As Camp Huronda welcomes campers back for another summer, what better time to reminisce about the camp counsellors in your life \u2013 or the memories you made as a camp counsellor!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is a Counsellor? Adapted from Phyllis Ford, University of Oregon<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Somewhere between adolescence and adulthood, there occurs in human development an age which is physically and psychologically impossible. It is that unfathomable stage known as the camp counselor, a creature undefined by psychologists, misunderstood by camp directors, worshipped by campers, either admired or doubted by parents, and unheard of by the rest of society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A camp counselor is a rare combination of doctor, lawyer, engineer and entertainer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She is a competent child psychologist with her sophomore textbook as proof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is an underpaid baby-sitter with neither television nor refrigerator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She is a strict disciplinarian with a twinkle in her eye, a minister to all faiths with questions about her own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is a referee, coach, teacher and advisor. He is the example of manhood in worn-out tennis shoes, a sweat shirt two sizes too large and a hat two sizes too small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She is a humorist in a crisis, a doctor in an emergency, and a song leader, entertainer and play director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is an idol with his head in a cloud of wood smoke, and his feet in the mud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She is a comforter in a leaky tent on a cold night, and a pal who has just loaned someone her last pair of dry socks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is a teacher of the out-of-doors, knee-deep in poison ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A counselor dislikes reveille, waiting in line, inspection and rainy days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She is handy at patching up broken friendships, bloody noses and torn jeans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is fond of rest hour, exploring, teaching new games, an old car named Henrietta, and days off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A counselor is a friendly guide in the middle of a cold, dark, wet night on the long winding trail to the latrine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She is good at locating lost bathing suits, fixing axe handles, playing the guitar and catching fish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is poor at crawling out of bed on rainy mornings, and getting to bed early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A counselor is a friendly guide in the middle of a cold, dark, wet night on the long winding trail to the washroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who but a counsellor can cure homesickness, air out wet bedding, play 16 games of any card game in succession, whistle through his fingers, carry two packs, speak Pig Latin in French, stand on his hands, sing \u201crepeat after me\u201d songs for hours, and tell ghost stories with just the right amount of \u201cscare\u201d in them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A counselor is expected to repair 10 years of damage to Tommy in 10 days, make Jerry into a man, rehabilitate Paul, allow John to be an individual and help Peter to adjust to the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She is expected to lead the most prized possessions of adults much older than her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is expected to lead them in fun and adventure . . . even when his head aches; to teach them to live in the out-of-doors . . . even though he spends nine months of the year in Toronto, London or Ottawa; to teach indigenous activities . . . when he can’t even spell the word; to guide youngsters in social adjustment . . . when he hasn’t even reached legal age; to ensure safety and health . . . with a sunburned nose, a Band-Aid on his thumb and a blister on his heel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For all this, she is paid enough to buy the second text in psychology, some aspirin, some new socks, two tires for Henrietta, and some new tennis shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You wonder how he can stand the pace and pressure. You wonder if she really knows how much she is worth. And somehow, you realize you can never pay him enough when, as he leaves at the end of August, he waves good-bye and says, “See you next year!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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