What does being staff at Goshen mean?
As we wrap up the season, we decided to ask a few staff members about their experience with Goshen Scout Reservation, why they came to work here, and what it means to them!
Two of the people we interviewed joined staff by chance! Dan Leichtling and John Ferguson, Lenhok’sin High Adventure Camp Director and Trek Director, respectively, both joined because of a choice they made to take the plunge into camp staff. Dan got his start here at GSR at Camp PMI after his Scoutmaster asked if anyone would be interested in working at Goshen for the summer, and John got his start with us after he was asked by a staff member at Lenhok’sin if he would be interested in helping them finish up their season when he was here as a Den Chief at Camp Ross.
For everyone else, family was their reason for coming. For those of you who attended Camp Bowman this year, you may have met Cassidy, our Bowman Brigade Director. This is her first year at Camp Bowman, and she joined for a simple reason: her brother! She said that “[h]e’s the Range and Target Activities Director, he’s worked here for many years, and he’s always loved it so much.” Thomas, Camp Bowman’s Program Director, told us that he joined camp staff because his brother, Henry (Camp Bowman’s Camp Director) and him had come here since they were kids, and they wanted to spend more time together in a place that means a lot to them.
Everyone at Goshen has a different thing they love most about the place and working here; for Dan, it’s getting to see Scouts grow over the course of their trek and staff members grow and develop over the years. As Dan says, “You can see little saplings rise up into trees, and you can see the same thing in the staff.” A common theme among the staff we interviewed was the community you create while working at Goshen. Cassidy and John all talked about how much they loved creating new friendships and bonds with their fellow staff members both in their camps and across the Reservation over the summer, and how that community can last even outside of camp.
The staff enjoyed creating those memorable experiences for Scouts during their week of summer camp. Thomas discussed how much he loved helping plan and create new experiences for Scouts like those that he and his brother had when they were campers at GSR. John also mentioned that the relationships you build with Scouts and their leaders are ones that he appreciates forming, especially as they work to trek across the reservation.
While Goshen is an incredible place to meet new people and try new things, it is also a great place to learn new skills that you can use outside of the Reservation, and not just the things you might expect! All of our staff have learned something at Goshen and have learned or honed some skills they use at their jobs the rest of the year. As a teacher, Thomas values the opportunity he gets to focus on logistics and planning, and he’s also learned how to use a support network and when to ask for help. Dan has learned plenty in his years at Goshen, including first aid, lifeguarding, food safety, and more, but he notes that perhaps most importantly, he’s learned how to listen. Dan uses a variety of things he’s learned here in his regular job: how to talk to people, how to help people in a crisis, and how to read the room, and pick up on subtle cues that others may not say out loud.
John talked about how he’s learned at camp to recognize his limits and when to take a break, as he can overwork himself without realizing. He’s also worked on being able to work with people with differing abilities, and adapting to their needs. Cassidy, much like Thomas, has learned a lot about planning and logistical skills, and uses them constantly the rest of the year.
Finally, we wrapped up by asking the staff what advice they would give to someone interested in joining us here at Goshen. Everyone gave pretty much the same answer: take the chance and do it! Most highlighted that, while working at camp can be difficult and present new challenges you may not find at other summer jobs, it is extremely rewarding, and John noted how working at Goshen is an incredible opportunity to meet new people. Thomas offered some additional advice, and that’s to brush up on those skills you may end up using here, like cooking or knots.
Whether you’re working at Lenhok’sin, Marriott, Bowman, Ross, Olmsted, or even Camp Post, everyone on staff knows that working together and helping one another out is the way to have a fun, safe, and memorable summer. If you’re interested in joining staff here at Goshen and seeing what it’s all about, check out www.gotogoshen.org/staff for more information
