A Wonderful Day

Today was simply perfect! I spent the morning belaying my senior girls and I was so proud. Every single one of them had the will power to get across the element (which is very rare). I then got to sleep through the whole of rest hour and period four (which is also very, very rare!). After that my cabin and I had a car wash. We all attacked each other with soap and water and it was a really nice moment of cabin bonding. I really enjoy my senior girls. They are great company and really brighten my day. After that we had what is called "Desperado's" where a few counselors are selected (one of which was me), to go and hide in the bush while the whole of camp looks for them. An hour later, I was still running and hiding from kids as they made my capture points higher and higher. The moment they rang that bell, was a moment of victory as I revealed myself and the whole of camp cheered for me. I may have come out with a battle scar or two but it was well worth it. The other pirates and I were then forced to walk the plank, in other words, jump off the jetty. Yep, a wonderful day indeed!

Ropes 2K12: Hanging On The Edge

So I was thinking I should fill you in on what I do at ropes since it's where I spend half of my day. Ropes is more than just an activity. It's all about stepping out of your comfort zone, setting goals and working together. We equip the kids with skills that will help them for the rest of their lives; such as communication, responsibility, respect, trust, commitment and group work. How do we do this? Well it's all a process.

Phase 1: We start with what we call ‘Initiatives.’ This is a lesson that we plan ourselves, with a bunch of different 'games' that are designed to teach different lessons and equip them with valuable knowledge. An example of this is 'Helium Hoop.' The aim is to put their fingers on the hoop and as a group lower it to the ground. Seems simple enough right? But there's a catch. The hoop is so light that it always goes up instead of down. The group usually figures this out straight away only instead of trying to fix the problem they yell at each other and get frustrated. That's where we step in. We ask them what's working and what isn't and get them to devise a strategy. This pattern continues on until they learn to communicate effectively by talking to each other in a civilised manner and working together to get the hoop to the ground.

After a few of these activities we then move onto phase 2: Low Ropes

This phase is often rewarding but at times can be monotonous if the group is not working well together. An example of this is called 'The Nitro Swing.' The whole group has to swing across from one side to the other but if one person falls then the whole group goes back. This exercise develops trust and strategising skills. It takes the group a few times, but eventually they discover that they need to help each other to get across meaning that the girls who are swinging across need to trust that the other girls have their backs. Once you've done a few of these activities you 'Debrief'. This means you talk about the activities and what they learnt and how they could help them in life situations. This is when the group usually learns some very valuable lessons whether it be looking out for each other, watching what you say, not pointing fingers, trust and thinking outside of the box etc. 

Once they pass this level they can then move onto phase three: High Ropes.

This phase is the most strenuous on us. We arrive early to set up the equipment; we tie knots that are holding people’s lives and triple check everything. It's scary to know that one small mistake could be the end of a child's life. Once we are done setting up we then go over the rules and take our girls into the woods. The woods are where the real fun begins. The girls put their harnesses and helmets on and one by one you send each girl up. You start by checking their harnesses and helmets even though they have already been checked twice and then you begin the conversation. You ask them how they are feeling, what their name is and what their goal is. Some girls will be fine and will fly through the course but there will be plenty who are petrified. That's when it becomes strenuous. They will get two feet off the ladder and freeze. Your job then is to push them further. This process could go on for ages, meanwhile your belaying them which gets exhausting very quickly. There has been so many times that I have had to tell girls who are carrying on hysterically, to take a deep breath and trust that I have them. However that moment when the girl reaches the top of the tree and completes her goal is always one to remember. The smile that appears on their face is always almost as big as mine. There is nothing more satisfying than helping someone to step outside of their comfort zone and reach their goal. They realise that if they can achieve that, then they can do anything. If they can face that fear then they can face any fear. It is one of the most rewarding jobs a person could have. 

Loving life. 

Face Palm!

So a person legitimately asked me today if Tasmania is how we say hello in Australia. Then he followed that question by asking, what language do you speak in Australia?
Enough said....

This is my purpose.

So we are four days into the final session and I received my evaluation yesterday. I got all 5's and my division head told me that "I was made for this." Since then those words have resounded in my head and I have discovered something. I was made for this. This is my purpose. Young girls are my passion. I come back to my cabin every day and I am lifted up by their spirits. Each girl is so unique, so beautiful, but so vulnerable. I think about the things that I have endured in my life and I know for a fact now that I have endured them for a reason. The knowledge and lessons I have learned, I can pass down to these girls. I know that I can’t save them from the world but if these girls remember just one thing that I have taught them then that’s enough.

A typical day at Camp Bernie

Wake up at 7:45, drag yourself to flag, cabin count, raise the flag, Sue Marcou says “Good morning Camp Bernadette,” we reply “Good morning” in the most flat way possible, announcements, breakfast, cabin clean up (nag nag nag) activity periods 1-3, lunch time, mail, rest hour (nag nag nag) activity periods 4-5, free time, dinner time, free time, night activity, shrine, bed time (nag nag nag) and finally CANTEEN for some adult bonding. There are lines for everything including showers, toilets, food and swimming etc, zero privacy and grilled cheese is everyone's favourite meal. What does that tell you?

BUT as monotonous and miserable as that sounds, it’s far from that.  There's something magical about camp. I'm not held back or weighed down by my past and no one is trying to put me in a box and tell me who I am and who I'm not.     In the past I let people tell me what I was capable of but now I can decide for myself. I am slowly discovering a whole new side of me that I was always so afraid to show. I have no limits, no restrictions.  There's something about the atmosphere that I just can't put my finger on. I was always afraid of success because I knew that hatred and bitterness followed it but at camp, if you succeed, people are genuinely proud of you. I have formed so many beautiful friendships and memories and I know I have so many more to come. 

A week and a half left here at Camp Bernie.

Seniors

So for session four I have been moved to the senior division which means I am now working with 13 years olds as opposed to the 10/11 year olds I used to have. All I can say is it's so strange. They are so independent. They designate their own chores, clean up their dinner table all by themselves and basically do my job for me. I miss having girls who bombard me with questions and forget what personal space means.

I'm finding it really difficult to get into the swing of things.. The meal times, songs, bathrooms, division head, my co-counselor, my cabin, my area, the daily routine and the people are all different. After 2 months of constant repetition to the point where I could do it while sleeping, everything is all of a sudden different.

However, as tough as it has been I know that this happened for a reason and I cannot wait for the moment when I discover that reason.

New York

So as you are aware, three other staff members and I were chosen to go over to NY on the Garden City bus and supervise the campers who were returning home. The bus trip took about 6 hours all together and Hannah and I were on the mixed bus with Fatima and Bernadette which was rather interesting. Every now and then we would hear comments such as, "No I will not make out with you," and, "I'm going to kill your whole family", come from the back of the bus. However, lucky for them Hannah and I were able to entertain and distract them with our obnoxious singing and dancing. Unfortunately we could only distract them for so long and eventually the girls started to chant, "Who do we want to leave? Fatima! When do we want them to leave? Now!"

Boy were we glad to get off that bus, especially once we got to our hotel, 'The Marriott'. We were all originally in separate rooms however due to a stuff up in our reservations we were blessed with a suite and what a lovely suite it was. We had double beds, a wide screen TV, a fridge and a giant bathroom. It doesn't get any better than that!

We spent the night there in Hicksville and had a blast. I was with 3 other ropes staff members and we grew so much closer from it. 

Ropes Staff 2K12, Hanging On The Edge!