed to best serve their campers. One article that drove our staff’s performance last summer was Stephen Wallace’s Letters From My Campers- A Counselor’s Guide to Mentoring Youth. The article provides simple, yet powerful principles for the profession. Here are a few our favorites from Wallace:

• Communicate information
• Have a sense of  humor
• Clarify expectations
• Be relaxed
• Be a good role model
• Show leadership
• Have fun with your campers
• Model responsible behavior
• Discourage foul language
• Teach fair play
• Supervise for safety
• Show a knowledge of each camper
• Be fair to all campers
• Encourage campers to try new things
• Foster self-confidence
• Be patient
• Be vigilant