Activities

Each staff member is both a cabin counselor and an activity specialist. Campers travel to activities with other boys from their age group and, over the course of the summer, are scheduled for every activity in the program. Consequently, each staff member will work with every age group and ability level.

Skill development and exposure to new activities are key elements of our program, and we are seeking applicants with experience in their activity of choice. As important as competence or experience, however, are your enthusiasm and a desire to teach.

The activities offered at Androscoggin include: tennis, baseball, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, flag football, golf, street hockey, archery, riflery, arts and crafts, pottery, woodworking, animation, photography, radio, video, dramatics, music, nature and campcraft, climbing, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing, fishing, sailing and water-skiing.

Bunks

In addition to being an activity specialist, each counselor has responsibility for a bunk of 5 or 6 boys. Our male staff live in the building with the boys, and our female staff are assigned to help supervise a bunk. The bunk is a camper’s home away from home for his 7 weeks at Androscoggin, and the rapport a camper develops with his counselors is one of the key ingredients in a successful experience. As was certainly the case last summer, a counselor’s efforts in the bunk are potentially the most important, impactful and, we hope, rewarding.

In short, a counselor is a combination teacher, confidant, disciplinarian and friend. To be a good counselor, you have to be patient, caring and enthusiastic, and we are seeking individuals who have both qualifications to teach an activity and an interest in and commitment to children.
Finally, each prospective counselor must have completed at least one year of college, or the equivalent, as we do not have a CIT or Junior Counselor program.

Dates & Time Off

The contractual period for staff runs from Thursday, June 16th to Friday, August 12th. While the campers do not arrive until June 26th, we are planning for an extended orientation program this summer, with additional time to explain our health protocols and offer certification trainings on campus. We will also cover a range of topics including the logistics of the daily program, training in your activity area, and our approach to issues ranging from homesickness to conflict resolution. These ten days will also give staff a chance to settle in and get to know each other before the boys arrive.

The specifics of time-off during the season will be dictated by the health conditions in Maine at the start of the summer. As in prior years, each counselor will be off duty every other evening and have a total of 5 days off. We expect a lot from our staff when they are on duty and recognize the need for ample time off in order to recharge and stay refreshed throughout the summer.

Camp Philosophy

With all our campers and counselors living and playing on a single campus, Androscoggin is a close-knit community in which every camper and counselor gets to know everyone else. Every summer, we strive to create an environment in which every camper can improve their skills, gain an increased sense of independence and self-esteem and form strong and lasting friendships. Camp offers a setting in which campers can learn and grow and have a great time in the process. We also believe it offers staff members a unique opportunity to work with children and have a positive and lasting impact on their development. It’s a lot of work, a lot of fun and, we believe a very satisfying way to spend a summer. We hope you agree and look forward to hearing from you.