Bette Perot Camp Counselor

GIRL SCOUTS OF NORTHEAST TEXAS • Palestine, TX

50d • Onsite

About The Position

Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas (GSNETX) offers amazing opportunities for talented, forward-thinking individuals who share our vision of helping girls and young women change the world for the better. Here's your opportunity to enhance your career while making a difference in girls’ lives and in the world. At Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas, you can build a rewarding career in everything from working hands-on with girls, accounting, human resources and project management, marketing, research—and more. Camp Bette Perot, our equestrian camp, offers a sleepaway camp for girls ages 7-16. We serve approximately 150 campers per week from a variety of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Camp community life includes group living, shared meals, daily activities, kapers (chores), and rest. Campers come to camp independently and are cared for by Counselors. Camp is located 20 minutes from the small town of Palestine and 2 hours from the large city of Dallas. The Counselor work season runs from the end of May to the end of July 2026. Counselor work week is typically 13 hours per day (plus overnights with campers) for 6 days per week. Counselors are responsible for leading a fun, impactful summer camp program for all campers. Staff live in cabins, platform tents, or lodges (group living), develop relationships, care for campers, lead program activities, and participate fully in daily camp life. This team member serves as a caring mentor, fun companion, patient teacher, positive role model, and helpful problem solver. The position reports to the Camp Director. Paid staff training is provided at the beginning of the summer and takes place at Camp Bette Perot near Palestine, TX. Counselors live onsite in group accommodations during work.

Requirements

• Ability to live, eat, teach, and play respectfully and fruitfully with diverse staff and campers all day, with limited privacy and personal time
• Willingness to live in camp setting with exposure to wildlife, including bugs, spiders, and snakes
• Willingness to be active outdoors all day in variable weather conditions (high heat over 100°F/38°C, high humidity, rain, wind, possible tornadoes) and to walk extensively around camp
• Willingness to role model respect, positivity, smiling, cheerfulness, kindness, patience, honesty, inclusion, good mental hygiene, and accountability and to self-regulate emotions respectfully in a variety of circumstances
• Willingness to listen to, learn from, and cooperate with others
• Willingness to embrace a simple living environment while staying on camp
• Ability to work long hours all day and all week with possible need to respond to campers / emergencies overnight (staff get personal breaktime each day)4
• Ability to complete full term (all weeks) of camp agreement
• Counselors ages 16-17 must have prior experience at Girl Scout camp as a camper or CIT/WIT
• Demonstrate and promote a climate of courtesy, respect and professionalism to coworkers, the volunteers served by this council, and others with whom this job puts them in contact
• Upon employment, employee must register as an adult member in the Girl Scout organization and subscribe to the tenets of the Girl Scout Promise and Law
• Attendance is an essential job requirement defined as having regular, consistent, reliable, punctual and predictable attendance including the ability to work regular hours and shifts, before and after hours, and on weekends, when required
• Must complete and pass a criminal background check
• Must abstain from: Use of tobacco products, herbal intoxicants (CBD, THC, gummies, etc.), vaping and electronic cigarettes, alcohol, illegal drugs, firearms, and fireworks while on camp property or while on duty, plus abstain from possessing on camp property and from returning to camp under the influence of any such substances
• Must abstain from: Use of explicit language or harmful language
• Must abstain from: Volatile expressions of emotion
• Must abstain from: Romantic or sexual activity on camp, no public display of affection
• Must abstain from: Wearing clothing that features alcohol, drugs, or harmful topics or language
• Must abstain from: Sharing or discussing private, adult issues with campers
• Must abstain from: Using (engaging with) cell phone while on duty (Counselor phones can be kept in administrative building and used during scheduled staff break time away from campers, plus we have a radio system for camp communication and emergencies)

Nice To Haves

• Experience serving youth in a work or volunteer setting
• Experience attending summer camp or going camping
• Current certifications appreciated in any of the following: first aid and CPR, lifeguarding, ropes course, archery, or fishing

Responsibilities

• Champion a positive, inclusive, caring, safe, and fun camp environment and promote the values of the Girl Scout Promise and Law, including serving as a positive role model for youth in language, dress, culture of inclusion, behavior, and attitude
• Support camper wellbeing by supervising overall physical, mental, and emotional health (hygiene, meals, sleep, medications as applicable) while living with campers
• Lead and participate in camp program activities and administration, including meals, activities, rest, free time, kapers (chores), staff trainings and meetings, planning and preparation, and cleanup
• Facilitate positive group relationships, including addressing conflict in constructive ways
• Advocate for camper and staff confidence, responsibility, challenge seeking, teamwork, learning, goal setting, relationship skills, coping strategies, and opportunities for personal and group success
• Adhere to camp schedule and direct campers and self to assigned spaces on time
• Assist in care of campsite facilities, equipment, and supplies, including managing resources wisely
• Practice all camp safety standards and emergency procedures and uphold them with others
• Work independently and as part of a team to meet camp program and operation needs and to implement solutions to problems that arise
• Participate in staff trainings and meetings as requested

Benefits

• Summer camp changes lives for the better!
• Join an amazing community where you will make new friends, develop personal and professional skills, engage your body and your mind in an outdoor environment, overcome challenges, and be the best version of yourself, plus have tons of fun!
• As part of a team mentoring, teaching, and helping, you get to make an incredible impact on staff and campers, who remember the sense of belonging, friendship, growth, and magic of summer camp for their entire lives.
• All positions include meals when camp is in session, housing (if applicable), paid training and certifications (if applicable), plus invaluable work experience that prepares you to succeed in future careers.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 51-100 employees