“My son enjoyed the time he had to study God’s word and the opportunity to make new friends. Camp has helped him to be more responsible and helpful toward others as well as encouraged him to speak up when he sees someone doing something they shouldn’t, because he knows in his heart that it is wrong.” B.B., a camper's parent

Volunteers

Counselors

As a counselor you may help a little girl dress-up and feel beautiful for the first time; help a boy catch his first fish; listen as a camper shares about her daddy being locked up in prison; help a camper get through his anger and find peace in forgiveness; or tell a camper who has never seen a Bible about the love of Jesus.

Counselors
Head Counselor-18 yrs. and older; Assistant Counselors -16 yrs. and older (18 yrs. for senior weeks)
Reports To: Counselor Coach
Who You Serve: The Campers
Responsible For: Care of campers Monday afternoon through Friday morning.

Counselor Job Description
The role as counselor is one of the most important jobs at camp. You may have to settle fights, go on little sleep, and show love when a camper does everything to get your goat and make you mad. But you also may have the opportunity to lead that camper to salvation in Jesus Christ, and see them go from despair to hope during their time at camp. You can watch them begin to laugh and sing and seek God on their own, and know that you were a part of the change. You are not just babysitting your campers, you are mentoring them and developing relationships that could last for many years. You can be their hero, a light in their dark world. You will be responsible for 2-3 campers almost 22 hours a day. There will be a counselor and assistant counselor and 4-5 campers in each wagon.

Head Counselors/ Assistant Counselors
Assistant Counselors are basically the same as Head Counselors, except in matters in the wagon cabin, the Head counselor has the final say and responsibility in situations.

Packing List
We will give you 5 staff camp shirts to wear each week, and you can wash them on the weekends. At the end of your volunteer time, we ask that you return the shirts. You will receive a camp theme shirt at the end of your time of service as our gift to you.

Girls camps only-Formal dress and accessories
Pants, shorts and other casual attire
Modest swimsuits
Sneakers and casual footwear
Flashlight and a backpack
Sleeping Bag and pillow
Towel and washcloth
Toiletries (soap, shampoo toothbrush, etc)
Watch, Bible, notebook, and pen
Jacket and long pants for cool evenings
Insect repellent, sunscreen, and a hat

Please note:

Footwear is very important at camp. Closed toed shoes (example: sneakers) are required for staff during their daily times of service.
The laundry room is not open to staff except for emergencies- please pack enough clothes (and socks) for the week!
Remember! Cell phones, lap tops, and other electronic devises are only allowed to be used during FREE TIME.

Schedule:
Depending on which weeks you serve, your schedule will change. You can view sample schedules in the Summer Camp weeks. The main difference for counselors is while the campers are on morning activities from 9:30 to 12:30, counselors have free time and a counselor meeting each morning.

Specific Counselor Responsibilities:

Get your strength in the Lord– spend time alone with the Lord everyday. Be in the Word! This may mean getting up earlier than the campers, or using some free time to get alone with the Lord.
Be sensitive to the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of your campers. Be available and ready to listen to them. Be aware and deal quickly with brewing problems and camper conflicts.
Talk personally to each of your campers about God and give each the opportunity to make a spiritual decision.
Be a part of your cabin group without being one of them (be child-like, but not childish). Campers look to the counselor for friendship, but also for authority.
Take advantage of “teachable moments” such as a beautiful sunset to talk about God.
Put the well-being of the campers before your own personal desires.
Take campers to the Health Director for homesickness, heat exhaustion, any minor injury, bug bite, or illness; or any medical emergency.
Plan and share with your assistant counselor (head counselor) so that you balance and complement each other.
Communicate with the Counselor Coach needs and problems, NO LONE RANGERS!
Participate in counselor meetings each morning.
Abide by and cooperate with CDO polices and help your campers do the same.
Encourage cleanliness in campers’ personal habits and set a good example.
Be sure each camper is on-time and present for all activities. Exceptions can be made through the Counselor Coach.
Fill out Camper Profiles, Character Awards, and the Camp Evaluation form.
Pray, pray, pray; without the strength of the Lord you can not accomplish anything.

Green Team Leaders
Head GT Leader– 18 yrs. old and older

Assistant GT Leader– 16 yrs. old and older
A Green Team Leader has the best of both worlds– being a counselor during the day, and then hanging out with the support staff at night. The purpose of the Green Team is to provide a “day camp” experience, and supervision for the children (ages 2-12) of adults working at CDO. The number of children on the team changes from 5-10 kids, depending on which moms are working in the kitchen each week. Learn more about Green Team Leaders.