Fridays with Franky: Behind the Scenes of Staff Training

Hi there, Franky the camp dog here. A lot has happened since my last post, and the most amazing change has taken over camp! Song, laughter, and dance has once again claimed the shores of Hunter Lake, and I am surrounded by people who can pet me…

The 2016 WeHaKee Staff have arrived! We have had 2 and half days of training, and between camp tours and sessions on leadership, it’s been pretty busy and great.

“Franky,” you say, “You’re up there with the staff for nearly 2 weeks, some even longer than that! It can’t take that long to get such amazing women to plan all the activities the campers will enjoy this summer. Why is staff training nearly as long as a session?”

Well, we aren’t just talking nuts and bolts here. Our staff really need to get to the HEART of WeHaKee–relationships, and helping the campers build them. Not only do we spend long happy days planning horseback riding and pottery lessons, we also have sessions such as “Situational Awareness and Supervision” and “Emergency Procedures.” Each and every member of staff is working hard already. They want to make sure they are prepared to handle not only the amusement of each camper   , but their emotional and social needs as well. Our staff can pull together an AMAZING night of Capture the Flag or Paint Twister, but they are also learning how to “Expand Possibilities” and “Challenge Growth” at the same time. (Those concepts come to us from the Search Institute’s Developmental Relationships Publication, it’s definitely worth a read!)

Over remaining days of training, staff will live in cabins just like the campers will. We eat meals at the same times, sing the same songs, and experience as much of camp life as we can. And yes, that does mean sleeping in a tent one night! We even have a Special Event game coming up, based on this year’s staff training theme. With the popularity of the new Star Wars movie, we couldn’t resist the chance to analyze Yoda’s servant leadership, or have a “These ARE the droids you are looking for” Memory Game challenge.

Stay tuned to our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter over the next week. You will see a group of amazing young women coming together to create a supportive community for all the campers that will arrive in a short time!