The Best Stories...

Today is the April 30 discount deadline.

We're on the phone with anyone who has questions about the registration process; helping parents and families who are interested in signing up to meet our biggest discount deadline. Over 50 campers will hopefully sign up today before midnight.

We'll see you at camp!

~Jeremy

What Parents are saying about PSR Camp (2013 parent survey results)

Every year we invite parents to take part in our official (anonymous) camp survey.

Getting feedback from parents is important because we need to know if we are meeting their expectations, hiring the best staff, and getting advice for areas of improvement.

I really believe that we can always find better methods to serve our camp family.

Survey method information:

Eligible Participants: 198 families

Actual Participation: 42 families (21%)

Confidence Interval: + or - 11%

QUESTION #4: OVERALL, MY IMPRESSION OF PSR CAMP IS:

We asked parents what their overall impression was of PSR Camp, and even though
we only had two weeks of camp in 2013, the results surprised me.

Usually survey participants are those who have had a very negative or very positive experience. For example, I usually ignore the signs on the backs of trucks that say "How is my driving? Call xxx-xxx-xxxx" except when their driving is really bad. When they get my order wrong at Del Taco, that's when I am most likely to fill out the survey at the bottom of the receipt. Which is why last year's survey stands out so much. Parents did recommend some areas of improvement (keep reading for those) but overall they had a very positive impression.

Please note: Parents were only allowed to select one of the options to the question above.

QUESTION #8: GENERALLY. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING FACTORS INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO SEND YOUR CAMPER TO PSR CAMP?

Number #1 Response: "I rely on the reputation of PSR Camp, and their commitment to provide a positive camp experience."

The top three responses to the question above were as follows:

   1) I rely on the reputation of PSR Camp, and their commitment to provide a positive camp         

       experience. (79%)

   2) I rely on my child, and their desire to attend camp. (66%)

   3) I rely on the decisions that I make with a spouse or family member. (50%)

Please note: Parents were allowed to make multiple selections to the question above.

QUESTION #10: HOW CAN PSR CAMP SERVE YOU BETTER?

The top three suggestions to the question above were as follows:

   1) Six overlapping concerns in the area of website. 

       To address this concern, we created psr.camp on April 2nd, 2014.

   2) Five specific concerns about communication with parents. 

       To address this concern, we created www.psrcamp.blogspot.com so parents can get daily 

       information during camp.

   3) Four specific concerns about activity selection; parents want even more activity options! 

       To address this concern we eliminated our poorly attended classes and added four new 

       activities (Swimming Lessons, Drama & Theater, Short Film, & Wakeboarding Lessons).

Please note: There were other responses to this question, but were singularly individualized. Total improvement suggestions: 20.

Normally I would draw out some conclusions, but instead I am just going to thank all of those who participated in the 2013 survey. We wouldn't have rebuilt our website, started blogging, or added new activities to the schedule without your advice.

Don't forget to register by April 30 for the best price on a week of summer camp!

~Jeremy

Did You Miss It?

April 30 is the LAST day to get our best price on a week of summer camp; so don't wait until it's to late!

Also, since we started blogging, we're posted on a great deal of different topics. Here is a virtual 'table of contents' if you're new:

Our Best Posts for Parents
How to get the best price on a week of summer camp! Our first discount deadline is approaching on April 30th.

How we're working to build a bully-free zone at PSR. We know that no child comes to camp to be bullied or harassed.

The Summer Slide   Children who are out of school can experience a loss of learning during the summer. At PSR Camp we're developing a new curriculum model to help engage the minds of our campers.

I have never sent my child to sleep-away camp! When it comes to camp, our newest parents don't always know all the details. We created this post to address the top ten questions we've been asked in 2014.

Our secret menu revealed! We offer some things at camp that we don't explicitly advertise. If you've never heard of a 'dream cabin' then this post might interest you.

God > Google A week of summer camp could give your child a spiritual role model for a lifetime.

Upcoming Posts for Parents
1) We addressed a few FAQ's in a previous post, but what about advice? In May we'll post our top advice for new parents.
2) No one wants to lose a $100 jacket at camp and never see it again! We'll be addressing 'lost & found' and how to get that jacket back (hint: Please do not bring $100 outerwear to camp).
3) Pathfinder & Adventurer Family Camp is back again and we've made it more affordable than ever. May is the month that most clubs & families register and we're here to help!
4) Two words: Coupon Codes. (Please note: Coupon codes might save you a bit on money, but they will not be able to provide more savings than registering before April 30).

