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Should I Work at a Summer Camp?

11/30/2016

1 Comment

 
We just found this video made by Camp Tecumseh in Indiana. It was so good I immediately wished we had made it.

The nice thing about the camping industry is that enlightened summer camp professionals know that there are enough campers out there for us all to be successful. In turn, if one of creates something this good. Its ok to share as long as you give credit back. So thanks Tecumseh!

Getting to the Point: Summer camp employment is not for everyone. You need to have patience, endurance, imagination, and be ready to help other people. Watch this video and if it doesn't move you to want to work at a camp, then do not apply. 

Why We Need Summer Camp from Camp Tecumseh on Vimeo.

Lets say you want to work at a camp, Camps are special for both our campers and staff. Be prepared for what could be a fundamentally life changing experience. Additionally, its the perfect place to test yourself, take the lessons learned, and apply them to other opportunities.
The most important step in working at a summer camp is applying...
If you are interested in applying at Oswegatchie for a summer job, following the link below. Let it be known that applications are due in early February. If you do miss the deadline, a phone call can determine if any opportunities still exist.
Excelsior, 
Bill Waite
​Camp Director
2000 - Present

Click here for Summer Employment Page

1 Comment

Why Work at Camp?

1/17/2014

0 Comments

 
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For the next few weeks, we will return from the mail box to open and explore summer staff applications. I will admit it is an exciting time for us. The names in these envelopes will be more then potential staff members; they will bedifference makers in the lives of youth. They will be the people who become a part of the greater Oswegatchie experience, the next generation.

Working at a summer camp is admittedly not for everyone, but if you are thinking about filling out an application, do it! The rewards are great. Working at a camp involves long days, it’s sometimes hot, or wet, and you will be tired. You will encounter problems that you did not think you were prepared for. You will live in close quarters and your best and worst traits will be on stage for all to see. You will collect a paycheck, but it will not be a grand paycheck, and in the end all this will not matter to you.

What you collect while given the opportunity to work at camp is far more valuable then money. You will learn the feeling of having a group of people depend on you. You will learn about you, what you can handle, what you like, and what type of person you want to be. You will form bonds with fellow staff members that you may never have meet if you had not worked at Oswegatchie. You will experience passion for life. You will play and work all day and through the night. You will learn to manage a group, and learn how to convince people of your way of thinking. You will form a bond with the people but also the place. You will carry all these skills with you into the next adventure of your life.

There are summer jobs that are easier or pay more, but there are few jobs that give back so much. When you walk away at the end of the summer, you do so having built a new network of friendships, connections, and confidence. You will have left a positive impression on youth and Oswegatchie will forever be a part of you. 

From the Heart, 
Robin Waite
Assistant Camp Director

0 Comments

2014 Summer Employment

1/11/2014

0 Comments

 
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Hello Oswegatchie Enthusiasts;

Oswegatchie is in the startup stage of the 2014 summer camp season. The biggest thing I get done in February is summer camp hiring.

I am looking for responsible individuals who will be at least graduating high school in June. I am will be hiring everything including counselors, dishwashers, food service assistants, firewood workers, and cleaning staff.

There is a significant change in attitude needed to be successful as staff as compared to a camper! You are no longer here for yourself, you are here for the campers. This is a "make or break" point.

Applications can be downloaded at the following link http://www.oswegatchiecamp.com/employment.html , and they are due on February 1st. I can accept late applications, but no promise I will do interviews. Still,  It is better to be late and have a chance then to not be in the system!

Please share this with as many people as you see fit.  We thank you for your help as our best spokespersons for what we accomplish as a community!

http://www.oswegatchiecamp.com/employment.html

Excelsior,
Bill Waite
Summer Camp Director

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0 Comments

Initiative and Opportunity

12/5/2012

0 Comments

 
As a summer camp director, I have the privilege of working with many fantastic young people; I am responsible for hiring 30 people to fill different niches on summer staff. I hire many young adults that were campers themselves and are moving on to colleges and university. We do whatever we can do to give them a professional work experience. For many of these young pups, this is their first true work experience. It’s a great opportunity for Oswegatchie to provide to them, and hopefully they value their camp experience more because of it. 

In most situations, individuals are best served by Oswegatchie for 4 summers. In that time frame, we can give them good opportunities as a counselor and some vertical promotion into certain specialties like equine director, ropes specialist, or water safety instructor. 

