Cabrillo Youth Center

Staff Guide

3000 Shoshonean Road

San Pedro, CA 90731

(310) 831-1984

www.cabrilloyouthcamp.org

Serving the youth of our communities through education, preservation, and recreation

Welcome to the Cabrillo Youth Center as a staff member! You are joining a select group that is expected to demonstrate enthusiasm and personal self-presence while working with youth. Your success as an individual staff member is extremely important to the entire Center’s operation. Your approach to the job, attitude, and skills will determine the kind and quality of experience the youth will have at the Center.

This guide is prepared to help you in your job—but it is only a guide. It doesn’t contain spirit, attitude, patience, or self-presentation (which only you can demonstrate). Join us in offering another outstanding season serving youth at the camp!

Pamela Craft, Center Director

INTRODUCTION/HISTORY/PURPOSE OF CABRILLO YOUTH CENTER

WELCOME to the Cabrillo Youth Center—a one-of-a-kind, youth, aquatic center. Our goals are to provide unique aquatics and camping experiences for the youth of Southern California and, in turn, give youth self-confidence by exposing them to water safety, rescue methods, care and use of equipment, and physical fitness.

Our History

The Los Angeles Area Council, Boy Scouts of America originally leased our property in 1946, shortly after World War II. Located at the base of the cliffs directly below Fort MacArthur, Cabrillo Camp, as it was then known, catered to both Scouts and other youth groups. Cabrillo Camp was a primitive facility with old military Quonset huts and portable trailers.

In the late 70s/early 80s, the Port of Los Angeles granted the Los Angeles Area Council a long-term lease. In 1987, the Spielberg Center opened its gates with the swimming pool, campgrounds, dining area, craft center, Scout Shop, staff quarters, boat house and amphitheater that are present today. The facility is 12.3 acres and the building is 25,000 square feet of Spanish and Mediterranean architecture.

Our facility is available for conferences, camping, day camps, field trips, retreats, banquets, and Boy Scout, Cub Scout, and Girl Scout badge classes. The maximum capacity is 265 people. Our food service center/multi-purpose room will seat 140 for dining and 200 for assemblies. Our center is equipped with ramps and outdoor walkways designed to meet the special needs of physically challenged youth and adults.

Weekend camping fees include: Meals(breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Saturday, and breakfast on Sunday), boating instruction and boating activities on Saturday and Sunday morning, camping Friday and Saturday nights (campers bring their own tents), and use of the swimming pool all day Saturday and Sunday morning. There is an additional fee for craft materials at the handicraft center.

The center is located on the ocean and is a place where youth and adults can have fun learning about aquatics, crafts, camping, and themselves. We believe aquatics and camping are important in the development of physical strength, coordination, teamwork, and discipline. Our center serves any non-profit youth group (i.e., Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Clubs, churches, schools/colleges, synagogues, YMCA/YWCA groups, or any other youth-based organizations with the proper insurance liability waiver in place.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF ALL STAFF

  1. Be mindful that your primary responsibility is to be of service of campers.
  2. Assist in the opening and closing of the center. Check with your supervisor before leaving for lunch or at the end of the day to make sure help isn’t needed elsewhere.
  3. Perform specific duties as assigned by your supervisor.
  4. Perform duties assigned by the Camp Director, Program/Aquatics Director, or other authorized member of the staff.
  5. Be five minutes early at all times to duty stations and to all activities. This includes being on time (by being five minutes early) at the beginning of your shift, from breaks, and when you’re asked to report to a different area of the camp.
  6. Assume personal responsibility for complying with camp policy and local regulations.
  7. Keep your appearance presentable and arrive to work in uniform.
  8. Take proper care of camp equipment and areas. We are a non-profit youth facility and the equipment you work with is expensive. Small expenses equal one big expense. Please let your supervisor know about any problems with equipment.
  9. Participate in staff meetings and share ideas for continual improvement of camp program. You are at the frontline with the campers so be willing to listen for ideas.

POLICIES/RULES/PROCEDURES

CERTIFICATIONS: All employees must be certified in CPR and First Aid. Lifeguards must be certified as lifeguards. If you are certified by the Center, you will be required to give 40 hours of paid service to compensate the center for the time and certificates. Failure to serve the 40 hours will result in owing the center a prorated amount of $150 certification fee for lifeguards; and $70 fee for all other staff (as of March, 2012. Fees may change unannounced.)

WAGES: Wages are paid twice a month—on the 15th and the last day of the month. If the payday falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, the payday will be on the preceding weekday. Checks will be ready to pick up AFTER 2 pm on payday. All employees are responsible for making sure their paychecks are correct. If you suspect a problem, please see the Center Director for clarification or correction. No paycheck will be released to any other person besides the payee without written permission from the payee. Direct deposit is available. Please see the Center Director for more information.

CONDUCT: Staff must agree that, while in the employment of Learning for Life/Boy Scouts of America, they will adjust their personal habits, language, and actions to the customs, policies, and ideals of the center and Learning for Life/Boy Scouts of America. Illegal, immoral, or other activities generally considered as unacceptable by society also have no place in the camp setting. WHILE WORKING AT CAMP, USE GOOD LANGUAGE AND MANNERS AND DISCUSS PERSONAL BUSINESS DURING TIME OFF. Smoking is not allowed on camp.