We'll see you at camp!

~Jeremy

Our friends @ Nosoca Pines Ranch

When I was at Nosoca Pines Ranch in 2012, I was immediately jealous of their beautiful chapel, lakefront, and did I mention they have bathrooms inside their cabins?

I don't often find myself in South Carolina, but I wouldn't protest for a minute if given the opportunity to visit this wonderful place when ministry happens everyday.

For more information click on the link we've added to the toolbar.

~Jeremy

More Staff Metrics! (Hopefully the exclamation mark makes it seem more exciting)

Be sure to check the updates on the job board. Available Positions: 4/24/14

Here are some interesting tidbits of information we've noticed while processing applications.

Female Applicants (84 total)
1) Over 90% of female applicants apply for a job in Arts & Crafts, Junior Chef, & Photography.

2) The departments with the least female applicants are Skateboarding, Biking, & Videography.
3) Our 2014 female staff applicants are more likely to speak a foreign language.

Male Applicants (83 total)

1) Over 90% of male applicants applied for a job in a Sports Camp, Go-Carts, & Photography.

2) The departments with the least amount of male applicants are Skateboarding, Gymnastics, & Nature.
3) Our 2014 male applicants have a higher average age than usual.

Female & Male Applicants
1) Department area with most applicants in 2014?: Pool (swimming).
2) We received a record amount of applications from Adventist students attending public schools and universities. We also had more applicants from a greater variety of Adventist higher education centers.
3) The three largest educational fields that a majority of our applicants come from are nursing, ministry, & education (in that order).
4) In 2014, more bilingual applicants applied than usual, and perhaps ever before.
5) Most seasons a lot more women apply than men for summer camp employment. This year it's a virtual tie.

Leadership Team
1) Interested in being a member of the Leadership Team someday? Our camp leadership staff usually come from the following departments: Horsemanship, Sports, Ropes Course, Media, & Pool (Swimming).
2) This summer our executive & leadership teams have over 30 seasons of combined experience working at PSR summer camp.

We'll see you at camp!

~Jeremy

We're almost done hiring! Soon our 2014 team will be complete.

God > Google

I recently read an article about how the internet is making us less religious as a nation.

If you're like me, you've read similar articles in the past and everyone has a theory (and some have solutions) about why this is happening in our country. I am not going to delve into all of the blame that is being passed out to video games, the internet, atheism, etc..., but I am going to take the opportunity to reemphasize how much we've considered each potential employees abilities in the area of providing spiritual guidance.

At PSR Camp we know that there are different sociological factors that lead to having healthy & spiritual children. One of our responsibilities during our hiring season is making sure to choose people who are ready to be great role models for our campers. It's been said that a good camp director hires staff members who they think will be a good spiritual role model at summer camp, but a GREAT camp director hires staff members who are going to be good spiritual role models for a lifetime. 

In this new digital age, how easy is it for your child to look up one of our staff members on Facebook? Pretty simple. Google, Twitter, & Facebook have made our world so small that you can find almost anyone with a few keystrokes. Knowing this, we have to take a long-term view because being a counselor is a responsibility usually reserved for pastors, church leaders, parents, and family members.

Here are some of my thoughts on the subject by way of estimating the potential spiritual impact by hours and minutes.

Impact by Hours
Church Sabbath School = 52 hours a year.
Church Youth Group (Sabbath school, events, etc...) ≈ 78 hours a year.
Christian Summer Camp (hours per day - sleeping time) = 96 hours in a week.  

But just measuring the hours doesn't provide a clear picture of the quality time children have with a spiritual role model.

Quality Time
During a week of camp, with 8 other campers in the cabin, let's say that our camp counselor splits their waking hours equally with each camper.

96 hours / 8 campers = 12 hours of quality time.

During a year of church, with 15* other children in a youth group, let's say that the youth pastor splits their time equally with each person.

78 hours / 15 youth = 5 hours and 12 minutes of quality time.  

It's no wonder that when I see campers at churches or schools, they always want to talk about their camp counselors! We say that camp is like a year of youth group/sabbath school all at once, but it may be closer to two years (*depending on how many children participate).

