Girls that have completed PAIT training, at camp or through council training can be a PA at Mountaindale West. PAs are girls entering 8th grade and higher. The PAs are leaders in their unit with the help and guidance of the adult leaders in the unit. The primary work is carried out by the PAs, and the adult leaders are there to help mentor the PAs in leadership and unit material. This is a working relationship between PA and adult.
This should serve as a guide on how PAs/CITs are selected from the waitlist for a position at Mountaindale West Day Camp (MDW) as a PA/CIT.
Note: Technically PAs are 8th graders and from 9th grade through 1st year in College they are CITs. For the purpose of MDW, both PAs and CITs will be called PAs.
Note: All PAs will be placed on the waitlist until registration is closed; even if they have a parent volunteer.
8th grade - Possible first year PAs - must complete PAIT training before being a PA at MDW.
First year PAs earn their PA pin at the end of the week.
9th grade - Possible 1st or second year PA.
Second year PAs earn their CIT pin at the end of the week.
10th grade - Possible 1st, 2nd or third year PA.
First year to be eligible for a PA Lead position (a 2 year commitment).
No additional pins are earned beyond the second year CIT pin.
11th grade - Possible 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or fourth year PA.
Eligible for a PA lead position (a 2 year commitment).
12th grade - Possible 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or fifth year PA. “GOLDEN PA”
Eligible for a PA lead position IF held lead position previously.
NOT eligible for NEW PA Lead position.
College - Possible 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or sixth year PA. “PLATINUM PA”
To be eligible to come to camp at a PA, the PA must NOT turn 18 before start of camp.
Not eligible for PA Lead Position. Exceptions must be approved by PA Coordinator.
At Mountaindale West (MDW) we believe in a balanced approach to staffing camp with PAs. What this means is that we try to have equal numbers of PAs for each grade level.
This approach allows PAs in each grade level to have mentoring and leadership opportunities.
Of course some grade levels tend to have far more girls registering and some have less.
A good example of this is: there are generally very few Platinum PAs registering for camp. On the other hand there is an abundance of 8th grade PAs registering for camp as they were just in the PAIT training program which generally has a large number of girls attending.
We start the selection process by first determining the number of PAs that MDW can support based on number of volunteers and campers.
Once the number of PAs/CITs is known that number is then divided by 5 (there are 5 grade levels).
At MDW since there are so few Platinum PAs registering, they will be included in the quota for the number of Golden PAs being selected for camp.
As an EXAMPLE: If 60 PAs/CITs will be selected for MDW that means we will be selecting 12 PAs for each grade level.
If there are not enough PAs to fill a level, the remaining positions will be divided among the other levels. This process repeats until all levels have been filled.
In the event that more PAs are needed at camp the distribution of PAs to grade levels will be evaluated and girls will be selected to fill the individual quotas. Like the initial selection, if there are not enough PAs to fill a grade level quota those positions will be distributed to the remaining grade levels.
All PAs that have a parent volunteer at MDW for the current year will be selected from the waitlist and their numbers will be used to fill the grade level quotas.
All Lead PAs from the previous year, and were NOT a Golden PA the previous year will be selected from the waitlist and their numbers will be used to fill the grade level quotas.
PAs who have siblings that are NOT on a waitlist and who would be outside of the quota limit (too far down the waitlist) for their grade level will be reviewed as an exception only.
All other selections from the waitlist will be made in the order in which they registered.
Exceptions: There are instances where a PA who is outside of the quota will be selected off of the waitlist based on a specific MDW need that cannot be filled by other PAs on the waitlist. This needs(s) can and do change each year.
Attending camp a previous year (unless the criterion above is met).
Turning in all PA paperwork BEFORE being selected off of the waitlist will not guarantee selection.
Having a sibling camper or PA confirmed off of the waitlist. We will do our best, but does not guarantee a position.
Having other PAs that are in the same troop, school, club etc. does not guarantee a position.
Register as soon as possible – registration fills quickly.
Have a parent volunteer for MDW – remember there are NO part time volunteers it is for the entire week.
Understand that filling out the PA application and references does NOT register a PA for MDW. Go to the MDW website and register from there.
Links to PA paperwork will be in the confirmation email received by the adult registering the PA. Complete the PA paperwork on time to ensure a position at MDW.
Older PAs – 10th grade and above – consider lead positions as they are a two year commitment and therefore are selected from the waitlist sooner.
DO NOT ASSUME - that if you are a Lead PA that you do not need to register – same general rules apply. If you do not register within the registration window, you will NOT be placed on the waitlist and your position not guaranteed.
Keep your options open – there are other Girl Scout camps that need PAs – If you do not get into MDW you can still have a great leadership experience. Go to the Girl Scout website to check out your options: http://www.girlscoutsosw.org
Before PA placement can begin PAs need to be ‘officially’ registered for MDW and complete the necessary paperwork and payment. This process is as follows.
