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Geneva
Point Center |
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Mailing
Address: HC 62,
Box 469, Center Harbor, NH 03226 Phone: (603)253-4366 Fax: 603-253-4883 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
2007 update – Questions and answers. Please write Greg at widman@genevapoint.org if you have any questions not answered here or in the staff manual. Thanks
How will I travel to Camp?
CCUSA will make your flight arrangements to New York City (or the west coast if you are coming from somewhere over the Pacific Ocean), where you will have a one-day orientation. They will then see you to the bus station (or airport from the west coast) and you will travel by bus to Center Harbor, New Hampshire. You may need to change buses in Boston. When you arrive in New York, please call us at (603) 253-4366 or (603) 630-3292and let us know you are in New York and will be getting on the bus. We will meet you at the Center Harbor Bus station. If, for some reason we are not at the bus station when you arrive, please call either number above and we will come right away. I know it is a bit scary traveling to a new place, but we will do all we can to make your trip stress free. Those of you traveling June 17th or 18th will be with many others coming to Geneva Point. Those days there will be over 20 of you. Please try to find each other so you can learn to know each other on the bus. On the other travel days, there are usually at least two of you, but not always.
I need a Social Security Number, how will I get this?
If you are in New York upon arrival during a weekday, CCUSA will help you get signed up for a SS card. If you arrive on a weekend, we will see you get to a SS office within several weeks after you arrive. You do not need the SS card right away. We just need the number before the summer is over. When you arrive, let us know if you need to go to the SS office and we will make the arrangements. What about my important papers, passport and money? Will it be safe at camp?
We are all concerned about the safety of your valuable items. We have very little theft problems at camp, but it does happen sometimes. As a service to the staff, we provide room in the office safe for your money and important papers. I strongly advise you use this service. There is no charge to put your items in the safe.
My flight date is different then the form I signed at the camp fair. What does this mean?
Many times CCUSA can not get all the people on a flight on the day we planned, and they have to put you a day or two earlier or later. We have some staff members who will be coming several weeks later then we planned. This is unavoidable, and we are sorry. If you have a different date and it does not suit you, please let CCUSA and me know.
What is the weather like?
If you are arriving in May or early June, we can have some cool days and evenings. You will want some heavy clothes. However, for most of the summer, it is warm and shorts and light clothes work fine. We do have dress requirements for work discussed elsewhere on this list. Bring sturdy shoes for work and possible hikes in the mountains.
How many hours will I work each day?
No matter what department you work in you will be working 8-10 hours a day, six days a week. When you are working, you will get time off for meals. If you work in the dining room or kitchen, you will be working all three meals, but you will get time off in the morning and afternoon.
Where will I live?
At some camps you live in tents. At Geneva Point you will live in a building, but it is older and rustic. The females will live in the staff house and the males reside in Cottage “E”. Both buildings have full bathrooms and you will share a room with at least one other staff person. Check the staff house policies in the staff manual on this web site.
I need to improve my English. Will this summer help?
Yes it will, if you try. There will be a number of staff living with you that are from your country, and it is so easy to talk to them in your language, but we encourage speaking English as much as possible. We require all staff to speak English when you are working, or anywhere near guests. At meals there are many people close by who speak different languages, so please use English at mealtime.
Geneva Point may also provide some “English as a Second Language” classes this summer for all staff who are interested. Please, if you are talking to me, or any Geneva Point staff person, and you do not understand, just ask us to repeat.
What about opportunities to earn extra money by working more?
This is a question that is asked a lot and I understand, as many of you want to earn as much money as possible while here. However, we do not do this for two reasons.
1. We hire enough staff to get the job done. We do not need people to work extra time. 2. If I did it for one or two staff, soon all the staff would be asking to work more for extra money. I wish I could, but we have limited funds for paying staff.
The only way to earn extra money while here is to stay longer then the nine weeks. In those extra days you will be paid $40 every day you work. Counselors will be paid $30 every extra day. Only a few of you will be able to stay longer. We pick the stay-overs using the following criteria:
1. How long you can stay. People who can stay longer get the first opportunity. 2. How your work was during the nine weeks. We look for the best workers to stay longer. 3. If you have the skills we need – we need kitchen, dining and housekeeping in the fall. If you work in these departments, or are willing to change to these departments, you have a better chance of staying.
In about mid-July we will ask staff who wants to stay longer. We will then take that list and pick those who can stay. Those who cannot stay at Geneva Point can sometimes be placed at other camps in the area for the fall. All this will be discussed this summer. Also, in recent years some staff have been working extra jobs to earn more money. I discourage this as you will have very little free time and get tired. If you do work other jobs, it cannot affect how you work for us. If you arrive to work late, or are tired and have a hard time working, we will ask you to leave the other job. We have paperwork to mail back to you. When should we mail it? As soon as possible. This paperwork must be in our hands for you to work here. If it is getting close to your departure day, you can bring it with you, but make sure you have it all. The health forms are vital, and you can not start work without doctor signed CCUSA or Geneva Point health forms. The Geneva Point form can be found at ACA Health Form What happens when we arrive at camp? We will give you time to rest and train you for your jobs. You will also have time to move into your room. Most of you will be arriving on the 19th. of june. On first few days we will be doing some extensive staff training and team building activities. During those days, we have group activities to learn about each other and camp, and job training. There will also be lifeguard training and ropes training during that time. Staff arriving before the 19th of June will have training as well. You will be assigned a bedroom to live in for the summer. You will have at least one roommate, and in some cases, as many as three roommates. Your bed will have sheets and blankets on it that you can use for the summer. We ask NO ONE changes rooms or beds without permission from Jess. All the boys will live in Cottage “E” this year. All the females will be in the staff house. Winni Nest is a lounge for staff that has a television with DVD and VCR. This is the place for staff to be after quiet hours, so staff that need to rise early in the morning can sleep. We will have staff working as late as 10 PM and as early as 4 AM and you must respect each other’s needs. What kind of excursions does the camp organize?