Personal Results
Today, I am still in some type of contact with several adults who were once my campers over a decade ago. Using social media they all found me and wanted to reconnect in some way, usually to reflect on their summer camp experience. Collectively, they're all at least 20 years old, some of them have families, and they all have transformed into interesting and thoughtful adults (who knew?).

Even after ten years have passed, I still pray for God to reveal Himself to my former campers. It still means something to me that they still come to me with questions, ask for advice, or tell me how much they miss camp. Google doesn't have the answer to every question and neither do I, but I believe that God does and I know that He's with us on the journey.

Once a PSR counselor, ALWAYS a PSR counselor.

~Jeremy

Last year's theme was 'Serve,' and we hope it made a positive impact!

New friendships are forged between campers and their counselors every year.

PSR Staff: Family Group Assignments (coming soon!)

Today I started putting together our family groups for staff training week.

For those of you who have never done small group employee training, please beware: It's a lot of fun!

If you've ever had a job in the 'real world' you've probably had a sit-down lecture with a Human Resource Professional, or on-the-job training with one person, or maybe you were really lucky and you were hired to be the boss.

For those of you who have never had a job, you won't ever get as much specialized, hand-on training like we do at camp.

Each family group has an assigned manager, and this person is a spiritual leader, member of the administrative team, or member of the leadership staff. As a group you've been matched together based on your answers to our custom application questions, your department assignment, and to be a mix of new and returning staff.  Each group also has assigned colors, presentations, and material (both spiritual & secular) to cover during meeting times.

Your training group leader will be contacting you after May 12th, so expect an email or phone call.

We'll see you at camp!

~Jeremy

Those Without (James 1:27)

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress..."

~James 1:27

During our morning worship at PSR Camp we assign cabins to do prayer and scripture. According to tradition, boy cabins do the prayer and girl cabins read scripture.

As you can imagine, we get to hear lots of different things when we hand the microphone to a child and ask them to pray. Children's prayers are often so sincere and wonderfully simple. they just say what's on their mind and have a lot of "thank yous" and "please helps" which make us all smile.

I can remember a particular child during our first week of camp two seasons ago who was handed the microphone for prayer and had a very specific "please help" directed towards his parents. More specifically he said, "Dear Jesus, please help my parents to love me enough so they can stop doing bad things and me and my brother can come home..."

Isaac was in foster care along with his brother and they were both at camp that week. When I talked to his counselor, I heard the pieces of Isaac's story that he had shared with him.

Camp is such a blessing to these children, but not all of our parents agree on whether or not we should be serving foster children at summer camp. I won't pretend to be unbiased on the subject, but last year we had the opportunity to evaluate all of these opinions without county youth being at camp, and I wanted to take this opportunity to reassure any concerned parents.

Foster children who come to camp undergo pre-selection by the county of San Bernardino. This means that children who are dangerous, ill, or otherwise unqualified will never be at PSR Camp. Also, these children are so blessed by the camp experience that I would find it difficult to turn them away. I can remember almost all of their names, and they are often so enamored by how different camp is from their world. At summer camp you don't need to swear to fit in, fight anyone, or be suspicious of the adults (camp staff) that you don't know.

It really is a special place.

In James 1:27 it talks about widows (those who lost husbands) and orphans (those who lost parents), and these foster children have all lost something too. In the case of Isaac, the boy who said that heartfelt prayer above, he couldn't figure out why his parents wanted to do drugs more than they wanted him.

If you still have concerns, I really want to hear them. Even though I have a passion for this ministry we also take our responsibility to each family seriously because every camper deserves a great camp experience, but I hope you'll agree that PSR is the place where these children need to be.

Blessings!

~Jeremy

Our Friends @ the Wewoka Woods Adventist Center

This past December, we had the opportunity to visit the Wewoka Woods Adventist Center in Oklahoma.

It's a rustic, beautiful, & accommodating place with great food and friendly staff.

If you're ever in the neighborhood, you might want to consider stopping by. We've added a link on the toolbar (screen right) if you're interested in learning more about their site.

~Jeremy

The Job Board: Updates for Applicants

We're still looking for a few more great staff members for our 2014 team. You can review the available positions here: JOB POSTINGS: 4/17/2014

Review the job board post before applying because we are only able to interview applicants who are able to fill the available positions at this time.

It's still not to late to apply, but we plan to finish all of our hiring by May 15th, 2014.

~Jeremy

EDIT: Someone asked me today if they could redo or change their application for one of the available positions. The answer is 'yes.'

Our Secret Menu Revealed!

Do you enjoy ordering a Neapolitan Shake at In-N-Out?

Maybe you fancy a Nutella Frappuccino from Starbucks from time to time?

So many consumer venues have some kind of hidden 'menu' that only insiders know about, and PSR Summer Camp is no exception.

Our secret menu items aren't food, but some of them might still interest you.

Dream Cabin
Definition: Minimum of 6 campers (maximum 9) who all want to be in the same cabin together during the same week.

Our normal procedure is that we only allow a maximum of 3 campers who already know each other in the same cabin. We do this to prevent bullying and maintain a manageable balance for the counselor. However, if you can get a group of at least six friends together, you can call the office and request a dream cabin.

Everyone in the group will also receive a free cabin photo of your crew as an additional 'thank you' for bring all your friends to camp!

English As A Second Language (ESL) Activity
We don't add this to the brochure, but we can offer a special ESL session option to groups of at least ten children. The course is usually taught by a bilingual teacher who speaks English & the native language of our students.

The students are instructed in 5, 2-hour morning sessions and then rotate through preselected English-immersive activities in the afternoon.

The deadline to request ESL classes is coming up (May 29, 2014), so if you're interested call the camp office ASAP.

Heart 2 Heart Award Scholarships
I wish that everyone could come to camp at no cost, but unfortunately it's not possible. However, we do set aside specific funds from donors to send children to camp who have recently lost a parent. 

This scholarship is based on donations, so requests are granted as funding is available.

Publishing the existence of these funds are a double-edged sword in some ways. Putting the information out there might help get a few more donations, but it also may lead to more requests (which may lead to disappointment).

At heart, I'm still optimistic, and gifts of any size are appreciated.

I hope you enjoyed learning about some of our secrets and we'll see you at camp!

~Jeremy

PSR Camp used to have a 'backpacking camp' activity option.  This photo was taken by the class instructor during its final session almost ten years ago. Every year parent requests are taken into account when creating new activities (or bringing back old ones).

Camp = New Friendships

I was recently approached by a high school student who wanted to work at summer camp, but had a really big concern:

"If I work at camp," she said, "I'm kinda worried that I'll miss out on all of the things my friends are going to be doing without me (this summer)."

I immediately though of several thing I could say to reassure her, things like:

"You'll make new friends at camp," or;
"It's only 7.5 weeks, if they're really good friends then they'll be waiting for your return," or; "Absence can make the heart grow fonder."

But I remembered someone saying those exact same things to me when I was 17, and it didn't reassure me at all.

When I arrived at Pine Springs Ranch in 2000, I sat out on the porch of Town Hall and watched dozens of strangers (who all seemed to know each other) chat and tell 'in' jokes all around me. Most of them were returning for their third, fourth, or even fifth summer season and so they knew each other very well. A few of them politely said 'hello,' and 'what's your name?' but for the most part I felt like an interloper.

Somehow, after a week of training together, things changed. At camp we're one big staff family and working so closely together we naturally become friends.

Now, because of geography and different responsibilities, I hardly see my friends from high school or even college at all.

But my friends from camp? I see them all the time.

I have seen campers arrange future play dates with their new friends from camp, I have attended weddings of people who met at camp, baptisms, and even a funeral for a former staff member.

Worried about making new friends at camp? I wouldn't lose any sleep over it if I was you. I'd be more worried about the colors of the staff t-shirts (I hear that neon orange is really 'in' right now).

See you at camp!

~Jeremy

P.S. I'm usually behind the camera, but I found a few photos of myself from camp over the years.

Counselor Jeremy & Cabin Mojave (Summer 2002)

Counselor Jeremy, Discovery Camp (2002)

I don't know what year this was, but I'm pretty sure that I was already everyone's boss by this time...

Jeremy & his former campers (who became staff)

On Being Wrong (but happy about it!)

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." 

~Proverbs 16:9

I like winning, and I usually enjoy getting my own way.

Conversely, I can be a sore loser. I have also been known to seek agreement on relevant issues where the outcome is debatable. Some people would use the word 'argumentative,' but I would say that I want to give people the opportunity to see things from my perspective. 

