My staff experience started in May of 2009. Fresh off my first year at the University of Virginia, I was in search of a summer job to avoid ennui and keep my parents off my case. Like most hick towns in southeastern Virginia, employment opportunities are scarce, especially for college students looking for summer income. My mother advised me to start job searching at local eateries such as the Tasty Treat and the Virginia Diner, but I was not thrilled at the prospect of becoming a lackey for beach going tourists, motorcycle clubs, and old Wakefield fogies. Knowing that my job prospects were limited, one of my mother's friends, a local 4-H Extension Agent, told me that the 4-H center just gotten a new Program Director and was hiring lifeguards for the summer. I called the Program Director, Christie Goodman, and scheduled an interview for the same week.
I really had no expectations for working at 4-H camp. My only memory of camp was as a heat exhausted, shy, puberty stricken 13-year-old who didn't really know how to fit in. I thought I would be paid to get a tan, and maybe meet a few cool people my age. When I first walked in the interview, I immediately noticed Christie's charisma and enthusiasm for camp. During the interview, Christie asked me a few background and typical interview questions, as well as about my first year at UVA since she was a Virginia graduate.
I thought Christie would proceed to tell me my starting date as a lifeguard, but instead, she asked me if I would consider being on camp staff. She told me that I would work closely with the campers and staff, sing songs, and stay overnight with the other staff members. Excited from her depiction of camp, but somewhat nervous, as I had virtually no 4-H camp experience working with youth, I accepted the position as Residential Lifeguard. I had been hired on a summer contract to lifeguard at the pool, assist teaching swimming and canoeing to campers, and help lead the day-to-day activities (singing songs, leading line-ups, making sure the kids were safe, preparing the campfires, DJing the dance) throughout each week of camp.
The 4-H camping program went like this: Each week, a different county or county cluster in the 4-H Southeast District would camp at Airfield. The extension agents of each county were in charge of recruiting and registering campers for each week of camp. Airfield staff was responsible for facilitating the activities and managing camp as a whole. The campers were ages 9-13, and counselors/counselors in training were ages 14-18. Campers, CITs, and counselors were divided up into six teams, all representing different animals. These teams would compete for a Spirit Stick to be awarded at the end of the week. Staff was comprised of college aged kids that usually had some experience in the 4-H camping program.
On Sundays of each new camping week, Christie would have an orientation meeting where we would sign up for staff duties, discuss the county and extension agent's expectations for camp, provide feedback on our development as a team, and make adjustments as necessary. Each staff member had a room that he or she would share with another staff member as living quarters for the week.
The day to day activities typically did not vary from week to week. On Mondays, the campers would arrive, get introduced to the staff, sign up for classes, and generally get acquainted to each other and life at camp. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays included the bulk of camp activities. Campers would wake up and get dressed, head towards the Gray Building for line-up, flag ceremonies, song singing, and breakfast. Breakfast would be followed by three classes, and another line-up before lunch time. After lunch, the campers would have a rest period before recreation time. During recreation time, campers were free to swim at the pool, socialize, play sports or board games; and purchase crafts, consumables, and 4-H memorabilia from the canteen. Campers would head to line-up, dinner, and then team meetings. Staff would usually host an evening program (such as field or water olympics, dance, talent show, etc.), and close the day out with a campfire in front of the entire camp.
Although the routine of camp did not change, the character and demographic contrasted greatly each week. Some weeks we would get predominately low-income campers who got three meals a day only at camp, and were not used to being outdoors. Other weeks, we would have campers who were very privileged, and viewed camp more as a form of entertainment. Some weeks were a combination of all types. Each camping cluster demonstrated its 4-H spirit in various ways. The larger counties that camped alone, like Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, and Prince George, competed extremely hard for the Spirit Stick, and demonstrated their excitement through wearing team colors, face paint, and ridiculous outfits. Also, they had very high expectations for staff to lead an outstanding week of camp. The more predominately urban weeks expressed their excitement for camp through stepping, dancing, and performing in the talent show.
One may ask what makes 4-H camp different than other week long, stay over camps. Besides providing children with opportunities for play and interaction with their peers in a safe environment, 4-H promotes life skills such as critical thinking, respect for others, citizenship, care for one's fellow campers, and trust in others, and responsibility for oneself for the betterment of the group. The most rewarding part of each week was seeing campers more positive, thoughtful, engaged, and willing to step outside their comfort zone. Many campers would arrive and dread the fact that they are in the woods. By the end of the week, they didn't want to leave.
I spent three summers working and living at Airfield. My first summer, 2009, I learned the ropes and fell in love with camp. In 2010, I taught canoeing and spent the summer strengthening my friendships from the previous summer, while also burning some bridges as well. 2011 was my favorite summer, and the stars aligned for the most amazing staff ever. I worked as the administrative assistant in the office. Christie had assembled a "dream team" of positive, helpful, and intelligent people that fully bought into her vision of a team-oriented, camper focused staff willing to sacrifice popularity for the greater good of camp.
When I look back, I realize that Christie was an outstanding boss, a superb team builder, and a first-rate administrator. She was the engine that drove camp to greatness. She sacrificed much of her personal life to make camp a better place. She always demanded the best out of staff, and understood that while staff is responsible for making the campers better, she was the driving force that could make each of us on staff reach our full potential.
For me, 4-H staff was the catalyst for vast personal and professional growth . It exposed me to a diverse group of people I would have never met in my relatively sheltered life. It helped me develop a strong work ethic, and was a canvas for my creativity. It enabled me to reinforce my strengths, while also improving my weaknesses. It also allowed me to meet some of the most talented, hilarious, caring, fun-loving people that will be my lifelong friends.
It is difficult to describe the sum of one's time while on Airfield camp staff. Camping at Airfield is the traditions as much as it is the relationships forged and experiences shared with other staff members. It's waking up at 6:30 a.m. to lead a flag ceremony. It's moving chairs and tables together after the dance. It's laying peanuts, chopping down Spirit Sticks, and doing team building activities for an entire week. It's singing your favorite song and not caring how goofy you look doing it. It's sitting on a stump in the dark on a Thursday night, seeing the campfire circle full of campers waiting to sing "I Got That 4-H Spirit" at the top of their lungs. It's eating Freezee pops and hanging out with your fellow staff members until 2 a.m. It's driving to 7-Eleven at 10:30 p.m. on dark back roads. It's operating on four hours of sleep, but still having enough energy to jump on the Moonbounce at the carnival.
There's something about spending long, sweaty 14 hour days together that bring out a person's true character. It wasn't always easy, and not everyone got along, but our experiences together made each of us better. You will never forget the ones that were by your side, through the good days and the bad; during the nights off and the Code Grays, during the trips to SWVA, and the last moments of the summer before school started again.
That’s it. This ends my reflections of the Airfield days. The summer after 2011, I graduated and most of the people who were on staff with me moved on as well. Even though I return from time to time, it's not quite the same. I will always share a bond with the people I spent 10 weeks out of the summer with on staff. And this is the real truth of our lives, what shimmers for us at the deepest level of our being. That happiness is only real when shared. The real revenge of the nerds is the life that goes its own way, has its twists and turns that often take you to exactly where you should be. A peripheral vision, if you will. Yes, my friends, this is goodnight and not goodbye.
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