Our camper-to-staff ratio is 2.5 to 1. Hiring the very best staff who will provide outstanding role models for our campers is our first priority. We are looking for people who are sincerely interested in working with kids for an extended period of time. We want staff members who are patient, understanding, sensitive and nurturing. These intangible qualities are hard to find and harder to measure; our experience has shown that we need to interview at least 10 applicants for each staff opening--our commitment to excellence offers no shortcuts. Indeed, our best investment of time and energy is to provide our campers with counselors who can best attend to their physical, emotional and social needs. Our hope when we hire someone is that we have made a perfect match! The best staff member is someone who is happy to be at Birch Trail. If you are at all interested, take a moment to fill out the short application and we'll be in touch with some more comprehensive information about spending your summer at camp! There are currently jobs available for the following positions: (click to learn more) Cabin Counselor/Activity Instructor Climbing Instructor Wilderness Trip Leader Tennis Pro Assistant Waterfront Director Camp Nurse & Nurse's Aide Kitchen Assistant Cook Housekeeping Office Staff Driver Internships in all areas THE "RECESSIVE GENE THEORY"... We think that people committed to kids- to the long hours, to the silliness, to the chaos, to the structure, etc- all carry a precious piece of DNA. Our staff are people who thrive on the benefits of making a positive difference for kids. How do you know if you are right for camp? We are looking for people who really love to be -and work with- kids. What if you're great with kids but you don't know what you could teach for activities? No Problem! We can teach you how to sail or how to make a clay pot, but we can't teach anyone how to truly accept, support and nurture a child. ORIENTATION Staff orientation is your time to learn how to do your job at camp. Because the work you do is so important, our orientation period is over 8 days long! Each job in camp requires special training. Because we all arrive at different times and do different jobs, training will differ as well. Wilderness trip leaders, for example, will spend time with our Trip Director exploring the wilderness areas our campers visit. Counselors will participate in team building progressions and learn about daily life at camp, while kitchen staff will be guided by our kitchen manager, and so on... Working together, we will become a team, and our new skills will enable our campers to have a terrific summer at camp! By the end of orientation you'll feel like a veteran Birch Trail staffer and you'll be ready to handle anything!! BIRCH TRAIL'S WILDERNESS TRIP PROGRAM Every cabin group at camp goes out of camp on a wilderness trip! These trips are lead by folks we call "trippers". The youngest girls will go to state parks in our area for three days, while older campers will have the opportunity to take 3 day river and hiking trips. The oldest girls in camp can select from a more challenging menu of trips, often 6-8 days long! They may head to the Boundary Waters, Isle Royale, or the Apostle Islands to sail. Are these "survival" trips? That depends on what you mean. We believe in minimal impact camping through trips that are well-prepared, well led and properly equipped. We want everyone to learn, enjoy and anxiously await their next trip. In most cases one counselor from each cabin will assist on the trip. We will ask you at the beginning of the summer if you like camping trips. Counselors staying in camp while their cabin is out are often assigned to other duties during their "free" time. Typical Day 8:00 Wake-Up 8:15 You really gotta get up & help your campers to breakfast 8:30 Breakfast 9:30 Cabin Clean- Up 10:30 1st Activity Period (teaching) 11:45 2nd Activity Period (teaching) 1:00 Lunch 2:00 Rest Hour 3:15 3rd Activity Period (teaching) 4:30 Prime Time (campers choose any activity)(staff teach/free) 5:45 Free-time 6:00 Dinner 7:30 Evening Programs Begin 9:30-11:00 Bedtime! (youngest first!) Camp is 2 miles west of Minong, WI, population 521! Minong is 50 miles south of Duluth, MN, and 100 miles from Minneapolis, MN. OUR FACILITIES Living in an out-door environment away from a city may be a very new experience for you, just as it is for many of our campers. Chances are you will see deer roaming through camp in the early morning, along with squirrels, chipmunks, turtles and the bald eagles that nest in a tree behind one of our cabins. You will have plenty of time to orient yourself in camp and get comfortable