Summer Life

Cub Creek will be your home sweet home for 12 weeks! You will be amazed to see the bonds created with your fellow staff at the end of the summer. Your fellow staff members come from across the United States as well as the world. Take the time to get to know as many people are you can this summer. As part of the summer team, your first job is to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of the campers, but your wellbeing is important too. 

Summer Camp is a different experience if you have never worked at one before. The friends you make at camp will be some of the most influential people in your life and some of the things you experience here will be unlike anything you have ever done before. With that said, life at camp is home sometimes, and remaining physically and mentally healthy is essential to a happy and successful summer. 

Remaining Mentally Healthy

Summer can is a lot of fun! But when you're in charge of 16 campers, leading activities, in a new job, handling a difficult camper, and soothing homesickness ALL while juggling your own life, it can take a toll on your emotions. Here are some tips to keep yourself in the right frame of mind over the summer. 

• Remain calm. Sometimes one thing leads to another, and one agitation leads to a full-blown meltdown. Trying to keep your inner peace is a way to prevent causing a bigger issue.

• Identify the problem. If you can pin-point why you are upset and it's an easy solution - fix it! If you notice that you are maybe easily irritated because you aren't getting enough sleep, get some rest in your time off. Almost every problem can be fixed within your cabin or by camp's leadership and directors. As the sayin goes:

"If you feel like everyone hates you, sleep. If you feel like you hate everyone, eat" 

• Share your feelings. Talking to your fellow counselors, or leadership staff about a particular issue can help you find a solution faster. They can help you rationalize as an outside view and offer help. Do not mistake this for an excuse to gossip. If your issue has to do with a fellow staff member, you should discuss the issue with them, before telling others, or speak with a director. 

• Remove yourself from a situation. If you feel yourself getting angry or emotional, take a personal time out. We work long hours and are 'on' all the time. Take the time to have personal time outs when you can. Campers must be adequately supervised at ALL times. Only take a time-out if another counselor is present with your campers.

Visitors

You are welcome to invite visitors to see camp, under the following conditions:

• There should be no campers present at camp

• You and your visitors have signed the visitor log at the office

• You personally accompany them while they are in camp

• You do not use a ATV, car, or other camp vehicle to give a tour

• You visitor follows the camp policies while on camp property regarding conduct, smoking, drug use, and dress code including wearing closed toed shoes

• You have prior approval from a director

The Staff Lounge

During breaks and your time off, you have full access to the staff lounge. There are 3 TVs in seperate rooms with DVD players and cable. Each staff member will receive a locker to store their belongings. Camp is not responsible for broken, lost, or potentially stolen items. The staff lounge has wi-fi available for your use. Please make sure that when you are not using the internet, LOG OFF! Everyone staying connected to wi-fi keep the internet moving slowly. The lounge also has two refrigerators and a kitchenette for your use. We expect this building to be treated with respect. 

Staff Lounge Rules

1. No shoes on the carpet. We'd like to keep the carpets as clean as possible, so leave your shoes just inside the door. 

2. No food or drink on the carpeting. You must each in the kitchen area. 

3. Clean up after yourself. The kitchen is to stay clean. This includes washing dishes after using them, cleaning up messes, and emptying the trash. The staff lounge will be closed for use if it is not kept clean. 

4. Food in the fridge should be labeled with your name and a date. Any unlabeled and old food will be disposed of weekly. 

5. No sleeping on the couches. It takes up space and ruins the couches. 

6. Do not unplug the cable boxes. If the cable is not working, ask a director for help fixing the problem. 

7. No romantics in the staff lounge. No kissing, holding hands, lying on one another, etc. in the staff lounge (or anywhere on camp!). This is a space for everyone and treating the lounge like your personal love nest is unfair and uncomfortable for others. Also there are cameras. And windows. 

8. The lounge will be closed at 1:30am. You need sleep. Go back to the cabin.