> Copper Cannon Camp - Summer Staff Frequently Asked Questions

Staff FAQ

Below you will find answers to some of the most commonly asked questions that our staff members (and potential staff members) have about Copper Cannon. If you have other questions that you do not see answered here, please feel free to contact us at info@coppercannon.org or at (603) 823-8107.

Summer camp staff at Copper Cannon come from not only all over the U.S. but all over the world! Over the years, we have had summer staff from Poland, Ireland, Sweden, England, Turkey, Australia, Wales and Finland. We also had staff from all over New England.

Every summer we usually have at least a couple of staff who are working at camp for college credit. We will be more than willing to work with your university and adviser. Staff have received college credits for the fields of education, social work, nonprofit management, human resources and plenty of other fields. Talk to your academic adviser about the possibility of receiving school credit for working a summer at camp.

Our staff training process is one of the most important parts of the summer! Each staff member goes through a 10-day staff training segment that will prepare you with all the tools you need to make sure that both you and the kids have an awesome summer. The training process covers a lot of ground but is presented and learned in fun, interactive ways that you will enjoy. The staff training time is also the best time to bond with your fellow counselors and develop solid relationships with them before the campers arrive. All staff will also be trained and certified in first aid and CPR if they are not already, with options to receive lifeguard and archery certifications.

No matter whether you are in food service, activity specialist or a regular counselor, you will be working with kids all day, every day! Your main job is to show the kids a great time and keep them safe in the process. You will also get to lead or assist in a number of activities each week, many of which are based on your particular interests and skills. Being a camp counselor might be one of the toughest jobs you will ever love!

There are eight weeks of actual summer camp, spanning from late June to mid August. Your staff training will last for 10 days before camp starts. Below is a schedule for what this coming summer will look like:

Summer Staff Schedule

SOLO Wilderness First Aid at Copper Cannon (optional): TBD

Lifeguard Training at Copper Cannon (optional): TBD

Full Staff Training Start: TBD

1st Session of Camp: June 22nd – June 27th

2nd Session of Camp: June 29th – July 5th

3rd Session of Camp: July 6th – July 12th

4th Session of Camp: July 13th – July 18th

5th Session of Camp: July 20th – July 26th

6th Session of Camp: July 27th – August 2nd

7th Session of Camp: August 3rd – August 9th

8th Session of Camp: August 10th – August 15th

In order to maintain the highest quality of service for our campers and families, we do require that all seasonal staff fill out an application and re-apply each summer if they are wishing to come back. This is a requirement not only of our camp policy, but also that of the American Camp Association (ACA) and our insurance company.

We know that being a camp counselor can be a tough, exhausting job, and that’s why it’s necessary that you do have some time off each week, as well as a bit of down time during the day, in order to keep you refreshed and at your best for the kids! After the campers leave on departure day, we will have meetings and camp cleanup for a couple of hours afterward. Following this, counselors will have at least  24 hour hours of time off before beginning meetings in preparation for the next group of excited kids. During time off, counselors can rest, use the facilities at camp, or go into town to eat, shop, etc. We will also plan some fun (optional) activities for staff during time off.

In addition to the 24-hour period between sessions, most staff will see one or two hours of downtime during an average day while other counselors take over during “hill duty” and “siesta duty.”

Here is a sample daily schedule:

7:00 a.m. – Wake up
7:45 a.m. – Flags
8:00 a.m. – Breakfast!
8:45 a.m. – Good Turns
9:00 a.m. – Nature Circle
9:15 a.m. – Cabin Activity 1 (With your cabin and buddy cabin. Could be low ropes, archery, nature, arts and crafts, sports, etc.)
10:15 a.m. – Cabin Activity 2
11:15 a.m. – Cabin Activity 3
12:30 p.m. – Lunch!
1:30 p.m. – Siesta / Down Time (staff members not on siesta duty have time off)
2:30 p.m. – Cabin Clean
2:45 p.m. – Transition
3:00 p.m. – Program Choice, Skill Building, All-Camp Activity, etc.
5:00 p.m. – GaGa Tournament
5:30 p.m. – Flags 
6:00 p.m. – Dinner!
7:00 p.m. – Camp-wide Game (Bombardment, Skunk or other large-scale games!)
8:30 p.m. – Cabin Closings
9:00 p.m. – Lights Out, Hill Duty begins
9:15-11:00 p.m. – Staff members not on hill duty have time off

Each counselor will live in the cabin with the kids, although in a staff area which is separate from the main bunk area that the kids stay in. You will have storage space to put all of your stuff. You’ll have access to the laundry hut for free, as well as all of the other facilities during your down time. Food specialist staff live in Ben’s Den or Corliss Cabin. Activity specialists might live in separate cabin areas or they might join another counselor in a cabin with campers.

It’s one of the toughest jobs you will ever have. If you are lazy or against putting your full effort into things, summer camp might not be the place for you. However, you get out of it what you put into it. Those willing to really put forth their best effort for both themselves and the campers will have a life-changing experience and certainly understand what the magic of summer camp is all about.

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Copper Cannon Camp