Summer Staff

For over 60 years, Camp Lake Stephens summer camp staff have impacted thousands of children and youth from across the United States. Throughout this time, capable and passionate counselors have made their names here through teaching, leading, and discipling. Thus, a tradition of selecting the most qualified staff has carried on into the present. Each of our staff members- counselors, CITs, and program staff-are hand picked by the Program and Executive Director. After pouring over references, background checks, and multiple interviews, those chosen are hired to help carry out the Camp Lake Stephens summer camping program. Every day at Camp Lake Stephens is filled with countless opportunities to play with, encourage and change the life of a child. Being a part of summer camp staff can be the most exhausting, exhilirating, and rewarding experience of one's life. We encourage all to apply who want to passionately devote long hours and dedicate hard work to the furthering of the community of God. We are a United Methodist Camp, and encourage United Methodists to apply; those who are non-Methodist are also welcomed and encouraged to apply as well.

If you are interested in working in any capacity during the summer, please fill out the Application Form below, and send in your reference forns to CLS. All applications and two references- one from a pastor and one from an employer/teacher- are due on March 1st, 2008. For further information, email Russell at russell@camplakestephens.com, or call the camp office at 662-234-3350.

Application Form / Reference Form

Counselor

Counselors are the largest part of every summer staff, and represent the day-to-day success of the summer camp program. Counselors have completed at least one year in college, and have experience working with children and youth. Also essential is that the counselor loves camping and the outdoors, and has a passion to teach campers to have that same passion. Many of our counselors are former campers or Camp Lake Stephens attendees, who have come back to inspire and teach others as they were taught. Others come from out of state, who heard of Camp Lake Stephens through word of mouth or discovered us via interenet or search application.

Program Staff

Those with counselor and summer camp leadership experience are qualified candidates for summer camp program staff. These individuals help lead counselors and campers in having the best possible experience at Camp Lake Stephens. Through planning, discipleship, mentoring, managing, and developing, program staff help to lead the summer camp staff to do their best, and make summer camp a safe and fun time for everyone. While program staffers do not take a cabin, their responsobilites rest on the day-to-day operations of the counselors and program. Thus, it is a hard-working vocation. Yet, it elicits powerful leadership skills and a powerful sense of what it means to be a servant. Those individuals that have a strong camping background, with experience in youth/children leadership, and counselor leadership. Also, we ask that only those that are college graduates and at least 21 years old apply.

Adventure Camp Director

As the leader and coordinator of our adventure camp, the Adventure Camp Director manages our Adventure Camp Summer Program. This individual should be at least 21 years old, with the capacity to lead 4 counselors and 24 campers on several different trips off campus throughout the summer. Because of the nature of the Adventure Camp Program, the Director should be familiar and comfortable with rustic camping. This entails that the Director is able to lead others in outdoor activities, such as hiking, light backpacking, and no trace camping.

The Director should also be comfortable in driving long distances, and will receive extra instruction as applicable during staff training. The Director will also be responsible for coordinating Adventure Camp Counselors during staff training, teaching them pertinent and essential information for the success of the Adventure Camp Program.

Adventure Camp Counselor

Adventure Camp counselors should be at least 21 years old, and familiar and comfortable with rustic camping. These counselors should be prepared to lead and teach campers the ways of rustic camping, while being comfortable in our Adventure Camp Resident Treehouses (unairconditioned). These counselors will be expected to be certified as both a lifeguard and in high ropes, due to the nature of the Adventure Camp Program. As such, Adventure Camp Counselor salaries will be 14% higher than our traditional camp counselor. There will be two female and two male Adventure Camp Counselors hired for Summer 2008.

CIT

CITs, or "counselors-in-training" have long played a role in Camp Lake Stephens summer staff. These individuals are typically those between the ages of high school junior and college freshman, that want to be a part of the summer program, but are not yet old enough to become a counselor. Typically, CITs are long-time Camp Lake Stephens summer campers, and are familiar with the program. They will do a variety of things this summer, to help create the most positive camp experience possible for our summer campers. Because the role of a CIT is a volunteer role, they have different responsibilites than a counselor. We envision that our CITs can help do some of the following: lead total group activities, assist counselors during activity time, help plan games, lead interest group activities, amongst numerous other rewarding things.