YMCA Ranger Staff Training
I just finished a very busy, but very wonderful, week working with the four leaders of the Ranger Program at YMCA Camp Ockanickon & Matollionequay located in Medford, New Jersey. Monika and Jessica, and Matt and Zach, will be spending this summer leading trips that hike up a portion of the Appalachian Trail through Northeastern Pennsylvania, then paddle down the Delaware River.
So we worked together to get them certified in Wilderness First Aid (WFA), learn the fundamentals of land navigation, and develop their backcountry skills as they get ready to soon head out on their own with their groups.
With only three days to train, our schedule and work was compressed and intense, not to mention the rain, heat, and ticks. But these four worked extremely hard, and they did so with smiles on their faces, sprinkled with much laughter, the entire time. Trust me, they may have had highest levels of Positive Mental Attitude that I’ve seen of any group under similar conditions … and I’ve work with many terrific groups.
Ocky and Matolly are very lucky to have them. More importantly, their Rangers will be very lucky too, and they will be in the best of hands.
Feel free to check out some of our photographs from this week that I’ve already posted on our Facebook page.
Jessica, Matt, Monika & Zach, thank you all very much for a great week … Best of luck this summer!
For information about Camp Ockanickon & Matollionequay and their Ranger trips, check out this link:
