The Importance of a Counselor

By Green River Preserve on July 23, 2014

We have easily fallen into the swing of things here at base camp. Today marks our fourth day of morning Mentor hikes and afternoon activities. Notably, though, I know at least five Copperheads were spotted this morning on hikes to Lower and Upper Balds. In case you haven’t heard, we are three-fourths of our way to achieving a Grand Slam! Only a bear remains to be spotted—the only Grand Slaminal that has not yet graced us with its presence this summer.

Our normal schedule is in for quite the awakening tomorrow, as it will be the first day of Campout. Hopefully this rain that has been plaguing us all week will hold off— it could be more of a “Dampout” than a Campout! Regardless of the weather, Campout is one of my favorite parts of the two and three week sessions. It is a perfect setting for campers to bond within their cabin, with members of their brother or sister cabin, and with counselors.

Bonding with counselors is a very important part of a Base Camper’s experience. GRP staff stands out to me (among other camp staff) because of how much they truly love and care for their campers. They take the extra time and put forth the extra effort to get to know campers both inside and outside their cabins. I constantly see and hear counselors having one-on-one conversations with campers about anything and everything. I see counselors stopping what they are doing to console a homesick camper, find a missing water bottle, or make sure their daypack or Campout pack fits as comfortably as possible. I watch counselors spend their Free Time playing endless games of Magic, chess, or Frisbee with campers when they could easily be taking some time to themselves.

I know how much I enjoy getting to know campers and I am confident that my co-counselors feel the same way. I am blown away on a daily basis by the intelligence, talent, and maturity of GRP campers. Each camper brings something unique to the GRP community. I wish I could see where all of these campers are as adults—I know they will do incredible things.

Many older campers have been asking endless questions about what it is like to work at GRP. It warms my heart to know that they look up to their counselors and love the Preserve so much that they are already intent on being staff members when they get older.

Seek the joy of being alive,

Carolyn /// WPW 2

Green River Preserve
Green River Preserve

Green River Preserve is a non-competitive, coed summer camp connecting children with nature. Located on a 3,400 acre private wildlife preserve in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, this extraordinary natural setting inspires campers to have a greater understanding of themselves, their environment, and their fellow man. Designed for bright, curious, and creative children, our program nurtures character development and fosters skills like perseverance, curiosity, communication, optimism, creativity, and GRIT.