Support staff are valued partners - support staff of camps

Each summer, camps come alive, providing enriching, fun, and safe experiences for campers and staff. To create this special environment, camps provide services - such as administration, transportation, accommodations, food service, maintenance, health care, and security - consistent with a vibrant city. Staff who work in these functions are traditionally referred to as ancillary, auxiliary, administrative, service, or support staff. However, their roles are hardly ancillary to the camp community.

Camp's Foundation

Support staff form the foundation upon which the building blocks of camp, such as programming and group life, are placed. When support services are not provided in a timely and friendly fashion, directors' and counselors' jobs are difficult. But when ancillary staff members work effectively with the program and counselor staff around shared interests and goals, the entire staff can focus on providing fun, safe, and enriching experiences. The result is a smooth-running camp. Directors can focus on achieving organizational goals, and counselors can give greater attention to the educational, developmental, and social needs of campers.

The challenge facing directors and administrators each season is to turn camp into a community. The basic needs of campers, staff, and groups must be met for the population to become more fully involved in all that camp has to offer, as shown in psychologist and philosopher Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

When basic needs are met, all participants can increasingly contribute, participate, benefit from, and enjoy the dynamic and fun programs and experiences. When all staff members are working to achieve the same camp goals and believe the camp's philosophy, a community is formed. Viewing support staff as valued partners and valuable resources creates a positive, synergistic atmosphere and increases overall staff morale.

Building a Team Environment

The following model is being used in camps across the country with 25 to 250 staff members. The steps create a cohesive service team, which frees program and counseling staff to do their best work.

Give your support group a positive name

When referring to administration or ancillary staff choose a positive term, such as "auxiliary," "camp services," or "staff support." Or go one step further and enliven the name in the spirit of camp with a team-building term like "A Team," "Arnie's (director's name) Army," "Special Services," "Quartermasters Corp," "Team (camp name)," or "The Works." Use the name to highlight the group's contribution to camp.

The simple act of changing the name you attach to this group will impact the message you send regarding the esteem you hold for the roles in these areas. You will enhance the way support staff view themselves. A positive moniker will give the group a positive and refreshing image, if it doesn't already have one, and impact how people view these staff members and their desire to be a part of this team.

Make service staff partners in camp

Building and nurturing a philosophy and attitude that embraces support staff as valued partners is vital for a smooth-running camp. Service staff need to be sensitive and responsive to camp goals, the concept of camp time, and the benefits campers receive from camp. They should recognize the challenges placed on program and group-life staff who have direct, day-to-day contact with and responsibility for campers. However, this should not diminish their awareness of the important role they play in the running of camp. They need to seek ways to connect the flow and direction of their work to match the cycle and rhythms of camp.

The concept of customer service clearly applies at camp. The program and group-life staff need to embrace auxiliary staff as partners and vice versa. Old road blocks should be replaced with we're-in-this-together and how-can-I-help-you attitudes. These attitudes say, "how can I partner with you to bring your idea to life so staff and campers can benefit from it." In this way, the service areas become program support centers. When this atmosphere of mutual appreciation is created, you have a dynamic and vibrant community capable of creating magic through synergy and spirit.

Develop effective operating practices

When service areas are organized and run efficiently, work at camp gets done more easily. During the camp season, observe, listen, and be responsive to the bottlenecks, time grabbers, and frustrations of staff Then in the off-season evaluate your ancillary practices and procedures.

When you evaluate, consider each service area's role, how campers connect with counselors and staff, what role your service areas can play in freeing other staff to focus on functions, and how service areas can be integrated to support achieving broader camp goals. This may at times require asking, "Why do we do this in this way?" Don't be afraid to make changes. Circumstances may be different from when the procedure was introduced, indicating it is time to find a new, more efficient, and supportive way to provide the service.

Often a small change in an operating practice can result in big time savings, less handling of paperwork, expedited processing, limited waiting time, and less effort running around camp. Clarity, centralization, and consistency invariably lead to greater efficiency. This frees program and counselor staff to recharge batteries, spend more effort on programming, and spend extra time with campers.

Maintain open communication

The nature of the work performed by support staff often places them on the sidelines of camp activity. This is unfortunate since their work is so important to the success of the summer. To keep them informed and included, involve staff in meetings and program planning, and keep them abreast of the staff social calendar. This process begins during orientation.

While it is critical that service areas get up and running, support staff should be privy to information, training, team building, and planning that takes place during staff orientation. The need to be informed continues throughout the summer. Being informed helps the entire staff focus on camp goals, keeps staff involved, helps them know other's contributions, and helps everyone stay socially connected.

Free staff from roles and labels

Don't label staff members because of the position they choose to take at camp. Labeling can limit the opportunities individuals have to share their talents and feel connected to camp. Staff and campers should treat service personnel and the work they do with dignity and respect.

Many support staff have skills and hobbies that can benefit the camp program. These talents remain hidden until you reach out to involve staff members. Your thespians, musicians, coaches, and artisans can always use more help. Often your ancillary staff can add to a program. Draw on their respective expertise by involving them in the camp program, for example, the kitchen staff can plan meals to coincide with camp events or the maintenance staff might want to plan the relay. Reaching out and involving people enhances their feeling of partnership.

Often the positions in the ancillary areas are filled by younger, foreign, or newer staff. When you involve them in camp activities, you provide an important social outlet that helps staff overcome the isolation particular to their work. You give them more chances to meet other staff and make connections. While this is important to all staff members, it is acutely significant for staff who are far from home, separated from their own culture, and new to camp.

Recognize support staffs contributions

Often directors do not have time to recognize staff for their efforts. At camp you move quickly to the next activity and often just give attention to problems. In these circumstances, staff often feel under appreciated as they are unclear as to the value of their contributions.

Acknowledging positive contributions throughout the summer has a significant motivational impact on staff morale, fosters similar behavior, and reinforces that an area is valued. This recognition can be simple: the director can personally speak to the contributor; others involved in the activity can extend their appreciation; or "ata ways" can be given at department and staff meetings. When staff or campers can nominate people for "ata ways," the staff's awareness and attitude are raised. Sharing appreciation and acknowledging people's contributions reinforces and fosters joint efforts and successes.

Team Spirit

Camp is about building a caring community and fostering opportunities for individuals and groups to grow to new heights. To achieve this goal, you need to build a positive, productive team spirit. Treating support staff as partners in the camp community helps build cohesion. Weaving them into the fabric of camp as active participants and providing due recognition for their contributions strengthens the camp foundation. In turn, all staff members' jobs are made easier and more satisfying, and staff have greater appreciation for other's contributions to the success of the camp season.

Each staff member, regardless of their role, is a link in the chain that surrounds the community. When support staff are treated as valuable partners in the running of camp and validated for their contributions, they empower program and counselor staff to do their best work. Opportunities for fun and enriching experiences are created for campers and staff alike.

Irving S. Dunn is a consultant for Caring Community Consultants, Inc. He has ten years of experience in overnight camp and adventure program management and administration.

COPYRIGHT 1998 American Camping Association
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group