So today was my archery training, so I could become a certified archery instructor. This was my first real camp activity since arriving 3 days ago. There have been other counsellors around, but they're on Leadership Training as they'll be the head counsellors, so I've mostly been left to my own devices.
I had to be up bright and early (6am...on a Saturday!) to head to a camp that was an hour and a half away. It was me, the other archery instructor, and two counsellors who were doing canoe training. We drove in the Camp Van, rocking out to music the whole way! The camp we went to was much more "out in the boondocks" (middle of nowhere) than my camp, so it was a little unnerving. We headed off the main road onto some tiny, winding gravel road, driving through a mass of trees. Little "double-wide" trailers were dotted all over, and run-down shacks with "PRIVATE PROPERTY" signs posted out at the front. We finally found a small, hand-written sign welcoming us to camp and pointing down another tiny road. We were a little freaked out, wondering where the director had sent us and if we would ever be heard from again! Luckily the camp was pretty nice, and quite large, not half as scary as we thought it was going to be!
The archery training was good fun, but we were out in the sun all day so we started to go a little loopy by the end of the afternoon. We had a lot of practice shooting, and then at the end we had a "practical test" where we had to each role play the different parts. So we had to be the range officer, the instructor, the unruly children etc. Playing at being problem children was the best part. The other counsellor from my camp took this role very seriously, and was definitely an unruly child! I discovered that I'm quite a bossy instructor though, and that I have a tendency to go a *little* power crazy. This amused everyone greatly, and they all teased me incessantly. However, I did notice that their role playing was very similar to what I said/did, so they must have thought I did something right..!
We all passed our training, and I am now certified to teach basic archery to children in the USA for the next 3 years! If I need to re-certify after 3 years I can either take a test online, or have a refresher training as my instructor's assistant. Sadly this won't be much use in the UK, but if I want to do camp again next year then it'll come in very handy.
I got to spend the evening with another counsellor and her family, since she invited me back to her house for tacos. It was just us at camp, and I had no dinner plans, so she very kindly let me join her. I had a great evening, they were very welcoming and asked a lot of questions about me and my life in the UK.
Overall, a great day!
Tomorrow is a sponsored walk around camp for the kids - a fundraiser to offset their camp fees. I'll be helping set up by doing the food prep, then I'll be supervising activities at the finish line and generally having a good time with the kids. It sounds like it'll be hectic and tiring, but I'm really excited to meet some of the campers. Mostly excited about the lie-in I'll get in the morning though...!
Monday I'm leading an "outdoor education" activity in the morning, and then in the afternoon all the other counsellors will be arriving for Staff Training. That is where the fun begins...!
Hope everyone is having a good day! :)
Saturday 19 May 2012
Thursday 17 May 2012
Update
Well! I fell a little behind, didn't I? Where did I get up to? Ah yes, I'd just caused all kinds of trouble, and been sort of told off by CCUSA. Following their email, I got quite annoyed and emailed their USA head office. This got forwarded to their UK office, and I got a phone-call from the man I'd been emailing in the UK. He rang to, very nicely, explain that I wasn't in trouble, I'd just caused a bit of an issue. See, only one camp at a time can review my application, and I was currently under review with some unknown camp. This could, apparently, cause camps to "fight over me". In the end though, the camp who was reviewing me decided they weren't interested, and my application got forwarded to the camp I wanted. I then got an interview, and was offered the job over the phone. Overall, a good result!
But, if you want to find your own camp, do it BEFORE you get your application sent to the USA office. It's ok to find a camp of your own, but once it's sent to their office, it's meant to be down to them to find you a camp. Make sense? I think it does, now I've stopped fuming!
After I got accepted onto the camp it all got a little hectic! I had a lot to do, and very little time to do it in. From the sounds of it, I'm one of the people who's started the earliest - I'm actually typing this from my cabin at camp right now!
Visa Interview
I had to head down to London on a specified date to get my J-1 Summer Work Visa, after filling out the online visa application from home. This day was set aside solely for J-1 applicants, and I was met by CCUSA outside. They handed me the last bits of paperwork I needed. I was in and out of the embassy in about half an hour! Would have been quicker, but my face on my photo was "too pale" and I would have "bled into the white background", so I had to pay £5 to get one from the photo-booth in the embassy. I was "10-printed" (had all 10 fingerprints scanned) and then had a quick interview. I was asked what I did at home, I explained that I worked full-time investigating complaints. They asked what my employers thought of me leaving for so long, and I said I was leaving my job to go to camp, but would be coming back to work with my Dad as part of his photography business. This was deemed acceptable and my visa was approved. Yay!