Sometimes I prevail, but this isn't always the case. As I've grown older, the times where I get to 'win' seem to come less often and it's really become more about the challenge & building consensus around a decision that everyone can agree with.

I learned awhile ago that I can be wrong, even when I have the very best intentions. God's plan is so often larger than we can see, and even the most cursory look back reveals His hand moving in the world.

One summer I had a small disagreement with the Camp Director about allowing a really young boy (age 9) to attend our tween week session (ages 12-15). Not only was he too young, but he was also very small for his age. My fears were that the boy would be bullied, hurt, or be unable to keep up with the other boys in his cabin.

After the decision had been made, I continued to press my case. Even when the boys were lining up for role call on the first Sunday night I could not stop worrying about that little boy's camp experience. The other boys in his cabin were easily twice his size, even the one standing right next to him in line had a tattoo and a small mustache. Ironically I had placed them all in the same cabin because that group were (collectively) the youngest boys at camp that week.

To my surprise, I saw that young mustached boy (Chris) virtually adopt the smaller boy as a younger brother.

Chris would carry him around on his shoulders, make sure he didn't trip, and included him in all of the cabin activities. That Friday night (after pageant) I learned that Chris used to have a younger brother, but Chris's brother died at a very young age because of gang violence.

On the day that camp ended that week, I saw Chris's reaction (mostly crying) at the idea of leaving his new found brother and it really changed my perspective. I understood that none of the healing that happened that week in Chris's life would have happened if I have gotten my way before these boys arrived at camp.

God had a bigger plan.

We work hard every day to get camp ready, and sometimes we get caught up with our own plans. I pray every day that our plans mirror what God has in store for us, because being 'right' is great, but being where God wants us to be is even better.

We'll see you at camp!

~Jeremy

Our friends @ AACP

The Adventist Association of Camp Professionals (AACP) is our collective camp partnership in North America. We meet once a year to share ideas, pray together, and even have a few laughs.

We're adding the AACP's link on the toolbar (screen right) for you to see the entire membership directory.

Please feel free to visit their site for more information.

~Jeremy

New staff application guidelines (04/10/2014)

New guideline start date (04/12/14)

Dear Friends,

   Applicants who apply after April 12th will not be guaranteed an interview because the number of available jobs has dwindled down to less than 15 available positions.

   If you're still planning on applying please review our job board post to see which jobs are still available. We update that post every Tuesday.

   Thank you!

~Jeremy

"I have never sent my kids to sleep-away camp!"

New Parents

When parents send their children to summer camp, some of them know everything about the camp experience. Usually these parents are former campers, staff, or returning customers. They waltz through our gates on the Express Pass list and finish registration in 15 minutes.

However, we also serve a group of parents who are the 'un-camped' or perhaps the 'camp-challenged.' We enjoy meeting new people and serving those who come to us because PSR Camp was recommended to them by a friend, or maybe their spouse was a camper or camp staff, or perhaps they have heard about our reputation, or they came up to camp for a church retreat and loved their experience.

This post is especially for you!

We know you have a lot of questions, and here are the most popular (so far) in 2014.

QUESTION: Will Camp be open for the 2014 season?

Answer: Yes, and registration opened on January 2nd, 2014. 

QUESTION: When does registration usually open?

Answer: Registration usually opens on the first Thursday of January. We usually have EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS for the first 50 or so reservations, theses offers have already been claimed for 2014 (but there's always next year!).

QUESTION: How does the camp scholarship program work?

Answer: We do a three-way scholarship program in cooperation with churches, parents, and camp. Churches can sponsor campers for any amount and if the church will cover at least $55, then PSR camp will give $100. Parents are left to pay the balance.

You can get a scholarship form at our website: www.psr.camp, under the 'parent' tab, click on 'document center' and download the '2014 Camper Scholarship Form'. 

           

Discounts & Scholarship Page from our Camp Brochure

QUESTION: Why isn't one-way travel available from camp to one of the drop-off locations in Escondido, Loma Linda, & Riverside?

Answer: We had to discontinue this amenity because our customers would add this option at the last minute, undo this service at the last minute, or try to do both (undo, redo or do, undo). We want to make all of our customers happy and a late bus irritates our families who planned ahead.

Please note: One-way service from PSR to our drop-off 

locations is not available this year.

