Living Well

Teens

Tamarack teens, 15-16, become junior' counselors-in-training as a bridge between camper and counselor.

Heather Kerwin, 16, discusses a scene from the Wizard of Oz with
Julie Bayer, 13, of Oak Park, Alicia Mendelson, 12, of West
Bloomfield, and Sarah Allyn, 13, of Huntington Woods.

..Afte

Junior counselor-in-training Heather Kerwin
discusses an upcoming activity with counselor
Lauren Hershfield, 19, of Vancouver.

Daniel Gelfer, 16, helps Maxx Lesnick, 11, of
West Bloomfield put on water skis.

JAMIE ROSEN
College Intern

A

lthough the maximum age for a
camper at Tamarack Camps is 14, many teens over 14 aren't ready to
give up the camp experience.

Previously, if they wanted to continue with Fresh Air Society programs, they
had to venture to Camp Kennedy in the Upper Peninsula or Agree Outpost
Camp in Wawa, Ont. — or go on a Western or Alaskan trip.
At age 17, a camper could return as part of the Teen Service Staff, an extended
counselor-in-training (CIT) program.
But demand has increased for a program that would allow teens 15-16 to
attend camp. So, Tamarack Camps created the Junior Counselor-In-Training, a
five-week program designed to ease the transition from camper to counselor.
Implemented this summer, the program attracted 41 10th and 11th graders
from across the United States and Canada, with 24 from metro
Detroit. They are campers, paying nearly $3000 to
come, with staff-like privileges and responsibili-
ties.
The junior CITs live in four cabins
in Grossman Village at Camp Maas
in Ortonville. They have four
counselors- and a supervisor, as
opposed to the usual two
counselors per cabin for
regular campers.
"The staff is amazing
— they treat us like
equals, but still know
how to be counselors,"
says junior CIT
Heather Kerwin, 16, of
West Bloomfield.
The junior CITs.
assume the role of coun-
selors during their three
weeks of placement. After
trying all of the activities
around camp, they each choose
an area where they want to work.
Kerwin helps out with drama, while
Daniel Gelfer, 16, of Vancouver, teaches

campers how to water-ski.
Harvey Finkelberg, executive director of
Tamarack Camps, says that the program con-
sists of leadership training, working, learning
and utilizing facilities at camp. "The goal is for the kids to learn skills that will
prepare them to be a counselor in the future."
At night, the junior CITs have their own activities and lots of bonding time.
Some nights, they sit around the campfire and talk. On other nights, they are
given staff-like priv leges and can go to town for a movie or a trip to the mall.
"This summer allows those kids who have been going to camp forever to take
their love for camp and modify it to teach others to enjoy camp. The idea is
essential for any camper who's been here for a long time and wants to continue
at camp," says Samara Dalfen, 21, of Montreal, supervisor of the junior CIT
program and spending her fifth summer at Tamarack Camps.
The junior CITs recently returned from a canoe trip on the AuSable River,
east of Grayling, as well as a weeklong trip to Toronto and Montreal, which
were like days off for them.
"I think it's a great program. I'm really glad that I
get to have friends outside of where I live. It's
great training," says Gelfer.
He is one of 13 junior CITs from
Vancouver who were planning to go
to Israel this summer with a camp
they previously attended. Their
parents, however, did not
want to send them due to
the recent Mideast vio-
lence. The group still
wanted to stick together
and decided to come to
Tamarack.
After training this
summer, the junior CITs
will be eligible to be a
counselor-in-training
when 17 or a counselor if
they are 18. Kerwin and
Gelfer both say they plan to
return as counselors.
"I think it's an amazing experi-
ence," says Kerwin. "There's so much
for us to do. We get to meet kids from all
over. Overall, it's just a fun experience."

Junior CITs gather their campers around the campfire.