Camp Counselor Q&A

19 Questions

Last Answer on August 13, 2014

Would you send your own kid to sleepaway camp?

Asked by seemyvest almost 13 years ago

In a heartbeat. I don’t see any way my kids aren’t going to go to camp. I won’t insist they go back year after year if they hate it, but – at least in the Muskoka region – it’s something of a rite of passage.

320 Votes

What's the cruelest thing you've seen one camper do to another?

Asked by Jaws almost 13 years ago

The worst that ever happened in my cabins was that the nerdier kids would get made fun of. Sometimes kids would steal from each other or pull pranks on each other while they slept: drawing on each other or the shaving cream + nose tickle prank. If you wanted to see real cruelty, of course, all you had to do was head over to the girl’s cabins: 11-13-year-old boys aren’t all that creative nor subtle when it comes to harassment: there’d be some name-calling, and at worst some pushing and shoving. Preteen girls, on the other hand, could get downright vicious. They’d steal from each other, and plan elaborate pranks to embarrass their nemeses at socially inopportune times. I heard about one girl taking a digital picture of her nemesis changing, waiting until camp was over, and then emailing it to all of the other girls’ friends. Digital technology + close living quarters + immaturity does not a pretty picture paint.

313 Votes

You ever catch campers smoking, drinking, doing drugs?

Asked by pufftmd almost 13 years ago

I know from my time as a camper that it wasn’t unusual for the older campers / CITs to bring weed or “water” bottles filled with vodka, but I never saw any of my campers doing any of that stuff. 13 years old was probably a little early for them to be getting into that anyway. One of my 12-year old kids did, however, get caught smoking…he only got a stern talking to, but the older camper who gave him the cigarettes got disciplined by being sent home for a week or something.

311 Votes

What was the enrollment fee for campers to spend a summer at camp?

Asked by preeno almost 13 years ago

It was actually pretty outlandish: around $4,000 for a 2-month session when I was there, but I’ve heard it’s ballooned to nearly twice that since. Keep in mind that many of the camps in the Muskoka region, including mine, cater to relatively affluent families, so despite the insane fee, they had a waitlist hundreds of kids long.

303 Votes

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How much do camp counselors get paid?

Asked by sickpuppy almost 13 years ago

The pay is pretty terrible until you’ve worked there several years. I think I got roughly $300 and $700 for my first two years, respectively. After that, it starts to get respectable, with senior staff and section heads earning $3,000 and up. Of course counselors, unlike campers, also aren’t paying for accommodations and food, so I guess you can factor that into the “pay”.

302 Votes

Pass the meatloaf buddy.
(this might be after your time, but you might get it)

If not, you will definitely understand my name.

Asked by Sunday night sing songs :) over 11 years ago

Oh, I get it all right:)

Buffalooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

297 Votes

Were counselors constantly hooking up?

Asked by PrawnsUP almost 13 years ago

Er…yes. Most counselors and staff (distinction: “counselors” looked after a specific cabin of kids / “staff” worked at the various activities like tennis, sailing, etc., but also slept in a cabin with campers) were between 16 and 22 years old, practically zero adult presence, and plenty of dark nooks to slip away to. A perfect recipe for all sorts of bad decision-making. Think college with fewer responsibilities.

289 Votes