To schedule a tour and meet our staff, please email us.

Moose River Outpost Staff FAQs

What are the dates during which I need to be at camp?

For summer 2021, staff training will begin on June 9th for Lifeguards and June 13th for everyone else.  If you are hired, you will receive this information via letter from the Director. If you have questions about when campers arrive and depart, please refer to the Dates & Rates page.

Can I take summer classes online while I’m at Moose River Outpost?

Regretfully, two things make this difficult. First, we’re so remote that our internet access is restricted and must be reserved for office use and minimal personal staff use. Second, counselors work long hours. Counseling at MRO is an immersive experience and there is not enough time for classes on the side. However, your camp staff experience might qualify as (all or a portion of) an internship, depending on the requirements of your program. We’re happy to explore that with you, just email Seth Coates, MRO director.

Can I do my internship at MRO?

Yes. Many college programs require internships or a practicum. Every summer we have several students on staff whose responsibilities are crafted to satisfy an internship requirement at their college. Be sure to ask our Director during the interview process if this is something you would like to pursue.

Do I need to have lots of outdoor experience in order to work at MRO?

Not necessarily. One way or another, you will finish staff training as an experienced outdoor leader. If you arrive with existing skills, this improves your chances of being hired and makes your transition easier, but it is not a “must”. A love for Jesus Christ and a desire to serve kids is the one thing you cannot do without as a staff member at MRO.

Can I bring a car to MRO?

Yes. Cars are useful on days off. You won’t be allowed to drive around camp with it, but you can use it to get around on your time off. You’ll find the commute from your cabin to the dining hall is not too bad on foot.

What should I bring with me to camp?

Once you are hired, you will be sent a packing list to help with this.

Do we get days off?

Yes, every staff member gets one day off per week. Additionally, counselors get one period per day free from camper responsibilities.

What does it mean to be accredited?

Camp Brookwoods, Deer Run, and Moose River Outpost are accredited members of the American Camp Association (ACA), Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA) and Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). We work hard to meet their requirements for membership and to earn the highest recognition with these organizations. The ACA accredits member camps every three years by qualified personnel and camp directors to determine their compliance with industry standards.

Staff Expectations for the Summer of 2021

We anticipate that you have many questions about how camp will operate safely during the summer of 2021. We will be utilizing the State of Maine guidelines for residential camps and the American Camp Association’s Field Guide for Camps on Implementation of CDC Guidance. These documents will help us develop safe and healthy programs as well as best practices for cleaning and sanitizing camp. It is important to note that both of these documents are changing often. For now, we are making plans based on the current guidelines. We sincerely hope that these guidelines can be relaxed and that some guidelines will become unnecessary by June.

Travel Restrictions

Under the current guidelines, the only way to come to camp is by personal transportation. This means that you must drive or be driven to camp. Camp will assist in airport pickups.

International Staff

Staff coming from outside the country will be subject to the same measures as staff who come from any significant distance, which includes quarantine and testing upon arrival at camp. Current International guidelines make bringing foreign campers and staff to camp difficult.

Covid-19 Testing

Staff will need to have a have at least two Covid-19 tests in order to work this summer. The first test  must be taken within 7 days prior to arrival. A negative test result must be available to arrive at camp. The second test  will be required on the day 4 of the first session.

Testing Exemption

Staff who are fully vaccinated or have had COVID within 90 days prior to camp, will not need to be tested.  Please provide appropriate documentation upon arrival at camp.

Daily Screening

Camp will conduct daily screenings of all staff and campers. This screening will include temperature checks and questions concerning the individual’s health to determine the absence of Covid-19 symptoms.

What will happen if a camper or staff member tests positive for Covid-19 while at camp?

We are developing our protocols to prevent COVID-19 exposure at camp this summer. However, if a camper or staff member is diagnosed with COVID-19 during their time at camp, they will immediately be isolated and, per state guidelines, and have to go home. This is challenging for campers or staff coming from considerable distance. Moose River Outpost has designated space in camp for quarantine of campers and staff if needed. If a camper or staff member tests positive for Covid-19, their cabin group (including their Counselors) will be quarantined from the camp population as they undergo a Covid-19 test and await results. The cabin group will still be able to be engaged in camp activities, but they will need to be isolated from the rest of the camp population.  

Maintaining a Bubble

Moose River Outpost will endeavor to create a Covid-19-free bubble. This will be achieved by testing and isolating from everyone who is outside of our bubble. This process impacts many aspects of the camp experience for campers and staff.

Trips

Moose River Outpost has traditionally run out-of-camp hiking and canoeing trips. We hope to continue this exciting aspect of our camp program, but we are unsure if it will be possible.

Other Off-Site Excursions

Out-of-camp public access trips will not be possible this summer. Our goal will be to create a healthy “bubble” at camp and to interact with those outside of our bubble as little as possible.

Visitors

Camp will not be able to allow visitors this summer. This includes parents, friends and alumni. We cannot risk introducing Covid-19 into our camp population and bursting the “Covid-19 Free Bubble”.

Staff Leaving Early

It is our hope that you will stay for the duration of your summer agreement. Replacing staff after the start of the summer is very difficult due to the Covid-19 regulations.

Day Offs

Staff dayoff practices, involving time out of camp, will be discussed during staff training.  You will be able to leave camp using some basic guidelines to minimize exposure.

Camp Activities

We are confident that we can operate all of our camp activities safely by following the American Camp Association’s Field Guide for Camps on Implementation of CDC Guidance. A great deal of cleaning and sanitizing needs to happen in certain activities. So, time will be built in to the schedule to allow for this to happen effectively.

Cleaning/Sanitizing

Routine cleaning will be enhanced with extra time sanitizing equipment and surfaces. Your help will be needed to keep camp clean and sanitized this summer!

Dining Hall

Campers will be encouraged to sit in the same seats throughout their time at camp. Camper and staff will use hand sanitizer before entering the Dining Hall and wear masks whenever they are moving about. Once they are at their table, they may take off their mask. Meals will be served family style or cafeteria style. Many meals may also be served outside to allow for great social distancing. The quality of camp meals will not be negatively impacted by these changes and staff who have dietary restrictions will still be cared for appropriately.

WILD

Our desire is to run safe, life-changing leadership development programs this summer. The experience may need to be altered in order to comply with state guidelines. This may mean that we will limit trips out of camp, allow for WILD participants to spend any time in a camper cabin, or allow WILD participants to connect freely with the camp population without proper social distancing measures in place.

Mask Wearing

We only anticipate needing masks if cabin groups are mixed, indoors, and cannot maintain safe distance from one another.

Have another question?