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by Rick Stryker, P.E.
Isn't it amazing how imaginative TV producers can take a simple
expression like that and make a multi-million dollar
game show? I confess that as an engineer, I'd like to think that
I'm that creative,
but I'm just not. Otherwise, I'd be a multi-millionaire
TV producer . . . . Speaking of common expressions,
there's another
that comes to mind this time of year: Only a fool
learns from his own mistakes. The remote nature
of the camp community seems to breed an insular environment, not unlike
the AT&T "dead
zone" commercials
where folks go in and never come out. But the American
Camp Association (ACA) has been working hard over
the past decade or more to combat that through a host of venues and
outlets. ACA membership provides access to a number of bulletin boards
and networking opportunities to help camp professionals escape the "dead
zone," with
topics ranging from program management to innovation,
accreditation, and job opportunities. Believe it or not, there are even
several sections devoted to facilities management and operations!
Ask
any owner or executive, and they'll
tell you that food service and facilities folks
are a bit different from the program and operations
staff. Not better or worse, but simply different.
And though they can log in to a bulletin board or Web site chat room,
facilities and food service staff are more often doers than readers.
Their knowledge of and expertise in service to the staff and guests
of camp lends itself better to hands-on learning than to reading a Web
site or book or sitting in a workshop. When the snow's melting
and the organization is really getting rolling
is the perfect time for those folks to get to school
of some sort. This month, we're going
to look at some opportunities for those groups
to "go to school" and
learn from the mistakes of others.
Formal Certifications
Swimming Pools
Many programs require specialized
facilities like swimming pools, and every state
with which I am aware requires the pool operator
to attend, pass, and be certified to run a swimming pool safely. Whether
camp hires summer staff to "run" the
pool, there is substantial overlap between operations and maintenance.
Many maintenance staff understand and manage the mechanics of pumps
and filters without having the in-depth knowledge of how their work
affects the "swimmability" and
function of the pool. At the same time, summer
staff who have the paper certification about testing
and chemistry, often don't understand
the mechanics of the [probably] unique system that
serves their pool. By certifying both the year-round
and seasonal staff, your knowledge base for problem solving and trouble
shooting is more than doubled. Moreover, this provides much scheduling
flexibility since neither individual is completely tied to the facility
without hope of relief. Such certifications are offered by organizations
such as the National Swimming Pool Foundation (www.nspf.org). Your county
health department should also be able to tell you where courses are
being held, who sponsors them, and how to get registered.
Water Supply/Wastewater
Disposal Facilities
Swimming pools aren't the only
facilities that have certification classes available. Among
others, water supply and wastewater disposal facilities
require certifications courses to provide them the knowledge to safely
operate those facilities and comply with the applicable regulations.
And though many organizations contract out the operations' functions
along with the testing requirements, it makes much,
much sense (and many "cents"!) to have someone on the staff
who has at the very least completed the most basic
courses associated with these functions. The Water
Environment Federation (www.wef.org/Home); the American Society of Civil
Engineers (www.asce. org); and your state department of environmental
regulation all can direct you to affordable, accessible training and
certification programs which will help to ensure that there are several
people watching out for your property's most expensive and show-stopping
facilities.
Food Service
The food service community can't be left
out here, because there are many opportunities
for them also. Most organizations are familiar
with ServSafe (www.servsafe.com), with a home page containing links
to not less than seven other affiliated food-service organizations
including the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
(www.nraef.org/). Moreover, most state universities have departments
which offer short courses and correspondence opportunities. To find
the best ones in your area, begin at your state university Web site
(for example, I'd go to Penn State (www.psu.edu/), and search "extension
education," "food science," and "hotel, restaurant,
and institutional management." Each of these departments offers
education that would more than pay for itself very
quickly.
Conferences and Gatherings
And then there are the conferences.
Each of the previously mentioned organizations
has conferences where training and certificate
programs are offered along with informational seminars and workshops.
Although the ones not associated with camp can be quite pricey, there
are several ways to reduce the direct cost of attending. For one, membership
in the organization substantially reduces the cost of attending, and
for non-utility organizations like camps, the membership cost is typically
very, very low. For nonprofits, it can be very affordable. And like
the credit card commercial says, "Membership
has its privileges." Each of the trade/service organizations also
has a bookstore with resources for its members, often these aren't
available anywhere else. A little bit of research on the Internet will
go a long way toward helping you find which ones have the right benefits
for you and your organization.
But our own camp community has opportunities
that don't see enough of the facilities staff.
For example, I've been told by many, many facilities and food-service
professionals that their organization won't send them to the National
ACA gathering because there's "nothing for them there." What a shame!
Many of those executives and owners bemoan the poor cooperation, and
an "us and them" mentality. This fosters a lack of understanding
between the facilities and programs' staff and does nothing to
promote a smooth-running organization.
The national conference is a
wonderful opportunity for facilities and food service
staff to interact with others in their field as well as the folks from
their own camp. Moreover, when both "sides" attend the same presentation
together and then compare notes afterward, they begin with a common
starting point that they can use to better understand the other's
perspective and approach. And the national conference is not the only
opportunity like that. The Tri-State conference, held in Atlantic City
each year is sponsored by several local ACA offices (New York, New Jersey,
and Keystone). Their multi-day extravaganza includes an enormous exhibit
hall where vendors often sell at a discount their facilities enhancements
(like inflatable water attractions, water slides, and challenge courses),
as well as food suppliers and consumables. More than once, I've
heard someone say, "I should have brought so-and-so along! They
know all about [whatever it is], and then I'd feel much more comfortable
buying."
On the other side of that issue, I've also read
on one of the aforementioned bulletin boards about
someone who purchased an attraction without consulting their facility
staff, and days before delivery was wondering about the logistics, operations,
and costs associated with it. True, the buyer might have been talked
out of the purchase altogether. But then again, maybe he would have
just slept better knowing that he'd taken counsel with someone who would
be on the spot to "make it happen" when the time came.
The challenge course
industry has its own conference each year, with
the 2009 conference having been held in Houston
in late January (www.acctinfo.org/displayconvention.cfm). Although many
of the topics presented there are specific to the operation of the challenge
courses, it also listed several useful hands-on sessions and forums
that could be most helpful for any facilities professional.
Finally, and I've saved the best for
last, one of the best kept secrets of the camp
community is the annual conferences for Food Service
and Maintenance. It's held in mid March each year at YMCA Camp Chingachgook
on Lake George. This year, the Food Service conference runs March 10 – 12,
and the Maintenance Conference is March 24 – 26
(www.cdymca.org/special_events/main_calendar.asp).
The staff and organizers go out of their way to make the events meaningful
and time and money well spent. I have participated with the maintenance
portion of this gathering for a number of years and have learned every
bit as much as I've shared. Frankly, I think it is so much of a "don't
miss" event that I'm paying the registration fee for several
lucky folks. There are a couple of conditions,
though. First, the offer covers the registration for the caller only.
You can't get four of your buddies registered for free with one call,
and the other expenses (like travel and lodging) are still on you. Next,
only first-time attendees are eligible. The registrar will make her
list (and check it twice!) to confirm. Finally, it's only for the first
five people to register and mention this article. To make it really
fair, if you don't have Internet access, call me, and I'll give you
the contact information. If you're not fortunate enough to be a lucky
winner, don't let that stop you from attending. Get to an event somewhere
that makes you better at what you do, and improves your facility by
association. Everyone has something to learn, and there are a zillion
opportunities. Get out there and get smart!
Originally published in the 2009 March/April
issue of Camping Magazine.
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