A PA is selected from the waitlist based on the criteria noted above and the MDW registrar is notified.
The MDW Registrar will send an invitation to the registering adult of the selected PA to complete registration, paperwork, and payment.\
The links for the PA paperwork will be in the confirmation email that the registering adult will receive. Adults MUST forward email to PA so they receive the links.
PAs must complete the paperwork by the due date or they will be returned to the waitlist. If a selected PA cannot meet the deadline for paperwork it is their responsibility to contact the PA Coordinator at mdw.pacoordinator@gmail.com to request an exception.
PAs that have a confirmed registration and all paperwork completed by the due date will be sent a confirmation email that all requirements have been met.
PAs that have been confirmed to be registered as a PA for MDW will be given their unit placement at Indoor Training.
This should serve as a guide on how PAs/CITS are placed in units at Mountaindale West Day Camp as a PA/CIT.
Family members (campers, adults, and PAs) will not be placed in the same unit. The exception to this rule will be if a sibling camper is placed in either ODS or PAITs since there is only one of each of these units.
There will be NO friend requests for PAs.
Requests for units will be taken into consideration, but no guarantees are made that those placement requests will be made.
PAs will serve only ONE year in any one unit with the exception of Lead PAs and the Rainbow unit. This includes the sibling units.
PAs applying to a New Lead position must be entering the 10th or 11th grade. Applying PAs will be interviewed prior to placement. If the PA is selected as a Lead PA they will be offered a placement based on the skills best suited for a unit and meets the general guidelines for placement.
The oldest sibling unit will have only PAs entering 10th grade and above with an emphasis on placing more experienced PAs in this unit.
Second and third year Lead PAs, assuming they were NOT a Golden PA the prior year will be placed in the same unit as the prior year. 3rd year PA Leads must verify with the PA Coordinator that they will be serving a third year as a Lead PA. If they do not want to, they will be placed according to the same process for all other PAs. All lead PAs (prior and new) MUST complete all paperwork including the Lead PA application.
PAs entering 10th or 11th grade that applying to be a Lead PA (these are PAs NOT already in a lead position) must complete the LEAD PA APPLICATION. The link for this application will be in the Confirmation Email that is sent to the adult registering the PA.
The PA Coordinator will reach out to those PAs that have applied and will schedule an interview with the PA, PA Coordinator, and MDW director. After all interviews have been completed and selections made, the applying PAs will be contacted, they may or may not be given an offer of a Lead PA position.
PAs who are given offers will be told which unit they would be in and given the opportunity to accept or decline the offer. Once offers are accepted the units with Lead PAs will be contacted to introduce the new members of the leadership team.
These PAs are a valuable resource and they will be placed in a unit where their expertise and mentorship will be of most use. This could be a prior unit, especially if they had been a lead for the unit. Exceptions to the general guidelines may be made for these placements as the needs are determined.
These PAs may offer a request of placement, with the exception of Lead PAs (see note above about 3rd year Lead PAs). This request does NOT guarantee placement in the requested unit. If a Golden PA is needed in another unit, particularly to maintain a balance of experience and skill, then they may not be placed in a unit or grade level they requested.
It is the goal that each unit has PAs that provide a balance in skill, expertise, leadership, and mentoring. This means that we try to place newer PAs with more experienced PAs in units. This allows more experienced PAs to mentor newer PAs and gives newer PAs an opportunity to lead and learn.
A PA may have a limitation. The fact that a limitation exists is noted and will not prevent a PA from being placed. Rather, it will be used to place them so that they and MDW will be the most successful. These cases will be evaluated on each individual basis during the placement process.
When placing PAs multiple factors are taken into consideration. The information on a PA’s application, the references they receive, and the evaluations from the prior year. Evaluations for 8th grade PAs comes from the prior year PAIT program at MDW. These evaluations will consist of the PAIT grades and PAIT evaluations.
PA distribution can change from year to year based on information and knowledge learned from previous years and MDW needs. To help understand how PAs are distributed the following GENERAL guidelines are followed. Note that MDW may choose to make adjustments to the distribution if the camp needs determine it is necessary.
Sibling – 2 PAs per units. Large older sibling units could have 3 PAs
Daisy – 2 PAs per unit.
Brownie – 2 PAs per unit.
Junior – 3 PAs per unit.
Outdoor Skills (ODS) – 6 PAs – There is one unit and these are all Lead PAs.
Program Aides In Training (PAITs) – There is one unit and these are all Lead PAs.
Rainbow Skills – 12 PAs + 3 Lead PAs – There is one unit and they teach skills to each unit in camp.
This should serve as a guide on what happens once the selection and placement process is complete. This will include information on what happens if MDW needs to change the number of PAs needed or if selected PAs can no longer attend camp.
