Counselors that went along to sixth grade camp this year enjoyed a new experience in leadership and responsibility as they worked with groups of young students at Camp Lakewood.
“Sixth grade camp was really fun because I’ve never gotten to be in a responsibility role before,” junior Hannah Klepper said.
The programs throughout the four-day trip were made up of activities that the participants might not get to do in typical day to day life. Much of it was geared towards learning how to adapt in the wilderness.
“We did a survival night where the kids learned how to survive if they got lost; they made their own shelter and fire,” Klepper said. “They learned how to use a compass, too. There was just a lot of skills that you would use while you were actually camping.”
But it wasn’t all so serious. Horseback riding, campfires, and zip-lining were also on the trip’s agenda.
“We also did a lot of really fun stuff,” junior Chloe Grant said. “We did a water unit, and all the kids really enjoyed that.”
The counselors were sometimes able to participate in the activities alongside the sixth graders, but they also needed to take on leadership roles during these programs.
“I was a little bit more of an authority figure, but I respected [the sixth graders],” said Klepper. “I got to learn about how to be a good, kind leader.”
This could be a real challenge for some, especially because each cabin of kids presented a distinctly different experience for its high school counselor.
“[My cabin] had problems listening to me,” junior Melanie Wilmert said. “Even if I had a cabin that was kind of troublemaking, I still loved meeting the girls and interacting with them.”