Give me a C, Give me an I, Give me a T…what does that spell? C-I-T! The 2015 counselors-in-training gathered at camp on March 6th to begin a (Harry Potter themed!) weekend focused on the transition from campers to staff members. In attendance were myself, Colby N., Sara R, Linda F., Lauren O., and Sarah S. Out of sight but not out of mind were María P., Willa H. and Kristin R., who are also gearing up as CIT’s for summer 2015 but, unfortunately, were unable to join us for the weekend.
I had very few expectations about what this weekend would entail. I had attended the winter weekend for seniors for the past three years, which included sledding, games, all-you-can-eat super sundaes and Lillian’s popcorn! However, we were warned that the weekend to train us to become staff members would not be all fun and games. When everyone arrived around nine o’clock on Friday evening, it was straight down to business. We worked on getting to know each other’s strengths and accomplishments by sharing the things that made us stars—literally!
On Saturday, reveille blew at 7:30 and soupee was at 8:00 am. Straight from breakfast, it was back to work. The day was spent learning about the team at camp, and the roles that every staff member plays in that team. We worked on understanding the importance and responsibility of taking care of campers and being an effective role model. One of the things we found most surprising was how much preparation the leadership training program had given us, for becoming effective staff members. Although staff members have more responsibilities and authority, it was comforting to know that our transition from campers to staff members would not be as difficult as we originally thought it might be.
On Sunday morning, we had our final meeting together before we had to head out to the airport and train station. We all walked away from the weekend with a better sense of ourselves and who we wanted to be as staff members. I am very excited to take on a new role at camp and challenge myself. Of course, CIT weekend got us all SO excited for summer 2015! We can’t wait to welcome campers and start our new journey as staff members in less than 90 days!
-Kelsey W., 2015 CIT
