Emmanuel Bible Camp Counsellor s Guide These pages cannot begin to cover the job you will have as a counsellor, but will help to show what will be expected of you. Any questions should be worked out with the Camp Director before the camp period begins. This guide should accompany you to camp for reference during the camp period. During the week, you are directly responsible to the Camp Director. Any questions or problems should be taken up with him. Being a camp counsellor is more than just sleeping in a cabin with a bunch of campers and getting them to meals on time. Counselling is a relationship in which one person tries to help another to understand and solve problems. Christian counselling is unique because in the final analysis your counselling will lead to Christ. Your final source of authority is the Scripture and your goal is to train a girl or boy to relate every aspect of his life to Christ and look to Him each moment. There are a number of things you need to begin doing NOW to prepare for you job as a counsellor. First, you need to examine yourself to assess these areas: 1) SPIRITUAL. What is the quality of your spiritual life? If you wait until camp to begin a regular systematic devotional life, you will be unable to minister to your campers. Your relationship with Christ must be a constant, real, meaningful experience that is well established. Campers can spot a phony. 2) PHYSICAL. You need to be in top health, well rested and able to last out each day. Personal care should be reduced to a minimum the natural (but neat) look is definitely IN during camp. There is hardly time to wash, dry, and curl hair every day. 3) ATTITUDE. Get excited!! A positive attitude is contagious. In a sense, you are really a salesman. You sell campers on everything food, speakers, accommodations, camp program, athletics, crafts, and your purpose for the camp. Certainly the presenting of Christ in a positive manner is important. Enthusiasm and Love are two of the best ways of being positive. A stable character and pleasant personality present a close second. Your key words for the summer need to be reliability and adaptability. There are also several things you can begin doing NOW to prepare yourself to adequately counsel your group of campers: 1) SPIRITUAL. - Start praying now for the campers that God is going to give you. - Be prepared to lead meaningful cabin devotions both in the morning and evening. - Lead a person to Christ - Help, by use of scripture, a camper to understand and solve his problems from everyday life. - Learn to avoid questions that are doctrinal. See brochure for what we teach.
2 2) COUNSELLING. Read a good book(s) on Christian Camp Counselling. This is one of the best ways to know what is expected of you how to deal with each problem as it arises. We recommend HELP... I M A CAMP COUNSELLOR by Norman Wright, although there are many to choose from. 3) ACTIVITIES. Assess the skills you have which would be useful to the camp program(eg. archery, canoeing, singing, crafts, etc.) And try to develop these. Gather ideas for skits, games, and anything else you feel would be helpful. 4) MATERIALLY. Pack your suitcase with some extras to make your job easier. a) Bibles King James Version and another for reference. b) Alarm clock windup is best and a watch. (No electronic devises.) c) Notebook and extra pencils and paper. d) Flashlight extra batteries and bulb. e) Book for quiet activities for rest periods. f) Rainy day ideas. g) Possibly some Bible Quiz ideas. h) Odds and ends found at home but hard to come by at camp. kleenex, sewing needs, (thread, needle, pins, scissors) thumbtacks, mirror, anything else you can think of that you or your campers might need. Dress up clothes as well. 5) KEEP IN TOUCH. If you find that your plans have to be altered, inform the camp immediately. 6) FOLLOW-UP. Your association with the camper does not need to end when the camping period is over. Through your relationship with the camper, he has probably come to regard you as his spiritual leader. You should be prepared to contact each of your campers by letter (or e-mail) before school starts and encourage them in whatever decision made by a camper and give to the Camp Director before leaving that camp period. 7)DISCIPLINE. Know when you should handle it and when it should be referred to the Director. Try not to make too many rules or make too much of an infraction on rules. Don t make an issue of everything. Pray about it, ask for help from others, and don t hesitate to contact the Director, especially if it is at all serious or a recurring situation. Look for the cause of the problem. Perhaps the camper does not know what is expected of him, or he wants attention, love, or recognition. Try to give in but be firm without partiality, with kindness and consideration. Commend them for their good points and this will encourage them to seek your approval. Know where you and your campers are to be going and doing, what comes next, and keep moving along with them in interesting things. Be patient at all times. Remember the campers are children, not little adults. They need supervision and direction, plus many reminders. Don t neglect your campers for the pleasure of being with other counsellors. Camp is primarily for campers, not for the counsellors. Try to give the campers a good time and meet their spiritual needs.
