We, at Pinecliffe, want you to know that we appreciate your interest in us and your desire to work as a counselor at a camp in Maine. There is no other place like camp that gives children the opportunity to have fun while making friends and gaining a special feeling of self confidence. It is a place where we can accomplish much more then entertainment or mere recreation. At Pinecliffe, we believe in maintaining a caring environment for children. We expect staff members to have in abundance those qualities of humanity and leadership which will serve as constant models for the children. Good fellowship, a sensitivity to natural surroundings, a feeling of belonging, a sense of satisfaction in striving, sharing, praising the other person, are always with us at camp. Our emphasis is on moral and ethical standards - - stressing the development of integrity, fairness and consideration. All together, this combination has always worked extremely well.
Please read through our staff information before filling out the application to be sure that a summer at Pinecliffe is right for you. The success of each season is directly related to the quality of our staff.Pinecliffe has traditionally had outstanding teachers and college students who have come into our camp family and made each summer a special time in their lives. You will be meeting young people like yourselves from all over the world.
We pride ourselves in a geographically, well balanced community made up of young men and women with good skills, high motivation and a deep and abiding care for children.
Please take the time before reading further to browse though our online brochure. You will discover that we are an all girls camp founded almost a century ago in a magnificent setting in Harrison, Maine forty miles northwest of Portland ME. Susan and Patty Lifter, third and fourth generation Directors, continue to carry on the family tradition as active directors.
Pinecliffe sits on 100 acres at the edge of Crystal Lake, we are the only camp on the lake. We have approximately 200 girls between the ages of 8 and 15 and a staff of 80. Most of our girls spend the entire summer at Pinecliffe.
Camp Pinecliffe offers a structured choice program. Designed around two basic concepts.
Key areas of concentration are field sports, tennis, swim, waterski and the arts. These activities form the cornerstone of each child's weekly schedule.
Each staff member is assigned to an individual department. The campers come to their activities with their own age group. and everyone over the summer tries every activity. Therefore, staff members will work with every age group and ability level. Since the development of skills is key to our program, it is very important that as a teacher you feel qualified in whatever area you have chosen to work. However, your enthusiasm and positive attitude can go a long way in increasing your teaching performance.
Waterskiing, swimming, tennis, fine arts, performing arts, horse back riding, gymnastics, campcraft and tripping, and landsports are all offered.
Each program is run by a specialist - all bunk counselors work within these specialties. (See brochure for explanations.)
Cabin Life: There are two counselors in every cabin along with 8 - 12 girls. Although you spend a shorter time in your cabin then out at your activities, it is important for you to know that what happens in your "bunk family" sets the tone for both children and adults having a successful experience at camp. The relationship between the camper and her bunk counselor is probably the key ingredient of a successful summer.
Your contract for 2005 will begin on June 15th and go through Sunday, August 14th. Our campers arrive on Saturday, June 26th, which gives us ten days of orientation. This is a time when we help our new staff members to understand how we live our daily lives and the many Pinecliffe traditions.
It's also a time for 80 adults to come together and enjoy the building of a new "family". It takes positive cooperation to make the camp experience work well for both adults and children.
You can expect to have two or three evenings off per week starting about 9:30 PM, plus one full day starting after bunk ordering is completed.
All counselors are expected to sleep in their own cabin every night. Although we do not make you check in, our expectations are that you will have no less then 7 hours of sleep each night. We assume you are all mature adults and we expect that each counselor will be able to give 100% of their energies to their job while at camp.
Thank you for taking the time to read all of the above. We hope that if you are still with us, it means that you feel that a job for this summer at Pinecliffe, might go a long way in offering a very special and exciting experience. We look forward to hearing from you.
