Towering Pines Blog

Seeing all the action at camp, all the happy busy kids here, it’s easy to forget that there are about 30 people on the Towering Pines staff at any one time. There are many people working to make camp possible. There are the cabin counselors, the young men who live in the cabins with the campers, eat their meals with the campers, spend most of their day relating to them. These are the folks who most directly help set the tone at camp. They’re kind, quirky, and energetic. Most have been campers themselves when they were younger, and now have returned to TP to get their “camp fix” and have their turn at making an impact on the leaders of tomorrow. A few have recently come from abroad to spend their summer at camp. And others are friends of people somehow related to Towering Pines and its history.

Cabin counselors are also activity instructors during the day. They are assigned to one or more activities where they guide, lead and instruct the campers as they do something. You can imagine this means the cabin counselors have a wide range of skills and talents. One might be certified to teach archery, and another to be a lifeguard. Some are landsports enthusiasts— tennis, soccer, mountain biking or riflery, for example. Others have real talent directing TP players, developing cool art projects, or teaching campers to fish. Some instruct the zoo classes while others work with campers to learn to swim, ski, sail or canoe. Every activity at camp has counselors directly involved at every turn.

Another area of staffing is our activity directors. These leaders have special knowledge or skills pertaining to an activity, and therefore can be in charge. Each instructional activity has at least one person in this role. Other directors include a Program Director who schedules all campers and staff for daily and evening activities, our CIT directors who run the leadership training program for the oldest campers, and a canoe trip director who takes each cabin group on an overnight adventure. We also have an Assistant Director who is deeply invested in the the day-to-day details of the camper experience.

The other areas of staffing are equally critical for camp to operate. These are the maintenance staff, van drivers, boat drivers, photographers and videographers, and office staff (both on-site and remote). We should also recognize the fantastic team that can be found in our Health Center caring for and keeping us well physically and mentally, and perhaps most importantly, the kitchen crew that keeps us well fed with yummy meals and snacks.

Together, along with Jeff and the Jordan family, all of these people help keep camp going. They help us stay healthy, active, and engaged with everything camp life presents. It’s a great group of dedicated people who love camp, enjoy being with kids and seeing them have fun. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; it’s the people that make Towering Pines!

p.s. It’s never too early to start talking to those folks in your network (family, friends, neighbors, church community, co-workers, etc.) with college-age connections about the exciting opportunities a summer at camp provides!