3 COUNSELLOR NOTES ON DAILY SCHEDULE (Times will vary with each camp but routine is basically the same.) STAFF PRAYER MEETING Before campers awake. You should be dressed and ready for the day. RISING BELL Campers should rise promptly, get washed and ready for cabin Morning Devotions. Sometimes a physical drill is worked in also. BREAKFAST BELL AND FLAG RAISING Gather in front of flagpole in horseshoe formation. All campers are to be present with neckerchiefs which are worn at breakfast and Chapel hour. At signal boys and girls use different entrances. Counsellor should sit at end of table with cabin and supervise to see that proper manners are observed and all get enough to eat without unnecessary waste of food. Sometimes cabins are asked to help wash dishes. Please ensure that you are very familiar with the following PROCEDURE FOR CLEARING TABLES. PROCEDURE FOR CLEARING TABLES IN THE DINING ROOM. The Director is responsible for order in the Dining Room. Please ensure that your cabin listens for his instructions and follows them. When the tables are to be cleared, 2 campers ONLY from each table should be out of their seats...1) scraper, 2) runner SCRAPER: Stands at the end of the table with Slop Bucket and Spatula. He/she scrapes and stacks all dinner and dessert plates and bowls into the Slop Bucket. When finished, he/she takes the Slop Bucket and empties it into the Compost bin by the sinks. When the Runner is finished, the Scraper wipes the table clean. RUNNER: Carries a reasonable number of plates, cups, bowls, empty jugs, cutlery to dishwashing area, placing each item in its assigned spot. Carries margarine/ketchup/mustard/relish/jam/milk/part-full fruit drink jugs to the white table at the front of the Dining Room. Carries all untouched desserts there as well. CABIN CLEAN-UP Supervise but don t do it, except of course for your own bed and floor area. Check unobtrusively each morning for wet beds and help camper dry his bedding without causing embarrassment. MORNING BIBLE MEETING Sit with your group and keep order if necessary. See that they bring Bibles and notepads. Neckerchiefs are worn. It is important that counsellors know what happens at each meeting so that they will be able to answer any resulting questions. It is camp policy that the gentlemen, and not the ladies, take part in chairing the meetings, leading the singing, and leading in prayer. If you are unfamiliar with this procedure, please see the Manager.
4 MORNING ACTIVITY PERIODS (Usually two) You are expected to participate in at least three of the four activity periods for each day. Make sure that your campers have signed up for the four periods. Often they need to be encouraged activity time is not a free time, but rather a time of learning new skill. You may not know much about the activity, but your presence is essential to the one who is leading it. Be alert for campers who need your help. Feel responsible to keep order and fair play at all times. NOON MEAL Same as breakfast meal procedure except no neckerchiefs. REST PERIOD All campers should be relaxing in their cabins. Sometimes reading a story is helpful to keep order. Almost any quiet personal activity (eg. Writing, reading, etc.) is allowed as long as it is not disturbing the other campers. AFTERNOON ACTIVITY PERIODS Same procedure as in the morning. Free Swim Camp waterfront rules must be strictly adhered to at all times; applies to boating, canoeing and swimming. FLAG LOWERING All campers to be present with neckerchiefs which are worn for the Chapel time then removed so as not to be lost. EVENING MEAL Same as breakfast meal procedure. FREE TIME Be available to your campers for canoe rides, walks, talks, etc. CAMPWIDE ACTIVITY Usually there is a sports or novelty event in which the whole camp (staff and campers) participates. This is sometimes competitive be a good sport! EVENING MEETING Same procedure as morning meeting. READY FOR BED We often find that campers are most responsive to spiritual needs after the evening meeting. When the evening s activities are completed you are to go with your campers directly to cabins to get ready for bed and EVENING DEVOTIONS. Sometimes one counsellor is needed to counsel with a camper so the other need to be available to get the cabin ready for lights off (appropriate when there is a Junior Counsellor). Please do not ask any other staff member unless you have cleared it with the manager. The Directors/Speakers are asked also that other staff members are not to be sent to be with the campers unless it is okayed by the manager. You should stay with your cabin until morning. Assure them that you can help them at any time, NEVER LEAVE THEM ALONE. You will need your rest too before the week is over, so take it when you can. You owe it to your campers and the entire camp program to be at your best physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Try to have quietness, emotionally, and spiritually. Avoid answering questions that doctrinal such as tongues, communion, etc. Try to have quietness when lights are out. Morning comes early.
