Becoming and Being a Camp Counsellor by Mandi Baker

Author:Mandi Baker
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783030325015
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Becoming a Camp Pastor

The pastoral care imperatives of camp experiences position camp counsellors as pastors of the campers in their care. Pastoral care discourses appear in camp textbooks under the guise of servant leadership philosophies. According to Greenleaf, servant leaders are leaders who put other people’s needs above their own (Greenleaf, 2002). Ross’s textbook, for example, states, “A good leader puts the needs and interests of others before his own. He willingly gives up seconds in dessert” and “A good leader knows that leadership is about service, sacrifice and responsibility, not power and privilege” (2009, p. 28). Camp counsellors who prioritise campers’ experiences are admired: for example, “She’s always looking out for her campers, ahead of her own needs” (Elissa). Arthur, David, Elissa, Lucy, Steph and Trudy all described “sacrifice” and “selflessness” as being part of leadership in camp settings. The Peterson Camp’s objectives expect staff to “forego personal privileges for the common good of the camp, its campers and other staff/faculty members” (2009, manual). Even academic literature, which is focused on camper outcomes and experiences, places the camper as the most important individual in the experience transaction (Chenery, 1993; Hattie, Marsh, Neill, & Richards, 1997; Henderson, 2003; Henderson et al., 2005, 2006–2007; Henderson, Thurber, Schuler Whitaker, Bialeschki, & Scanlin, 2006; Sibthorp & Arthur-Banning, 2004). These texts show that the camper’s experience is prioritised above all others and, it could be argued, that the camp counsellor holds a subsumed subject position to the camper. Biebricher argues, “In these continuous relations of ‘care’ unconditional obedience from each member of the flock is required just as much as the absolute commitment of the shepherd who is accountable for each and every sheep” (Biebricher, 2011, p. 404). The imperative to put campers first is strong and is understood to be contingent for a counsellor to keep their job; “She [the director] was very camper focused and if you were not, you were replaceable” (Elizabeth). Regardless of the challenges of putting the needs of campers first, camp counsellors are expected to “serve” the needs of campers “no matter what’s going on” because “the camper comes first” (Terri).

Servant leadership is described as that which “raises the level of human conduct and ethical aspiration of both leader and led” to “higher levels of motivation and morality” (Sendjaya & Sarros, 2002, p. 58). Servant leadership philosophies, therefore, link with camp pastoral care imperatives to build and improve the moral character of campers in light of advanced liberal concerns of selfhood such as to “grow healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, and more likely themselves to become servants” (Greenleaf, 2002, pp. 13–14). By “serving” camper needs of moral development, camp counsellors act as a pastor through providing campers the right or “righteous” way (Dooley, 1978; Follett, 1986). For example, Eric mobilised pastoral care discourses of knowing what is best for his campers when he insisted they “eat a little bit” of “salad” even when campers “were not interested.” Eric’s desire for campers to eat healthy food is an example of camp counsellors’ pastoral requirements to know what is right for campers.

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