The Camp Mom here at Starlight is an extremely important person for our junior campers, especially the youngest boys. She is someone who checks that the children are taking care of their personal hygiene, applying lots of sunscreen and getting the clippers out to cut their nails when they need it. She’s the person who unpacks campers’ bags prior to arrival and helps out in the bunks on an ongoing basis with cleaning and tidying. Sure, counselors are there every day doing a great job at keeping on top of it all, but there’s nobody like a mom to make sure that things are being done really well. It’s not just about the practical things though – Camp Mom is your friend and someone who you can go to just to talk. She’s the one who helps you make healthy choices in the dining hall. She’s the one who personally says goodnight to each junior boy every evening. She’s the person who ensures that every child has the support they need, but also allows them to explore the independence that being at camp offers them.
It’s a big job, and this year we’re very happy to have Rusty as our Camp Mom. This is Rusty’s first year at Camp Starlight, although she joins us with sixteen years’ experience at sleep-away camp. She has two sons of her own, and lives in Long Island with her husband, Tom, and her dog, Sophie. When she’s not at camp she is Director of a Not for Profit camp which runs a kids club that meets year round. She also loves to run and has completed eight marathons in the last eight years and she’s hoping to get to ten – running around after all these campers will surely help!
Tags: Camp Mom, first year at summer camp, role of camp mom at sleepaway camp, support for first time campers
