Good morning 🐣

I am announcing with great relief that the culprit for this week’s disappearances and countless broken windows, Jason Voorhees, has finally been caught and killed. That he was a former camper here at Crystal Lake saddens all of our hearts.

Now I’m not superstitious — today is Friday the 13th after all — but I think it’s safe to say that everything should be smoooooooth sailing from here on ou— NOPE, nope; it looks like there’s a copycat killer on the loose. Sorry, folks. Them’s the breaks, as they say. I guess this is what I get for trying to reopen what the locals all call Camp Blood. You think you’re doing the right thing, just trying to make a difference in kids’ lives, but then you get hedge clippers straight through your eyes.

Which leads us to today’s topic: conflict resolution.

As camp counselors, we will all be called upon at one time or another to be moderators between arguing children, arguing counselors, murderous psychopaths… you name it!

Maybe you’ve been assigned some troubled youth. Or maybe you’re being attacked in an outhouse. Or maybe that cute counselor just doesn’t want to sleep with you.

Today we’ll cover effective ways to set boundaries and communicate one-on-one.

You know, it’s probably easiest if we just role play a little scenario: Let’s say you’re chopping wood. That’s a hard job! Exhausting both mentally and physically. Not to mention everyone’s depending on you so they can stay warm at night. Or maybe it’s the big bonfire tonight. That’s a huge responsibility. You might even be taking all your personal frustrations out on that log. There’s a lot going on up in that big silent head of yours as you’re swinging away with an axe. But when someone comes up to you and offers you some chocolate, do you lay all that anger and frustration out on them? No! Rather than lashing out and murdering them, just say, “Thank you for the candy.” A little kindness goes a long way. (And helps with the legal bills!)

Another outlet can be karate. It’s a great way to center yourself, maximize your gains, and throw any annoying townies into leglocks. We’ll definitely be learning some basics today, especially with everything that’s been going on around here lately.

The ultimate goal here is to have good, safe fun. At Camp Crystal Lake, we’re family. And we should all be able to sit around the dinner table, look each other in the eyes, and honestly say, “I’m not the killer.”

As this is the last day of Orientation Week, I look forward to seeing all your shining faces (at least the ones that aren’t mangled beyond recognition) as the campers come streaming in. It’s you who will make a difference in their lives.

And don’t forget about the Open House later this year in October. It looks like that will be during another Friday the 13th, which I’m sure will go just fine.

Until next time! 🌲

p.s. Happy Birthday, Mom!