Anticipating the Mid-Summer Surprise

As August rolls on camp directors might be breathing a sigh of relief that staff have settled into their roles and programs are running smoothly. The ropes course and climbing wall activities which might have been novel and mildly concerning at the start of the summer now seem old hat.

But now is when I get nervous. Now is when I get phone calls and emails and inquiries from camps about all manner of events that happened but were a surprise. What’s going on? Why now? Often the case is that there was a subtle program change that got overlooked. A switch to Family Camp means that some campers are bigger and that group members come in more disparate sizes. And this often has an influence on belaying.  LITs might be moving into new roles and specialty sessions for older campers may be underway. So even though camp has been going for a month now, new activities might be taking place (and the training for running them may have occurred weeks ago). Finally, staff may just be getting bored with repeating well-established practices and protocols. Local Operating Procedures (LOPs) may have inadvertently drifted or creative re-design may have happened deliberately – but without going thru proper channels.

What’s a camp director to do? 

Start by noticing and recognising slight differences. Sometimes the difference is in the activity (rappelling instead of climbing) but often the difference is in the participants (older/bigger or younger/smaller) or the staff (more or less experienced). Former staff may be volunteering for a week. Help all staff members notice these differences AND consider their implications. What does this change in participants mean for harnessing? Is the time allotted still going to work for this activity variation?

Walk around and hang out during program time and check in with staff afterwards. Talk about what you noticed. This is a good opportunity to point out both the skills that have grown and developed since the start of camp and the behaviours that have become lax. Help staff get back on course by highlighting strategies or clarifying expectations. Ask to see daily, weekly, and monthly paperwork. Inquire whether  there is any equipment that needs replacement or isn’t working.

Take a bit of time these next few weeks to ensure your adventure programs keep running smoothly. An bit of effort now may eliminate a mid-summer surprise.