How to Program Leader

WAYS TO BE IN THE CABIN

Be a visible presence early on and visit often, so the kids and SLs get used to you being around and don’t feel like they’re being watched when you are there.
On Sunday:
— Introduce yourself once the kids are there and explain who you are and that you’ll be popping in all week long to visit the cabin – establish the SLs as leaders, though.
— Read or tell a story or sing a song for the cabin at bedtime.
This is good any night, but especially Sunday, since the SLs go to bed at the same time as the kids, so this way they get to enjoy it to.
During cabin time:
    — Bring bunk tag making supplies early in the week and stay to make one too.
    — Teach a game and then blend into the group and let the SL take over and lead.
    — Hangout in the corner pretending to need a place to warm up or get out of the rain for a minute and use that time to write notes to your SLs.
    — Be there during skit making (you can subtly help facilitate it if the SLs need the help or be a practice audience).
    — Just hang out and chat with the kids.
Do something special with the cabin at bedtime:
    — Go on a night hike
    — Looking at the stars
    — Read or tell a story
    — Sing a song or play an instrument
    — Make sure someone else is watching the other cabins if this would normally be your job during that time.
Send SLs to social hour a bit early and do personal goodnights with the cabin – use this as an opportunity to see how the SLs are relating to their kids by asking questions like “what is something your SL does that you really like?”, or even just “how are things going in the cabin?”
Transition times:
    — Be a time reminder, but be careful not to be obnoxious or undermine your SLs by pestering them all the time, or telling their cabin to get ready when they could’ve been about to say it themselves. (Try to give your reminders to the SLs in a way that allows them to still be the leader for their kids).
    — Wait outside chatting with the kids who are ready while the SL wrangles the rest. You get to know the kids, and the SLs will have an easier time getting the rest ready with less to keep track of.
    — If cabins at your site meet up somewhere after meals before walking back to the cabins, hang out at the meeting spot and get to know the kids and walk back with them – you probably need to head to the cabins at that point anyway, so you may as well walk with a cabin and see how things are going.

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