Job description

Camp Counselors/Program Specialists/Lifeguards

This is a seasonal position located at Camp Bette Perot in Palestine, Texas.

Camp Bette Perot, our equestrian camp near Palestine, TX, offers sleepaway camp for girls ages 7-16. We serve approximately 140 campers per week from a variety of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Campers come to camp independently and are cared for by Camp Program Staff.

• Work May 30th through July 30th.
• Sunday morning through late Friday afternoon.
• Room and board provided.
• Pay rates start at $390/week + bonus opportunities.
• Lifeguard certification is provided and paid by Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas.

Opportunities:

Counselor (age 18+):

• Live in platform tents, cabins, or lodges with Girl Scout campers. Care for campers day and night plus lead activities and other aspects of the daily camp program.

Junior Counselor (age 16-17, rising junior or senior in high school):

• Work in partnership with other counselors and leaders to serve girls while developing your own leadership skills. To be eligible, must meet ONE of the following: (1) completion of at least one year of CIT/MIT/WIT program in previous summer OR (2) at least two years as a past GSNETX summer camper.

Program Specialist (age 18+):

• Lead outdoor activities and other aspects of daily camp program.

About Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas:

Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas (GSNETX) offers amazing opportunities for talented, forward-thinking individuals who share our vision of helping girls and young women change the world for the better.

Here's your opportunity to enhance your career while making a difference in girls’ lives and in the world. At Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas, you can build a rewarding career in everything from working hands-on with girls, to accounting, human resources and project management, to marketing, research—and more.

About GSNETX Summer Camp:

Our two summer camp programs provide amazing outdoor leadership opportunities for girls:

• Camp Bette Perot, our equestrian camp near Palestine, TX, offers sleepaway camp for girls ages 7-16. We serve approximately 140 campers per week from a variety of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Campers come to camp independently and are cared for by Camp Program Staff.
• Camp Gambill, our waterfront camp outside Paris, TX, offers sleepaway family and troop camp experiences for girls ages 5-18. We serve approximately 70 campers per week from a variety of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Campers come to camp with adults from their family or troop.

Job summary:

Camp Program Staff are responsible for leading a fun, impactful summer camp program for all campers. Staff live in cabins, platform tents, or lodges (group living), develop relationships, care for campers, lead program activities, and participate fully in daily camp life. This team member serves as a caring mentor, fun companion, patient teacher, positive role model, and helpful problem solver. The position reports to the Camp Director at your assigned camp property. Paid staff training is provided at the beginning of the summer. Program staff live onsite during work.

Benefits:

Summer camp changes lives for the better! Join an amazing community where you will make new friends, develop personal and professional skills, engage your body and your mind in an outdoor environment, overcome challenges, and be the best version of yourself, plus have tons of fun! As part of a team mentoring, teaching, and helping, you get to make an incredible impact on campers, who remember the sense of belonging, friendship, growth, and magic of summer camp for their entire lives. Camp Program Staff receive room and board when camp is in session plus paid staff training, paid certifications (where applicable), and invaluable work experience that prepares you to succeed in school, in work, and in life.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Champion a positive, inclusive, caring, safe, and fun camp environment and promote the values of the Girl Scout Promise and Law
• Support camper wellbeing by supervising hygiene, meals, sleep, medications, and overall health while living with campers (Camp Bette Perot)
• Lead or participate in all camp activities: meals, program activities, rest, free time, kapers (chores), and staff trainings and meetings
• Facilitate positive group relationships, including addressing conflict in constructive ways
• Advocate for camper confidence, responsibility, challenge seeking, teamwork, learning, goal setting, relationship skills, and coping strategies
• Adhere to camp schedule, direct campers and self to assigned spaces on time, and stay with assigned group
• Maintain campsite and activity supplies and equipment
• Practice all safety standards on camp property and at activity spaces

Specific roles available:

Camp Bette Perot hires multiple roles, and Camp Gambill hires all Program Specialists.