5 JUNIOR COUNSELLORS. Sometimes you will be blessed with someone to help you keep order with your group and rum errands. Actually, they are in training under you on how to become a counsellor and should work closely with you and your campers. They are there to assist you but are not yet qualified to be in charge of your group. YOU SHOULD NEVER LEAVE YOUR GROUP, WHEN YOU ARE EXPECTED TO BE WITH THEM, EXCEPT IN CASES OF EMERGENCY and you are the person responsible for your group. STAFF WORKERS. If a staff worker is in your cabin, they are expected to keep their bed made and the floor area clean. As they have many other duties throughout the day, they should not be expected to assume the role of a counsellor. If you have any problems or concerns in this area, please discuss them with the Director as soon as possible. PERSONAL TIME. Since your first responsibility is the campers placed in your charge, whether your cabin group or activity group, pretty much of your entire day is spent with the campers. However, you should make it a point to find at least one hour each day to be alone to meet your own personal and spiritual needs. This is vital to your effectiveness as both a Christian and a counsellor. OPENING DAY PROCEDURE. Unless otherwise notified you should be at camp no later than 2:00PM on the Sunday of the camp period. Have your bed made and your settling in done before campers arrive. There will be a staff meeting in the Staff Lounge with the Director, Speaker, Manager, and other counsellors. This meeting is from 2:15 sharp until 2:55. You should be at your cabin from 3:00 PM on, to greet your campers and often reassure parents. Help camper make his bed and put away belongings. Get to know names during this time. Be alert to emotional needs such as homesickness, loneliness, insecurity, etc. and help them get to know each other. Explain camp procedures and use of neckerchiefs. Post copies of daily schedule in cabin. Discourage campers from asking for different cabin assignments. NO re-assignments will be made until after registration is over and only then with the Camp Director s approval. (Note: The campers rush here to get a number so that they can be first in line to register so that they can be first in their cabin to select their bunk. Please do not let anyone in your cabin until after they are registered. We need to keep things fair. Thanks.) CLOSING DAY PROCEDURE. Friday afternoon, have each camper pack all his/her gear and set it in a pile outside their cabin. The cabin must be fully cleaned and unspected before the campers can participate in the canteen. That way you can readily check and make sure nothing is being left behind (clothesline, kybo, ( name used for washroom building) lodge, etc.) Floors should be swept, garbage emptied, grounds outside cabin cleaned and everything in readiness for the next week. Be sure you clear with the Camp Director before leaving camp to see if he needs anything else. Be sure he has a list of those who have made a profession of faith. If a camper is not going to be picked up before 7:00 PM, alert Camp Director so arrangements can be made for them. Because of inadequate supervision, the waterfront is not to be used be campers on the closing day while waiting for parents.
-6- WEEKENDS. If you are counselling at more than one camp period, it is in your and the campers best interest if you avail yourself of the weekends off to catch up on you REST. Starting a camp exhausted from the weekend is UNFAIR to your campers and your fellow staff members, and hard on YOU, to say nothing of the entire camp program. ( See Weekend Guidelines) STAFF FRIDGE. Cooks will place leftover desserts and anything else available for the counsellors and/or other staff to eat at any time, in the Staff Fridge located in the Dining Room. Counsellors are to use this fridge to keep any items brought from home for their personal use. Please remember that the walk-in fridge in the Kitchen and the Deep Freeze in the back pourch, is for the use for Cooks only. If you need anything from the kitchen, the cooks will assist you. Dress Code Please see to it that it is adhered to by both you and your campers. It would be great for the ladies to do a mid drift test by getting them to raise their arms to see what shows before leaving the cabin. If their tummy shows, please ask them to wear something else. There are t-shirts available for those who do not have proper clothing. Any inappropriate clothing will be addressed by management All campers signed their name in agreement to this. The following will be posted in your cabin along with the Dress Code. WELCOME TO EMMANUEL BIBLE CAMP 1) Please co-operate with your Counsellor and other campers be a team! 2) No money in cabins, please! 3) You are not to enter another cabin for ANY REASON day or night. Raiding is not permitted. 4)One camper only per bunk. No sleeping 2 to a bunk. 5)Shoes must be worn in the Dining Room (Board of Health regulations), as well as on the grounds. 6)At no time, under any conditions do we allow throwing anyone in the water. Not only is this dangerous, but personal items can be lost or ruined. 7) Remember to hang life jackets up to dry, and return all equipment to it s proper place for storage.