Summer Waterfront Lifeguard Counselor Lead

About Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas: 

Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas (GSNETX) offers amazing opportunities for talented, forward-thinking individuals who share our vision of helping girls and young women change the world for the better. 

Here's your opportunity to enhance your career while making a difference in girls’ lives and in the world. At Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas, you can build a rewarding career in everything from working hands-on with girls, to accounting, human resources and project management, to marketing, research—and more. 

About Camp Gambill :

Camp Gambill, our waterfront camp on Lake Gibbons outside Paris, TX, offers sleepaway family and troop camp experiences for girls ages 5-18. We serve approximately 80 campers per week from a variety of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Campers come to camp with adults from their family or troop.  

Counselors work end of May to end of July 2025. Counselor work week is typically 13 hours per day for 4 days per week.  On-site housing is available on a limited basis. While we strive to accommodate, it cannot be guaranteed and is subject to availability at the time of hire. 

Job summary:   

Counselors are responsible for leading a fun, impactful summer camp program for all campers.  They develop relationships, lead program activities, and participate fully in daily camp life. This team member serves as a caring mentor, fun companion, patient teacher, positive role model, and helpful problem solver. The position reports to the Camp Director. Paid staff training is provided at the beginning of the summer and takes place at either Camp Gambill in Paris, Texas, or Camp Bette Perot near Palestine, Texas, depending on position and requirements.  

Benefits:  

Summer camp changes lives for the better! Join an amazing community where you will make new friends, develop personal and professional skills, engage your body and your mind in an outdoor environment, overcome challenges, and be the best version of yourself, plus have tons of fun! As part of a team mentoring, teaching, and helping, you get to make an incredible impact on staff and campers, who remember the sense of belonging, friendship, growth, and magic of summer camp for their entire lives. All positions include meals when camp is in session, housing (if applicable), paid training and certifications (if applicable), plus invaluable work experience that prepares you to succeed in future careers. 

Primary responsibilities include:

• Champion a positive, inclusive, caring, safe, and fun camp environment and promote the values of the Girl Scout Promise and Law, including serving as a positive role model for youth in language, dress, culture of inclusion, behavior, and attitude 

• Lead and participate in camp program activities and administration, including meals, activities, rest, free time, kapers (chores), staff trainings and meetings, planning and preparation, and cleanup 

• Facilitate positive group relationships, including addressing conflict in constructive ways 

• Advocate for camper and staff confidence, responsibility, challenge seeking, teamwork, learning, goal setting, relationship skills, coping strategies, and opportunities for personal and group success 

• Adhere to camp schedule and direct campers and self to assigned spaces on time 

• Assist in care of campsite facilities, equipment, and supplies, including managing resources wisely 

• Practice all camp safety standards and emergency procedures and uphold them with others 

• Work independently and as part of a team to meet camp program and operation needs and to implement solutions to problems that arise 

• Participate in staff trainings and meetings as requested   

• Lead outdoor activities and other aspects of daily camp program.  Accountable for overall success of assigned activity, including developing program plan, maintaining spaces and equipment, and engaging groups of campers throughout the day. This includes archery and other target sports, waterfront, crafts, badgework, and all-camp program 

Counselor leadership roles available for staff with extra experience:

• Waterfront Lifeguard Counselor (age 16+): Serve as waterfront lifeguard teaching swimming and boating on the lake.  Provide additional program support throughout the day.  Waterfront lifeguard certification and small craft certification will be provided. Must be a strong swimmer. 

• Waterfront Lifeguard Leader (age 21+ with past lifeguard experience): Serve as Waterfront Lifeguard Counselor with additional responsibilities. Accountable for overall success of waterfront activity, including coordinating lifeguards, developing program plan, maintaining spaces and equipment, and engaging groups of campers throughout the day.  Waterfront lifeguard certification and small craft certification will be provided. Must be a strong swimmer with lifeguard experience. 

• Activity Counselor Leader (age 18+ with relevant certification): Serve as a counselor with additional responsibility for overseeing activities such as crafts, target sports, badge work, etc. which includes developing and implementing a program plan, maintaining spaces and equipment, coordinating up to 6 counselors, and engaging groups of campers throughout the day. Activities may include target sports, fun and games, crafts, badgework, etc. Prior experience in the assigned activity is required to ensure a high-quality experience for campers. 

Must abstain from:  

• Use of tobacco products, herbal intoxicants (CBD, THC, gummies, etc.), vaping and electronic cigarettes, alcohol, illegal drugs, firearms, and fireworks while on camp property or while on duty, plus abstain from possessing on camp property and from returning to camp under the influence of any such substances  

• Use of explicit language or harmful language  

• Volatile expressions of emotion  

• Romantic or sexual activity on camp, no public display of affection  

• Wearing clothing that features alcohol, drugs, or harmful topics or language  

• Sharing or discussing private, adult issues with campers  

• Using (engaging with) cell phone while on duty (Counselor phones can be kept in administrative building and used during scheduled staff break time away from campers, plus we have a radio system for camp communication and emergencies) 

Our organization’s cultural values: 

• We are relevant. 

• We strive for equity. 

• We put our stakeholders first. 

• We collaborate to get the best results. 

• We own our work. 

Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas is an equal opportunity employer and supports a diverse, inclusive work environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to protected characteristics, including race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or age. 

Minimum requirements: 

• Ability to eat, teach, and play respectfully and fruitfully with diverse staff and campers all day, with limited privacy and personal time 

• Willingness to live in camp setting with exposure to wildlife, including bugs, spiders, and snakes 

• Willingness to be active outdoors all day in variable weather conditions (high heat over 100°F/38°C, high humidity, rain, wind, possible tornadoes) and to walk extensively around camp 

• Willingness to role model respect, positivity, smiling, cheerfulness, kindness, patience, honesty, inclusion, good mental hygiene, and accountability and to self-regulate emotions respectfully in a variety of circumstances 

• Willingness to listen to, learn from, and cooperate with others 

• Willingness to embrace a simple living environment while staying on camp 

• Ability to work long hours all day and all week with possible need to respond to campers / emergencies overnight (staff get personal breaktime each day)

• Ability to complete full term (all weeks) of camp agreement 

• Demonstrate and promote a climate of courtesy, respect and professionalism to coworkers, the volunteers served by this council, and others with whom this job puts them in contact 

• Upon employment, employee must register as an adult member in the Girl Scout organization and subscribe to the tenets of the Girl Scout Promise and Law 

• Attendance is an essential job requirement defined as having regular, consistent, reliable, punctual and predictable attendance including the ability to work regular hours and shifts, before and after hours, and on weekends, when required 

• Must complete and pass a criminal background check 

Preferred qualifications: 

• Experience serving youth in a work or volunteer setting 

• Experience attending summer camp or going camping 

• Current certifications appreciated in any of the following: first aid and CPR, lifeguarding, ropes course, archery, or fishing 

• Counselors, ages 16-17, are preferred to have prior experience at Girl Scout camp, either as a camper, CIT (Counselor-in-Training), WIT (Wrangler-in-Training), or at other summer camps. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Use of hands or fingers to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. Ability to reach with hands and arms, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. Ability to work both indoors and outdoors. Significant sitting, standing, physical activity, and ability to walk extensively around a large camp property (1,300 acres). Must be able to withstand prolonged work hours. Must be able to thrive in an environment with regular exposure to large groups of youth and high noise levels. Ability to lift and carry and/or move up to 45 pounds.