Staff Citations – The Early Years
By Pati Egan
One award that has withstood the test of time is Staff Citations. These awards have undergone changes but are still valued by the staff who receive them. These citations were introduced in 1972. There were three awards:
These awards were created off of fabric trim bolts.
Camper’s Choice – three staff were awarded this every week. The Program Director created a ballot and each camper received one after dinner on Friday night. The camper voted for one Unit Leader and one General Staff. Approximately 400 ballots had to quickly be counted by the Program Director and a few other staff. The award was presented at the closing campfire every week.
Camper’s Choice Ballot. One flaw in the Unit Leader portion is that some units had 40 Campers and some as low as 30. The Unit Leaders in larger units have a distinct advantage over other staff.
Department Citations were originally nominated by the head of each department – originally that consisted of the Food Service Director, the Aquatics Director, the Equestrian Director, the Field Sports Director, and the Ordnance Director. This was probably the most infrequently given award. It usually went to someone who was not eligible for a promotion (they may have gotten one already that summer).
The Administrative Citation was only given to those who were Department Heads or Directors. This was the rarest award.
Benefits of Earning These Rewards
According to the Staff Manual, published in 1972, other than recognition for a job well done one could accumulate them over the years and work on a trip.
The Camper’s Choice Award was dropped around 1993. A Citation is still in use. The award is a pin the staff member can wear on their uniform shirt.
Volunteers were not eligible for any awards in the beginning. So many Staff Alumni volunteer that this group has been included.
It’s nice to get recognition but that is a minor reason to work at Camp. Young adults do it to make a difference in a child’s life. They have no idea what positive difference they make.
Click here to learn more about Camp Ondessonk’s Mission and History.