CCUSA Pre-Departure Orientation
Ok, I'm not going to lie, this was BORING. I could see it would have been useful if I didn't have my visa yet and if I was having CCUSA make my travel arrangements. Unfortunately I had my visa and went for the "non-flight" option. Never mind, it was compulsory so I put up with it. I did learn a couple of important things, like photocopy EVERYTHING three times - one for me, one for my parents, one for my camp director. We also got a presentation by some travel company offering us 10% off their tours of America. Sounded cool but I'm leaving my 30 day travel period pretty open.
Paperwork
Police check! I sort of forgot about this, so had to pay to have it done with their premium service, which was twice as much. Not happy about that, but it was my own fault. Luckily got it back the day before I flew (!) so all was well. I had a lot of paperwork from camp too that I was meant to send back, but I missed the post to get it back in time, so I just brought it with me.
Travel
As I previously said - I'M HERE! I arrived last night, after a long day travelling. I'm still not sure what day it is, or what time it is, but I'm not too badly jet-lagged. I arrived in the evening so went to bed at a normal, local time, and got up at a normal, local time. Jet lag? What jet lag?! So far the weather looks loooovely, but I've not ventured outside of my cabin! I've only met one other counsellor, since I'm here quite early. I have archery training on Friday (tomorrow), but main training for all staff doesn't start til Monday.
The camp is really nice, quite small and not as rustic as other camps. I think it'll suit me just fine! The other counsellor has already told me camp is MUCH more fun when you're over 21 (I'm 23). I guess they like to celebrate their day's off...!
I'm very excited, and will post more when I know more!
But, if you want to find your own camp, do it BEFORE you get your application sent to the USA office. It's ok to find a camp of your own, but once it's sent to their office, it's meant to be down to them to find you a camp. Make sense? I think it does, now I've stopped fuming!
After I got accepted onto the camp it all got a little hectic! I had a lot to do, and very little time to do it in. From the sounds of it, I'm one of the people who's started the earliest - I'm actually typing this from my cabin at camp right now!
Visa Interview
I had to head down to London on a specified date to get my J-1 Summer Work Visa, after filling out the online visa application from home. This day was set aside solely for J-1 applicants, and I was met by CCUSA outside. They handed me the last bits of paperwork I needed. I was in and out of the embassy in about half an hour! Would have been quicker, but my face on my photo was "too pale" and I would have "bled into the white background", so I had to pay £5 to get one from the photo-booth in the embassy. I was "10-printed" (had all 10 fingerprints scanned) and then had a quick interview. I was asked what I did at home, I explained that I worked full-time investigating complaints. They asked what my employers thought of me leaving for so long, and I said I was leaving my job to go to camp, but would be coming back to work with my Dad as part of his photography business. This was deemed acceptable and my visa was approved. Yay!
CCUSA Pre-Departure Orientation
Ok, I'm not going to lie, this was BORING. I could see it would have been useful if I didn't have my visa yet and if I was having CCUSA make my travel arrangements. Unfortunately I had my visa and went for the "non-flight" option. Never mind, it was compulsory so I put up with it. I did learn a couple of important things, like photocopy EVERYTHING three times - one for me, one for my parents, one for my camp director. We also got a presentation by some travel company offering us 10% off their tours of America. Sounded cool but I'm leaving my 30 day travel period pretty open.
Paperwork
Police check! I sort of forgot about this, so had to pay to have it done with their premium service, which was twice as much. Not happy about that, but it was my own fault. Luckily got it back the day before I flew (!) so all was well. I had a lot of paperwork from camp too that I was meant to send back, but I missed the post to get it back in time, so I just brought it with me.
Travel
As I previously said - I'M HERE! I arrived last night, after a long day travelling. I'm still not sure what day it is, or what time it is, but I'm not too badly jet-lagged. I arrived in the evening so went to bed at a normal, local time, and got up at a normal, local time. Jet lag? What jet lag?! So far the weather looks loooovely, but I've not ventured outside of my cabin! I've only met one other counsellor, since I'm here quite early. I have archery training on Friday (tomorrow), but main training for all staff doesn't start til Monday.
The camp is really nice, quite small and not as rustic as other camps. I think it'll suit me just fine! The other counsellor has already told me camp is MUCH more fun when you're over 21 (I'm 23). I guess they like to celebrate their day's off...!
I'm very excited, and will post more when I know more!
Monday 7 May 2012
Summer Camp, here I come!
Ok, I have fallen behind on my blog. Waaay behind. But it's all been crazy here! I finally stopped causing trouble, got accepted on a camp, got my visa, my flights are booked, and I leave in 9 days! I'm headed to the camp I really wanted, and I'll be an archery instructor :) I'm already in touch with the other archery instructor, and been bouncing ideas back and forth.
Apparently through the week it'll be teaching the fundamentals, then our last day (each camp is 6 days long) we can have a themed fun day. So far we're thinking Lord of the Rings, Olympics, Hunger Games, Avengers, Robin Hood...thought not quite sure what to do with these themes! Any ideas, please let me know!
Will do a proper update soon :)
All the best,
Charlotte
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