Kingswood Camp Blog

On the Art and Science of Cabin Placement

by Klaus, Head Counselor

The magical process of divining the cabin list had eluded me for years. I used to think Bob Wiff figuratively went into a cave and somehow emerged with a one-page double-sided sheet of Kingswood brilliance. The staff manual states, “Without question, cabin life is the most important ingredient of the overall quality of a boy’s experience at camp.” What a host of insights must be involved!

Well, I found out soon enough!  During Orientation Week of 2009, Bob casually and succinctly suggested to Max Muheim and me, the counselors of Lakeview and Fireplace respectively, that we should give the list a try, and I have been making Kingswood cabin lists ever since.  I have been honored with this awesome responsibility, one that I take as seriously as anything I do.

Arriving at an optimal breakdown requires a huge administrative effort. We agonize over both camper and staff cabin assignments.  Rob compiles notes on his visits with new campers and we meet for hours exchanging information about both new and returning campers.   Rob and Becky hire all the new staff, and Mike joins the crew to suggest counselor combinations with the best personality pairings suitable to the ages of the boys. Thereupon I retreat into the solitude of my apartment in the Main Lodge, emerging only for meals, coming back into the light days later for the shiny staff revelations during Orientation Week and breaking news when campers and parents drive through the gate on arrival day

Of course, many of my secrets involve those intangibles, but following are a few key ingredients to the Kingswood Camp Cabin Placement Formula.

1. Information—The More the Better

Making a great cabin requires a lot of information. Everything from personality traits, favorite activities, games, hobbies, and even favorite school subjects, book choices, and sleep requirements goes into placing campers. Camper requests certainly help, but the more information that parents share with us in those post-registration forms the easier it is to make the list. Campers acclimate best when they find common ground with their bunkmates and counselors, and a good cabin match-up facilitates that transition.

2.              No First Year Campers Slip Through the Cracks

Placing new campers into cabins soaks up loads of energy. We speculate constantly about the potential of friendships developing between newcomers to Kingswood and the old hands.  An enormous number of our returning campers are welcoming sorts, and, to a point, this trait is mandatory for acceptance. But also we calculate what type of space each camper would find most comfortable. Having both big and small cabins gives Kingswood a unique luxury in that each new camper can have the most success at adjusting quickly.

3.              It’s a Numbers Game

Other camps have cabins exactly the same size, with exactly the same number of bunks, and their age groups are exactly the same size every year. At Kingswood, we take great kids as we discover them and thus our age groups can fluctuate like crazy from one year to the next.  So must cabin placements! While each cabin may have a “traditional” age range, do not allow your son to be surprised at surprises and he should know that he might even be in the same cabin more than once.

4.              The Staff Make the Difference

Ultimately, the counselors are the final piece of the cabin puzzle. We spend hours thinking about how the personalities of the counselors best fit the character and personality of the campers. Counselor interests, temperaments, activities, and quirky habits all play a factor in their cabins too. If we suspect a boy may be disappointed with his assignment, we double our efforts to match him up with counselors he will admire.  Nearly always, the camper decides in the end that he got a great deal!

So campers, when you next see me at the Kingswood entrance ready to tell you what cabin will be home for the session, know that a lot of reading, time, and thought went into that double-sided piece of paper I am holding.

Shout it loudly,

Klaus