What Else Do I Need to Know about Night Eagle? (What Should I Expect?)
PROGRAM
Our non-competitive program emphasizes the history and values of the American Indian and other earthbased cultures, personal growth, and individual achievement in areas such as crafts, camping, music, gardening, canoeing, and swimming. Activities tend to spring from the environment and teach boys to rely on their own ingenuity. Campers and staff live together in tipis, and when the weather is nice, many wear breech clouts as they learn to be comfortable in the woods with themselves and others. Because electricity, flashlights, radios, clocks, and vehicles are not part of the program, campers and staff have had to devise ingenious methods of coping with the elements and day to day challenges that arise in camp.
MORNING REFLECTION
Morning Reflection is a very important part of camp and has different meaning for everyone. Each day after breakfast, the camp will meet in the Meeting Circle or some other familiar place around camp for 15 to 30 minutes. Each staff member is expected to be present and to see that members of his tipi are there. Morning Reflection is a time for personal worship and devotion and sets the tone for the day's activities.
FOOD SHELTER
The food shelter is the only permanent building at Night Eagle. Each day a different tipi group will serve as the cook crew and will be responsible for cooking and serving the day’s meals and for keeping the food shelter clean. As a tipi counselor, you'll work along with your campers on this task and will be responsible for insuring that food shelter rules are followed to maintain the sanitary guidelines set by the State of Vermont and by the American Camping Association. The food coordinator is responsible for planning and organizing the camp's food needs and both he and the director are available to answer your questions about food preparation. As all other camp activities, being on cook crew with your tipi group is a teaching/learning opportunity. We purposely plan healthful meals that can be prepared by novice cooks. Enjoy the activity! Campers usually look forward to being on cook crew and take pride in serving good meals.
FOOD
Diet is an important part of the summer experience for campers and staff. There is a strong emphasis on the use of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and unprocessed foods. We do not serve candy and only occasionally have sugary treats. We do grow and gather some foods and herbs in our own garden and the surrounding forest. Although we try to educate ourselves and the campers about the sources and effects of the foods we eat, we hope to do so without forcing our own beliefs on each other. Staff members who have specific food requirements need to discuss them with the director before coming to camp. We do try to meet people’s needs, but staff members need to be flexible as Night Eagle is a primitive camp, and we cannot cater to everyone’s individual tastes and nutritional beliefs.
PETS
Dogs and cats are not allowed in camp. If present, they could bother campers, fight with each other, and disrupt activities. They also may suffer encounters with local skunks, porcupines, and other wildlife. Leaving them elsewhere is a kindness to pet and campers alike.
CAMPER AND STAFF DIVERSITY
Night Eagle is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin in any of its practices or policies. In fact, we believe that diversity strengthens the community and we strive to have as diverse a population as possible. You are expected to respectfully live and work within a diverse group of campers and staff who come from a wide range of socioeconomic, ethnic and religious backgrounds.
COUNSELOR REQUIREMENTS
Counselors must be at least 19 years old or have completed their freshman year in college. They are usually hired for the standard camp length of seven weeks; however, exceptions may be made by the director.
LOYALTY
Loyalty to the director and the ideals of the camp on the part of the staff is absolutely necessary. Criticism of the camp equipment, management, program, food, or policies in the presence of the campers is inappropriate. Staff members are expected to take their troubles and grievances to the director. Helpful suggestions are always welcome.
CHARACTER
Campers imitate adults' behavior and examples. The character of each staff member should be above reproach and worthy of emulation by boys. There is no place at Night Eagle for questionable ideals, vulgar or profane language, obscene stories, pessimism, or poor sportsmanship. Each staff member is expected to exhibit exemplary behavior in all relations with impressionable youngsters.
STAFF WEEK
Staff Week begins with dinner on Sunday, June 26 at 3:00 p.m. It's an important time because the kind of community the staff establishes will greatly influence the kind of community the camp becomes as the campers join and begin to work and live with you. We spend a lot of time in discussions and training sessions. There are always many jobs to do in preparation for the campers' arrival.
HEALTH CARE
Health care at Night Eagle is in keeping with our philosophy of living simply and with concern for our bodies. Keeping well through eating correctly, maintaining cleanliness, getting enough rest and exercise, and paying attention to our emotional and physical needs is our most important concern. As a counselor, you have the double responsibility of caring for yourself and your campers. Boys need help in learning to take care of themselves when they are away from their parents. You must pay close attention to their health needs.
Before coming to camp, all staff members must have a physical (signed by a doctor within the last two years) and return a completed health form to the office. One side of this form (or an equivalent substitute) needs to be completed and signed by a licensed health practitioner who has examined you within the last two years. The other side of this health history form must be completed and signed by you. We will send you a blank health form when we send you your contract.
