All About BBC Staff

We want to make the application process as simple as possible for you while also abiding by important hiring practices and laws. Below is the step by step process.

• Fill out a short application. (This just helps show us that you’re interested in learning more)
• Within 1-3 days a director contacts you and has a short 10 min phone conversation
• If still interested, you can fill out our full application. This includes three references.
• Soon after getting your application a director will set up a 45-60 minute skype/facetime interview
• A few days after that interview you will be given a decision

Bethany Birches runs week-long programs for kids of a variety of ages. Each week, the campers arrive on Sunday afternoon and go home on Friday evening. There is a three year age span each week and the schedule changes from age to age randomly. We serve campers as young as 5 and as old as 17 (though most are between 10 and 13 years old)

To help keep campers excited we adjust each day slightly by introducing different Theme Days, Activities, and Interest Groups

Theme Days:

Messy Monday, Tidy up Tuesday, Wet and Wild Wednesday, Theater Thursday,

Activities:

All camp creek hike, cardboard boat building, Shindig, Pond Party, Off-site trips, Mission Impossible, etc

Interest Groups:

Often offered on Tuesday and Thursday, these sessions allow for staff to share specific skills with groups of campers who are interested in learning those skills.  Archery, crafts, wilderness survival, journalism, canning, rock climbing, etc

A Day in the Life video from Middle School Week 2015

• $100-$200/week Base Pay
• Up to an additional $900 fundraised component through our support a staff program.
• Room and Board

Through the Support a Staff program you can add up to $900 to your salary for the summer. Your goal is to raise an additional $450, and BBC will match the amount you raise. Any additional money raised will be put into the Support a Staff fund. We’ll provide you with a great sample letter to send out to friends, family, or your church.

Returning staff receive raises. If you are a good fit at Bethany Birches we will work hard to meet your financial needs so let us know what they are! More compensation details are on each position’s page.

Below are a few examples of compensation staff might receive for the summer.

Example A: BBC pays $1440 ($160/week)
Counselor raises $200
BBC matches $200
$1840 in cash taken home +
Room and board $900 ($100/week value)
Total compensation = $2740

Example C: BBC pays $1800 ($200/week)
Counselor raises $100
BBC matches $100
$2000 in cash taken home +
Room and board $900 ($100/week value)
Total compensation = $2900

Example B: BBC pays $1440 ($160/week)
Counselor raises $450
BBC matches $450
$2340 in cash taken home +
Room and board $900 ($100/week value)
Total compensation = $3240

Example D: BBC pays $1800 ($200/week)
Counselor raises $450
BBC matches $450
$2700 in cash taken home +
Room and board $900 ($100/week value)
Total compensation = $3600

Food and lodging provided, no utilities, and minimal transportation costs from living onsite mean you have few expenses during the summer. Many past staff have reported having more money at the end of a summer at camp than they did working other summers. On top of that, you have an incredible opportunity for personal growth while serving others.

This is how past counselors have described their BBC
Experience (they were limited to one sentence).

“An awesome action-packed journey over mountains and through valleys all while serving and praising God with friends and children of Christ”
~Finn

“BBC is intense risk grounded in the steadfastness of God’s love.”
~ Rico

“Seeking, finding, learning about, experiencing, sharing and being shown the love of Jesus through the day-to-day process of living in communion with amazing, challenging, inspiring people–all beloved children of God.”
~ Elvis”

An opportunity to live in community with and learn from individuals dedicated to living for Christ by loving people and loving the environment.”
~ Dot

“During my summer at Bethany Birches, I made close friends, I got to know myself better, and most importantly, I got to know God better.”
~ Scoop

Camp is hard work! We understand that and want to help each staff person be successful in their different jobs. All staff receive 1-2 hours off each day as well as 24+ hours off each weekend.

Weekends are off – yours to do what you will. The weekends below will be different than the others. These are for our staff bonding trip, additional training for a special week, and putting on a church service at camp. Details about these special weekend will be announced at the beginning of staff training, and we will still make sure all staff have at-least 24 hours off.

Counselors will be at camp from the third weekend in June through the second weekend in August. Cooks, video staff and program staff will have a slightly different schedule but it’s mostly the same.

Special Weekends 2018:

June 15-17: Staff training week. Staff will not have a normal weekend off

July 20-22: Staff Enrichment Friday night and Saturday morning- A relaxing and exciting time to hang out as a staff team halfway through the summer. (Free Saturday evening and Sunday morning)

July 29: Church at Camp. All staff will help put on a church service at camp on Sunday morning

August 2-5: Agape Training- Free evening Aug 2-evengin Aug 3. Agape Training Aug 3 and 4. Training is for our specialized Agape week where all campers have at least one parent incarcerated. The training is to help us meet the special emotional needs of these campers.

August 11-13: Staff Deorientation. Sessions and activities designed to help launch you back into the “real world”

Bethany Birches campers come from many different places.  Wealthy and poor; stable homes and social service agencies; churched and unchurched. A BBC group of campers is as diverse as the state of Vermont.  We are an outreach ministry since it is here that many campers first hear of Jesus’ unconditional love. We try to be an image of Christ for the campers in our daily interactions so that they can come to know him through us as we have fun together at camp. Bethany Birches Camp is rustic with a perspective of learning and leading through adventure.