Canuckflack

As he turned to pick the football from the air, Doug Stevenson reflected on the day’s events.

He had brought his sales managers to this Wyoming dude ranch to help them refocus after an exceptionally bad quarter.

The 10,000 acre spread had begun life as a hobby ranch for an East Coast management consultant. His income had declined as his telecom customers had imploded, one by one.

Looking for some extra revenue, he opened his eighteen bedroom ranch to Fortune 500 management teams looking for a little direction and a few days away from the grind.

Together, the consultant and the salesmen had drilled down to some core objectives, identifying accounts with greater potential for growth, and those needing pruning.

That all changed as Stevenson planted his foot in the loose gravel. A pull, then a twinge, finally searing pain: he dropped to the ground with a torn MCL.
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Once upon a time, lonely campers could only rely on a weekly mail call and the occasional long-distance phone call to break the solitude.

Parents and campers alike had to communicate through the Camp Director - a nice, traditional command and control communication system.

Obviously, times have changed. There are fewer filters influencing communication among staff, counselors, campers, parents and alumni.

Phone trees, bulletin boards and mimeographed newsletters have been replaced by sophisticated web sites, e-newsletters, voice mail broadcasts and alumni affinity programs.

This means transparency and the rapid flow of information are essential if a Camp Director and camp staff are to deal effectively with campers, parents and alumni in times of calm and crisis.

After all, why should the campers, kitchen staff and Head Counsellor’s drug dealer be the only ones to know that Cabin B has a wasp’s nest, the Assistant Director is sleeping with the crafts teacher, and the school bus failed its last safety check?

That’s why the advent of electronic communication has proved to be a boon for small businesses like camps:

In July, clear blue skies greet you each morning. The morning dew burns up under brunt of the growing heat. At night, porches are filled with noisy teenagers, and every morning, lawns are covered in bottles.

What ever happened to shipping the kids off to camp for the summer? The belch of diesel as a school bus coughs to life, a faint wave as Mom starts up the Ford Family Truckster, and little Timmy is gone for two, four, maybe even eight weeks.

This week, Canuckflack will take a look at the public relations challenges facing the staff at day camp, overnight camp, adventure camp, computer camp, basketball camp, even band camp.

Camp Directors, in their daily work, call upon many of the skills routinely demanded of a well-rounded communicator: promotions, advertising, media relations, staff communications and business development.

And they deal with some really disturbed people along the way.

Crooked small-town supplier: pulls up in a V10 supercab pickup, but can only provide Israeli canned tomatoes and Russian chipped beef. Preferred form of communication: No small talk, just cash.

Idiot Savant Camper: can wire pirated cable to the cabin, but never uses soap or a comb. Preferred form of communication: just IM his Treo.

Competitive parent : their kids arrive at sports camp with a copy of “the seven habits of highly effective people” and autographed photos of Pat Riley and John Gruden. Preferred form of communication: daily email, weekly newsletter, constant phone calls to the director, and regular visits to watch every sporting event.

Crazed groundskeeper: whether Carl Spackler at golf camp, or Groundskeeper Willy … there’s always a hint of mischief in their eyes - and the whiff of home-grown. Preferred form of communication: Quick verbal commands. Don’t get pushy, and don’t expect quick action.

Unwilling camper: can be spotted by eternal frown at the back of the pack. Prefers retro tshirts with suggestive logos. Preferred form of communication: Loud verbal commands and understated hand signals.

70s throwback music teacher: her license plate reads “JHN DVR” and she insists “Macarthur Park” and “Kumbaya” be sung at every campfire. Preferred form of communication: Passive and non-confrontational conversations.

Head Counselor: an unusual combination of natural leadership and subversive impulse. Can take forty kids on a three day canoe trip, and find a forty-pounder of vodka for the end-of-summer party. Preferred form of communication: A loud shout-out across the campgounds.

Lonesome Camper: easily spotted by the 180 page diary clutched to their chest. Preferred form of communication: Mix tapes with Liz Phair, the Indigo Girls, Elvis Costello and Alanis.

Camp Casanova: upturned collar on the Lacoste tennis shirt. Sebago deck shoes. Brings cologne on the canoe trip. Preferred form of communication: Plenty of empathic body language. Rhythmic verbal cadences. Handwritten notes on linen.

45 year-old Fantasy Camper: wants to know where he can hang his suitbag, and whether he can switch to a room with a mini-bar and broadband. Preferred form of communication: that young lady at reception.