In the event that more PAs are required to fill the needs of camp the selection process may be slightly different based on MDW needs. The process is as follows.
Determine if MDW needs to fill a specific need. The PAs on the waitlist will be evaluated to meet that need and if a match is found the PA will be selected.
If there is not a specific need other than the need for more PA resources, the same selection process as noted in the selection section of this document will be used. In short, PAs will be selected based on filling the quota for each grade level.
In the event that a selected PA can no longer attend camp the following process will be used to fill the vacant position.
NOTE: It is possible that the selection of more PAs or the replacement of an absent PA CAN change the placements.
Grade level replacement will be the first choice as this maintains the grade level distribution of PAs to units
a. If there are multiple PAs that would meet the grade level replacement criteria, the first thing that will be checked is whether there are siblings confirmed for MDW. If there are multiple PAs on the waitlist, in the required grade level, that have siblings then the PA who is registered earliest will be selected.
If there are no replacements for the grade level needed, then the next closest grade level will be accessed, this continues until a replacement is found.
a. This process would be the same as 1a above.
There are specifics requirements that PAs are expected to fulfill in order to be considered for placement as a PA at MDW. Failure to complete requirements will result in the PA being placed back on the waitlist.
Every PA – NOT PARENT - is required to complete the minimal PA applications and references. Lead PAs (New and current) are required to fill out the Lead PA Application. All paperwork must be completed by the due date.
Links to the PA forms will be in the confirmation email sent to the adult registering the PA for camp. If there are questions regarding these forms please contact the PA Coordinator at mdw.pacoordinator@gmail.com.
The more details that can be provided on this form the better as it does get used during placement.
PAs need two references from NON family members. Teachers, coaches, leaders, are all good options for references. Ask people who know YOU and your leadership skills.
PAs going into the 10th grade or higher and want to be considered for a PA Lead position are required to fill out this application. Current PA leads are required to fill out the application as well.
Please contact the PA coordinator at mdw.pacoordinator@gmail.com and indicate that you are applying to be a Lead PA. This way an interview can be scheduled. The PA coordinator may reach out to a PA that completed a LEAD application and meets the criteria.
Lead PAs are in the following units: ODS, PAITS, and Rainbow (there are 3 leads).
There are some very specific requirements for PAs coming to MDW, please review
The PA coordinator expects to be able to contact PAs that have registered and applied to be a PA. This communication allows PAs to receive valuable details about camp. Sometimes surveys are sent, reminders, follow ups, etc. When filling out the PA application make sure that the email and phone number is for the PA and NOT the parent.
Most communication comes in the form of email; get in the habit of checking it regularly once registered for camp.
Attendance for training and camp are essential and mandatory. If training must be missed, prior arrangements need to be made with the PA Coordinator mdw.pacoordinator@gmail.com.
Training is a MUST even if you have been to MDW before as a PA. PA and Adult leaders make up the Leadership Team for a unit. You have a responsibility to yourself, your team, and the campers to make sure that you are prepared for lead.
PAs find out what unit they have been placed in.
Unit Leadership Teams meet and exchange contact information.
Unit Leadership Teams start the planning process for their week at camp.
Forms/agreements are signed.
Trained on camp rules and expectations. These can change year to year…don’t make assumptions.
PAs meet with PA Coordinator to discuss the week and go over rules and expectations that pertain to them.
Mentoring opportunities: New PAs must learn what it is to be a PA; this is where the first mentoring starts. Veteran PAs are expected to help new PAs learn
Opportunity to ask questions, meet new people and learn new things.
Camp updates from Core Staff.
Camp and unit setup. PAs may be asked to lend a hand helping to setup a part of camp that is not their unit.
Training – this could be in the Canteen, First Aid, Leadership, etc. This is a VERY important part of outdoor training and should not be missed.
Pickup of unit supplies from supplies, arts and crafts, etc.
Turn in forms and requests. If a unit expects to check out supplies for their unit, they must turn in a request. Your menu request needs to be turned in if cooking on Monday.
Camp updates from Core Staff.
PAs are given a very special opportunity after Outdoor Training. They are invited to stay for the PA Overnight. This is a fun opportunity to relax, get some training in from the Golden PAs, work on PA signs, play lots of games, and eat good food. This is not required, but strongly encouraged.
Camp is Monday through Friday. It is expected that PAs attend each day all day. Many volunteers at MDW take time from work or other activities in order to volunteer at camp. Without that commitment it would be difficult to run the camp. Consider this when asking to not show up for camp. Even Fridays are important, don’t leave the cleanup to your Leadership team or Core staff. Be responsible and follow through on your commitment.
If you are sick, we do not expect you to be at camp, in fact it would be best to not spread illness.
If there are questions or concerns about this expectation you can contact the PA Coordinator at mdw.pacoordinator@gmail.com