before it is time to change your focus from yourself over to the campers. Birch Trail (which we refer fondly to as B.T.) may look and feel different from most places you have been. Camp is located on 320 wooded acres, with nearly 3,000 feet of shoreline. We live in cabins; some are new and some are older, though they all share a few things in common: all have bunk beds, a place to sit and read, a beautiful view and a whole lot of character. Cabin Counselors have space separate from the girls that is most commonly divided by a wall. All specialty staff live in staff housing and though they may not eat with a cabin, they are still expected to attend all meals. When time permits, specialty staff participate in other camp programs and tasks. Bathrooms? This may be a new experience for you! All three of our wash houses have recently been remodeled and there is one located in each of the villages. Before camp begins we will send you a packing list so that you have a good idea of what to bring to camp. On a typical day someone might throw on sweats for breakfast, change into shorts and a tank top or t-shirt by mid-morning and cover-up with a sweat shirt or jacket for evening programs. Don't fret, the weather is wonderful so we don't need air conditioning and the lake temperature is just perfect on most days!! OUR PEOPLE Our campers range in age from eight to fifteen years old. At camp, 3rd-6th grade girls make up the Maple Village, 7th-8th grade are in the Linden Village and 9th-10th grade girls in the Tamarack Village. Our campers and staff come from cities all over the United States and different parts of the world. This geographic diversity among campers and staff is very special to us. Where else can you form a community based on common goals, practice respect, and gain appreciation for the unique differences of many individuals? WHAT ABOUT RELIGION? Birch Trail is not affiliated with any religious organizations, nor does it incorporate any religious programming. Most of Birch Trail's campers are Jewish; most of our staff are not. Because religion is personal, we maintain a non-sectarian approach to all religious matter. OUR JOBS We're glad you asked ! Take a look at all of these options. If you have questions about a particular job please give us a call. We've enclosed a salary worksheet and this summer's contract dates along with our application form. Being a cabin counselor is a lot like being a mom (you're on call 24 hours a day) because you live with and are responsible for a group of campers in their camp home and in their daily routine, ie. wake-up, cabin clean-up, meals, hygiene, rest hour and bed-time. One day you might dress up like your favorite musician and lip-sync a song; the next day you might reassure a nervous camper about to depart on a canoe trip. You will also teach one or more general or special skills with other members of our staff. Senior Counselor (SC)/Activities Instructor: Live in a cabin* with and co-supervise 6-12 girls; Lead or assist in teaching one or more activities. Must be at least 18 years of age. Back to Job Listings Wilderness Trip Leader: Guide cabin groups on overnight wilderness trips of 3-8 days. Under direction of Trip Director, pack equipment and food. Must be 21 years of age or older, hold current CPR, First Aid, and LGT. Wilderness First Responder a plus. We can help you get certified! Back to Job Listings Climbing Instructor: Supervise climbing project at 50ft climbing tower; assist on off-site climbing trips, create lesson plans, train and supervise assigned staff and maintain equipment. Standard First Aid, CPR and Initiative/ Ropes Course experience a plus. Prior climbing experience required. Back to Job Listings Office Staff: Perform traditional secretarial duties like reception, typing, filing, bookkeeping and tracking cash accounts. Help coordinate travel for campers and staff, Experience with Windows, Microsoft Word and Access a plus. Back to Job Listings Camp Nurse/Nurse's Aide: Live in the Health Center "Bedside Manor" with one other nurse and supervise administration of medications and health care maintenance in conjunction with camp doctor and camp directors; daily review of cabins to insure cleanliness. Student Nurse, Graduate nurse or RN a must. Back to Job Listings Tennis Pro: Supervise tennis project, set up lesson plans, train and supervise assigned staff, maintain equipment, as well as teach private lessons to interested girls. Prior teaching experience or competitive tennis experience required. Back to Job Listings Kitchen Assistant: Assist in food preparation, service, clean up and kitchen maintenance. Back to Job Listings Cook: Assist