Phyllis Ford The Camp Counselor
University of Oregon
Somewhere between adolescence and
adulthood there occurs in human development an age which is physically and
psychologically impossible. It is that unfathomable stage known as the camp
counselor, a creature undefined by psychologists, misunderstood by camp
directors, worshipped by campers, either admired or doubted by parents, and
unheard of by the rest of society.
A camp counselor is a rare combination
of doctor, lawyer, Indian and chief. He is a competent child psychologist with
his sophomore textbook as proof. He is an underpaid baby sitter with neither
television nor refrigerator. He is a strict disciplinarian with a twinkle in
his eye, a minister to all faiths with questions about his own. He is a
referee, coach, teacher and advisor. He is the example of manhood in wornout
tennis shoes, a sweatshirt two sizes too large and a hat two sizes too small. He is a humorist in a crisis, a doctor in an emergency, and a song leader,
entertainer and play director. He is an idol with his head in a cloud of wood
smoke and his feet in the mud. He is a comforter in a leaky tent on a cold
night and a pal who has just loaned someone his last pair of dry socks. He is a
teacher of the out-of-doors, knee-deep in poison ivy.
A counselor is expected to repair
10 years of damage to Tommy in 10 days, make Jerry into a man, rehabilitate Paul,
allow John to be an individual and help Peter adjust to the group.
...So, basically
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