General Counselors

In each bunk there are 1 or 2 General Counselors and 1 or 2 Specialty Counselors. The General Counselors spend all day working with their campers and participating in the activities with them. In order to be a GC you must have the following qualities: patience, compassion, fairness, great listening skills and the ability to relate to kids. We look for applicants who have some experience working with kids and those who are want to have a positive impact in our campers’ lives.

Specialty Counselors

Our specialty area counselors live in a bunk with campers, have bunk responsibilities and serve as a role model for the campers. However, once the daily activities start you report to your specialty area for the six activity periods. The Specialty Area Director will provide guidance and training to ensure each specialist performs to the best of his/her ability. Applicants must demonstrate a strong aptitude in their specialty area and must have experience teaching/coaching children.

Athletics

Softball, Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Tennis, Roller Hockey, Lacrosse

Waterfront

Swim Instructors – WSI's & Lifeguards certified staff
Lake/Boating Specialist – Canoeing, Kayaking, and Row Boating
Waterskiing Specialist – Waterskiing and Wakeboarding

Arts & Crafts

Candle Making, Ceramics, Macrame, Model Making, Rocketry, Painting, Stained Glass, Pillow Making, Tie-Dye and T-Shirt Design, Mask Making, Woodworking, Cooking and Painting

Outdoor Adventure

Camp Outs, Ropes Course and Mountain Biking

Creative Arts

Drama, Guitar, Piano, Drums and Voice

Fitness

Aerobics, Dance, Gymnastics, Zumba, Yoga and Spinning

Specialty Area Director

You will lead, teach, supervise and ensure the overall safety of the specialty area. Applicants must demonstrate significant experience teaching/coaching in the specialty area, as well as the ability to train and supervise a group of assistants. We require our Directors to be able to work autonomously, developing their own program within our camps' philosophy. Although you may not live in a bunk, we follow a team approach and all work together to ensure the highest quality program and camp experience.

Program Director, Athletic Director, Head Basketball, Head Baseball, Head Soccer, Head Lacrosse, Art Shack Head, Lake Head, Pool Head

Group Leaders

Group leaders act as a liaison between the head counselors and the group or division for which they are responsible. They are in the bunk with the kids and are direct supervisors of the campers and counselors in their group. They assist the head counselors with all activities, bunk issues and staff performance. The group leaders are fully involved in all aspects of their campers’ day, including meal supervision, bunk management and scheduling. They meet with the head counselors before each day begins to exchange information as to the events of that particular day and maintain an open line of communication with their counselors and campers. Since group leaders live in the bunk with campers, they are perfect for personal communication situations that arise. They help promote our STARFISH values which incorporate our mission of teaching children the skills of making and keeping friends while building self-esteem and self-confidence.

Support Service Staff

Support Service Staff work behind the scenes to ensure camp is running smoothly, working in the Kitchen, in Housekeeping, on the Maintenance/Security Crew or Office Staff. A Support Service Staff member lives in a bunk with a group of other Support Service Staff. During a Support Service Staff member’s down time they may take advantage of the camp’s facilities and are encouraged to actively participate in camp life. Applicants must demonstrate a strong aptitude in their specific area.

Maintenance/Security Crew

Basic carpentry, electrical, automotive and landscaping skills. The ability to make repairs & learn on the job is essential.

Kitchen Crew

Will actively participate in all aspects of food service at Camp: set up, prep, serving and clean up.

Housekeeping/Laundry Crew

Keeps the public buildings and bathrooms clean. Provides porter service for all bunks. All camp towels and sheets are laundered by the Housekeeping Crew.

Office Crew

Answers phones, talks to prospective and current camper’s parents, sorts mail and assists programming and Web Staff.

Driver

Must hold a valid driver’s license. Drives campers to medical appointments, picks up prescriptions and does light shopping and errand running.

Health Center Staff

Nurses – Timber Lake Camp has six nurses and a doctor on staff. The Health Center must be covered at all times and all Health Center staff is available for each med call (after breakfast, lunch and dinner.) Each nurse is on duty two nights a week. All LPN’s and RN’s must be NY State Licensed Nurses and Timber Lake Camp will reimburse staff for reciprocity fees to obtain a NY State License. Good communication skills are essential, as interacting with parents is a large part of the nurse’s role.

Health Center Liason – The Health Center Liaison is an active participant during Med Call, keeping the Health Center flowing smoothly. Duties include: pulling and filing patient’s charts as needed, gathering insurance information and taking care of prescription orders with the pharmacies and locating campers who have not yet taken their medication.