Kitchen Manager in general operation. Prepare meals for 300; assist in food preparation, service, clean up and kitchen maintenance. Back to Job Listings Housekeeping: Maintain guest facilities, office areas, and wash houses. Includes such things as dusting, making beds, vacuuming, and scouring toilets and sinks. Responsible for daily laundry for kitchen. Read and understand labels printed in English. Work with chemicals throughout the day. Physical stamina required, must take pride in a job well done! Back to Job Listings Driver: Drive out and pick up camping trips, help out in different areas in camp. Back to Job Listings * Cabin staff are often concerned about who they will be assigned to work with as their co-counselor(s). You are IMPORTANT to us and we WILL ask for your input, but remember that we all work at camp to help the campers. We'll make cabin and instructional assignments near the end of staff orientation so that we can get to know everyone a little better. Standard First Aid and CPR is required for all counseling staff. We will certify you if you don't come to camp with your certification. Due to scheduling, this class is taught during a night that would otherwise be a night off. Lifeguard training is a plus for those interested in teaching waterfront activities. WHAT ACTIVITIES ARE OFFERED TO THE CAMPERS AND WHO TEACHES THEM? Good question! When you apply we will ask you to rate a number of activities according to your experience with them. This helps us when it comes time to assign staff to various activities. We teach all of the activities that are listed on the application form. Cabin counselors have a dual role at camp as activity instructors. We are not asking or implying that the staff we hire are experts. In every activity area there will be a "project head". This is the person who organizes, plans the program and teaches assigned staff exactly what they need to know. DON'T BE SURPRISED if you are assigned to an area you know little about. Often times we need extra people in an area for supervision and it's usually an activity that is easy for you to teach. This is where the valuable quality of FLEXIBILITY comes in! Don't worry--We aren't going to put you in an uncomfortable situation! During orientation you will spend a LOT of time learning how to teach your activities. TIME OFF & FREE TIME While in camp you are going to be pretty busy! So when can you relax? Well, every staff member will get six full days off (8:00am to 7:00am the following morning) during the camping season. For a number of reasons, these days are assigned . First, it is important that we make sure cabin and activity areas are always covered. Second, it makes it easier for you to plan your time off with other staff members. This system also works well when you want to have someone visit you during the summer. Any special circumstances that might take you out of camp, such as a wedding, during the season? If so, please let us know right away! You will also have six nights off (6:00pm to 2:00am) which you can choose during our weekly Wednesday evening staff meeting. But wait, there's even more free time for you ! During some cabin clean-ups and rest hours only one counselor is needed in each cabin. You and your co-counselors can rotate this responsibility so that you'll have a chance to go for a run, hike, bike ride, swim, sail, paddle or do something else!! What was that about biking? Our five mile biking trails are fantastic!! Many staff bring or ship their bikes to camp and you should too, the trails are great! YOU CAN REALLY MAKE MONEY DOING THIS!! Our pay scale is among the highest in the nation! Our salaries range from $1650 - $4500. Your salary is based on your age, education, skills and experience. This almost sounds like a paid vacation! Someone once said that "camp is for the counselors!" Well it's not, but sometimes it feels that way. Where else can you get paid for working at a place with water-ski boats, arts and crafts, riding, wilderness trips, and so many new friends? Where else can you earn while you learn? Don't get us wrong-working at any camp is a real job. Priority #1 is the campers. Any camp job is tiring, demanding and challenging. That's the tough stuff, and it's the truth. But here's the good part--the best reward in the world comes from being a camper's special friend, helping someone through a big problem, and the satisfaction of doing a good job! Camp might be the hardest job you ever loved! Birch Trail is your chance to really make a difference in the lives of others! HOME    About Us    Current Camp Families    Staff    Alumni Bulletin Board    News & Photos    Contact Us    BT Store