Staff Metrics

During our hiring period, the returning staff often have a lot of questions. I decided to publish a list of metrics to address some of your most pressing questions.

1) Applicants (3/18/2014)

    Total number of interviewees: 152

    

    Total number of applications: 124

        Applications from returning staff: 54

        Applications from new staff: 70  

    

2) Applicant Interviews by School

    La Sierra University: 27

    Pacific Union College: 20

    Southern Adventist University: 12

    Andrews University: 4

    Oakwood College: 3    

    Loma Linda University: 2

    Chaffey College: 2 

    Crafton Hills College: 2

    Union College: 2

    

    College Graduates: 4  

    

    Other (high school & colleges with one applicant only): 74   

3) Hiring Groups

    February 18th: 16 applicants accepted offers of employment

    March 18th: 29 applicants extended offers of employment

    

        Returning/New

        Returning Staff: 25

        New Staff: 20

        Males/Females

        Male: 25

        Female: 20

4) Available Work (subject to change)

    Leadership: No available positions

    Staff: 35 positions available   

    Kitchen: 10 positions available

 -Jeremy       

2014 Camp Brochure Cover

Coming soon to a mailbox near you!

What Happened to Horsemanship?

Friends,

For the summer season of 2014, we will not be offering any horsemanship activities at PSR Camp for the following two reasons:

1) All of our horse trails are currently unsafe for horses. These trails winded through areas of dense, overlapping root systems which were destroyed by the fire. When the roots burned away, they left behind empty cavities beneath the ground. Erosion will eventually cause the cavities to heal, but horses could be injured if we use the trails too soon. 

2) Quality Assurance. We've been offering four different horsemanship programs every year (Beginning, Western, English, & Teen) and our camp family has come to expect a high level of safety and quality. It's been suggested that we make the program much smaller, offer arena-only classes, and make those classes more about learning horsemanship than riding horses. After examining all of the issues, we've elected not to change our program into a pale shadow of what it's been in the past.

I know a lot of people are aware of this issue, and many of them have called us because they've heard a lot of different information. I hope that the two reason listed above make sense to all of our customers, and I would encourage everyone to look forward to 2015 when we hopefully will be able to bring back the horsemanship program.  

Blessings,

Jeremy

Reflections on Bullying, OR... "How we're working to build a bully-free zone at PSR."

I have listened to a lot of people say a lot of things about bullying; it's something that everyone has an opinion about.

Some people think that there's really nothing anyone can really do, bullying is just a part of life. If you've watched the news, you have probably seen some parents defending their children who are bullies by saying things like "the other kid made himself a target," or "all of the children do it, why are you singling out my child?" Other parents suggest that bullying is the fundamental crisis of our time and we need to do everything we can to prevent it. These parents can range to those frustrated with "do-nothing" schools, to families that have lost loved-ones to suicide because of bullying.

Whatever the situation, bullying is a polarizing issue and it's something we take very seriously at PSR Camp.

I'll talk a little bit about our no tolerance policy on bullying, but I just wanted to share a thought that I think most of you will agree with; as adults, we can do a better job setting an example for our youth.

I am conflicted about how to talk about this subject as an adult, but the truth is that we have a few parents every season who bully our camp secretary and even some of our seasonal staff in order to get what they want. I have seen a parent scream and yell at a member of our camp support staff because they didn't qualify for a $5 discount, and our office worker gave in and gave it to that person to stop the abuse. I have also spent several minutes talking to a parent who threatened to sue me personally because their camper lost a souvenir water bottle (which we located after a short visit to the lost & found). I know I am talking about a small group of people, but if we're going to build a bully-free zone at camp I know that all of our full-time and seasonal summer camp staff would like to be included.

To be clear, I'm not talking about the valid concerns that parents express. Last summer I talked to three parents who called me to discuss issues they had, which allowed us to make improvements for our 2014 season. I only had a chance to thank one of them, but I owe all three a 'thank you' for their commitment to partner with us to make camp better.

Our no tolerance policy on bullying hasn't changed much, but I think we've made it a little better this summer.

"At PSR Camp we know that no camper comes to camp to be bullied or harassed. When a camper is deemed to be disruptive to our program, PSR Camp will contact the parents to pick-up their camper. PSR Camp may refuse entry into future camp session(s) or season(s) to any camper on a case-by-case basis. Since bullying can take many different forms, we encourage parents to tell their children to report bullying to a counselor."

Beyond the policy, you should know that counselor are trained to spot bullying (exclusion, harassment, threats, unwelcome personal contact, etc...) and they are also trained in how to differentiate between bullying and situations where campers are just not getting along.

I have already had a suggestion that we list the different forms bullying can take in the policy (verses just using the word 'disruptive') but I want to be able to respond to bullies and the methods they select to target other children.

I wish I could promise that camp would be 100% bully-free, but I can promise that with good training and adaptable policies, we will watch over your children and do our best to ensure that they have a positive, and hopefully life-changing summer at PSR Camp!

-Jeremy

How to get the best price on a week of PSR Summer Camp!

Dear families,

   In this age of bargain shopping, I know that some of our families are looking to get the best price for their camper's 2014 summer experience. My advice to parents who are looking to generate some saving is always the same three things:

   #1) REGISTER EARLY. 
   Even as we speak there are 25 unclaimed offers (5% off a week of camp) from our Facebook launch. A total of 15 families have (combined) saved over $1500 by claiming the Facebook offer in combination with other discounts. You can still claim this offer today by registering at www.psrcamp.org and choosing 'Facebook Exclusive Offer' from the discount options page.

   #2) LEARN ABOUT OUR DISCOUNTS.
   A lot of our discounts are time-sensitive, so pay close attention to the information below on our discounts and their availability.
 
