hen discipline ishandled in a poormanner, it can dotremendous dam-

age. The followingpenetrating statement,

found on a parent’s eval-uation of her son’s camping experi-ence, drives home this point.

“It is really hard as a parent toface my son on Friday open houseand have him burst into tears andtell me how he wanted to ‘runaway’ because his counselor was‘so mean.’ He is definitely souredon camp. I’m sure it will take ayear of prayer and discussion toconvince him to come back nextyear. The counselor apparentlydoesn’t know that one short weekcan possibly poison a young mindtoward the church and Christianity,and this is too important to me torisk in the hands of an irresponsi-ble counselor.”

Whether you are a novice or seasoned camp counselor, thematerial in this piece will not onlyremind you of your responsibili-ties in discipline, but also acquaintyou with some means of disciplinethat are beneficial to both camperand counselor.

A Discipling OpportunityFrom the outset, let’s come to aconsensus on the definition andpurpose of discipline. “Discipline is learning, or a process by whichpeople learn what is acceptable,desirable, and pleasant for all,”offer H. Norman Wright andMichael J. Anthony in Help, I’m a Camp Counselor.

Discipline can also be viewedas the use of various methods tobring about positive characterqualities in individuals. It is not amatter of punishment for breakingthe rules. Discipline is encouragingindividuals to be a positive influ-ence in our society.

Discipline is not to a child,but for a child.

Discipline is really an effort tomotivate campers to good behav-ior. Motivational discipline doesn’thappen through favors, promises,or bribes, but through relation-ships with counselors and othercampers, as well as campers’desires for new experiences andskills. Counselors need to ask,“How can I, as the counselor, helpthe camper learn?”

Discipline should not be`punishment, but an opportunityfor learning.

“Discipline includes every-thing you do in order to helpchildren learn,” says BobMorgan, former director ofthe Hollygrove Children’sHome in Hollywood,California. “It is thechallenge and privilegeof training children.”

Every act of dis-cipline is an opportu-nity for discipling. Itis a step along the wayto encouraging andnurturing individuals`to become more likeJesus Christ.

How do you viewcampers? Do you see them asproblems? Or do you see their

potential? So often in our experi-ence of working with campers, thefirst impression becomes a foreverimpression.

If during an initial encountercampers do something that isn’tconducive to their own or others’well being, they’re often labeled astroublemakers or discipline prob-lems. Do we let this label stick? Or do we make every possibleeffort to view campers in light of their potential?

It’s not only important howyou view campers, but also howyou treat them. Campers should betreated with respect. Counselorsdemand respect from campers, butthis is a two-way street.

So often counselors ask

The Counselor’s Rolein Camper Disciplineby Stan White

W

Focusing on the

Foundations of Christian

Camping

campers to do things without theuse of the essential word please.

On the occasions whencampers have completedtasks or accomplishedsomething unexpectedlyfor others, a thank youcan go a long way indeveloping relationships.

The importance ofrespect cannot be over-

stated. Out of respect rela-tionships grow. This in turn

creates greater response tothings presented and done by

counselors.

Practical Tips for a Positive ExperienceOne of the key factors in disci-plining is not so much what yousay, but how you say it. The fol-lowing are practical tips to helpyou make disciplinary encountersmore positive. These suggestions,adapted from the chapter “Con-frontation” in You and Me byGerard Eagan, are designed tonurture the relationship betweencamper and counselor.1. Discipline in the spirit ofunderstanding.

Communicate to campers thatyou understand the situation aswell as their feelings in the circum-stances that occurred. Oncecampers realize counselors under-stand, the interaction that developswill go more smoothly. Disciplinewill be effective to the degree it isbased on a substantial understand-ing of the other person.2. Be tentative.

As you make statements duringdisciplinary interactions withcampers, avoid saying things thatseem fixed in concrete. Realize theremight be additional factors thathaven’t been seen or taken into con-sideration. This leaves an openingfor campers to clarify any miscon-ceptions on the part of counselors.It means counselors do not seethemselves as infallible or faultless.Being tentative could be viewed asperception checking, or makingsure you’re right about the behaviorto which you are responding.3. Know why you aredisciplining.

What is your motivation indisciplining? Is it honestly to helpothers? If your disciplining hasbeen done well, it shows you care for campers. However, if youdiscipline to get back at others,campers will quickly detect you areout to “punish” them, and thereby

destroy any relationship youmight have with them.

4. Show involvement. When you discipline,

you show concern andcare about others. Inorder to help themwork through negativebehavior, a commit-ment beyond the dis-ciplinary encountermay be required. Itcould extend for therest of camp, or evenbeyond the camp

experience, as coun-selors encourage or

support campers whileworking through behav-

ioral change. Do camperssense you are there to love and

support them after the disciplinaryexperience? Or do disciplinaryencounters become nothing morethan hit-and-run experiences?

5. Be gradual. It isn’t a good idea to discipline

campers for many offensive behav-iors at the same time. Don’t save upall of their negative behaviors andthen cash them all in at the sametime. This damages relationships aswell as campers’ self-esteem.6. Take into consideration themental and emotional state ofcampers.

