Staff Application Fact Sheet

This brief fact sheet is provided to answer some of the most common questions regarding the Lair of the Golden Bear employment opportunity. If you have any other questions please call the Lair Office at (510) 642-0221 direct, or (888) CAL-ALUM. You may also email lair@alumni.berkeley.edu.

DATES

ALL staffers are required to work for the full 2008 summer season. All Staffers are required to arrive at camp no later than Monday, June 2nd for orientation and training. ALL staffers are expected to work through Saturday August 23rd, 2008 if you are starting school the following week. All other staff are expected to work through Sunday, September 7th. The Lair may release you prior to September 7th if your services are not needed.

If you have ANY conflicts with these dates, you must tell the Staff Coordinator before or during your interview.

We will also have positions available for special weekends to be held in September. Those sessions and our special adult weeks (Club Lair and Sports and Recreation week) in early September will be staffed by both ex-staffers and by current employees, with vacant positions being filled based on the program needs.

LOCATION

Camp is located 150 miles east of Berkeley, and 30 miles east of Sonora, in the central Sierra Nevada town of Pinecrest, CA (elevation 5600 feet). The Lair consists of three camps: Camp Gold, which opened in 1949, Camp Blue, which opened in 1957, and Camp Oski, which opened in 1997. The camps are located just one half-mile from each other. All camps are located in the Stanislaus National Forest on U.S. Forest Service land.

APPLICANT NUMBERS AND SALARIES

In 2008, we expect to interview more than 125 applicants for approximately 50 vacant positions. The starting rookie "crewmember" salary for the summer of 2008 is $950 per month plus room and board. Starting rookie "director" salary is $1000 per month plus room and board. Staffers can take home more than $2000 for the summer.

WORK SCHEDULE & TIME OFF

Staffers work a 40-hour workweek, with a day-and-a-half off sometime between Sunday afternoon and Thursday night each week. On days off, staffers may leave camp at 3pm, and return to camp by 8:00am two days later.

LIVING CONDITIONS

Two to four staffers typically live together in a semi-enclosed tent-cabin in the staff area. In general, staff cabins are spartan and allow very little privacy. The climate can occasionally be cold and conditions are dusty. Meals are served family style in the Dining Hall at each camp; staffers are expected to eat with our campers at mealtimes. The staff uses community men's and women's restrooms in the staff area. Camps Blue and Gold each have 52 full-time staff, Camp Oski 28.

CAMP SAFETY

ALL staffers must be certified in CPR and AED for the entire summer. This is a condition of employment. It is recommended that you make plans early to attend an upcoming training class. First aid certification is also strongly encouraged. For lifeguard applicants, a state certification is required; W.S.I. is strongly recommended.

CAMP PREFERENCES

If you have a preference to work at one of the three camps, we will take that into consideration. However, the needs of each camp will determine at which camp you get hired to work if you are offered employment. Due to the limited number of available positions and the talents required at each camp, we are unable to make any commitments at the time of application or interview.

STAFF HANDBOOK

Guidelines and policies of the Lair of the Golden Bear are explained for hired staffers in the Staff Handbook. Violation of any policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.