Ready, Set, Chapiteau!
Written by Jenna Struble, Camp Director
Arriving in Greensboro a few weeks ago, my to-do list for staff training was long. We still had kitchen positions to fill, mats and equipment to load into tents, dorms to clean, curriculum to plan, and so, so much more. The most important thing ahead of us was building cohesive staff teams within our big camp community.
Working at any summer camp requires a combination of good training, team building, relationship developing, and good old-fashioned fun. But at a residential camp, where we all work AND live AND work with campers in the Vermont weather, which can be rainy, cold, humid, hot, and sometimes all four in one week, the smallest things can cause the drama meter to tick upwards.
The physical and mental demands are real. And so, we build systems to support one another when we need to tap out, take a nap, go to bed early, or just have intentional and spontaneous fun and silliness to boost our exhausted spirits!
At Smirkus, being part of an inclusive community means moving from an intentional place of curiosity and understanding and empathy for where folks may have come from across the country and across their various identities. It’s our job to honor each other and, in doing so, become the role models who demonstrate this for our campers.
Smirkus’ magic comes from the fact that we lift up and celebrate every single camper who enters our tents. This must also be true for our staff. To run a place like Smirkus Camp, you need a team that genuinely cares about each other, has each other’s back, and honors and respects the different backgrounds and expertise of everyone on the team.
But how do you get all that in just two weeks? We don’t do corporate team building – we do the silly activities we do with campers, load equipment into tents in the hot sun and then jump into cool Lake Caspian, sit around the campfire telling camp stories, share physical and emotional space with each other, go on outings together, and train circus together. And spending 12-14 hours a day together helps! Strong teams come from a shared vision and purpose – to make camp magical for each camper in their own way. Strong teams also develop from openness, empowerment, honest (sometimes sticky) conversations, and genuine caring for one another.
While our staff training schedule was packed with safety training, curriculum and logistical planning, youth development, and the physical labor of preparing the facilities, we were careful to carve out time each day to be together and check in with one another. Over the two weeks, the team moved from coworkers to trusted colleagues, with a lovely mix of reunited and budding new friendships. These memories together will last all of us a lifetime.
The first test for our team was Smirkling Overnight with many campers under the age of 10 being away from home for the first time. Grown-ups often worry about their younger campers, but when they see them run off to play games with counselors, their fears melt away. As Activity Director, Mariah Fraker says, “Sorry, grownups, you will miss your child way more than your child will miss you.”
Camp is designed for camper’s active minds and bodies to be going from one thing to the next. It’s only in the quiet of the evening that homesickness may set in. And even when that happens, there is Mike, the Ringling Clown coach–with an illustrious resume of performing all over the globe–reading a fantasy story to the late-night camper who finally falls asleep.
Smirkus staff are second to none. They dive into their roles with their whole hearts, waking campers at 7:00 am, sitting with them at meals, making magical moments, teaching them circus, and providing an environment ripe for Smirkos to discover both their talents, and who they are or want to be. Our counselors, coaches, and admin staff dive into their roles with the level of enthusiasm and joy you’d only ever find at Smirkus, dressing up in wacky costumes for dinner, juggling clubs, and giving directions for parking and more. This puts campers at ease and lets them know they can be goofy and have fun all week against the backdrop of a gorgeous Vermont summer day.
In spite of the infamous Vermont summer rain, fun was had by most and it made me thrilled to have this team working together this summer for the joy and magic that only circus can bring.