Camping Magazine articles from September 1996

Camping Magazine archives from September 1996

Lists. (staff administration in camping programs)
September 1, 1996... I am a list person. I create lists to organize my thoughts, remind me of things to do, and to share information (most people will take the time to read lists). Crossing items off a list makes me think I've accomplished something. At the top of my...

Creative ADA solutions. (Americans with Disabilities Act)(includes related article on ADA's impact on camps)
September 1, 1996... In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law. In order to meet the requirements of the act, camps must make reasonable accommodations to ensure that people with disabilities will be able to participate in their programs....

Administratium. (camp staff management)
September 1, 1996... I have always felt that our calendars were all messed up, at least from my standpoint. September has always seemed like the start of a new year. I suppose that it could seem that way because I spent so many years starting a new school year in...

Sexual abuse and molestation concerns.
September 1, 1996... The prevention of sexual abuse and molestation is the responsibility of a society that sees the children as its future. In a camp setting, it is the camp director's and key staff's responsibility to prevent an incident of abuse or molestation....

Take the initiative! (initiative games)
September 1, 1996... Initiative games allow campers to solve problems and make decisions while developing communication skills, leadership, and creativity. Initiatives can be used as an hour-long activity or a full-day program and are appropriate for a wide range of...

Contracting with campers. (dealing with disruptive campers)
September 1, 1996... Dear Bob, Last summer we had a camper returning for her third year whose reputation for being disruptive and challenging seemed to get to camp before she did. The counselors who discovered that this girl was going to be in their group were...

Managing conflict in teams and examining hiring assumptions.
September 1, 1996... Conflict is a beneficial aspect of work groups Conflict is a natural part of being a team, and as such, is neither good nor bad. Research shows that successful conflict management creates effective teams; conflict helps teams to improve their...

The key to unlocking your staff's potential. (camp staff motivation)
September 1, 1996... Many different factors motivate people to work. Both organizational variables and individual variables (e.g., gender, age, college major, and camp experience) may have an impact on the work motivators of seasonal staff. It is important for camp...

A letter from a parent: teaching staff responsibility.
September 1, 1996... Providing new ways to get staff to think about and discuss roles, responsibilities, and job descriptions can be a challenge. You want them to consider parents' expectations and points of view and to appreciate the seriousness of the professional...

A letter to my child's staff person....
September 1, 1996... How strange it is that I've never met you and in a few days you will become the most important person in my life. I suppose you've been told that already: "These are other people's children - their most cherished loved ones; they'd actually...

Supervising staff: the one minute approach. (includes related articles on praise and reprimand dialogues)
September 1, 1996... I see the 175 staff members at YMCA Camp Orkila as 17 more cabin groups that deserve a fabulous and magical summer experience just like the one we offer to the 2500 campers we serve. I am challenged, however, by those instances when staff behave...

Preventing civil war: integrating program and service staff. (conflict among camping staff)
September 1, 1996... Picture the scene: It's the second week of the summer camp season. Your off-season planning efforts are paying off - quality educational and recreational programming, superior summer staff, the best equipment and resources, and camp filled to...

Divorce and camp: emotional and legal issues. (treating campers of divorced or separated parents)
September 1, 1996... Campers whose parents have separated, divorced, or are in the process of separating, have specific emotional needs and behavioral patterns. Legal divorce issues may affect who has authority to enroll a camper or who is responsible for paying the...

Invisible counselors: managing what you don't see. (camp administration)
September 1, 1996... One of the greatest challenges of managing camp staff is that top camp administrators are often in a position where they cannot see counselors doing their minute-to-minute work. Baseball team managers know the batting averages and fielding...