QUESTION: What is the Express Past list?

Answer: Our Express Pass is the best way for parents to zip through our camp registration process on Sundays (4-6 pm). These campers have medical record submitted before camp, have completed all the paperwork, and have a zero balance. They get to skip the line of people who are missing one of the things listed above and get their cabin assignment ASAP.

QUESTION: How is camp planning to communicate with me concerning the health, safety, and well-being of my child? 

Answer: We used to tell parents that "no news is good news", but recently this has not been adequate for some of our customers. This year we plan to do camp reports on this blog every day during our season. So please check-in with us at www.psrcamp.blogspot.com, for all of your 2014 camp news! (Please note: No individual names will be posted).

QUESTION: What does my child need to bring to camp?

Answer: Please see the packing list in our brochure. Some additional items may be included in the camp confirmations, so be sure to peruse them when the arrive in your email inbox.

What to bring list, What NOT to bring list, & Dress Code.

QUESTION: Why should I trust you with my child?

Answer: Because we've been doing camp for over 50 years and have a great reputation in the community. I know that camp is little unusual for new customers; on the surface it sounds a bit unusual.

Parents bring their most precious and loved children, drop them off at camp, and hope that everything works out for the best. They sit at home and worry about bullies, they worry about nutrition, clean underwear, and brushed teeth. Imaginations can run wild, and we understand that. Parents have had these concerns ever since summer camps began and it's no laughing matter.

Why you can trust us with your camper...

PSR Camp takes our responsibility seriously with gravitas and understanding. We want to earn your trust and take steps to hire the best staff, train that staff, and build them up to face any challenge.

Last year we proved it. Safety first. 

That's our promise.

QUESTION: I want to send my child to camp, how do I connect with your office to make a reservation?

Answer: Call us anytime, Mon-Thurs, Best time: 8:30 AM till 4:30 PM until camp begins. Here's all the information.

Contact us! We're waiting to hear from you.

Just a reminder for anyone who's shy, I don't believe in 'stupid' questions! If you don't know something we would love to respond to your comments, queries, etc... anytime.

We'll see you at camp!

-Jeremy

P.S. Just some advice. Please don't send your camper with a lot of new clothing! Nothing is more painful than if your child loses a brand new, name-brand, expensive item. 

How Does Summer Camp Impact Employees?

Figure 1. National averages of data collected from 

Adventist summer camp employees.

"Camp Staff experience influences leadership training, career choice, positive religious experience and 83% of camp alumni staff are or were employed as workers (pastors, teachers, etc...) in the church."

~North American Division Research on Camp Ministries

NEW STAFF VS. RETURNING STAFF @ PSR CAMP

It's no secret that the power and influence of camp extends beyond the Christian experience of the campers; it also touches each one of our staff. This is an interesting development, especially when we consider the reasons why those staff come to work at summer camp. 

When someone is coming for their first summer they are more likely to rank the financial gains of working at summer camp (i.e. camp matching scholarship for college & university, and seasonal employment) higher than the intangible reasons (i.e. spiritual reasons, ministry opportunity, etc..). Here is some of the data we gathered last summer on first-year staff (figure 2.1).

Figure 2.1 Responses from first-year seasonal staff

These four reasons are virtually statistically tied (above), and there isn't a great deal of variation. However, there is a dramatic shift in employee motives for working at camp after an employee has worked at least one summer (See figure 2.2). 

Figure 2.2 Responses from returning seasonal staff

The '...ministry for young people' option isn't just better represented than all of the other choices, its larger than all of them combined. This is why most summer camp ministries (including ours) try to recruit large amounts of staff from the previous year (or years). These staff members are the ones who know your ministry and want it to be successful.  

MORE INSIGHTS

After camp ended early last summer, there was a real sense of disappointment in our staff. I was worried that their disappointment would be reflected in our staff survey, but I was surprised & blessed by the data (figure 3.1).

Figure 3.1 Responses from staff regarding their camp experience

Normally I would expect more variation in the response to this question (Overall, my camp experience was positive), but this attitude was also reflected during our exit interviews. Almost everyone:

   

    1) ...expressed an interest in returning for another season of camp;    

    2) ...wanted to experience camp ministry with older age groups;

    3) ...felt as though their time together as a staff had been cut too short.

