CICIT Guest Blog: Part 3

     This week we are going to be featuring guest blogs from our CIT campers from last week.  They are giving details about their experiences as well as their overall impression of what it meant to be a counselor at Camp Whitman.  This blog was written by CIT counselor, Shane Dubois.

2014 CIT campers

     When I was driving down Whitman Road for the 10th time in 7 years I had no clear idea what to expect in CIT this week. One thing I did know, it wasn't going be like any other camp I had ever been to in my past years of Whitman. After meeting my counselors Ileya and Jess, who I had never had before in past weeks at camp.  After doing name games and the normal safety hike, I knew that my life was never going to be the same.      

      Early in the week we had a deep discussion around the campfire and it amazed me that people would go that deep with people they barely knew. I immediately revisited the deep trust issues I had through the years and threw them out knowing I could trust this group to the sun and back. We also had an opportunity to have a vespers with Colin the wonderful volunteer Chaplin, and he asked us about what our story was and I really had to think. I've always thought as this average teenager from Elmira but Colin was really making me think and so I did, I'm was at this table with 4 other people who want to make a difference in at least one person’s life. Colin also asked us to describe one time in our life when we saw Jesus working in our lives or our favourite biblical story, most of us chose to describe when we saw Jesus’ work. I described when a man asked me to go to Camp Whitman and how every time I come to camp I take so much back with me every year.

CITs at all camp vespers, worship service

     We got the opportunity to work with almost all the camps that were there that week! I'll start with Pine, our camp for people with developmental disabilities. Pine is so easy to work with for me because my mom is disabled and I applied skills that I've used with her for years to working with pine. Taking time explaining the activity, fellow camper James and I led the "Sports and Games" camp and personally worked with that camp and all the other camps. It was incredible working with the Adventures camp and the Day camp. I had always had a good sense of planning things just not a clear way of executing things that I had planned, but I quickly learned a great way of doing this with Pine campers and also Graded campers. We also learned useful strategies to use when working with campers.

CITs working with our Day Campers

     We also had a service project that we worked on throughout the week, which was cleaning and making the stairway that leads from main field to where the Pine cabins are located. On the last day we sat on the bridge that was pretty much finished and talked and reflected back on the week. After some self thought when I got home I soon realized how much Jess and Ileya had helped me grow so much throughout the week and how blessed I really was to do CIT this year.

CIT campers standing on the stairs that they worked on this week

    After saying my goodbyes to my fellow counselors-in-training and getting in my car and driving down Whitman Road and Rt. 14 back to Elmira I had no words as people asked me how my week was it was the most life changing experience I have ever had and I am exited to devote the rest of my summer to volunteering with the wonderful ministry that is Camp Whitman on Seneca Lake!       

CIT Guest Blog: Part 2

      This week we are going to be featuring guest blogs from our CIT campers from last week.  They are giving details about their experiences as well as their overall impression of what it meant to be a counselor at Camp Whitman.  Our second blog was written by CIT counselor, Delaney Lukwoski.

2014 CIT campers

  The past week at CIT camp was fantastic. At first, on Sunday and Monday, I was a bit apprehensive about it because I wasn’t confident in myself. Being, even partially responsible for campers made me a bit uneasy. I knew that I was inexperienced and that made me very nervous. The worst possible situations kept coming to mind when I thought of having to lead campers. On the flip side of that I was beyond excited about being a CIT. After being a camper for six summers before this, I felt like I would be really good at this because of all my experiences at camp that I enjoyed and I would get a taste of what being a counselor is like. I had so many conflicting feelings about it.

Delaney working with a Day Camper

As the week went on, I became a lot more comfortable working with the campers. My counselors, Jess and Ileya were awesome. They were always giving us all helpful hints and tips on things; like how to get the campers attention; how to keep them focused and how to get all of them to participate in the activities. The first time we worked with campers was when we canoed with the Adventure camp. I was a bit nervous because I have never been a great canoer, I’ve always been better at kayaking and preferred it. The campers in my canoe were afraid of tipping over the boat, so to keep their minds off that fear I decided to ask them about their interests. Not only did talking calm them down, but it made me less tense about the canoe trip as well. I ended up really enjoying canoeing and really look forward to doing it again.

Volunteer Chaplain, Colin, winding up with a pillow
to help get Delaney out of bed

...and the follow through

Getting to know all of the campers was one of favorite parts of being a CIT. I love just talking with all of them. Hearing about why camp is so important to them and how they’ve made so many friends throughout the years and always plan what week they are coming so they can see all of them again. I enjoy it so much because it’s exactly what I’ve always done when I’m at camp. I also liked planning the crafts and games we got the opportunity to lead at the end of the week because it gave me a chance to think about what some of my favorites are. I aspire to become a counselor because I want campers to have the same wonderful memories and experiences at camp that I have had.

CITs on the stairs that they worked on to make more safe for our campers

When we had our meeting with Rhonda on Friday about our past week, she asked us how we felt our week went. I told her I thought the week went extremely well. I was ten times more confident in my leadership skills and felt like I had a good idea of what being a counselor would be like. I connected and related with several of the campers and it made me even more eager to become a counselor. Later on in the meeting she made a joke about the CIT camp being a camp where you pay to come and “work”. I found this quite comical because if that is what working at Camp Whitman is like, then working for them is going to be a breeze. I’d forget it’s work in mere seconds, it’s more fun than it is work. 

CITs participating in our Wednesday Vespers service

            

Camp Whitman's 2014 Camping Season Begins!

     This past Sunday, was Camp Whitman's opening day of the regular camping season for graded campers as well as our program for people with developmental disabilities.  It was awesome to see so many new and familiar faces this year in the registration line!

1st year counselor Matt, helps some Sports and Games campers
make their buttons

Adventures campers kickstart a game of Kickball

     We were able to welcome campers from 6 different camps this week.  In graded camp we had, Adventures (3rd-5th grade), Sailing (6th-8th), and our Counselor-in-Training (CITs) camp, while our campers with disabilities came for Sports and Games Camp as well as Explorations Camp.

Sailors getting to know each other

Counselors Jeremy, Riley, and Leah leading name games in Adventures camp

3rd year counselor Ben heading to Main Field

Our staff was very excited to finally meet campers after our week and a half of training, and jumped right into singing songs and getting to know everyone.  After meeting such great campers on our very first Sunday, we are very excited about what the rest of the summer will bring.

Our CIT Campers ended their evening with some Teambuilding
and trying to untangle a Human Knot.

     We want to extend a huge thank you to our volunteer Chaplain this week, Colin Pritchard from Victor, NY.  Campers are very excited for the energy and enthusiasm he will bring to all of our family groups.

Volunteer Chaplain, Colin, leading a song to close our Sunday
vespers service.

   

Our new Graded Camp Coordinator, Courtney spent
Vespers with Colin's dog, Chauna.