PERSONAL HYGIENE/UNIFORMS/PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE: Many campers (particularly the adults) will judge us by how we look. All staff members need to arrive in clean work clothes. Those employees who have bizarre or unusual hair, visible piercing, tattoos which may be deemed “inappropriate” at the center’s discretion, or an unclean uniform will be asked to correct the problem. This may include but is not limited to wearing a long-sleeved uniform shirt (provided if asked for), wearing a cap, removal of piercing(s), and covering up tattoos. All staff will be issued a staff shirt. Lifeguard staff will wear red shorts (purchased by the staff member under the following guidelines: solid red with no names or decorations). Required footwear for lifeguards: water shoes/boots, flip-flops, old athletic shoes, or sandals. Be ready to get your feet wet even if you are working at the pool. Shirts and shoes must be worn at all times while working at the waterfront. Lifeguards at the pool may take their shoes and shirts off. Whistles are a part of the lifeguard uniform and must be worn at all times (provided to you by the center.) Sunglasses and sunscreen are highly recommended. Kitchen staff MUST wear closed-toe shoes, pants, and aprons. Hair must be restrained per SafeServ guidelines. All staff should be professional in attitude and appearance.

WORK SCHEDULE/TIME OFF/VACATION/ILLNESS: Workers are expected to give high quality of service requirement judgment, creative thinking, and professional discipline. Part-time staff members are hired to work when needed, especially on the weekends, and week days especially during the summer months.

Schedule requests are due to the program director by the 15th of the month for the next month. No schedule request will result in no hours. Work schedules will be posted in the office by the last weekend of the month for the following month. It is your responsibility to check your work schedule. If there is a problem with your posted schedule or something comes up and you will not be able to make your shift, it is your responsibility to notify the program director (via cell phone, text message and/or email) and then the camp director on the camp phone [(310) 831-1984] AS SOON AS POSSIBLE so that your shift can be covered. DO NOT HAVE SOMEONE CALL FOR YOU. All changes in your submitted schedule requests need to be done in writing as soon as possible. With the exception of center-planned weekends off and time off approved by your supervisor, staff members are expected to be available for work every weekend. Employees who routinely call off shift may be dismissed.

Work hours will be given in the order of seniority and based upon levels of training with more senior staff being given more work hours. Employees who are off-duty need to leave the premises or if they are on break, they need to be in designated break areas. They should not be socializing with other employees on duty in their duty areas.

CENTER PROPERTY: Buildings, equipment, pool, etc., are owned and operated by the Los Angeles Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, Learning for Life Division. Full-time staff oversees the property and are responsible for maintaining the structures and property, and for enforcing the policies and procedures of the council and the youth center.

The resources of the camp are available to the staff during down time but only when staff use will not interfere with the scheduled groups and when approved by the Center Director. Staff members are not allowed to use aquatic equipment alone. We are not responsible for any injuries on down time.

Whether using center equipment for personal fun/exercise or during scheduled work, cleaning and storing the equipment will be the staff member’s responsibility. When groups are scheduled, youth and leaders will assist in clean up and storage of equipment under your supervision.

Camp vehicles such as the motorboat and camp truck may only be driven by those 18+ with a valid California Driver’s License and who have been trained, tested, and approved by the Program Director, Center Director, or designee.

The center has housing areas for live-in staff. These quarters are considered permanent housing and are not for use by employees for showers, lounging, or break areas.

VISITORS: Any visitors (non registered campers—not wearing a wristband) for campers will be asked to report to the main office if seen on the campground or in the program areas. If allowed to be on the grounds by the office staff, the visitor must be wearing a green wristband. They are not allowed to participate in any activities. Staff may not have visitors at any time.

INTRUDERS: People do try to enter the facility’s camping areas by boat, climbing over the rocks, and through the center’s parking lot and building structure. Our waterfront area (inside the buoys) is restricted from other boats and the rocks are off limits to all people including campers. If there is an intruder, explain nicely that this is a private beach area for registered non-profit youth groups and direct them to the proper exit (not back up the rocks if that’s the way they came.) If you are uncomfortable with this, the person(s) do not speak English, or they do not leave after being told once, immediately radio the office with a description of the trespassers and the Port Police will be called. Do not get into a confrontation with the people. Just call the main office and let the Port Police handle it.

DISCIPLINING CAMPERS: Under no circumstances will staff engage in disciplinary action against campers. Staff members must remember to keep clear of confrontations with supervisors and other staff. To engage in this behavior may result in disciplinary action for you including and up to dismissal. All behavioral problems should be reported to your supervisor. The supervisor will notify the youth’s leader and disciplinary action will be up to them. Any observation of mistreatment of any kind to a youth camper—regardless of whether it is the child’s parent, leader, or another camper—should be reported immediately to your supervisor. It is important to remember that, as an employee, care and tact must be used when dealing with youth and their parents or leaders. Youth protection policies will be discussed at staff training.

FRATERNIZATION WITH CAMPERS: Staff members will not mingle or socialize with campers. We are here to protect, feed, and help the campers while they learn and have fun. Unless it is an activity organized by the center, staff will not play games with campers. Unless there is a medical problem, staff will not enter campsites. Unless you are assisting with instruction or treating a medical problem, NEVER put your hands on a camper. If treating a medical situation, ALWAYS have another adult in the room at all times. NEVER BE ALONE WITH A CAMPER! The only relationship staff members will have with campers is on a professional basis and only during scheduled work time. If they ask anything personal of you, simply reply, “I am not allowed to give out that information.”

MEALS: When meals are served in the dining area for campers, staff may eat for free. The staff must wait at the end of the line and will be fed the same amount and choices as the campers. Only kitchen staff is allowed in the kitchen during the serving of meals. Meals may be eaten in the dining hall or in the designated staff lounge. If the staff lounge is a mess after meals are eaten in there, then meals will only be eaten in the dining hall. Lifeguard lunch break is usually 11:30 to 12:50. Craft center staff lunch is noon to 12:50 pm. Kitchen staff will eat at their assigned times based upon their shift.