It’s THINKING SEASON for camp leaders.
You know – the time after the chaos of summer has ended and your brain is rested after a reasonable amount of sleep and time off. The time when you can shut off the massive daily to-do list and instead focus on the bigger picture.
But let’s be real, this is also the time when the PTSD from that one kid who used the canoe paddle as a sword still lingers. You’re free from the non-stop “Counselor, there’s a spider in the bathroom” emergencies, but the flashbacks hit hard. The spiders were bigger than I thought.
Thinking Season is when you start asking yourself the BIG questions. You know, the ones you didn’t have time for when you were busy trying to locate all 78 missing water bottles (somehow there were more water bottles than campers).
Deep Thoughts in the Off-Season:
- How can I make next summer run smoother?
- Should we invest in an industrial strength Lost & Found tracking system?
- Can I convince next year’s staff that an inflatable obstacle course will be 'team-building' and not just a guaranteed way for Chad to lose a tooth?
But most importantly, the Thinking Season is when you dare to dream big. Like big, big. Like “maybe this year we’ll train the counselors to unclog the toilet AND clean up afterward.
Planning with High Hopes
This is the time when you pull out that pristine, untouched binder you optimistically labeled “2024 CAMP IDEAS” last spring. Look at you, being all organized.
In Thinking Season, you acknowledge the gaps that you saw and think more strategically about how to do better. You create plans….some will happen and some will sit in the binder untouched. At least we start with great intentions and the grace to know that amid the to-dos, it’s not always ideal execution.
You’ll jot down ideas like “Create better camper check-in experience” or “More nature-based activities”
Reflecting on the "Good Times"
You’ll fondly remember those “heartwarming” moments from this past summer:
- Like the time the craft table turned into a glitter explosion, and you still find sparkles in your laundry.
- Or when the campfire sing-along turned into a counselor karaoke battle, and somehow you’re still unsure if that’s a good thing or a great thing.
- And, of course, the epic rainstorm that turned your outdoor activities into a scene from Survivor. Good times.
In all seriousness (or at least, semi-seriousness), Thinking Season is about recalibrating. It’s a time to reflect on the chaos, the fun, and the growth you and your campers experienced—and to somehow, against all odds, convince yourself that you’ll do it all again next year.
But for now, breathe. Enjoy the quiet, the lack of emergency ice packs, and the absence of the phrase “We ran out of popsicle sticks!” Because soon enough, you’ll be back in the thick of it. Only this time, you’ll be so much more prepared.
…Right?
Get Prepared
As a camp leader, it can be challenging to think and lead the thinking.
We can help!
Whether you are doing comprehensive planning or just dreaming about a new program and how you can both execute the program and market it well, we can facilitate the conversation.
We offer several solutions:
- Zoom Facilitation - a series of 2-hour Zoom sessions that lead to actionable ideas and plans that are easy to execute
- In-person Facilitation - set aside a day or more to dream, plan, and get ready to activate.
- Comprehensive Planning - let us help guide your Thinking Season with a set of Zoom and in-person workshops that get your team dreaming. Then, we help turn those dreams into actionable plans that you can seek funding for and execute!