It is important to disciplinecampers while they have full con-trol of their faculties. In otherwords, it would not be a good ideato discipline campers when they arevery tired or have just gone througha very emotionally draining experi-ence not related to the behavior forwhich they are to be disciplined.7. Be specific.

In the disciplinary process, bespecific as you outline the reasonsfor discipline. To talk in vague gen-eralities would be a disservice tocampers and could confuse them.Give them ideas about how theycan improve.8. Do not discipline by usingonly nonverbal hints.

Nonverbal behavior can com-municate very strongly, but realizenonverbal messages need to bebacked up by words if they are tobe effective. Campers cannot readcounselors’ minds.9. Use descriptive language.

It is best to use descriptivelanguage rather than language thatis commanding, judging, labeling,name calling, accusing, question-ing, or full of sarcasm in attempt-ing to verbalize the negativebehavior of campers. These donothing but put campers on the

In the disciplinary process, be specific as you outline the reasons for discipline.

Nonverbal behavior cancommunicate very strongly, butrealize nonverbal messages need

to be backed up by words ifthey are to be effective.

defensive, making effective disci-pline much more difficult.10. Discipline only if you wantto grow closer to campers youare disciplining.

Disciplining is not only a signof involvement with campers atthat moment, but it is also an indication you want the relation-ship to develop. It is saying youwant to walk alongside campersand work together to overcomenegative behavior.

Key Principles & Guidelines1. There is a four-step approachto discipline.

F Step 1: There is the generalannouncement of the camprule or tradition. It is impor-tant there be a good under-standing by all of what therule or tradition is, as well asgiving campers time to absorbit. In other words, don’t say,“Lights will be going out inthe cabin in one minute!”Most campers need more timethan that to realize there arethings they need to do in get-ting ready for bed. Anothergood way to think of it is notto surprise them.

F Step 2: Be sure to call violatorsby name. “Ryan, we requestedall flashlights be out by 9o’clock. Could you do thatplease?” This helps campersrealize where you’re directingdiscipline—at a particular indi-vidual and not at others.

F Step 3: If violators continue,not only use personal names,but also walk over to theoffending individuals, getdown to eye level, and remindthem of what you had asked.

F Step 4: If they continue todefy the rules, the final step in this approach is to isolateoffending individuals, usingthe appropriate principles inthe manner of discipliningmentioned above.

2. Expect obedience.When you ask campers to do

something, it is important to act asif you expect them to do it. Peopleare much more likely to cooperatewhen it is expected.

3. Try to ask and not order.Campers tend to respond

when they’re asked; this invitescooperation. It works much betterthan playing sergeant and orderingcampers around.4. Don’t use physicalpunishment.

Not only might this be aviolation of state law, but theresulting emotional andmental damage can causeserious repercussions. 5. Make sure campersunderstand they havedone something wrong.

When youth have noidea why they are being disciplined, this can be verydamaging to their relationshipwith their counselor. Onemethod of avoiding this is askingcampers to help counselorsunderstand what they have done.In other words, try a statementlike this, “Jessica, help me under-stand why you hit Brittany.”6. Try to find out the whybehind the behavior of thosebeing disciplined.

It could be campers havesome unsatisfied needs; theybehave in a socially unacceptablemanner in an attempt to satisfythem. Others manifest negativebehavior to get attention or todemonstrate the influence theyhave. Others do it because theyfeel inadequate and unloved.7. Give campers the benefit ofthe doubt.

Often counselors walk into the tail end of a situation, and itappears there is clearly one culprit.All too often the one who seems to be the initiator is really just aninnocent bystander. Keep in mindthat a person is innocent untilproven guilty.8. Get campers on your side.

This principle can be describedby the story of the camper who wasdisrupting cabin devotions onenight. The counselor became frus-trated and was at a loss as to how tocontrol the camper’s negative influ-ence. The next day, the counselorhad an idea. He walked up to thedisruptive camper and asked if hewould help with cabin devotionsthat night. That evening, the once-

disruptivecamper was a positive influ-ence during devotions. Not onlydid the counselor get the camper onhis side, but also the camper was amore receptive learner because thecounselor got involved in his life.9. Don’t discipline campers forsomething that is merely apersonal dislike to you.

At one camp there were manyoak trees that produced acorns.One of the more popular pas-times of campers wasmaking whistles out ofacorn caps. Campersenjoyed picking upvarious acorn capsand getting differ-ent pitched whis-tles out of them.

The staffmembers soongrew very tired ofand annoyed with thenoise. It wasn’t longbefore they were disciplin-ing campers for their antics.

Soon the leaders realized they were making a mistake.Campers had learned somethingnew and were not doing anythingharmful. It was a personal matterthe leaders had to deal with; theyhad no right to discipline campers

Campers tend torespond when they’re

asked; this invites cooperation. It works muchbetter than playing sergeant

and ordering campersaround.

for something they did not per-sonally enjoy.10. Campers are part of the

problem; therefore, theyare part of the solution.