As a staff they had bonded and started forming genuine (and according to Facebook, long-lasting) friendships, and they had only been together for 4 weeks.

Figure 3.2 Response from staff regarding their peers + environment

So, what conclusions can we draw from the data? I have spent a lot of time analyzing responses, making theories, and speculating on results. I've learned a few curious things, (i.e. last summer our staff who enjoyed the outpost program were more likely to enjoy summer camp) but nothing in the data can tell me how such an amazing group of people all came together in the first place.

I may have sent out some paperwork, but everyone who comes to camp ministry is called or pulled toward it (at our camp, or others) for one mission. It might not be initial reason, but it becomes our purpose in a transforming way. 

I can't wait to gather all of staff together this year for another season of camp and see how God works through all of you. 

See you at camp!

~Jeremy

Write the Vision (Habakkuk 2:2)

And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it." 
~Habakkuk 2:2

When I first started our PSR Camp blog, I was a bit discouraged about how many people were visiting our page on Blogspot.

Specifically, no one.

I thought that a post about California rules concerning wages for recreational employees was pretty neat. I included the room and board exclusions as determined by state law, and provided a wage scale that showed how camp was in compliance. This is important information; it shows how professional we are to our customers and also shows are employees (& their parents) how we build our camp contracts.

Important, but not very interesting.

For awhile I stopped blogging, but then gained some encouragement during our Leadership Retreat in March. We talked about all of the things we were planning on doing this summer; so many ideas were bouncing around that it was hard to keep track. When everything was said and done, we had page after page of detailed plans on how our team was going to build a camp experience for every camper, staff, visitor, & parents in 2014.

It was such a real, pure joy to work with people who love camp and want to see it succeed. That is what really inspired me to work on this blog again, so that I could share some of those ideas with all of you. I hope to follow the advice that God gave to Habakkuk; it's really good advice.

1) Write down your plans,
2) Make those plans clear,
3) Share those plans with others & they will share it with others.

As I've been traveling around to different schools and churches, the number one question people still ask me is, "Will camp be open this summer?" I love telling them that the answer is 'yes' and I wish I could tell everyone who still doesn't know.

If you're reading our blog and following our plans, tell a friend that camp is open and help us spread the word.

Blessings!

~Jeremy

P.S. We've had several hundred blog views in the last 2 weeks.
P.P.S. Here are four more pages of the camp brochure.

WWW.PSR.CAMP is our new home!

Have you been to www.psr.camp?

When the '.camp' domain became available we picked one out right away.

Visit the site and feel free to tell us what you think.

~Jeremy

www.psr.camp

Special Post: The Summer Slide (& 4 more pages of the camp brochure)

THE SUMMER SLIDE

Last year a parent asked me how we were addressing the problem of the summer slide (also know as the summer slump) at camp. She mentioned that some of the other kids at school were going to be doing music intensive programs or expensive tutoring during summer break and she was a bit worried that her child might fall behind.  

Coming from an educational background, I had heard of the issue and committed to addressing this valid concern from parents who want their child to have a wonderful spiritual camp experience, make new friends, but also do a bit of learning. Studies have shown that learning throughout the year has great benefits for children, and we're preparing to meet this need in a new & exciting approach this summer. 

If you've been reading the class description in the camp brochure, you've probably already noticed the evidence of this. The descriptions hint at intentional experiences which we think are crucial to providing your children with more opportunities to think, learn, and be successful. 

ABOVE, Class descriptions propose specific activities & areas of instruction.  

We are also managing all of these developments within our existing camp program without a price increase for our supporters. This was very important to us, because we believe that keeping camp as affordable as possible is important to all of our supporters. 

Keep reading for even more information on what we're planning for you this summer.

NEW STRUCTURE

Most of our summer camp activities will now have basic & advanced versions. This will allow campers to practice and learn new abilities and then come back next summer for a more complex level of instruction (or choose another area to learn in). This way campers aren't stuck in an activity that they love learning the same thing year after year.

ABOVE, Basic class: Junior Soccer Camp. Advanced class: Soccer Camp.

ABOVE, Basic class: Trail Biking. Advanced class: Mountain Biking.

NEW CURRICULUM  

We're in the middles stages of creating a better, simpler & standardized plan to ensure that camper achievements are measurable and opportunities for learning are addressed. We want campers, in cooperation with camp instructors, to create goals together; ones that are just within reach and require effort to achieve. We're not trying to replicate the classroom experience; we want campers to learn by doing, thinking, creating, and experimenting. 