We know that you come to the United States, and hope to see more then the camp, even though the camp is a beautiful place. As such, we try to get you on day trips to see the area. Some of the trips we try to do (we can not promise we will do all of these, but we try) are:
1. Boston 2. The Ocean 3. Hike in the Mountains 4. Shopping excursions 5. Sporting events
Again, we cannot promise all these, but we will do all we can to get staff out to see this area of the U.S.A.
How much cash shall I bring to camp?
You will want to bring some cash for your trip and your first days at camp. Once here, we will provide all your meals and housing, so you do not need money for any of that, but often staff need to get to a store for things like laundry soap, personal items you forgot of could not fit in your suitcase, and other needs. Please exchange your cash for U.S. currency before arriving at camp, as there are not local places to covert currency in our area. You will be paid your first $100 within two weeks after you arrive, and will continue to receive $100 every two weeks till you leave. This is not all you will earn, and the extra will be paid to you upon your departure.
What are the meals like the staff will eat?
When in America, eat like the Americans. The staff generally receives the same food we give to the guests. Sometimes there are minor differences, but it is mostly the same menu. Our kitchen staff will have the meals out for staff in plenty of time, and there is always plenty of food. Different departments eat at different times, as there is limited space in the staff dining room.
The food includes all the major meats (ham, pork, beef, chicken and fish). Breakfast usually includes eggs, bread, pancakes or waffles, rolls, muffins, cereal (hot and cold), and more. Lunches are sandwiches, hamburgers, pizza, soups, and other lunch type (lighter) fares. Dinner is our heavy meal and includes a salad bar, meat, starch and vegetable. All meals except breakfast include dessert. We have soda, juice, milk, ice tea and water to drink. The food may be a little different then your culture, but it is filling and you will not go hungry. Many staff people gain weight at camp.
How many staff are there, and how many are American?
We have nearly 60 staff all together. About 40 are hired through CCUSA from Eastern Europe. This year we have staff coming from 6 different countries. This is exciting for us and I hope everyone who comes. Those staff from around the world brings new energy and life to the center. We do not have very many staff from the USA. This year there will be about 6-8 staff from the USA not counting the volunteers and year round staff. Our nurses are from the USA and some of our program staff. Two lifeguards are from the USA as well. Several of our maintenance staff is also from the USA. Staff are all ages from 15 to 75. It is a fun community to live in and I know you will all enjoy this summer.
Are there mosquitoes at camp?
Bugs, bugs, everywhere bugs!!!!! No, it is not that bad at camp, but yes, there are stinging and biting insects at camp. We have Black Flies, mosquitoes, bees, ants and spiders. The stinging and biting insects are worse early in the summer and at dusk. We encourage staff to use repellent as needed. The bugs don’t seem to bother everyone. Plus, we seldom have major problems with them. My guess is they are no worse than where you live.. It is nothing to worry about. Although you did not ask, you may be interested in wildlife in the area. We have deer, moose, fox, squirrels, chipmunks, many birds, and Loons. There are some snakes, but no poisonous snakes are in the area. I have been here more than 20 years and have only seen a few snakes. It was very small. We will talk more about animals and insects at training for the staff when you arrive. The nurse can answer any questions you have as well.
Can we have Internet access?
Geneva Point provides several computers for staff use. These are connected to the Internet. We encourage staff to open an e-mail account with a web carrier such as Hotmail or Yahoo. This is the best way to get and send e-mail from camp. As there are limited computers, staff must respect the needs of other staff, and limit their online time to 15-20 minutes once a day. There is no charge for computer use. If you have your own computer, there is wireless access a number of places on the site.
What clothes should I bring to camp?
This is an excellent question. When you are working at camp, we supply you with a staff shirt. Shirt styles and colors will vary depending on the department. For the most part the shirts are blue. If you are in the dining room, you will need pants or slacks that are dark and comfortable. If you are in the kitchen, jeans or comfortable pants will be fine. They may get dirty, so don’t wear your best stuff. Housekeeping and Grounds staff can wear shorts, but shorts must go about ˝ the way to your knees. Lifeguards will wear bathing suits and they must be trunk style (not Speedo) for boys and one piece for girls. During your off time, bring comfortable clothes that you enjoy wearing. Here in New Hampshire we can have cool nights, so a light jacket or sweatshirt is good to have. Most people wear shorts, as the weather is usually warm. Please do not wear t-shirts with beer and liquor ads on them or other offensive slogans. When working, you must wear full shoes. No open toes or sandals while working. On your own time you can wear whatever is comfortable to you, but no bare feet unless you are at the beach. You may want to bring at least one nice outfit as staff will go out sometimes and you may want to dress up. Who are my supervisors? Our staff that you might work for is as follows: Kitchen – Our food service managers name is Dee Dee. She is an excellent cook and will work with all those assigned to the kitchen and dinningroom Dining Room – We have been working together to figure out who will be the dinning room supervisors for both dinningrooms.We will post the supervisors when they are hired. Lifeguard – Brad Wolff will be the head lifeguard for the10th year. He is very good at his job, and the staff love working for him. But he will work hard to keep you in shape and to be the best lifeguards on our lake. Maintenance (Buildings and Grounds) At this time this department is being restructsored and we will post the new supervisors as they are picked Housekeeping – Karolina will supervise our housekeeping department. This is a busy group. Also, Greg Widman will be in charge of operations, which oversees all these departments and will work with your work schedules. That is our staff. Please continue to forward any questions you may have and check here for the answers. Thanks, Greg
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