DAYS OFF
Except for the opening week of each three-week session, staff members are entitled to a weekly 24 hour day off, throughout the season. The period chosen by the counselor will vary according to his needs and the needs of the camp. Once the counselor has chosen his day off (he may not choose the day his tipi has cook crew responsibilities), he is asked not to change it without consulting with the director, who ensures adequate camp coverage. Days off are not cumulative. Since campers are not given days off, counselors should refrain from discussing their days off when campers are present.
EVENINGS OFF
Counselors will also be given one weekly evening off. The evening off will begin after the afternoon activities (approximately 5:00 P.M.) and will end before the campers go to bed. Evenings off and days off may not run consecutively. Staff members may take food from the Night Eagle food shelter for use on their day off after consulting with the food coordinator.
SALARIES
Salaries at Night Eagle are comparable to other camps and are based on education, experience with children, specific skills and years at Night Eagle. They range from $300 a summer for assistant counselors to $300 a week for experienced/specialty counselors and area heads.
POST CAMP
When camp concludes in August, the staff will immediately begin storing the various components of camp for the winter. During that period, we will write campers letters, close down the camp, review the summer, and evaluate the program and our jobs as counselors.
STAFF EVALUATION
Staff members are encouraged to ask questions and seek advice. Throughout the summer, the director will meet, both formally and informally, to check in with you and review your work in camp. Evaluation will include such items as providing a positive role model for the campers, enforcing safety rules, using appropriate teaching techniques, encouraging camper growth, etc.
GROUNDS FOR DISMISSAL
You may be dismissed from work for any of the following reasons:
If Night Eagle dismisses an employee, Night Eagle is not obligated to pay the person who is dismissed. Our role as caretaker and nurturer of the campers is a very serious one, and we will accept no improper conduct. Parents have chosen Night Eagle as a safe place for their children, and you must not disappoint them.
TOBACCO, ALCOHOL AND DRUGS
Night Eagle's policy prohibits the use of tobacco and alcohol. By doing so, we hope to model a lifestyle which does not require these things to have fun. We hope that through our example and discussion we can help campers understand the effects these things have on our bodies. Your commitment to being a camp counselor also encompasses your days off also. Certainly, if you are 21 or older, you may drink on your day off; however, if you abuse alcohol, you lose your legitimacy as a leader and as a role model for children.
The possession or use of illegal drugs while performing camp duties on camp property or away from camp is not allowed at any time during the period of employment at Night Eagle. Discovery of illegal drug use or possession will be reason for immediate dismissal without pay.
CHILD ABUSE
Child abuse is a topic of great concern to parents, children, and anyone who works with children. Parents have asked us what we do to prevent physical, verbal, or sexual abuse at camp. We tell them that we work to prevent such situations by hiring competent staff, by preparing them for the job through an extensive orientation program, by providing them with ongoing support, and by carefully monitoring staff's interactions with the campers. This protects you as well as the campers.
In addition to monitoring our own interactions with the campers, it is important to be aware of how the campers are interacting with one another. Sometimes campers may create games or activities which are abusive or sexually inappropriate. Staff should prevent such activities from occurring or stop them once they have started. What may seem like innocent fun to some campers may be embarrassing and offensive to others.
Our goal is to help all staff members avoid any situation that might trigger abuse. We will support staff in handling problem situations. The relationship between staff and campers that Night Eagle seeks to foster is one which emphasizes trust and caring. We believe that appropriate physical affection is important to children. If you are ever uncomfortable with an interaction that you have had with a child or you think a camper has perceived something you have done as abusive or inappropriate, we expect you to consult the director immediately. This is also true if the campers in your tipi have done something that could be interpreted as abusive or inappropriate. In such situations it is extremely important to everyone involved to discuss the situation in an effort to clarify the facts.
Verbal sexual advances or physical sexual interactions with campers destroy the trust and safety necessary in the relationship between camper and counselor, child and teacher. All such innapropriate conduct will not be tolerated. In addition any physical abuse by a staff person or a camper is explicitly forbidden. Employees who are determined to have engaged in any sort of sexual interactions or physical abuse of campers shall be dismissed.
As caring persons working with children, all incidents of suspected abuse of children (including abuse of campers by persons outside the camp community) shall be promptly reported to the camp director. Since Vermont has designated summer camp owners as “mandated reporters,” we are required by law to report all instances of known or suspected child abuse to the proper authorities who will promptly review and investigate them.
SENSITIVE ISSUES POLICY
We recognize that there are many socially sensitive issues that young people deal with on a day to day basis. Those issues include such items as smoking, profanity, drugs, tattoos, body piercing, sexuality, AIDS, dating, body awareness, cults, witchcraft, religion, divorce, ghost and horror stories, etc. It is perfectly normal for boys to ask questions concerning these and many other topics.
As a counselor, you should provide an empathetic ear for the camper yet avoid using the opportunity to get on a soapbox and promote your views about a particular topic.
In an effort to get your approval about something, often campers will ask about your personal life. You should know that he is really not interested in what you have done, but what he should do. Do not use your life as a model for him, instead, turn the conversation to his needs and try to discover what his real question is about.