Thank you for your interest in Shire Village Camp. Our community consists of about 100 campers and 45 staff. We look to hire energetic, creative people with strong organizational skills and, most importantly, a love of working with children. The summer for staff is 8 weeks long, including a week of staff training before the campers arrive.

Below you will find links to job application materials and descriptions of various staff positions at camp, including Bunk Counselors, Specialists, and Support Staff.

For staff, the summer of 2024 begins on June 26 and ends August 20.

Job Descriptions

Working at a sleepaway camp, and Shire Village in particular, is an enormous commitment. All staff members must be receptive to supervision and respectful of the needs and differences of their coworkers and the children at camp. They must be energetic, open to new experiences, willing to place the needs of the camp before their own and, most importantly, love living with and working with children.

Below you will find job descriptions for bunk counselors, specialists, and support staff. These are only guidelines. It is very hard to quantify the work that goes into each job at camp. In short, camp is a lot of fun and a lot of work.

Every member of our staff is expected to:

• Undertake the responsibility of caring for the health and well being of other people’s children with seriousness and dedication, putting campers’ needs before personal ones.

• Encourage campers to cooperate with each other through cooperation with other staff and campers.

• Share skills with campers and work closely with other staff members.

• Be willing to seek out additional resources when uncertain of answers or strategies.

• Meet with a supervisor at least once a week.

• Be a role model for all members of the community.

• Attend weekly staff meetings.

• Work "On Duty" (patrolling bunks after camper bedtime) until 12 AM approximately one night per week.

• Participate in the opening and closing of camp, involving inventory, packing, cleaning and moving.

Please feel free to contact the directors by phone or email for more detailed information about the various jobs at camp.

Bunk Counselors

Bunk counselors work the closest with our campers. Every counselor works together with a co-counselor to care for their assigned bunk. Counselors are expected to develop and maintain routines for their bunks, including daily bunk cleaning and morning, rest hour, and bedtime activities.

Day to day, being a bunk counselor will require you to:

• Be the first one out of bed in the morning.

• Be prompt and help campers do the same.

• Supervise the health, safety, and sanitary conditions in your bunk.

• Run two activities, known as “optionals”, with campers and assist in various specialty areas if needed.

• Manage daily routines and bunk issues.

• Be in your cabin by midnight every other night, sharing sign in responsibility with your co-counselor.

Specialists

Specialists

Our specialists are instructors in Theater, Dance, Music, Arts & Crafts, Photography, Horseback Riding, Swimming, Woodworking, Farm & Nature, Outdoor Living. Specialists works closely with our Program Director to plan four activities a day and plan special programs and days. Each specialty area is given a budget that the specialist can use to purchase materials, plan trips, or make improvements to their specialty area. Specialists are expected to keep track of their successes and challenges and write an end of summer area report with an overview of the program, resources, inventory, and recommendations for future specialists.

Day to day, being a specialist will require you to:

• Lead four, one hour long, activities

• Assist in aspects of camp outside of your specialty area.

• Supervise any assistants assigned to you.

• Act as a relief counselor if necessary.

• Eat breakfast and dinner with campers.

• Be supportive and respectful of coworkers and all children at camp.

• Promote creativity, cooperation, exploration, and individual growth through your work with children in your area.

Support Staff

Our support staff includes Camp and Office Managers, Nurse and Health Center Assistant, Kitchen Staff, Maintenance Staff, Babysitter, and Camp Driver. Support staff responsibilities vary significantly from position to position, tend to follow more regular hours, and entail less direct work with children. Your interaction with the larger camp community occurs mainly if you seek it out during your time off.

Generally, you will be expected to:

• Be supportive and respectful of coworkers and all children at camp.

• Participate fully in the camp community, including some all-camp activities, despite more limited direct work with children.

• Occasionally act as a relief counselor, if the need arises.

• Complete work in your area with commitment, energy, and professionalism.