“Oh, how great! ” I said, sarcastically. “So how do we tell the girls? I don’t want them to be scared, should we just make something up? ” “No, I think we should just tell them the truth. ” Me, with it being my first night taking on the role of a cit was super shocked. As a camper, I never had this happen to me, so I was not sure how exactly the process went. When we arrived to the cabin Mikki sat everyone down in a circle and began with “hey ladies, so tonight we’ve had a change of plans” she paused and took a breath in. “This is something very important and serious so everyone should be mature ” she paused. One of the counselors who worked the stay over weekend who stayed in cabin 2 found three bites on his arm. The nurse assessed them and found out that they were bedbugs. That means tonight we’re gonna have to evacuate the cabin. I know it’s gonna be difficult but I truly believe that will do good as long as everyone stay calm. Everyone needs to get their stuff for tonight, like there toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, and whatever you will need for the morning and put it in a bag so we can assess it and make sure it doesn’t have any bedbugs.
You should put the rest of your stuff if it’s plastic, in the bathroom so that when the cabin gets heated it won’t melt. ” Mikki, being extremely stressed out, left out a bunch of things out so that left the campers asked tons of questions to Carolyn and I while she was going to tell Jen and Val, the camp directors, about the situation. My campers handled it phenomenally. We ended up going and having snacks at about 11 o’clock at night which made the girls very happy.
After that, we took our stuff and we slept in the conference center with brand-new beds, brand-new sleeping bags and brand-new pillows with all the girls were allowed to keep and it made them so happy. When we arrived, I took all of the ladies to the bathroom and made sure that of all of them brushed their teeth and put their PJs on. Recollecting on that story made me confident in my eval because I dealt with it maturely, and put the camper’s needs in front of own. Back to DDH, patiently awaiting my name to be called, it was finally my turn.
On my way out, I prayed to God, a squeaked the DDH door open and Colleen, my CIT leader sat me down. She told me “Before we start I’d just like to tell you that you were one of the best CIT’s I have had all summer”. Joy spread throughout my veins, as she said that. The nervousness and anxiety that I had had that whole week transformed to butterflies in my stomach. She said it would take a while because she was going to read through every thing on the list. She took a deep breath, “Presence at camp-Took initiative while by volunteering for roles around the camp: 5. Kami had lots of drive and initiative this week.
She got involved in her cabin right away, and acted as the third counselor in the cabin rather than as a CIT. Participated in and showed enthusiasm for camp activities: 5. Kami is very enthusiastic and did a great job getting her kids engaged. Her cabin got bed bugs and then went on the mountain hike the next day, and both of those things stressed Kami out, which she told me later, but the kids never new. She maintained enthusiasm on the mountain hike the whole time. Led games and otherwise took campers entertained: 4. Kami did a really good job with this in her cabin and most of the time in her class.
She entertained the kids for over an hour when it thundered at Alpine one day, which really impressed her counselors. Showed natural ability to be a counselor – showed good decision making skills, jumped in where needed, looked at needs of others before their own: 5. Kami really knocked it out of the park this week. She proved she can do the job and that she has great instincts. Was receptive to criticism and made a clear effort to improve: 5. Mid-week, we talked about using softer tones for disciplining kids and about remaining engaged when tiredness hits.
I saw Kami improve on both of these things considerably, and I never saw her unengaged again after that, even though I’m sure she got more and more tired as the week progressed”. Next she read the “Relationships” category. She continued, “Showed respect for me and for the counselors in their cabin at all times: 5. Kami was respectful at all times. Made an effort to build relationships with campers in their cabin: 5. Kami made a huge effort with this. She learned names quickly and got to know her kids and their personalities. Got to know fellow CITs and worked well as a team:
4. She could sometimes get tired or frustrated and show it to the group. However, Kami brought our group together with some great suggestions at our devotions the first week. It wouldn’t have been the same without her, and I really valued her input. In addition, she was always a team player it wouldn’t have been the same without her. Led campers into friendships with each other and cultivate a positive cabin environment: 5. Kami did an incredible job with this. She told me that her cabin had been pretty racially divided, but one day had a girl in her cabin gave her cornrows.
The counselors in her cabin did it too, and then the campers wanted them as well. The cabin was a lot more united after this, and started mixing in with each other more. ” Lastly, she read, “Professionalism. ” “Maintained a positive attitude in front of campers at all times: 5. Kami was always positive. She had to deal with a bed bug situation on Sunday night, but she remained positive and put on a good face for the kids. Showed respect for self, others, and Camp Hanes: 5. Kami was respectful at all times. Made good decisions:
4. I always trusted Kami’s decision-making, but sometimes I saw her get frustrated and show that frustration. Helped counselors enforce camp rules: 5. I saw Kami do a good job with discipline this week. I witnessed her ask kids at archery to change their behavior and they respected her, and her counselors said she did a great job of backing them up in the cabin as well. Kept conversations and music camp appropriate at all times: 5. I never questioned Kami’s judgment on what was and wasn’t appropriate. Demonstrated the five character values of camp: honesty, respect, faith, caring, and responsibility at all times:
5. Kami stepped it up this week and really showed these character traits, both to her cabin and to me. She did a great job and would make a great counselor. ” The results of that evaluation had me crying. I was sobbing of joy. I was at peace with my self, and my decisions. I had an almost perfect evaluation, with some minor problems- but nothing too big. This experience impacted my life because I was finally confident in the fact that I did well. I could finally be content with the fact that I would still be returning to camp, but as a counselor. I would be getting paid to do something thats priceless.
What’s better than that? No joke, I would be a counselor for free if it meant being able to go to camp. Thats how incredibly amazing camp is. To end out my 10 years at camp, after my evaluation, I was rewarded with my 10 Year Canoe. Fun Fact: I was the only camper to receive it the whole summer. It is a very big deal because not a lot of people reach that point, but I did. On my fifth year, I received my 5 year paddle, which is a giant deal for any kid because it marks one’s commitment to coming to camp. After I received my canoe, I took a walk around.
I first went to the lower ball field, and thought of the memories of spending rec time there, playing volleyball as an LIT, sitting on the wooden stairs gossiping about boys as an explorer, and playing “red rover” with all of my friends when I was 5. Then I took a climb to the flag pole, memories of singing the “Meds Song”, “Little Red Wagon”, or “Little Shark”. I walked around the beaten path to bridge, where I had my first kiss when I was 12. And then to the Camp fire where I have memories of preforming skits, singing songs, laughing my head off, and crying through the goodbyes” and “thank you’s” of closing campfire each week.
On my way out of camp, I started to cry, it was my tenth year and I was no longer a camper. I had served my camp well, and learned that even after 10 years of adventures, I still belonged there. I have made life long friends, done incredible things, and made life lasting memories at camp. I have truly grown up at camp hanes, from 6 to 17. I have travelled all over the world, done amazing things that some only dream to do in their life, but I can honestly say without a doubt, that YMCA Camp Hanes will always be my favorite place on the universe, and my second home.