ACA Home Forums Camp code words

I cant think of any code words we use. We have an intercom system throughout the camp. We had a few emergencies over the summer but most of the campers did not hear about them because they happened during siesta. If there is a missing camper we have an air siren that goes off and everyone has to run to the field if is nasty outside then we go to the dining hall. We are divided into are cabins and units and counted. Then extra counselors are sent all over camp to search for the camper. We always have a practice drill in the beginning of the session. Last summer we did not have to do it for real thank goodness. We almost had to but we found the camper in the counselors cabin sleeping. If there is another kind of emergency it go out over the intercoms and the intercoms are in counselors rooms. Usually the counselor is able to hear it but most campers do not hear it in the cabin.

smoking=coloring

rainbow child - misbehaving or odd camper
hanging out with SAM- smoking
meeting with john- using the bathroom
going to church- drinking
archery and riflery- the local bar

code words

Smoking= taking a walk, having a doughnut (that was a few years ago though)

We're allowed to tell campers we have time off noe but before it was your night off was a meeting and your 30, after working a weekend you get 30 hours off during the week was called a conference.

in their office: taking a poop

taking a run: Sneaking off camp to get food, or something else.

I'm sure there is more but I just cant think of them right now.

What is really the big deal about campers knowing that counselors have time off?

Some of the couselors have nicknames that are innapropriate for campers. Such as...

Drunk Dave (counselors) = Double D (campers)

Keeping time off a "secret" is common at many camps. It seems weird to people are used to having that be open; likewise, talking openly about time off seems weird to people used to keeping it a secret. I grew up at a camp that didn't talk about it, and moved to a camp where it was spoken of openly.

Basically, the idea is that kids might feel hurt if they think their counselor needs time off from THEM. I've decided I don't think it's a huge deal; kids know that counselors are employees, not, you know, their mothers. What does annoy me is any kind of talk about "I can't wait until my time off" or any discussion about what people did on their time off in front of kids, even if it's benign. Or counselors who keep checking their watches and stop participating in an activity because they're just going off in fifteen minutes anyway. The kids at my last camp took counselors' having time off pretty casually.

One year at my home camp when we had a new director, there was no rule about talking about time off, and the counselors were horrible about it--they were totally working for their breaks, and made no secret about it (like, jumping up as soon as someone came to relieve them--"YES!! Two hour break!" You need to strike a balance.

Since I'm totally anti-lying-to-kids, I don't like it when people make up stories (or are required to) about time off... I prefer the "I was taking a shower" or "that's when I had my me-time" (since the campers have me-time as well).

Night Off: Rocket time
Regular Time Off: Sub building time

Bar: The monkey
Smoking: Take a walk
Staff eval: Chit-Chat (well, that's what I called them )

- Teenster

the only code word I can think of is:
FFF
we have a low elements ropes course, and it gets pretty stinking hot on the course. We have to have 2 adults and at least 3 staffers on the course during sessions. Since our camp is in a forest, we call it "Fun in the Forest". By the middle of camp, nobody wnats to go chaperone the Fun in the Forest anymore, so it gets nicknamed F*&$%ing Fun in the Forest, or more appropriately FFF!

smoking- I need to go pick up some supplies from programming.
beer- Is there extra milk tonight?
any other alcohol- Is there any chocolate milk?
going out/to the bars- We're going to walmart.
going to walmart- We're going to walmart.
hooking up- They watched 90210 yesterday.(started when the show was on years ago.. someone tried to change it to OCing last year but there was an uprising)
fast food- I'm need to go get some more vitamins.
hour off- I'm going to get my ___ checked at the health center.
color war- Tomorrow is supposed to be partly cloudy!
meeting with UL/VL/director- Ahh I've got summer reading!!

When a staff member goes on their break time they say they're "Going to the Office" An old director thought that saying you were "Going on Break" my hurt the campers feelings and that the councelors didn't like them anymore. That line of thought has passed but the code stuck.

smoking a cigarette = "putting on some hand cream"
going on a milkshake/soda run = "chilling out"
bedwetter = "broken zipper"
time off = "counselor time"
going to the bar = "having a singing contest"
fired = "at their family reunion"

going to smoke=going to the library to read a book
problem camper=SOS
That's all I can think of right now

We have several codes for incidents in camp:

Stray cat: Intruder/Unauthorized Person
Campfire in ____: Fire emergency
Harry Potter: Lightning
Semi Trucks (We're right off the highway): Thunder
Missing package/mail: Missing person
Honey: Bee/wasp/hornet nest
Making phone calls: Using the restroom

They're not TOO cryptic, so they're easier to remember in case of a real emergency, but they can tip off the staff before the campers catch wind of what's happening (or before the camp siren goes off).

The unofficial code words used by staff at the camp I last worked were:
Doing paperwork - break time
Apple juice/Salad - Alcohol
Brother - Boyfriend
Darts - Cigarettes

I know there was at least 1 code word that I've heard over the years but of course can't remember one of them for this post!

Oh, well actually one camp had "BZ"s or Broken Zippers which is what we told the kids happened to a sleeping bag if a camper wet the bed and the other kids noticed a sleeping bag was missing during the day sometime. It was off getting fixed. :)

I've thought of some others:
gator=schooner
snake=dingy
pee laundry=ive got a present for you