Camp is a weird and wonderful place full of a range of different people from all around the world. I talked in my previous post about the range of places people are from. As staff training has nearly ended, and the kids have nearly arrived, I am so glad to be back!
Another of my 2014 favourites made a very welcome comeback - Human Bingo. The rules are simple: 4 bingo boards are chalked onto the tarmac, and if you match with the number drawn, you stand on the square as a human marker. First to fill a line wins. Simple? Well, not quite. With human bingo, you can only match to that square if you are wearing a certain item (or items) of clothing - for example a red t-shirt. Again, not too complicated? Wrong. Because the rules you have to match are more like "if you are wearing odd shoes" or "if you have a superhero cape". This leads to some unusual outfits... I actually put a lot of thought into mine. Named King Hipster, I wore black skinny jeans, a fox print shirt, belt, braces, odd socks, odd shoes, a tie, my lifeguard whistle, sunglasses, and topped off with a crown. The result was pretty awesome!
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| King Hipster |
There are some days on camp where you just have a really good day. Sunday was one of these. It was a cumulation of a lot things - feeling pretty good and enthusiastic (I've had a really sore throat since the start of training), being very confident in my abilities in training and feeling like I've made some great friends already. We did a few role play exercises of how to deal with campers. Compared to my first year, I definitely felt like I had the ability to help campers manage their behaviours. In my first year, hearing stories of challenging camper behaviours had me petrified. Today, a fellow waterfront counsellor said he was pretty scared given what he had learned. It feels good not to be in that position, and I told him that I was in his position two years ago.
It seems also like we have a great waterfront team this year. We all have different styles of working, that somehow fit really well. Mainly though, we have a lot of trust in each other. We also get along very well as friends - and are able to have a little joke with each other. There are some incredible characters on the waterfront - and I'm super excited for properly working with them all in lessons.
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| You don't have to be mad to work her, but it is actively encouraged... |
On a separate waterfront note, I am trying to keep up in-water fitness training. During spare time in training (and hopefully when the kids arrive) we have all been swimming laps. We all have to do a minimum of 10, but I can comfortably do more. I managed to push myself to 44 lengths (each approx 20 metres, so approx 860m in total). This is all non-stop continuous swimming without taking a break. Whilst not strictly camp related, it feels pretty good and shows I'll be able to get into great shape this summer if I try.
Weather has been very good so far. It has been consistently in the high 20s Celsius, usually sunny and very dry - to the extent we we close to having a campfire ban. Monday was very different though - with heavy rain from about 5pm onwards. But, camp doesn't stop because of rubbish weather (unlike the South of England...). The senior staff pulled together a quiz at very short notice for after dinner, proving things winged together can be just as good as well made plans. I love quizzes, so was naturally in my element. We had a very strong team, scoring very highly in the geography, TV and guess the song rounds. With one round to go, we were just half a point behind - but did unfortunately come second. Regardless, it was a brilliant evening.
Besides swimming, one of my other favourite camp activities has to be camp fires. Ever since I joined The Scouts several years ago, I have always loved them. They are a great way to have a bit of fun and a great way to relax. Plus, who doesn't love just burning stuff. I should also credit my Scout leaders for teaching me how to build fires - another skill I have been able to pass on to the newbies. Although, we do have one of the waterfront team who is pretty incredible at that kind of stuff. He is from the Czech Republic, is our boating instructor and is a real life action man. He rocked up to the campfire in a full camo outfit and looked like he meant business.
Camp fires are also a good way to start conversation. It is probably the hypnotic effect of the flames that is conducive to good conversation, but we somehow got onto the topic of how we ended up on camp. People we all giving a variety of reasons as to why they came: things like career goals, a desire to work with children or those who had been at this camp as a camper or other camps before. These are all great reasons, and often come up as reasons I give as part of my work with Camp Leaders.
This of course had me thinking about my own story. I talked previously on my blog about "the email", and how I never really planned to go to camp. Everyone seemed to have planned to go to camp for years for a variety of reasons. Mine, was just chance and taking a risk. But it worked and I had a truly incredible summer in 2014 because of it. Whilst the plan to return in 2015 didn't happen, I am now back again. As soon as a realised I could return this summer, I put the plans in place to make sure I did.
Some think I was mad for choosing not to extend my job in the bank for the remainder of the summer. Perhaps I am, but am I satisfied I made the right choice, yes. It's barely been 2 weeks, but I am super confident that I have made the right decision.
A former North Yorkshire County Councillor and Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People (who is sadly no longer with us) I had the pleasure of working with quoted something that has truly stuck with me. It was the day after I gave my speech in the House of Commons, and I was chairing a conference for North Yorkshire Youth Council. He reminded us that to make our dreams become reality, we needed plans in place to get us there. Our dreams may change, and our path may not be conventional, but it is how we will achieve. Camp Leaders also quoted the same thing at their National Team conference back in 2015 - make dreams, become plans, become reality. And that is exactly what I did. Ever since returning from camp in 2014, I dreamed of the day I would be back here. And now, via a little unconventional route, the reality is that I am back - and oh my it was the right decision.
The campers finally arrive on Thursday 30th. Bring. It. On.
Labels: #Camp, #CampLeaders, #camplife, #NationalTeam
