Why so many British camp counselors?

[Greyson3]

When I went to overnight camp, I noticed that probably a little more than half of the staff was either English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Australian, or New Zealander. I went to a different camp another year and about nine out of ten of the counselors were of one of those nationalities. I spent three weeks in a cabin with one Welsh counselor, one Scottish counselor, and one English counselor. Since then, I have noticed pretty much the same thing with all the camps I have been to.

I realize this question is pretty mundane, but I have asked a few people and was never given a clear response.

One person I asked said that there were no summer camps in Britain, so teenagers sometimes flew stateside for a summer job. I don't see how that could be-- camp counselor doesn't pay much, the climate over here is way too hot and buggy, and you have to deal with disrespectful, sometimes incontinent kids all day. Surely they didn't need to go to another country for that kind of treatment. I mean, a job as a store clerk or stock boy would be a lot better than that.

Then I figured that maybe, if there really are no summer camps in Britain, maybe American summer camps are where British parents send their unruly teenagers to get them out of their hair for the summer. But isn't that what boarding schools are for?

I have wondered about this for years. Does anybody have any ideas?

[Lawmill]

I'd guess that the big draw is free room and board. Counselor-hopefuls with no previous experience get to spend time interacting with a different culture for free. It requires special training. It also isn't the most desirable job for most people, so camps are happy to take counselors from other countries.

[theuglytruth]

There's a similar situation on New Jersey boardwalks. I know many vendors there actually advertise in British trade pubs for summer help sonce they cant get any here in the US. The draw is a summer abroad for the limeys.

[RussellM]

My sister will be a camp Counselor somehere near the Great Lakes this summer, travelling from Scotland.

She is going for a summer job working with kids, outdoors, in a different culture, in the US, that shows responsibility (good CV / resume points) and which will fund a few weeks travelling in the US at the end of it.

I think most Brits do BUNAC or Camp America for very similar reasons.

Russell

[RussellM]

My sister will be a camp Counselor somehere near the Great Lakes this summer, travelling from Scotland.

She is going for a summer job working with kids, outdoors, in a different culture, in the US, that shows responsibility (good CV / resume points) and which will fund a few weeks travelling in the US at the end of it.

I think most Brits do BUNAC or Camp America for very similar reasons.

Russell

[RussellM]

oops
oops

In my defense, I didn't try to send it twice, but I did go back one page too far

Russell