Want to succeed at summer camp? Preparation remains crucial

It is interesting to be interviewed by different writers for a variety of family publications and it seems like this has increased recently . Over the years, I must be in a number of rolodexes by now ---or address books or groups or whatever current terminology is for ‘find someone who knows something about this topic and get some quotes’. It is fun when some of our campers and families can get involved, which has happened several times this year. When you believe that summer camp is a valuable experience for young people, you welcome opportunities to help educate families on how to choose a camp and why go to camp at all. This isn’t just about going to Falcon but about finding the right camp for your family’s needs. If more families understood the value of what the camp experience does for you, everyone benefits. Falcon will get our share of campers because we’re good at it and we’re worth it. If you have had a great camp experience (even if it wasn’t at Falcon), tell people about it! You’ll be doing them a favor.

Please read the following article by Sue Hoffman, Want to succeed at summer camp? Preparation remains crucial to read more about the preparing for summer camp.

Camp Is Right Around the Corner!!!!

It’s hard to believe campers will be coming down the camp road in less than 80 days.  It’s even harder to believe the staff will be arriving in 70 days! Is summer ever going to arrive this year? As hard as it is to believe that summer is right around the corner and that it is actually spring, Dave, Nici and I are finishing up the last of our staff hiring.  

Time and time again I am asked as a Summer Camp Professional, what do you do all winter?  I jokingly say that I watch a lot of TV.  This year I say that I shoveled a lot of snow!  But the fact of the matter is that Dave, Nici and I spend a lot of time talking. (Sounds like tough work, doesn’t it?)  It’s not really tough work, but interviewing staff is a job duty we take very seriously. All of our staff receives an interview, even our returning staff. Technology has made it simple to speak with everyone and sometimes even see their smiling face. It seems obvious why we interview our new staff: we want to hear about why they think Falcon is the right place for them. We also ask potential staff about their values and whether they have ever been a positive influence in someone else’s life.

It is a little harder for people to understand why we interview our returning staff.  We do this for several reasons.  A large majority of our staff will work with us throughout their college career, graduate, and then look for a “real” job.  We believe that by having each staff interview each and every year, it is giving them a chance to practice their interviewing skills.  But more importantly, we like our staff a lot and it gives us a chance to catch up with them and hear about all the exciting activities they have been participating in since they left camp.

It’s an exciting time at camp right now! See you in a few months!