Camp Four Winds Western Ho
May 14, 2013
Orcas Island, WA
Jack and I have been working at Camp Seymour and in one place for about 2 months now. Although it is nice to be making some money and consistently knowing where we are going to sleep, we were getting the itch to visit some more camps and get back on the road. We contacted Paul Sheridan from Camp Four Winds on Orcas Island, a camp that is about 4 hours away from where we are in Washington. Camp Four Winds is an Independent non-profit camp; Jack had watched Paul talk on the Camp Hacker Podcast about Camp Culture and was intrigued by Paul’s views and passion. The Camp is stunning, it is surrounded by the teal blue of the Puget Sound and as we walked along the shore I couldn’t stop snapping pictures of the iconic Madrona trees as they bend and flex over the shoreline. My favorite part of the visit was when Paul sat with us on a beautiful hand carved bench over-looking the boats and the distant islands to share with us what it takes to create a culture at camp that can withstand anything that the summer throws at it. The pride and trust in his staff and the program he runs was invigorating to listen to. Paul also readily gave us some advice about where we are in our camping carriers. He advised us to stay in the seasonal job scene for as long as we can survive without healthcare, to take the good job while we are looking for the great one, and if we want to coach in the NFL and a job to coach the Chiefs opens in Kansas to take it even if Kansas even if you grew up in Seattle a Seahawks fan, just to get in the game. Leaving the bench we felt rejuvenated and ready to play. Walking through the rest of camp we noticed the subtle flowers intricately placed in the corners and under the roofs of the buildings. Now working for the Y, we are pruned to notice the brand standards and are the first to say that having a crispy brand can make a big difference. The flowers and the cottage like buildings give a gypsy, free, fun loving feel to camp. It was refreshing after being bombarded by the monotony of Cachet bold.-Laura