General Counselors

Hi everyone!

Saw in the other thread some of you guys had some Q's about being a general counselor so I thought I'd post some of my experiences.

I'm at a girl scout camp and the first year I was a general couselor, I'm going back this year as a Unit Leader (which I think is GS speak for head counselor?). I was originally asked back as an assistant director but decided against it because being a counselor is way more fun (what with the pranks and shenanigans and no parents calling to yell at you) so...

Of course it depends on your camp, but general counselors had more time off in a block (2-3 hours at once). Specialists usually only had time-off when they didn't have groups so it would be 20 mins or half and hour here and there. Being a general means you get to experience all the activities, so you'll get to at least try everything offered at your camp. I found if there was an activity I didn't like, I tried to schedule my break at that time (we have a farm which the girls go to twice a week - I'm pretty sure I only went about 3 times the whole summer). Also, if your kids (or other staff for that matter) were doing your head in, sometimes it was possible to swap with other staff from a different unit for a few hours!

Being a Unit Leader I try to get my generals to run an activity each week, for Aussies it's really easy (eg do something about Aus animals etc) so it's a good idea to have a few ideas for programmes. Also, if you get about halfway through camp and decide you'd love to go back, speak with your head counselors or directors about what you can do to learn the skills to get a better job next time. It may just be doing scheduling/ evaluations etc but it looks really good if you apply again.

Anyway, let me know if you've got questions (or about scout camps). Not long to go now!!!!

hey deb

are u the deb i met yesterday? haha x

Yep I am! Did you have fun at the thing? Gotta love those camp songs....

Lol...I must say that that Frog song is TOTALLY from Play School lol!

aww u guys suk that u guys got to meet one another

i'm a general counsellor and i'm really excited about it! lol

What activities does your camp do Shay?

ummmmmm..........
canoeing, crafts, outdoor cooking, hikinh, archery, creek walking, nature programming, sleeping under the stars, rock climbing, art and crafts
wat is heritage program?

haha i most skidamarink a dinky dinky doooo! (or did)

haha they were pretty funny- i enjoyed the meeting, lois made it pretty funny.

i have to have my tb test, my camp insists lol more money

did u enjoy it? it was ur 2nd yeah? any better than the 1st?

x

Mmmm yeah they pretty much went through the same stuff (even sang the same songs!). The first year I went, apparently alot of Queenslanders got busted with drugs the previous year, so we got lectured on that but otherwise pretty much the same "don't get drunk on the plane". Sucks about TB test though....

Yeah damn Bec! Do they mean just the test? Or an actual vaccination???

IF You go through QML they can give you a refund through medicare. That's how I did it anyways, but not all QML's do it, so you have to phone up and ask what ones can do it or not.

I dont have to get my TB test!!!
WOOHOO!
The only needle I have to get is my tetanus shot!

hmm lol i think i've had every vacination possible- i had to have all my shots for my nanny course last yr including measels, hep a and b, rubella etc. etc. lol oh and my tetnus again....lucky the tb is a swab test i think- no vacination. if its positive though i think u have to go through a lot of medication to clear it (apparantly it runs in my family- lucky me haha but i'm 99.9% sure i dont have it!)

wats qml? i think my local medical centre might do it.....i'll ring up today

QML is basically a testing a Lab where doctors usually send you to get blood tests done and things like that. Theyre everywhere - Nambour, Maroochydore, Mooloolaba, Buderim (seeings though you live on the coast) and theyre open long hours to allow you to go before or after work.

ohhh right lol like pathology. thanks carla! I rang the dr. yesterday and he's gonna send me to pathology to get it done (which is where i have my blood tests and such).

I'm just wandering- on the ccusa medical from if i should put that i sometimes have dizzy/nautious spells. (due to long ours standing on my feet all day at work without being given tea breaks regularly lol, i've been known to get sick and shaky and i have passed out 3 times at work- and i have never passed out before that, ONLY i've been at work on checkouts- and the only reason i passed out was because other ppl have hurt themselves lol. for example this old guy slipped on a grape and dislocated his shoulder and broke ribs and stuff and i saw it happen and wat do u know lol i pass out haha. i dont think i'd do it at camp- i'm good with kids...maybe its old ppl? the other time i passed out was cos there was a fight in the store and some guy stabbed another guy with a coffee plunger in the neck...and a checkout girl went in to stop it (silly her) and came out saturated in blood....and yeah haha i didnt cope too well with that and blacked out...again....3rd time i think i jsut got up to quick haha

advice pls! haha the only spot on the form is 'frequent seizures' but i dont have seazures and i dont pass out on the floor, i just blackout. and i havent done it in a while...errr lol

dont u love how off topic we've gone haha

x

mayb tick other and just write tends to become dizzy after seeing something drastic happen i.e blood lol

OMG UR STORE IS FKN CRAZY! ummm do u work in dero ville?

haha i work in nambour- so ur pretty close hahaha

nah its not that bad...i mean its bad but its lol normal? just as crazy as anywhere else cept a few odd ppl here n there

Bec, random question for you... Do you know Stephanie who works at Woolies Nambour?

Didn't you two already say it was weird how you both knew her lol?

hahhaha indeed!

Wellll i might? stephanie....bakery? I dont think a stephanie works on checkouts so is she from bakery or deli?

oh and carla- forgot to tell u, i saw courtney in sydney but didnt get to say hi, but she seemed really nice! she was sitting behind me talking with another girl and mentioned 'carla' and i was like i bet that's courtney so i turned around and saw the dreadlocks and was like- good guess haha. But yeah didnt want to turn around and be like 'its u!' haha i probably should have, would've been funny

oh and just saw my dr. he said not to put it on the form so...yay haha

x

Nah Kristina we said we both knew Simon...

Stephanie was my bestest friend in the whole world for about 10 years, up until 2 years ago when we had a falling out and dont talk anymore. I thought it would be pretty crazy if you knew her!
She used to be on checkouts way back but now shes in the Deli...

Thats cool that you saw Courtney! Pity you didnt get the chance to speak to her but ah well.

Have a great day :-)

errr u silly bec u should been like OMG COURTNEY!!!!!! HOW R YA! lol i think that would of freaked her out a lil bit tho

dont ya hate it wen u have bestfriends and u have crazy falling outs with em?

ooooooooh STEPHANIE ohhhhhh yeah I DO know her, but i'm not actually friends with her lol. I see her occasionally and we've talked in groups and stuff but yeah dont have a lot to do with her. sorry to hear about ur falling out =( that sucks, i totally no how that feels

haha shay yeah i totally should of done that...was kinda tempting i must say

hahahaha wen im drunk i do that if im urging to do something i'll go do it but wen im sober its a WHOLE nother story!

So true aye!! When your drunk it is so easy to just do things!! Sucks that because I don't drink anymore I have to get the guts to say stuff like that!!

And I totally had a falling out as well! Lasted all Grade 12 over stupid formal and well...we kinda started being friends the year after grade 12, but we kinda fell apart again and well...we don't talk anymore. But I find that I'm such a better person without her. There is a reason you fall out in the first place. For me, she was always putting me down or making everything about her and well...I just couldn't deal with that...so yeah!

wow kristina lol i had someone like that as well! haha maybe we all do