WORKING AT ALC

Ask the staff what they love most about working at ALC and you’ll hear stories of laughter, friendship, adventure and community. United by the single purpose of making camp the best it can be for each camper, the counselors and support staff work as a team that is cohesive, energetic and fun. Yes, working at camp can be demanding, but it is also one of the most rewarding jobs available. A real-life internship, counselors develop the skills and qualities employers look for the most: communication, flexibility, dependability, tenacity, teamwork, decision-making, leadership, empathy, willingness to learn and self-confidence.  Each staff member walks away at the end of the summer, recognizing that they have made a difference in the lives of the campers and have simultaneously grown, learned and made the best of friends along the way.

 

Tent Counselors are the heart and soul of camp life for campers. Each tent counselor lives in a tent with a group of campers who are all close in age.  Tent groups become a camp family, and tent counselors have the responsibility of creating an atmosphere of warmth, fun and trust within the tent group as well as the daily care of their campers - guiding them in their decision-making for activity choices, helping them understand their responsibilities within the tent group, providing them with the support to accept challenges in activities throughout camp.  All tent counselors are also Activity Counselors.

 

Activity Counselors teach one activity in camp.  Counselors have previous experience with the activity, and many hold certifications that reflect additional training and expertise in the activity (Certifications are a requirement for all waterfront, archery, challenge course, and out-of-camp-trips teaching staff. They are also required for the heads of the gymnastics and riding departments). Activity counselors will become familiar with the curriculum through our pre-camp training and will teach five to six periods a day. Department Heads plan their curriculum with input from their staff during pre camp, and have weekly meetings to discuss camper progress and to update plans.

 

Special Counselors are staff who do not live with campers but who care for Staff children who are too young to be campers.  They will be responsible for the care of these “Morale Boosters” during the day when parents are teaching in their activity.  Most activities are available to Special Counselors and Morale Boosters.  They also will be on duty to stay with the Morale Boosters during some evenings when parents are required to be at meetings or on-duty.

 

Head of Departments are responsible for coordinating the curriculum for their department, and for overseeing and training the departmental staff. They are also activity instructors. Heads of departments meet as a group a few times a week, and are asked to provide their staff members with written and verbal feedback as part of our professional review process. Some heads of departments are also tent counselors.

 

Peer Mentors are tent counselors with previous tent counseling experience who act as a resources and leader for other tent counselors. There will be one Peer Mentor for each camper age group.

 

Bungalow Counselors are a part of our Key Leadership at Alford Lake Camp. They are counselors who do not live with campers, but who either have extensive previous tent counseling experience at ALC, or comparable experience in education or at another camp. Bungalow counselors are people to seek out for guidance or assistance.

 

Non-tent Counselors are Activity Counselors who do not live with campers. This group of counselors are often found working behind the scenes, helping with everything from packing Sunday picnics to helping with evening duty.

 

Out of Camp Trip Leaders provide outdoor education by leading hiking and canoeing trips for our residential camper group throughout the state of Maine. They are responsible for organizing and scheduling trips, teaching campers about outdoor living while being careful to keep a balanced schedule that includes all age groups. They are certified as Maine State Trip Leaders, and must adhere to the policies established by Alford Lake Camp and the state.

 

Global Challenge Trip Leaders are adults who take campers on ‘extended/long-term trips’ away from camp.  They are responsible for the health and safety of the campers while on their trip and communicating with the Directors on a regular basis.  Pre-departure they will be a part of the planning and implementation of many parts of the trip. They are certified as Maine State Trip Leaders as well as holding certifications in Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder.

 

Office Staff support camp life in a multitude of ways.  Responsibilities include fielding calls from parents, preparing mailings and electronic communications to families, incoming mail, and the dozens of questions and requests that come their way each day from campers, staff and directors. Interpersonal skills, computer literacy, and database skills are critical components of the job.

 

Kitchen Staff are a close-knit team whose primary responsibilities include food preparation, dishwashing, kitchen and dining room cleaning. The Head Chef and Assistant Chef train the rest of the Kitchen Staff in their roles and responsibilities. Though their schedule is often very different from the schedule for the rest of camp, we have seen the greatest success with those kitchen staff members who jump in and join our programming with the rest of camp whenever their schedule allows.

 

Nurses are a critical part of the ALC community. ALC Nurses have a minimum of RN training, and they work as a team to keep our community healthy! They handle daily medication dispensing for the community, sick call after meals, and any other medical situations that may arise. They also schedule and take campers and staff to our camp physician as needed. Our medical staff communicates with the Directors on a daily and as-needed basis.

 

Maintenance Staff work tirelessly to maintain the property and keep all facilities on-line and in good working order. The Head of Maintenance will respond to daily requests made by camp staff - troubleshooting issues as they arise and assigning jobs to the maintenance staff as he sees fit. Other responsibilities include but are not limited to; lawn mowing, vehicle checks, painting and other building maintenance. Maintenance staff also play a crucial role in preparing camp for opening day, and again to close camp at the end of the summer.