Working at Timberlane
Good Things to Know
If you are interested in joining our staff, we want you to learn about us just as we want to learn about you. Although each summer we enjoy a return of 70 - 80% of our staff from the prior summer, we work very hard at reaching out to people who have a genuine interest in working with children and having a positive impact on their lives.
Positions at our camp are not without their challenges, but the rewards, both tangible and intangible, are abundant. Our staff includes: approximately 45 - 50 cabin counselors who also teach activities; 10 wilderness trip leaders; 5 - 10 activity specialists; 2 registered nurses; 2 maintenance staff; 2 office staff; and 8 kitchen staff. We are a boys' camp, so most, though not all, of our positions require male counselors.
Why This Job is Not For Everyone
After a first summer at camp, most counselors and trip leaders will say they did not realize how much of themselves they would have to give, and how emotionally draining it would be. This experience engulfs your life for 9 or 10 weeks and places countless demands upon you. While in camp, you really are on 24 hours a day. While that is not all structured time, if a camper needs you, regardless of the hour, you are on! Communal living is an essential teaching tool of our camp experience. That, too, can add stress to someone who is not accustomed to it or prepared for it.
Practically every waking moment is spent in the company of others, most of whom are children. For many of us, this is actually a positive thing, but for others the sacrifice of personal time and privacy can be challenging. While living at camp, we are expected to conform some aspects of our behavior to present a positive role model for our campers.
Our time-off system is very liberal, and intended to help you regain your energy to be your best during your time-on. During the camping season you will get 6 days off (8:00 am - 8:00 am the following morning.) You'll also get 2 nights off each week (6:00 pm - 8:00 am the following morning.) You will have a great deal of freedom in choosing your days and nights off, though it must be coordinated with your co-counselors and activity staff. Our part of Northern Wisconsin is spectacular, and you'll have ample opportunity to explore it. Minocqua is 5 miles away and has a first-run movie theater, great restaurants, and a myriad of other attractions.
Specifically this includes:
- Use of positive and clean language
- Avoiding using tobacco products in the vicinity of the campers
- Completely avoiding the use of any illegal drugs or the illegal or excessive use of alcohol
- Supporting all camp rules and policies willingly even if we may not agree with them at the moment
- Although we do not discriminate against smokers in our hiring, in addition to prohibiting the use of any tobacco in the vicinity of the campers, smoking is not allowed in any buildings either
- We encourage thoughtful discussion of our camp policies, but insist it be in private conversations that do not involve the campers