Life at the Bay

Camp is a great place for children to get some much-needed time out from mom and dad and form relationships with other authoritative, yet not as threatening, figures: camp counselors. The role of a counselor is not only being of a guardian and caretaker, but a friend as well. Camper- counselor relationships provide long-lasting values for both parties; camp allows children the freedom to grow into independent individuals and teaches counselors teamwork, communication and responsibility. Let's take a look at the benefits of camper-counselor relationships. Counselors show campers that being an adult can be fun.  Children have many adults in their life: mom and dad, the family doctor, their teachers; they're constantly surrounded by someone who either always has something to do, stressed out from work or giving them instructions. A counselor is an adult that is also a peer to the camper. When they see an authoritative figure playing in the mud, ...

Being our in-house emergency response CPR trainer for our camp staff and counselors, a self-defence class instructor and a superhero to our planet; we caught up with League on being a mountain guide and how the rhino is his spirit animal.  From rock-climbing in Maine, leading a hike in Vietnam to being a mountain guide in upstate New York, League is definitely living up to his name by being in a league of his own.  We first set our eyes on the great adventurer in 2017 when he was a C.I.T (counselor in training). This is where we watched him transform into the great counselor he is today.  "I was extremely shy, I couldn't look people in the eye when I was speaking to them, it was really bad! Let's not even talk about public speaking!"   He exclaimed. League runs a specialized self-defence class at the Bay where he teaches campers basic moves to protect themselves. "I have been doing karate since I was 3 ye...

"Tea- making is a form of meditation for me, nothing is on my mind except the smell of the herbs, the different textures and the outcome of the different herb combinations." His love for tea began with a birthday tradition his mom started, where he found himself receiving a cup of tea on the night before and the morning of his birthday. "My mom always wanted to make me the last cup of tea of the age I was, and the first cup of the age I was turning. I can safely say my mom is my inspiration when it comes to tea-making." He shared. When introducing his tea-making at Sugar Bay as a specialized class, he was inflicted with doubts of whether campers would want to take part.  "When I first advertised my class, no-one came and I was so bummed about it. About twenty minutes later, three kids came up to me and asked if we could make some tea. That's when I knew my tea-making class was not just about teaching kids how to make tea; but it was ...

"I came to Sugar Bay as a fresh young kid at 19, I had to grow up very quickly and camp was the right place to be because it taught me responsibility. I also gained skill sets that would help me in my future endeavours." Working as a radio host on 5fm on the afternoon drive (weekdays 3-6pm) and presenting a T.V game show, Msizi James explains how his time at Sugar Bay has helped in growing his character and preparing him for his career. We caught up with Msizi, popularly known as TGIF, on his humble beginnings at the Bay and how he had a hand in the building of the climbing wall at Sugar Bay. 1. What's the craziest, messiest, most mind-boggling thing have you have ever done or been done to you at the Bay? "The messiest thing that ever happened at the bay always involved special loans and a legendary counselor named Chana. If it was your birthday, he would make you a toxic cocktail of whatever was around and you had to drink it to get the (staff) part...

Ever wondered why our counselors have super cool nicknames? Well besides it being exciting having a name that suits your personality, campers also love it; even parents think it's quite neat! After all, it's easier to distinguish between Moonwalk and Spook than Josh and Josh. We have 5 popular types of counselor personalities we get to see around camp, what category do you fall under? Fireball:  If the name isn't already a hint that this type of counselor is the life of the party, you will definitely feel it on your first encounter with them. Besides illuminating a room with just their presence, they're also Mr. Funny Guy, throwing in banter and playing on words. Campers love these counselors; from the random fun facts on Marvel movies to the grand speeches on ocean life. Harmony:  This counselor is the designated fairy godmother at camp. Usually creative, they inspire and cultivate talents around camp with their nurturing personality. Bri...

We sat down with the Sugar Bay surfing PC (Pro Counselor), Smiles, on his surfing journey and who he thinks would win in a fight between Steven Seagal and Jean Claude van Damme. Real name Grant Anderson, was born in Johannesburg, Gauteng and went to North Cliff primary school before the Anderson tribe moved to sunny Durban in 2009. The surfing bug bit him at just 10 years old and he has never looked back. As a past camper at the Bay, he loved the positive influence the counselors had on him. "I felt like I could be myself, I was exposed to the one thing I love most in the world and I was surrounded by the most amazing people." Wanting to shine that light on someone else, in 2016, he joined our C.I.T (Counselors in Training) course where he had goals to become the surfing PC and the counselor he had always wanted to be.   What's your favourite part about teaching children how to surf?  "Just being able to share my passion with som...

We caught up with one of Sugar Bay’s very first counselors, “Hoova”, formally known as Baden Dowie. Hoover was with us for seven years and helped turn the Sugar Bay dream, into a reality. This fun and fantastic counselor is now happily married for seven years to Catherine Dowie, and they are parents to three children; Jack (4), Mackenzie (2) and Ewan (6 months).    Q & A with Hoova – Baden Dowie 1. How did your journey at camp begin? “ I arrived at Nic and Zoe’s home one rainy Sunday morning in March 2001. I turned up with a backpack, guitar and in an insecure, playful, bold and nervous twenty-year-old body. However, so excited to be part of building South Africa's first American styled children's holiday camp. Sugar Bay was just a construction site when I arrived; there was only an empty hall, steal frame structures, no pool, no grass on the sports field and no cabins either. I was privileged to have seen camp in its early stage. I worked at camp full time fr...

  Named after the city of love and beauty… is our lover-of-pink and pretty camp Programmer, Paris!      Paris has been at Sugar Bay for 5 years.    Yes! That's half a decade!      She started of as a counselor in August 2011, worked her way up to become the first ever Arts & Crafts Instructor and then got promoted to Camp Programmer a year later.    Paris's favourite Sugar Bay activity is sea swim. She enjoys sea swim because it doesn't require any specialized equipment. “All you need is your costume and to head down to the beach. It's so much fun splashing around in the waves!” she said.    Our “pretty in pink” programmer's favourite camp food is fish and chips.    We asked Paris “What's the one thing people don't know about you?”   She replied: “I may look like a Princess, but I love getting down and dirty playing soccer and riding...

Not all people were made to sit behind a desk, in front of a computer screen all day. Some people actually prefer being hands on in a casual and dynamic environment. For these non-corporate souls, one of the most suited job options would be to work as a camp counselor. A camp counselor is usually an adult supervisor assigned to a group of campers at a holiday camp. The roles of a camp counselor include leadership, supervision, and ensuring campers' well-being, as well as making their camp experience as fun and rewarding as possible.    Besides allowing people to earn an income in a casual and fun environment, there are many other long-term benefits that being a camp counselor has to offer.    Here are five benefits of working as a camp counselor:    1. You gain and improve on leadership skills   Camp counselors are always leading; physically, in day-to-day activities, and mentally, through strategies implemented to ensure the smooth ru...

  Taking a “gap year” has become a popular term among high school graduates. A “gap year” is an extended study leave before a student begins tertiary education, and is intended to give students more time to figure out what career/ degree they would like to pursue. Many school leavers have decided to work as a camp counselor at Sugar Bay during their gap year to reap the benefits that come with the job. Camp counselors have the opportunity to earn an income without sitting in an office all day. This job appeals to many young adults, because of the casual and fun working environment, as well as the travel opportunities it opens up to work at international summer camps.      Besides supervising & mentoring children, the job requires counselors to be playful, social, active and enjoy the beach & outdoors. Further perks include accommodation, food and the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. Students who are between 18 and 28 ...