   Discounts available before March 1st, 2014 
   5% Facebook Exclusive (limit 50), $20 Super Early Bird, $20 Early Bird, $5 Paid-in-Full, & SECC Employee discount.

   Discounts available before May 1st, 2014  
   $20 Early Bird, $5 Paid-in-Full, & SECC Employee discount.
 
   Discount available after June 1st, 2014
   $5 Paid-in-Full, & SECC Employee discount.

   #3) PARTICIPATE IN OUR MATCHING SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. 
   The first time I attended a summer camp program the total out-of-pocket expense from my parents was $40. This was because our local church generous subsidized and even helped us out with fundraising. We are again offering churches the opportunity to do a 3-way matching scholarship because we do not want to put a camp experience financially out of reach for anyone.

   This is how it works, PSR Camp pays a $100 flat rate per camper, your church can pay any amount between $55 to $100 (or even to the full price of camp), and the family pays the remaining balance. In this way I have seen a family send all three of their children for the price of one!

   We believe that every child deserves a summer at camp, at we're working closely with churches and families to make sure that every family has the opportunity to send their child. If you have any questions or comments, please email us at psrcamp@seccsda.org.

   God Bless!

Jeremy Cruz
PSR Camp  


UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! 02/18/2014
   Today a parent registered two children and paid less than $150 (>$75 per child). The parent did this by taking advantage of all of our discounts, two church scholarships, and two matching PSR scholarships.
   This is the perfect example of how registering early, church scholarships, and Pine Springs Ranch are making camp affordable for everyone.  

HELP! I JUST APPLIED, NOW WHAT? or... "The hiring process from Application to W4."

There is just no short answer to this question...

The first thing anyone interested in a job should do is apply for a position online @ www.psrcamp.org. You can find the job descriptions in the 'document center' and after you create an account, you can "make a new reservation" and choose the appropriate staff application (kitchen, leadership, staff). 

When you finish and submit the application, you'll receive an email with a link. Email that link to at least two people who can recommend you for the position. 

Next comes the interview, which will be with the Executive Director and Assistant Director. We travel around the country to do interviews, but we also allow people to schedule interviews over the phone. 

Let's call the entire process detailed above PHASE ONE. 

*POTENTIAL PITFALL: Most people do the interview and application, but never get their references submitted.

*POTENTIAL PITFALL: Often, applicants never follow up with their application. If you've sent out your reference link, follow up with us to ensure they were submitted.

Next comes the hiring process... or PHASE TWO.

This phase starts with a hiring letter in late February or early March. A hiring letter is an offer of employment between the applicant (you) and SECC/PSR CHRISTIAN CAMP. Applicants have nine days to accept or reject the offer.

If you accept the offer, we send you a bunch of paperwork.

   1. A staff contract, which states your position;

   2. Human Resources (HR) paperwork, we need these papers in order to pay you.

   3. Camp documents; like a packing list, parking permit, etc... 

   4. (Please see previous blog post on bonuses)

Some people panic when they don't get an offer of employment in the first round, but there are four rounds of hiring letters that go out between February and June.

We hire in four rounds in order to create the best match between an employee and their position at camp. We want everyone's camp experience to be positive, spiritual, and memorable; and we don't want anyone to feel stuck, lonely, and unappreciated. 

IS THERE A PHASE THREE?

Nope. Just show up for employment on June 16th, 2014 @ 9:00 am. The address is:

58000 Apple Canyon Rd

Mountain Center, CA 92561

See you at camp!

-Jeremy

BONUS FORMULA or... "How can I earn a little extra for during my summer camp experience?"

Last year someone asked me why we don't talk more about bonus opportunities, so I decided to write this short blog about the subject.

Short answer: Bonuses are awarded based on a complex series of metrics, goals, and staff evaluations.

As many of you are aware, Pine Springs Ranch Christian Summer Camp (PSR Camp) is wholly-owned and operated by the Southeastern CA Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. We have a set annual budget and plenty of financial obligations to fulfill. PSR Camp make no promises about year-end bonuses, so that our staff have no expectations of this gift.

That being said, there are things our staff could do that would significantly increase their opportunities to earn a bonus. Here is a list of the five most helpful things I could think of based on the bonus formula:

#1: TELL people at church that you're working at camp. Parents are sometimes unsure about camp, but if they know you're going to up there, they'll be more comfortable about sending their children. Filling camp to capacity is a benefit to our bottom line and, subsequently, bonus availability.

#2: Help us CONSERVE while at camp. The less food that goes into the trash can, and the less we spend on electricity, water, and gas (to heat water) the more we have for bonuses. Reducing food costs alone has proven to be a great way to generate savings in our camp budget.

#3: Have a GOOD reputation as an employee. Your camp supervisors know who the best employees are after about a week of camp. We know who goes to worship, who takes their breaks at the appropriate time, who is spending too much time in the staff lounge, and who does well with their campers.

#4: Turn in your employee paperwork ON TIME. We're adding this one for the summer of 2014. If you receive your employee paperwork at least nine days before the deadline you must correctly submit all forms in order to even be on the list for summer-end bonuses. The paperwork deadline is June 5th, 2014 at noon, PST.

#5: Start strong & FINISH STRONG. Once campers depart camp on the last Sunday of the season, some of our staff always lose focus on the mission and goal of camp. Instead, they immediately begin focus on themselves and often have to be released from duty and sent home early. I know this sounds a lot like number three above, but I have seen several 'good' employees give in to temptation and brake the rules during the last days of the employee contract. The best way to finish strong? Get lots of rest and spend time with your creator every day. It's that simple.

I often think about what kind of things we could accomplish at camp if all of our staff would seriously take on the responsibilities listed above.

I think we would be unstoppable; I think I would work even harder to find money for bonuses, and I think we'd create a summer camp experience that would be full every year.