After 4 summers, most staff is encouraged to experience new jobs at other facilities. It’s entirely in their best interests. Speaking from personal experience, there is tremendous culture shock when you start work elsewhere. That adjustment is a powerful lesson and crucial in making staff better people and a part of our alumni family.

While staff is here with us and they prove they can handle the basics, we start to watch the staff for 2 things: Initiative and how they handle Opportunity! It takes very little opportunity to test the initiative of almost anyone. When you have a chance to take on a special task, whether it be for an entire summer or for day, how you use it speaks volume. If you give it the right stuff and its shows, you will be rewarded, It maybe the opportunity that gave you the chance, but its your initiative that gives you the opportunities of the future. The rest is up to you.

In the 4 years you may have at camp, it’s crucial to seize opportunities and make the most of them. It’s what determines who gets more opportunities and your own legacy as time moves on.

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End of the 2012 Season!
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Female Enrollment at Oswegatchie!

10/31/2012

0 Comments

 
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As far as female enrollment goes, The biggest 2 changes to camp occurred in 1968 and 2001. In 1968, girls were first allowed to join the FFA and attend camp. That first year, there was 1 female camper. This slowly changed till the gender split equaled out in the 1980s. This required more female staff and changed the culture to be less male oriented and more nurturing and beneficial for younger campers, male or female.

In 2001, Oswegatchie had a major surge in enrollment. That year we picked up 115 additional campers over our yearly average. At this point, the male / female split started to dramatically shift. We started to hire more female counselors and less male counselors. Within a few years, we would have 3 female campers for every 1 male camper. Not every week is so lopsided, but as the camp continues to grows, the quantity of female campers continues to grow.


I can safely say that the increase in females has given us a bigger pool of quality staff to draw from. If you could look at our staff, our non-counselling staff has become more female, and by default, more of the leadership at the camp has become female. 

Lastly, one of our best female staff members in the last decade is a young lady named Morgan Shaver. In general, she is an over achiever in everything she does. She is a Cornell student, world traveler, and energetic force. She comes from a family with terrific parents and sincerely loves working with youth. The video was made for Morgan as she was in a highly competitive run for National FFA Office. She was not elected, but received a tremendous amount of support from the FFA community, which was filled with people she worked with at camp. 


Morgan Shaver is a prime example of the quality female staff that work at Oswegatchie. 

I hope you enjoy the video.

Sincerely,
Bill Waite 
Camp Director

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0 Comments

The Advantages of Full Time Staff!

10/28/2012

0 Comments

 
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Since 1998, Oswegatchie has slowly been building itself up to offer great opportunities for campers and guests. There was plenty of boot strapping to get buildings and programs up to their current levels. With more success, the more work there was to accomplish. Even today, we are working tirelessly to make Oswegatchie a better place. 

Todd Lighthall has served as the camp's leadership since 1993. Much of the work accomplished today was his hard work and sacrifice to get Oswegatchie to its modern state.Thanks to Todd's hard work, Oswegatchie was able to increase its capacity and eventually offer full time employment to 3 employees.  Currently, all 4 full time employees work diligently to improve the total Oswegatchie experience. 

The advantage of full time staff can be summed up with the word "CONSISTENCY"! Before Oswegatchie had full time staff focusing on key parts of our operation, seasonal employees would do their very best with what resources they had available. Unfortunately, most of the experience and knowledge that someone would accrue over 3 summers, would be lost when they would move on in life. You would see "Good Intentions, but Bad Ideas" recycled every few years. So much effort, energy, and funds would get wasted. 

Once full time staff were hired, it was very easy to start making serious progress in how summer camp operated. Little savings one year would make bigger savings the next year. This systematic approach to management has led up to making a very safe and growing camp for hundreds of youth.If you look back. Camper management, food service, and our physical plant have all improved with this strategy. Even staff hiring and training are better as we learn from the past and make better decisions regarding employees.

If you want to read our staff bios, click here to read about our great full time staff.

Excelsior,
Bill Waite
Summer Camp Director

0 Comments

    Chance Favors the Prepared Mind!

    This blog is intended to share the important details that only experienced campers know. Everything from cell phones, swimsuits, and horses will be covered! 

    Oswegatchie is a TEEN camp! It takes more maturity and responsibility than younger campers may be ready to assume. Hopefully this blog will help you make sure camp is the right fit for each individual camper. We want everyone to have a great camp experience, but the old adage "Chance Favors the Prepared Mind" is very true. Do your part and make sure Oswegatchie is the right place!

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