Reflecting on Our Staff Retreat
A few weeks ago, just before Passover, the Camp Chi Team took our own exodus of sorts, journeying up to Chi for a staff retreat. We closed our offices, put automated responses on our emails and spent two and a half days together preparing for summer.
We are never ones to rest on our laurels and are always looking for how we can be better and do better, which was another theme of our retreat. We recognize that the tone of camp begins with us and want to do everything in our power to make 2022 the best summer it can be, not just for us, but for every staff member, camper, and parent as well. We believe that everything comes down to communication. We spent time examining the ways in which we communicate, how we can improve our communication with one another, with our staff, and with our families, and are already testing out different strategies we identified, and will continue to improve into and throughout the summer.
One of the most important parts of the year for us is staff training. We spend 3 weeks with our supervisors, counselors, support staff and specialists equipping them with the right tools, identifying the best resources, and learning & practicing the skills they will use all summer long. It is often one of the hardest parts of the summer to plan, and one of the most rewarding to accomplish. A full day of the retreat was spent collaborating in session planning, presenting ideas to each other, working together to improve sessions, and putting together the first draft of our training schedule. While this may seem like standard practice, having the ability to sequester ourselves in an environment that was (for the most part) distraction free, with our offices closed and emails set to out of office, really allowed us to take a deep dive into the topics we want to cover this summer.
As camp professionals, we know the importance of balancing play and work, and we have tons of ways to play while working. One evening, the Chi team ventured into the Dells for an escape room. We were locked in a room and tasked to identify clues and help solve a mystery similar to Clue. Each member of our team has different strengths and every person’s skills were needed as we collaborated to uncover clues, solve riddles, and ultimately determine whodunit.
All in all, it was an incredibly productive time at camp. While it may have been hard for families and staff to leave voicemails and receive out of office emails, it really allowed us to focus on preparing for summer, and we thank you for your patience and support. The big takeaway we have is that while there is no I in team, there is a team at Chi!