Sorry have been away I am still getting over having my baby so early. I had preeclampsia again and h...
Sorry have been away I am still getting over having my baby so early. I had preeclampsia again and had to have a C Section. Baby on Scbu and I will get on with writing soon.
Member since:11.01.2003
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I went on Camp America when I was 18 years old that's 9 years ago now. Camp America has been one of the best experiences of my life and even though it was really hard work it was worth it. It is a sense of achievement like you've never felt before. Like you've put something into the world and you've gone somewhere and done something. It is in my memory's, it will always live there, I long to go back, but I have comittments now.
I did my camp America with special needs children and adults it was called Camp Huntington in the Catskill Mountains, New York State. Camps usually last for 2 months between July and September or there abouts. Camps vary, but on my camp I worked 24/7 and was with a group of 8 campers all this time. As you can imagine this gets very tiring and counsellors as you will be called if you decide to work on a camp fall out with one another. With me I didn't have hardly any friends because I have never been comfortable in group surroundings like this after being bullied at school. I was homesick and kept myself to myself. To some people it's about the friends they make on camp to me it was about making friends with the campers and they certainly loved me even if the counsellors did not. I was not really bothered about the other counsellor's approval since I wasn't there for them I was there to help make people with special needs happy.
On the first night the counsellor who was with me did a pretty mean thing. There was
a party going on and she didn't want to miss it. She never told me what was going on about the party and that she just asked if I would swap a night with her. Fortunately for me I'd over heard what was going on and I wasn't going to let her walk all over me like this so I told her no. Well after that she had a right go at me and I kind of wish I had said that I would swap just to make her happy.
Some people were like that on camp though. Working so close with people mean't that you had to be tolerant to some degree. Working 24/7 also mean't that I had to watch the campers with another camper 24 hours a day for 2 months with the exception of 1 day per week when I got my day off. This is extremely tiring and at first it is a shock to the system with such a big change in your day to day life.
I had to wash the campers, dress them and look after their dignity and independance. Some days the work was so hard and tiring and the sun was belting down that I didn't feel like working, but I did. Somedays I would get restless and want to sit down and take in the sun, but I couldn't. Some campers got badly bitten by mosquito's I was lucky I took a course of zinc capsules 2 months before I went to America and it stops mosquito's having a go at you. So there's some useful advice for you! ======================================================================
O.k I'm going to take a brief interlude here. I don't want you to think that Camp America is going to be easy because it's completely the opposite and if you are looking for a cheap way to have a holiday then look again. Camp America is hard work, it's tiring, it's absolutely exhaustive.
Your going to get paid a small amount that won't take you far for 2 months of your time.
The money is Not the reason for wanting to take this holiday. This working holiday is an opportunity of a lifetime for the right person.
Now you don't have to go on a camp for special needs children that was just what I wanted to do, however there may be some of you who do want to do that tyoe of camp. Whatever camp you do it's sure to be the experience of a lifetime.
======================================================================Camp America will bring a new perspective to your life it will show you things that you never thought you were capable of. You will surprise yourself and certainly find new skills and have something to add to your CV.
The experiences I had on Camp were amazing. One thing I really loved was watching a talent show the campers had put on. These were people with real problems that had made every effort to put together something fantastic. It used to make me happy to see them smiling and singing. Some days I would be feeling really bad and they would come up to me and wrap their arms around me. Special needs people are like that they always find positive in life and are very warm, loving people.
Another experience was one night me and a group of the counsellors got really smashed and ended up skinny dipping in the camp pool which we weren't allowed to go in at night. It was really good fun because it was still warm and the pool was so refreshing. If we had been caught it wouldn't have been so much fun.
There were some amazing things that happened on camp that all made it worthwhile. Some of the things I couldn't even begin to list. You really have to go there to believe it. It's something that will live in your memories and heart forever.
During the first few weeks at camp I was made a floater which mean't that I would go to different people's groups to relieve the other counsellor on their day off. I enjoyed this most because I saw different people with different needs. I could also put new ideas across that might otherwise not have been tried. It was good being a floater, but it also mean't that I missed out on any tips that the other counsellor's got and because I wasn't well liked the other counsellor's in the cabin with me never shared their tips like some other counsellor's did with other floater's.
Another amazing thing that happened to me was I was looking after this lady called Rosanne and she had Autism I followed her round talking to her and on the 3rd day she started talking to me. This was a lady that never usually talked before and my influence had helped her to speak. It was amazing.
If you don't want to have a counsellor's responsibility then you could opt to be the chef or assistant in the kitchen. There are plenty of other jobs that you could do like an activity counsellor.
If you drive a car then you will be very popular at camp as everyone will want lifts off you into Town particularly if your camp is in the out backs as mine was.
If you do decide that Camp America is for you then what you need to do is go to a camp fair. These are held round the Country at certain venue's. You may like to visit Bunac's website to get more information as this is one organisation that helps to recruit camp counsellor's.
There are so many different camps to choose from you will be spoiled for choice. Theirs Christian camps, Jewish Camps, Camps for people with special needs, Day Camps and the list goes on. There are Camps all over America and in other Countries too.
You will hear lots of different reports on Camp America and I would say it's an experience that is going to be different for everyone since we are not all the same. It is not an easy time, but the rewards make up for that. At the end of the camp you can sigh a big relief and say it's over, but part of you will undoubtedly feel a loss. When you return to England it is awful because you want to be back in America doing it all over again. For the first few months you will probably feel quite low in spirits.
Let's put it this way if you sit a home after reading this you will probably always wonder what if. However if you go for it you will have something to tell your kids and your kids, kids.
Go on, go for it!
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Geordidave 15.10.2007 14:37
Great review!!! You should really send it into www.summercampworldwide.com or copy it on their forum, it would be really helpful for people going to camp america next summer!
coleman123 15.04.2006 15:31
Good review, I'm going to do Camp America this Summer, in upstate New York too. I leave on the 12th June and can't wait!!
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Advantages: Potentially life changing. Potentially meet friends for life. Reputable agency. Disadvantages: Bit of a gamble as to whether you find a camp where you are happy.
MarcoG 31.10.2006 (22.06.2007)
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Review of Camp America
Advantages: new friends, new country, learn new skills, tan, different culture, active Disadvantages: home sickness, far away from home, hard work, pressured, tiring, long hours, little pay, challenging
freekazoid 17.07.2006 (17.07.2006)
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Review of Camp America
Feb 24th, 2004
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