Center Counselor Responsibilities

Jobs may be distributed to counselors in center, both adult and teen staff.

Requirements:

  1. Be willing to help/plan age-appropriate activities before camp starts and during camp time.
  2. Be GSUSA registered.
  3. Provide a health history record to the day camp staff.
  4. Provide special current certifications, if required, to day camp staff
  5. Experience working with girls and boys at all levels helpful.
  6. Be certified in subject of center, if applicable

Benefits:

  1. Priority placement for your Girl Scout campers*
  2. Reduced fees for your Girl Scout campers *
    *Parent/Child only. Does not include neighbors, friends, troop members, daycare children, carpool riders, or relatives

  • Prepare and Guide the campers through an age-appropriate program for the unit attending your center.  Some work assigned will be done to complete try-it/badge/IP assigned to a level.  You may be given some activities to accomplish; you may have to prepare some.

  • Your costs should be reimbursed, but there is a budget for each center.  Do not plan on doing crafts, unless your center is crafts, or you have an assignment that involves a craft.  Ex. Theater Center-make a face mask to be used in a play.  Theater Center may have girls make character masks, then try them out in a short story play while at the center.

  • Snack Center - Shop for snack items and bring to camp.  Prepare snacks daily.  Operate snow cone machine and/or ice cream makers, if used.   Obtain ice and ice storage area, if used.

  • Games or Sports - prepare game/sport area, bring game pieces to camp, teach game or sport, and monitor campers during playing time.  Can be table games, field sports, or creative type games.

  • Cooking Center - prepare cooking area, supply food and cooking items, supply heat source (charcoal, wood, fire starters, etc), and guide campers in the activities.

  • Crafts Center - prepare sample craft to show campers, determine which crafts will be used per grade level, purchase items, and store items overnight in your car or storage bin.  Items can not be left at camp.  Teach/show craft to campers.

  • Theater or Show Center - gather stage props, costumes, puppets, etc. Teach campers theater skills and practice show for camp.

  • Singing Center - supply musical instrument or recorded music, song books, singing games, songs.  Teach campers the words and music and sing them.

  • Science Center - supply materials for all science experiments.  Some are in the council science kits.  Plan and teach science related lessons to campers.  Can be nature walks, science experiment, craft, etc.

  • Work with teen staff and other adult counselors, if assigned to center.

  • Turn in Center Reports and materials borrowed to office on Friday at end of camp

  • .List/Post center accomplishments for try-it/badge/IPs for unit counselors to see.  Give a copy of this info to office on Friday.

  • Turn into office news items for a camp newsletter for the web page.

All counselors:

  • Supervise center housekeeping, sanitation, and care of supplies and equipment.  Assure center area assigned is neat and clean by removing trash, sweeping pavilion or cabin, damp mopping area, returning camp borrowed items, and removing personal belongings.

  • Do camp kapers when assigned to center.  Kapers could be cleaning latrines, cleaning lodges, morning and afternoon bus boarding duty, carpool checkout, etc.

  • Take daily attendance and deliver attendance sheet to office.

  • Be courteous to units, centers, counselors, and campers.

  • Stay with your assigned center at all times (unless on a pre-arranged short break) and during pre-agreed on time.  May go to your daughter's unit for cook-out or camp show, if you have free time and have pre-arranged with other counselors to cover during your absence.  Don't show up and expect lunch; they may not have any.  Don't leave center empty when units are expected to arrive.

  • Arrive and depart camp on time  (8:45am-3:45pm if not riding the bus).  Sign in every day at flag.  If leave early or arrive late, must sign out/in at camp office  Coordinate such with other counselors assigned with you and camp director.  Call camp office/director, if you know you will be late.

  • Follow the day camp safety rules as stated in the Camp Counselor manual, Safety Wise, as announced daily, and posted at camp.  Receive safety rules at camp meetings.  Camp Manual found at camp web site, staff page.  Wear appropriate clothing at camp.

  • Be aware of supply locations at camp (center tubs, TP, water, etc.).  May need to refill water jugs posted at your center during the day.

  • Provide a health history record and special certifications to the day camp staff.    Certifications must be current-archery, lifeguard, canoe, first aide - and on file at camp.

  • Attend day camp training (if not already taken) and camp meetings, both before camp and during camp.  Usually during camp one representative will attend, not all.