Before the pandemic, our only limit on how many campers we could welcome each week was how many beds we had to put them in. We added tents in Rustic and built a yurt village to give campers more space and more ways to experience Camp Westminster.
As we emerge from the pandemic (fingers crossed, knock on wood, etc.), it is clear that our limit is no longer how many beds we had but how many campers we could safely supervise. Unfortunately, finding enough staff has become a big challenge for many camps around the country.
Keeping kids safe at camp is paramount. When considering any program, activity, or creative idea, it is our number one question. If it’s not safe, then it’s a non-starter. One of the most critical pieces of keeping camp safe is maintaining a solid staff to camper ratio.
To maintain that ratio, we are limiting the number of campers based on the size of the staff hired.
This year, a full staff will be eight counselors, four program support staff, a waterfront director, health officer, summer maintenance director, and head cook. Currently, I have six counselors in the hiring process, one program support staffer, and a candidate for head cook.
While I would like to be closer to a complete staff than I am right now, I am not worried because I know the Camp Westminster Community is here to help us!
You can help us prepare for the summer by connecting us with some excellent summer staff. Summer counselors should be 18.5 years old; program support staff can be as young as 17 by the start of camp. More details are on our summer employment page. This year we are offering a higher base pay rate than ever before, starting at $300 per week. Keeping our staff to camper ratio high means a great summer experience for campers and staff. Bringing on more staff also means we can open the door to more campers!
For more information on what it means to be on summer staff at Camp Westminster, the positions we are hiring, or how to apply, see our Summer Employment page. Questions? Feel free to contact us.
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