More information will become available to curious parents as we get closer to camp.

The 795-E Camp Curriculum.

"I JUST WANT MY CHILD TO HAVE A BREAK"

On any issue parents exist on a spectrum, and this issue is no exception. On one end you have the parent who keeps their child in school and tutoring programs year-round, and other parents who are sneaking their kids out of school as often as possible for mini-breaks from academics. I want to assure our new customers and our camp family that this new curriculum is just a few steps towards a more structured approach, we'll try to get feedback from all of your right away to see how much you & your camper enjoy it this summer. 

For the first three weeks of camp we still have our 'base camp rotations' activity selection in which lessons do not focus on instruction, and campers are allowed to find their own path towards new talents which lessens the possibility of experiencing failure & disappointment. 

ABOVE, During Tween & Teen Camp, Marksmanship & Small Engine Racing

 are medium-level instruction classes that are high on fun!

AS WE MOVE FORWARD

Curriculum advancements are a huge investment for PSR Camp, and we can't wait to hear the feedback from our camp families. We want PSR Camp to be a spiritual, fun, and educational (and still affordable) experience for our camp family.   

         

We'll see you soon!

~Jeremy

P.S. Register on or before April 30 for our best prices. 

The Job Board or... "Unfilled positions at PSR Camp."

UPDATED: (5/28/2014)

No available positions at this time!

~Jeremy

I didn't get hired?! or... "Creating successful staff opportunities."

Today, we sent out our first round of contracts.

Once the word got out, we started receiving phone calls & emails from applicants who felt overlooked, hurt, and confused that they weren't hired.

This was a problem last year, and it's one of the pitfalls of hiring in rounds verses hiring all-at-once.

Let me explain those two terms.

HIRING ALL-AT-ONCE
A process of hiring seasonal staff when the employer waits until every position has been filled, and extends everyone an offer of employment at the same time.

Hiring this way is not really a good idea. If we waited until enough people applied to fill every position, we would probably be waiting until May to send out contracts & paperwork. People might accept other summer jobs, lose interest, and/or feel insecure about their summer plans.

HIRING IN ROUNDS
A process of hiring seasonal staff when the employer hires staff after determining where they would be most successful, extending offers of employment as soon as possible.

Hiring in rounds solves a lot of the problems that would be created by hiring all-at-once. It gives us time to replace drop-outs and allows our future employees to plan ahead.

The downside is that it creates a new problem: Staff who apply but aren't hired wonder why they weren't accepted.

So let me offer you the most common explanation.

THE ANSWER
Let's say that someone applies for camp who can surf, mountain bike, and skateboard. This person has three special talent areas that can be utilized at PSR, but what if no one else has applied for any of those jobs yet?

This is a problem. We have one staff member and three positions that need to be filled.

So we wait. We wait to see who else applies to teach surfing, mountain biking, and skateboarding while keeping in mind that we have someone who can do all three. Eventually we place everyone (included our most talented staff) where they can be successful and useful for camp ministry.

WHY YOU SHOULDN'T WORRY
Hiring in rounds means that (as of right now) we've only hired about half of our camp staff. No one has been overlooked, and we know that there are lots of talented applicants still in the mix. Every applicant is considered with thoughtfulness and prayer as we build the best staff for our 2014 season.

Blessings!

~Jeremy




P.S.
If you're still reading this blog post, I will provide a bit more detail about the contract groups and dates.

Contract Group #1
February 18th - first round of hiring letters (blue group)
March 18th - second round of hiring letters (green group)
April 1st - We send contracts to everyone who accepted offers of employment in the blue & green groups.

Contract Group #2
April 17th (estimate) - third round of hiring letters (yellow group)
April 28th - We send contracts to everyone who accepted offers of employment in the yellow group.

Contract Group #3
May 15th (estimate) - last round of hiring letters (pink group)
May 26th - We send contracts to everyone who accepted offers of employment in the pink group.

90% of the spaces in our Ropes Course activities fill up before May 31st.

Ropes Course is usually the first class to fill-up, and now that we've added the more advanced class (Ropes Course & Bouldering) we expect to schedule almost every space before the end of May.

~Jeremy