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Is anybody else a former camper who became a counselor at their childhood camp? I went through our leadership program and last summer was my first as a counselor, and I am looking forward to my second counselor summer and eleventh summer at the same camp.
What challenges did you guys face? What were the best parts of finally getting to pay it forward?

I did the same thing with my childhood camp. I spent 3.5 summers as a counselor after doing the CIT program. My last summer was my 11th summer at that camp. I think it is really important to realize that while there are traditions that are really important to the camp that some things can be done differently without taking away from the camp experience. Also while we can be amazing resources after being there so long to not overdo that and force ourselves on the others. But also just have fun with it! If i can come uP with any other thoughts i will let you know!

I know this post was from like, forever ago, but I just joined this thing and I'm enjoying going back through everything. This is my first summer on staff. And my 9th summer at the camps I have grown up at. I, too, came up through the ranks as a CIT. The biggest challenges I have had so far do pertain to the changing of hands. We have had a lot of stuff change in regards to our Ad Staff this year and adjusting has been hard. Additionally, with the changes in Ad Staff, they decided to not rehire our CIT Director. She had been there for us all through a lot and not having her here this summer to lean on has been difficult. I have found though that the hardest challenge has been realizing that now that I am staff, there is so much more to this place than I ever knew. I have found myself in tears a few times in the few weeks that we have been working realizing how different things are now. It's hard to go from being a camper in the same place for so long to being staff and experiencing such huge changes in the same summer.

I did the same thing at my childhood camp. I was a camper, CIT, Junior, and Senior Councilor. This was before I moved on to be a director at a different camp.

First thing you need to remember is you are not a camper. So make sure to keep a professional distances from the campers. Especially no dating campers!(Setting yourself apart will earn you more respect than trying to be their best friend.)

It can be a bit hard as you will want to do some of the things campers get to do. Now you may be stuck in one part of the camp when in the past you could wonder and try out different things. So try not to not have any expectations of it being like it was as a camper. Come in with a open mind that it will be like a new camp experiences for you.

Honestly I loved being on staff more than I did being there as a camper. I got to help save camp traditions and bring in new ones. It was amazing being a staff member at the camp I loved.

Almost all of our staff members are former campers from our camp.

First year staff members always have a little bit of a challenging time at first, but have sooo much camp spirit! It can be hard having to be an authority figure to camps who were your peers the year before.

That's how I got my first camp job- camper to junior counselor to full on counselor. It was a blast! I was super protective of the other counselors and making sure they didn't "ruin" my camp. I ruffled some feathers in that way.