Camp Counselor Q&A

19 Questions

Last Answer on August 13, 2014

Do camp counselors get tips? What's the standard tip amount?

Asked by LuckyLady almost 13 years ago

I never got offered a tip after the summer, nor did any other counselor I know of...whether that just wasn't the practice at MY camp or what, I'm not sure, but it just didn't happen. However on VISITOR'S DAY, which was about half way through the 2-month summer term, visiting parents would occasionally -- not often, but sometimes -- offer counselors a tip (bribe?) to look out for their kid for the remaining month, or something, But camp management always gave us a briefing before visitor's day instructing us that if offered a tip, we were to politely decline, but offer to "take extra special care of that young lady [or lad] for nothing." I never had to face that dilemma myself.

278 Votes

Do camp counselors get drug tested?

Asked by Billy almost 12 years ago

Good God, no. Well, actually let me be a little more responsible: you may want to check with the particular camp you're looking into before indulging in whatever you've got in mind, but none of the summer camps in the region where I worked tested for drugs...let's just say if they had, the staff headcount would have been quite a bit lower.

267 Votes

A horrible question I suppose, but do I have to give up cigarettes entirely or will there be chances to "sneak off" each day?

Asked by Hazypink almost 12 years ago

That's not a horrible question, it's a good one...but I have to give the lame answer of "it depends"...because I don't know where you're planning on working. At my overnight camp, there was a designated room in a building where staff could go to smoke. I think the idea was partly to keep it confined to one area, and partly so that the kids wouldn't see it happening...but it wasn't much of a secret when they'd go back to their cabin smelling like an ashtray. The kids obviously knew. From what I heard, that's kind of standard at overnight camps: having a designated area away from the kids' prying eyes where staff can indulge. If it's a day camp, I mean...you can probably make it to the end of the day, can't you?

262 Votes

Was there a ton of alcohol and drug use at camp?

Asked by ESSrightnow almost 13 years ago

Yeah, that was pretty rampant among staff -- camp management would always give a big talk at the beginning of the summer warning that anyone caught with drugs or alcohol would be fired immediately, but I’m not sure that actually dissuaded many people.

257 Votes