Job Details

Job Location
Whispering Cedars - Dallas, TX

Position Type
Seasonal

Description

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, to marketing, research-and more.

About Camp Whispering Cedars home of the STEM Center of Excellence:

This 92-acre living laboratory approximately 20-minutes from downtown Dallas has been serving as a camp for almost 100 years. Camp Whispering Cedars offers sleepaway camp for girls ages 7 - 17. We serve approximately 100 campers per week from a variety of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Weekly camp themes are structured to help campers discover exciting careers and applications in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Campers come to camp independently and are cared for by Counselors.

Counselors work from the end of May to end of July 2024.

Job Summary:

Counselors are responsible for leading a fun, impactful summer camp program for all campers. Staff live in cabins or lodges (group living), develop relationships, care for campers, lead program activities, and participate fully in daily camp life. This team member serves as a caring mentor, fun companion, patient teacher, positive role model, and helpful problem solver. The Outdoor Activities Counselor position reports to the Outdoor Activities Manager and in addition to counselor responsibilities this role serves as a member of the Outdoor Activities team as a ropes course instructor (high and/or low), archery instructor, or both. As a member of the Outdoor Activities team the individual is responsible for aiding in the planning and implementation of Girl Scout programs in outdoor settings and for the safeguarding of participants' health, safety, and security. The specific responsibilities of this position, include, but are not limited to, the overall planning and implementation of activity programs, including any substitute activities provided during inclement weather, while providing a fun experience for campers. The candidate must successfully complete the required certification process provided by GSNETX to continue being employed.

Paid staff training is provided at the beginning of the summer and takes place at Camp Whispering Cedars in Dallas, TX. Counselors live onsite during work.

Benefits:

Summer camp changes lives for the better! Join an amazing community where you will make new friends, develop personal and professional skills, engage your body and your mind in an outdoor environment, overcome challenges, and be the best version of yourself, plus have tons of fun! As part of a team mentoring, teaching, and helping, you get to make an incredible impact on campers and staff, who remember the sense of belonging, friendship, growth, and magic of summer camp for their entire lives. Staff receive room and board when camp is in session plus paid staff training, paid certifications (where applicable), and invaluable work experience that prepares you to succeed in school, in work, and in life.

Primary responsibilities include:

Champion a positive, inclusive, caring, safe, and fun camp environment and promote the values of the Girl Scout Promise and Law, including serving as a positive role model for youth in language, dress, culture of inclusion, behavior, and attitude.
Support camper wellbeing by supervising overall physical, mental, and emotional health (including hygiene, meals, sleep, medications as applicable) while living with campers.
Lead and participate in camp program activities and administration, including meals, activities, rest, free time, kapers (chores), staff trainings and meetings, planning and preparation, and cleanup.
Facilitate positive group relationships, including addressing conflict in constructive ways.
Advocate for camper and staff confidence, responsibility, challenge seeking, teamwork, learning, goal setting, relationship skills, coping strategies, and opportunities for personal and group success.
Adhere to camp schedule and direct campers and self to assigned spaces on time.
Assist in care of campsite facilities, equipment, and supplies, including managing resources wisely.
Practice all camp safety standards and emergency procedures and uphold them with others.
Work independently and take the initiative to implement solutions to problems that arise, where appropriate.
Participates in directing outdoor activities with the various camp groups, including but not limited to housekeeping responsibilities, skill review, equipment maintenance, badge workshops, and supervising participant interactions.
Participates in instructing the groups in the safe use of the activity equipment, teamwork activities as appropriate, and including the physics of the activities.
Responsible for compliance with ACA standards, Texas Department of State Health, GSUSA & GSNETX Policies, and operational procedures, regulations, and standards.
Work effectively with various team members and various levels of the GSNETX organization, including promoting a climate of courtesy, respect, and professionalism and adhering to camp culture.
Work as part of a team to meet camp program and operation needs.

Leadership roles available for staff with extra experience:

Unit Leader Counselor (age 21+): Serve as counselor with additional responsibilities overseeing unit success. Accountable for overall success in campsite unit, including supporting up to 24 campers and up to 7 other counselors in unit through participation in additional staff meetings, implementation of camp policies, completion of daily camper paperwork, and communication with Camp Director and counselors. Must have experience at camp.

Qualifications

Minimum requirements:

Willingness to live, eat, teach, and play respectfully and fruitfully with diverse staff and campers all day, with limited privacy and personal time.
Willingness to role model respect, positivity, smiling, cheerfulness, kindness, patience, honesty, inclusion, 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 embrace a simple living environment.
Ability to work long hours all day and all week with possible need to respond to campers or emergencies overnight (staff get personal breaktime each day).
Ability to complete full term (all weeks) of camp agreement.
Willingness to 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.
Willingness to abstain from using (engaging with) cell phone while on duty (Counselor phones can be stored in staff lockers and used during scheduled staff break time away from campers, plus we have a radio system for camp communication and emergencies).
Demonstrates and promotes a climate of courtesy, respect, and professionalism to coworkers, the volunteers served by this council, and others with whom her/his position puts her/him in contact.
Adheres to the GSNETX's equal opportunity and non-discrimination policies, which ensure that there will be no discrimination based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, creed, national origin, socioeconomic status, disability, or age.

Must hold membership in the Girl Scout organization and subscribe to the tenets of the Girl Scout Promise and Law.
Attendance is an essential job requirement defined as having regular, consistent, reliable, punctual and predictable attendance including the ability to work regular hours and shifts, before and after hours, and on weekends, when required.

Complete and pass a background check.

Preferred qualifications:

Experience serving youth in a work or volunteer setting.
Experience attending summer camp or going camping.
Bilingual language skills.

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.

Our camp environment is unique: located in northeast Texas, summers in June and July are typically hot and humid (temperatures above 100°F/38°C for consecutive days are not uncommon). A typical camp day requires significant time outside each day, with prolonged standing and walking on our 92-acre property. This region of Texas is also home to a variety of wildlife such as bugs, spiders, snakes, and coyotes.

Typical camp activities, crafts, and daily life often include:

The use of hands or fingers to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls.
The ability to reach with hands and arms, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.
Indoors and outdoors work for prolonged hours.
Large groups of youth and high noise levels
Lifting/carrying and/or moving loads up to 45 pounds.

Certifications:

Must be able to drive and have a valid driver's license.
Current certifications appreciated in any of the following: first aid and CPR, lifeguarding, ropes course, archery, or fishing.