This works especiallywell with older campers.When the offense hasbeen described and dis-cussed, camp leadershave found it helpful foroffending campers and

counselors to separate,deciding to come back in a

few minutes with suggesteddisciplinary measures for

campers. When campers and coun-selors come back together, oftencampers suggest even strongerforms of discipline than what coun-selors would have recommended.

This not only helps campersrealize the significance of offensiveacts, but it also helps themdevelop personal accountabilityfor their behavior.11. It is best to disciplinecampers when they are withinarm’s reach of you.

The farther campers are fromcounselors during the disciplinaryprocess the less chance there is forcompliance on the part of campers.The effectiveness of disciplinedecreases with distance.

Whenever possible, disciplinecampers in private. Never humili-ate any camper in front of others.Campers will sense you are forthem if you do not make them apublic spectacle. This goes a longway in respecting the worth andpersonal dignity of each camper.12. Give campers as muchresponsibility as possible.

This not only helps build theirworth and self-image, but also ishelpful in further developing therelationship between campers andcounselors. Campers feel they aretrusted. Use common sense whengiving responsibility.13. Avoid such negative termsas “don’t,” “stop,” “no,” “youcan’t.”

Good terms to use include “letus,” “why don’t we,” “it is better ifwe,” “don’t you think it would be

fun,” and “wouldn’t it be great if.”Everybody thrives on praise.

An example is: “I appreciatevery much the way Kyle is stand-ing in line.” Not only would thiskind of statement eliminate ordersand nagging, but others noticepraise is given for positive behav-ior. Be careful not to give praisejust to a few campers, though.14. Sometimes it is best toignore minor infractions.

Especially when campersaren’t hurting themselves or others,you may wish to ignore minorinfractions. Often such behavior isdesigned to attract attention.Ignoring it will result in an end tothe behavior because it did nothave its desired effect.15. Be consistent.

Being inconsistent confusescampers; they will soon lose faithin you. 16. Discipline campers’behavior rather thanpersonality.

Some campers, for example,love to talk. This is very much apart of their personality. The timewhen it becomes a behavior prob-lem is when campers talk duringmeetings, Bible study, and soforth. When disciplining campersin instances such as these, be care-ful to discipline behavior ratherthan personality.17. Keep your temper.

Once campers realize there arecertain things that get to you, theyhave the upper hand. Be careful notto let things upset you. If they do,immediately seek the Lord’s help.18. When possible, thediscipline should bear somerelation to the offense.

Let’s say a few campers havemisbehaved in the dining room. A corresponding disciplinary meas-ure might be to have them assist inthe cleanup of the dining room fol-lowing the meal.19. The disciplinary actionshould follow as soon aspossible after the offense.

When possible, address theimproper behavior immediately—when it’s fresh both in your and

the camper’s minds.20. Use the three Fs: fair, firm,and friendly.

Be fair by taking a personalinterest in each camper. Be firm,realizing discipline can be a verypositive experience for both youand the camper. Being friendlygoes a long way, tempering every-thing. Bob Morgan has said, “If youare trying to win some, you mustbe winsome. Enter in and take theLord Jesus into every situation.”

The Significance of DisciplineThere are many other facets of thedisciplinary process. Counselorswho gain experience in their coun-seling opportunities will discoverother helpful hints that will greatlyenhance their ministry. These basicideas are put forth to help individ-uals realize the significance of dis-cipline. It can be a very productiveendeavor that helps campersbecome the kind of people Godwould have them to be.

An elderly gentleman wasonce talking to a young father whotold him he did not believe in dis-ciplining children. His theory wasthat children’s behavior should notbe stifled in any way, but as chil-dren grew older, they should bepermitted to choose and developtheir own behavior patterns with-out infringement by others.

The elderly gentleman saidnothing, but after a while heasked his young guest if he wouldlike to see his garden. The mansaid he would, so the two of themventured out into the gardenwhere only weeds were growing.The man looked at his host insurprise and said, “This is not agarden. There is nothing butweeds here.”

“Well, you see,” answered theelderly gentleman, “I did not wantto infringe upon the liberty of thegarden in any way. I was just giv-ing the garden a chance to expressitself and to choose its own way.”

Train up children in the waythey should go, and then go alongwith them. -

When possible, addressthe improper behavior

immediately—when it’s freshboth in your and the

camper’s minds.

P.O. Box 62189Colorado Springs, CO 80962-2189

Phone: (719) 260-9400

Fax: (719) 260-6398

E-mail: info@ccca.org

Web: www.ccca.org

The Coun-selor’s Rolein Camper

Discipline(CCCA Focus

Series 5); copy-right © 1994, 2005,

2007 by CCCA. FocusSeries monographs may not bereproduced without permission.

Other helpful Focus Series monographs include How to LeadSmall Group Bible Studies withCampers and The Counselor’s Rolein Camper Follow-Up.

The more than 20 titles in theFocus Series may be combined togive you the best possible price. A quantity discount is available fororders of more than 50 copies.

Prices subject to change withoutnotice. For more information, acurrent list of CCCA resources,and prices, please contact us.Photos are courtesy of Pocono Plateauand Warm Beach Christian Camps andare for illustrative purposes only. Peoplepictured have no connection with thetopic of this Focus Series.

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