As summer camp season draws closer, many camp administrators are having a hard time recruiting staff for their ministries. "It has been much more difficult this year to find students/staff," say Ray Queen and Julie Minnick, director and associate director, respectively, at Potomac Conference's Camp Blue Ridge in Montebello, Va. “It has also been difficult to get them to commit and even fill out [an] application."
Other directors have reported similar situations. Minnick says that "students are being pulled in so many directions with school [and] career choices, and the biggest distraction is accepting internships," among other issues.
There are definite benefits, however, to working at Seventh-day Adventist camps. "Students learn valuable skills, including leadership, teamwork, creativity, Christian values, a sense of giving back, and they also develop lifelong friendships," says Minnick.
Know of a Potential Camp Staffer? Here is a list of Columbia Union camps:
Allegheny East Conference, Camp Danny Davis
Chesapeake Conference, Mt. Aetna Camp
Mountain View Conference, Valley Vista Camp
Ohio Conference, Camp Mohaven
Pennsylvania Conference, Laurel Lake Camp
Potomac Conference, Camp Blue Ridge