It is imperative to ensure everything is in place and that you have thoroughly thought through what you want staff members to understand before they arrive at Pre-Camp for Leadership Training.

(there's so much to share with this topic that we've had to break it down into shorter bits -- look for more in the weeks to come)

Lead by Example

Have the Directors and Leadership Team members ready to welcome every individual car (both staff and parents) when they arrive for Training
Do not have last minute things to run around and do (look prepared and excited)
Have Leadership Team members help staff members with their belongings

Be Ready for Everyone

Make staff members feel as though you are expecting them and that they are welcome
Make up cabin lists ahead of time to intentionally mix up who bunks together
Have all members of your senior staff serve as ‘counsellors’ for the training week
Have these ‘counsellors’ prepare a theme for the week for their group and make a name tag for every bunk that corresponds to their theme
Have welcome signs on every cabin/tent flap (with people’s names on them)
Have a welcome banner hanging in a prominent place with the theme of your week on it
Make sure all outside lights are turned on (if they are arriving in the evening)
Have senior staff ‘counsellors’ walk staff members to their cabins and help carry luggage

The Importance of a First Impression

Make sure your site is clean and everything looks as though you put an effort into it
The leadership team and directors should be wearing camp uniforms (if you have them) and looking professional (unless, of course, you go for a theme-look and have everyone in costume!)
Have manuals, songbooks (or whatever you give out to staff members) ready with their names on them (it shows staff members they were expected)
Have staff mailboxes or ‘lovelines’ (we’ll explain these in a future post) ready in the staff lounge (be sure the senior staff ‘counsellors’ for the week have already placed a short note of welcome and encouragement into the mailboxes of the staff members in their cabin group
Have tours available for parents dropping off new staff members (look for more ideas of what to do with staff parents on the first day of training in upcoming posts)

This is your chance to put your staff members into the right 'head space' for training. Use every opportunity you can to let them see and experience your camp philosophy and expectations.