By: Chris “Topher” Aderhold

The rigors of our 10-day Summer Camp Staff Training can work up quite an appetite for our Summer Camp Staff. The only cure? Freeze-pops from the Camp Health Center!

The rigors of our 10-day Summer Camp Staff Training can work up quite an appetite for our Summer Camp Staff. The only cure? Freeze-pops from the Camp Health Center!

Get this: yesterday marked 100 days until the start of our Staff Training for Summer Camp Staff 2014!

Holy moly, right? Holy moly, indeed!

As large puffy snowflakes fell from the heavens, Jeff and I met yesterday to begin discussing the details of our 2014 Staff Training.

Summer Camp Staff Training is a 10-day adventure meticulously planned to teach our 50-person staff the ins-and-outs of Summer Camp. The ins-and-outs include learning policies, emergency procedures, risk management, and the zany rules of our mealtime table races. Additionally, our staffers learn about PODS and Camp’s evening programs. We believe that the best way to learn is by taking part in these activities. I’ve never seen a game of CTF on the AF so competitive as the ones played during Training. Staff Training also acts as the foundation of forming our crew into a beautiful family. We are a family that looks out for each other and supports one another in being the best that we can be for our 1,250 campers each summer. Camp Gray Campers expect an experience that is unrivaled by any other experience during their year. We don’t settle for anything less than that.

Maybe it seems a bit early to begin planning Staff Training – it is February, after all. We start this early though to give us ample time to plan the adventure that we’re hoping for – an adventure that concludes with each staffer abundantly inspired to positively impact the youth that come to Camp Gray.

Another reason for such an early start is because a very busy spring is on the horizon here at Camp Gray. March 15th marks the date of our 5th Annual Benefit Dinner, and much preparation is still to come for that exciting evening. In early-April, our full-time crew will be heading to Chicago for the annual Midstates Conference – a gathering of Camp Professionals from around the Midwest. There we learn the latest and greatest in Camp excellence. Following that, the celebration of Easter will be here, and before you know it, it’s May, and staffers begin arriving in mid-May.

As we begin to inch ever closer to Summer Camp, we’ll also be spending lots of time dreaming up ways to improve our Summer Camp program. If you have any suggestions on ways to enhance Summer Camp, please let us know!

We thank you for your support of Camp Gray!

Do you have questions (about CG, sports, faith, coffee… anything!) for the semi-regular ‘Tuesdays with Topher’ mailbag? Email! Thanks to those that have already emailed over questions! Check out the latest mailbag by clicking here.