Summer Lifeguard- Camp Whispering Cedars-Dallas, TX

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: 

Lifeguard

Reports To: 

Camp Director

Status: 

Seasonal 

Location: 

Camp Whispering Cedars 

Last Updated: 

September 2026

About Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas:

Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas (GSNETX) offers amazing opportunities for talented, forward-thinking individuals who share our vision of helping girls and young women change the world for the better.

Here's your opportunity to enhance your career while making a difference in girls’ lives and in the world. At Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas, you can build a rewarding career in everything from working hands-on with girls, to accounting, human resources and project management, marketing, research—and more.

About Camp Whispering Cedars: 

Camp Whispering Cedars, Home of the STEM Center of Excellence, is in Dallas, TX and offers a variety of programming. The property sleeps approximately 120 people. During the summer, Camp offers sleepaway camping options as well as Day Camp experiences. Ages range from 8-18year-olds. 

Lifeguards will work mid-May through the end of July.

Job Summary:

The Camp Activities Team is responsible for participating in the assigned activity during the summer camp and/or weekend camping season.  This person is responsible for the planning and implementation of Girl Scout programs in outdoor settings and for the safeguarding of participants’ health, safety, and security. 

The Camp Whispering Cedars Pool Lifeguard is responsible for participating as a member of the outdoor team in the assigned pool/aquatic activity during summer and/or weekend camping and to carry out specific responsibilities for the planning and implementation of the Girl Scout and aquatic programs in an outdoor setting.  This position is also responsible for the safeguarding of participants’ health, safety, and security in the pool/aquatic area while providing a fun pool/aquatic experience.

Higher level responsibilities may include the overall planning and implementation of pool aquatic programs, including any substitute activities provided during inclement weather while providing a fun pool experience.

Lifeguard Primary responsibilities include: 

• Serves as a lifeguard during summer camp.
• Prepares, directs, and carries out assigned lifeguard/aquatic activities with participants, following all Girl Scout program standards, safety, and security guidelines, and GSUSA/GSNETX Safety Activity Checkpoints.
• Participates in pool/aquatic activities including but not limited to housekeeping responsibilities, rescue skills review, required lifeguard in-service, equipment maintenance, and supervising participant interactions.
• Willing to conduct alternative, supervisor approved, indoor activities during times of inclement weather when use of the pool is not feasible.
• Follows GSNETX policies and operational procedures, regulations, and standards.
• Follow all established pool procedures.
• Responsible for compliance with ACA standards, Texas Department of State Health, GSUSA & GSNETX Policies, and operational procedures, regulations, and standards.
• Serves as and is responsible for being a role model for all participants, in behavior and attitude while following the Girl Scout Promise and Law and established Camp Whispering Cedars procedures.
• Remains alert and responds to potential hazardous situations, including following established emergency procedures when required.
• Monitor weather conditions and use current emergency procedures when inclement weather is imminent.

Lead Lifeguard Responsibilities Include: 

• Team management: Oversee and manage a team of lifeguards, ensuring their training, schedules, and performance
• Guiding and training: Conduct regular training sessions for lifeguards to ensure lifeguards, including themselves, are up to date with safety protocols, CPR techniques, first aid techniques, and emergency procedures.
• Shift coordination: Organize and oversee lifeguard shifts, ensuring adequate coverage and smooth transitions between team members.
• Problem resolution: Address any conflicts or issues within the lifeguard team and act as a mediator if necessary.
• Serves as and is responsible for being a role model for all swimmers in behavior and attitude. This would include following the Girl Scout Promise and Law and STEM Center procedures.
• Serves as and is responsible for being a role model for the aquatics team in behavior and attitude. This would include following the Girl Scout Promise and Law and STEM Center procedures. They are also responsible for following the Red Cross procedures.
• Serves as a head lifeguard and team leader during assigned shift
• Designing schedules that correlate to day and sleep away camps
• Housekeeping, equipment checks, skills review (in-service), supervising participants’ actions, and supervising lifeguard behavior.
• Ensuring the safety of swimmers when utilizing the pool. This includes communicating rules and expectations. 
• Confident in applying their skills and all aspects of lifeguards training and first aid. This includes but is not limited to communicating pool rules, executing rescues, practicing and executing effective surveillance and prevention tools.
• Facilitate positive group relationships, including addressing conflict in constructive ways
• Advocate for camper confidence, responsibility, challenge seeking, teamwork, learning, goal setting, relationship skills, and coping strategies
• Adhere to camp schedule, direct campers and self to assigned spaces on time, and stay with assigned activity or group
• Practice all safety standards on camp property and at activity spaces

Minimum requirements:

• Willingness to work respectfully with diverse staff and campers all day in a set environment
• Willingness to be active all day in an outdoor environment with variable weather conditions (heat, humidity, rain, wind) and to walk extensively around camp.
• Willingness to role model respect, positivity, smiling, cheerfulness, kindness, patience, honesty, inclusion, good mental hygiene, and accountability and to self-regulate emotions respectfully in a variety of circumstances.
• Willingness to listen to, learn from, and cooperate with others.
• Willingness to learn and follow camp/pool safety, sanitation, and hygiene standards.
• Ability to work long hours all day and all week (staff get personal breaktime each day during the week and days off between sessions)
• Ability to complete full term (all weeks) of camp agreement.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience serving youth in a work or volunteer setting
• Experience attending summer camp or going camping
• Experience in lifeguarding
• Current or past American Red Cross lifeguard certification appreciated

Must abstain from:

• Use of tobacco products, herbal intoxicants (CBD, THC, gummies, etc.), vaping and electronic cigarettes, alcohol, illegal drugs, firearms, and fireworks while on camp property or while on duty, plus abstain from possessing on camp property and from returning to camp under the influence of any such substances.
• Use of explicit language or harmful language
• Volatile expressions of emotion
• Romantic or sexual activity on camp, no public display of affection
• Wearing clothing that features alcohol, drugs, or harmful topics or language.
• Sharing or discussing private, adult issues with campers
• Using (engaging with) cell phone while on duty (can be used during scheduled staff break time, plus we have a radio system for camp communication and emergencies)

Our organization’s cultural values:

• We are relevant.
• We strive for equity.
• We put our stakeholders first.
• We collaborate to get the best results.
• We own our work.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to speak or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools or controls.  The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

The employee must be able to drive and have a valid driver’s license. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.  

CERTIFICATIONS/LICENSES - Lifeguard:

• Must complete “Protecting Our Girls” GSNETX training and CPR/AED First Aid training, which are required prior to first contact with campers.  (Provided by GSNETX.)
• Certification from an ACA/GSNETX recognized source as a Pool Lifeguard.