• Counselor (Camp Bette Perot, age 18+): Live in platform tents, cabins, or lodges with Girl Scout campers. Care for campers day and night plus lead activities and other aspects of the daily camp program.
• Junior Counselor (Camp Bette Perot, age 16-17, rising junior or senior in high school): Work in partnership with other counselors and leaders to serve girls while developing your own leadership skills. To be eligible, must meet ONE of the following: (1) completion of at least one year of CIT/MIT/WIT program in previous summer OR (2) at least two years as a past GSNETX summer camper.
• Program Specialist (Camp Gambill and Camp Bette Perot, age 18+):Lead outdoor activities and other aspects of daily camp program. Program Specialists at Camp Gambill must complete waterfront lifeguard certification.

A limited number of leadership opportunities are available for Counselors and Program Specialists with extra skills and experience:

• Unit Leaders (Camp Bette Perot, age 21+): Serve as Counselors with additional responsibilities. Accountable for overall success in campsite unit, including supporting up to 24 campers and up to 7 other counselors in unit through participation in additional staff meetings, implementation of camp policies, completion of daily camper paperwork, and communication with Camp Director and counselors.
• Activity Leaders (Camp Bette Perot, age 18+ or 21+ with relevant certification): Serve as Counselors or Program Specialists with additional responsibilities. Accountable for overall success of assigned activity, including developing program plan, maintaining spaces and equipment, coordinating counselors, and engaging groups of campers throughout the day (aquatics/waterfront, ropes course, archery and other target sports, wilderness, crafts, and all-camp programs).
• Photography Leader (Camp Bette Perot, age 18+): Counselor with additional responsibilities. Accountable for overall success of photo portfolio available to camper families, including taking engaging photos of campers and camp life, organizing photos, and tracking rosters.

Minimum requirements:

• Willingness to live, eat, teach, and play respectfully and fruitfully with diverse staff and campers all day, with limited privacy and personal time
• Willingness to be active outdoors all day in variable weather conditions (heat, humidity, rain, wind) and to walk extensively around camp
• Willingness to role model respect, positivity, smiling, cheerfulness, kindness, patience, honesty, inclusion, good mental hygiene, and accountability
• Willingness to listen to, learn from, and cooperate with others
• Willingness to embrace a simple living environment in platform tents, cabins, or lodges as assigned and to use group latrines (private stalls and showers)
• Ability to work long hours all day and all week with occasional needs to respond to campers / emergencies overnight (staff get personal breaktime each day during the week and 1-2 days off between sessions as well as extra days off at July 4)
• Ability to complete full term (all weeks) of camp agreement

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience serving youth in a work or volunteer setting
• Experience attending summer camp or going camping
• Experience with one or more of our program activities in swimming, sailing, kayaking and canoeing, equestrian, archery and target sports, wilderness, crafts, and climbing and ropes
• Current certifications appreciated in any of the following: first aid and CPR, lifeguarding, ropes course, archery, small watercraft, or fishing

Must abstain from:

• Use of tobacco products, vaping and electronic cigarettes, alcohol, illegal drugs, firearms, and fireworks while on camp property or while on duty, plus abstain from possessing on camp property and from returning to camp under the influence of any such substances
• Use of explicit language or harmful language
• Volatile expressions of emotion
• Wearing clothing that features alcohol, drugs, or harmful topics or language
• Sharing or discussing private, adult issues with campers
• Using (engaging with) cell phone while on duty (Camp Program Staff phones can be kept in administrative building and used during scheduled staff break time away from campers, plus we have a radio system for camp communication and emergencies)

Our organization’s cultural values:

• We are relevant.
• We strive for equity.
• We put our stakeholders first.
• We collaborate to get the best results.
• We own our work.

Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas is an equal opportunity employer and supports a diverse, inclusive work environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to protected characteristics, including race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or age.

Job Type: Temporary

Pay: From $390.00 per week

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Evening shift
• Night shift
• Weekend availability

Work Location: In person

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