Position: The Camp Counselor is responsible for providing a safe, enriching, joyful and Christ-centered experience for campers.
Experience: Previous experience working with children or youth is preferred.
Responsible to: Outlaw Ranch Program Director and Camp Director.
Qualifications:
- Must be a practicing Christian supportive of the theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and philosophy and mission of Lutherans Outdoors in South Dakota.
- At least 18 years old. Preference to those who are at least one year out of high school.
- Good physical health.
- Willingness to be flexible and help where needed in the Outlaw Ranch program.
- Passion for working outdoors with youth and adults.
- Ability to live and work as a positive team-player in a collaborative residential setting.
- Ability to engage and lead groups in a positive and encouraging manner.
Responsibilities:
1. Camp Spiritual Life
- Teach or assist with a daily Bible study for your small group of campers.
- Share your personal faith stories with campers.
- Pray with your cabin group and for your campers daily
- Work with your campers to lead programs, all-camp worships, singing, table graces, and devotions.
- Attend and participate in all scheduled camp activities.
- Express your faith through actions of forgiveness, servanthood, love, grace, honesty, and stewardship.
- Pursue your own spiritual growth by praying daily, fully entering into worship, fully giving of yourself in Christian service, and challenging yourself to find God’s blessings in nature and people.
2. Health and Safety
a. While camp is in session, have total responsibility for the safety of the campers assigned to you.
b. Make sure you and your campers understand and put into practice the camp rules and emergency procedures.
c. With help from the support staff, be prepared to accommodate special concerns such as diet restrictions, bedwetting, physical disabilities, emotional and behavioral problems.
d. Know your camper’s medication schedule and insure that they receive medications from the camp nurse on schedule.
e. Report all camper injuries and illnesses to the camp health care coordinator.
f. Identify and report all potentially unsafe conditions to the appropriate staff people.
3. Small Group Dynamics
a. Be an active and ongoing participant with your campers. Be with your campers continually both day and night, except during scheduled time off.
b. Involve your campers in planning their week by giving them choices within the program structure.
c. Take time every day to evaluate with your group how things are going. Encourage your campers to talk about their feelings and concerns.
d. End each day with your campers . . . praying, talking, affirming . . . making sure they fall asleep knowing you care, and you are there.
e. Wake up with your campers . . . helping them start their day in an uplifting manner, getting up in plenty of time to be fully ready to start the day before breakfast.
f. Sit with your campers at camp gatherings.
g. Facilitate a quiet time each day for your campers.
4. Regular Community Living Responsibilities
a. Work with your campers every day to clean the living area and organize belongings.
b. Participate with your campers in camp clean-up and service projects.
c. Make sure your campers practice good hygiene throughout the week, (i.e., brushing teeth at least twice a day, showering, changing clothes, washing hands before eating, etc.)
d. Participate with your campers in helping with mealtime responsibilities as assigned.
e. Eat with your campers and encourage good table manners and pleasant conversation.
f. Take responsibility for camp and personal property; turning off lights, picking up litter, returning equipment to where it belongs, treating equipment with care, etc.
g. Be present and on time for Sunday and Friday all-staff meetings and daily staff meetings as scheduled.
h. Be responsible for helping clean the camp on the close and start-up of each session.
5. Counseling
a. Spend time every day making sure you talk to each of your campers on an individual basis.
b. Listen intently when your campers share with you.
c. Spend time sharing your own personal experiences . . . school, friends, family, church, work, etc. Make sure that what you share is appropriate for the campers to hear.
d. Encourage your campers to try new activities; to help them overcome or live with fears.
e. Provide opportunities for campers to discover their own personal gifts.
6. Teaching and Leading — Skill Development
a. Lead singing and games during all-camp and camper group gatherings.
b. Teach enrichments which encourage skill development, creativity, or learning about a current issue.
c. Teach or assist with a daily Bible study.
d. Take responsibility with your camper group to lead worships, devotions, campfires, etc.
e. Work with support staff to teach riding, canoeing, crafts, nature, etc.
f. Facilitate an overnight experience with appropriate age groups.
7. Counselor Relationship with the Parents of the Campers (if applicable)
a. Meet and talk with the parents of your campers on the first day of camp.
b. Visit briefly with each parent on the closing day.
8. Counselor Relationship with Advisors
a. Get to know your campers’ advisors.
b. Make an effort to include advisors in program activities, asking them to help or share in leading responsibilities where appropriate.
9. Staff Community Assignments
a. Counselors may rotate into other areas including support staff, or at another program. All staff must be flexible and willing to change job assignments as the need arises throughout the summer.
Essential Functions: Able to assist campers in emergency (fire, injury, storm, etc.); possess strength and endurance required to maintain constant supervision of campers; able to lead and participate in activities with campers in our rugged environment consisting of hills, trails, and steps connecting buildings and activity areas.