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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]A good quality camp does not rely on tipping to pay its counselors decently.[/quote]

So who pays them at a “good quality camp”? I’ve worked enough summer camps to know counselors don’t make crap for what they have to put up with. I’m also smart enough never to be hired directly by a camp because I won’t work for nothing. A good quality camp isn’t measured by how much it pays their staff. Some of the best camps I’ve worked are majority volunteer positions. Summer camps are purposefully cheap and day camps are voluntary or minimum wage at best and overnight camps are a couple hundred bucks a week pay with minimal time off for counselors. I have given small gift cards or notes of encouragement to young camp counselors before because I see how much they do without pay or recognition. A lot of the counselors really care about kids and try counselor to see if working with kids is something they’d like as a career. Do you think a good counselor working for nothing would still consider a job with kids after the parents don’t even say thank you?

Most parents don’t even think about the people watching their kids, they’re just happy to have them out of their hair for the summer. Even if you can’t afford a big tip a nice thank you note goes a long way to making people feel appreciated. I kind of feel like if you can afford a 7 week camp though you can afford more than just a thank you note and a $10 gift card. Think how much a babysitter would cost you for around the clock care for 2 months and they wouldn’t even be able to pull off half of what goes into a summer camp. Staff work hard prepping and breaking down after camp, that alone takes a couple weeks and usually falls on just a couple people, they have to have a full kitchen staff and get delivery orders like a restaurant would and plan menus, have a nurse on staff so your kid doesn’t die, directors have to deal with parents and staff issues while keeping everything running smoothly.

Counselors in dorms are watching your kids day and night, acting as friends and parents, keeping them safe and accounted for, encouraging them to try new things, hugging them when they’re homesick, encouraging friendships, engaging in and watching activities, building self-confidence, and so much more. They’re usually there because they’re young college students that want to work outdoors and get experience working with kids or maybe just don’t want to live at mom and dad’s house all summer. They’re not there for the money but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve it. If the camp isn’t paying them much and a parent can afford a camp for 2 months then a quality tip seems well-deserved. I think a camp that recognizes this and allows tips is much “higher quality” than one that doesn’t. This allows them to keep camp costs lower so more people can attend but let’s be real some people got some money-those people that can afford to monetarily thank a counselor should be able to do it if they want to. Those that can’t can buy a couple packs of thank you cards from dollar tree and start writing.[/quote]

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