A Message to Summer Staff about what to wear
What do we wear? A great question asked by most of you. The answer is in two parts: what to wear normally and what to wear on the special nights.
June is still Spring in Canada, and temps from the 40s to the 80s could be seen. It will be warm, and it will be cold. It will rain for sure. Bring layers... bathing suit, shirt, fleece or sweat shirt, rain jacket. Then you can take off one layer at a time and still be warm and dry. Perhaps quick-dry pants or shorts. Legs dry much faster than pants, so shorts even in the rain could be a good idea. Let me quote from the Malibu information you received:
"... limited storage, but there is weekly laundry... Summer can be cool at Malibu, so bring some warm clothing [and] rain gear you can work in. You will want casual clothes for everyday use, old clothes for messy jobs, one nice "dress up" outfit for Last Night Dinner."
I have a couple of comments on that paragraph. First is about the "limited storage" part. Please, I beg you, do not bring too much stuff! One big duffle bag, plus a backpack (carry-on) should do it. You or someone else will have to haul all of it around, and there's a lot of hauling at Malibu. There's no time to change multiple times during the day, and laundry can be done weekly, so you really don't need that much stuff. Somewhere else in the info we received from Malibu it talks about "enough clothing for five days of warm and four days of cold." Dude! Way too much!
Second, keep in mind where you work. Kitchen? T-shirts or comfy clothing. Totem Trader? It's retail, so dress nicely like you would working at any casual clothing shop. Maintenance? Your shirt and pants will be ruined... bring old jeans. Old shoes, too. The outdoor crew will be provided with that awesome fisherman rain gear... you know the yellow rubber stuff? The Harbor crew will be standing in the rain the most, so a good Gore-Tex type jacket is more important.
How about the Special Nights?
Lastly, I have to mention that we're all the representation of Christ while at Malibu Club. Well... all the time really, but we usually don't have 400 campers & workcrew watching our every move. Please, I beg you (I really am begging this time), bring and wear items that will glorify Christ, not cause a problem. I wouldn't mention it, but there were some items last trip (awful t-shirts, thin garments) that were not good.
Here's some guidance from Malibu and from Ann, our Camp Manager:
"Young Life leadership desires to promote a positive and healthy environment around our camp pools. For that reason, please bring only appropriate swimsuits - one piece or conservative two-piece [sports] are considered appropriate for females."
"... mention the responsiblity we have as a Summer Staff to lead the camp in all ways. I am not harping... but please nothing too revealing... This includes swim suits, too short shorts or skirts or too revealing tank tops. Tank tops are ok, just be wise and appropriate about all that you wear. For the guys remember not to wear shirts with inappropriate logos or messages on them. This may be a totally unneeded message to put out, but better to say it and be clear than not, eh? The workcrew and kids and leaders that come through camp in the 3 weeks we are there will be looking up to you guys. Everything you do and say will be noticed by them. It is an awesome cool thing and it does come with responsibility. You are messengers, embassadors of Jesus to them and to each other."
Did I miss something? Let me know. Only three weeks until we're at Malibu! Can you believe it? I can't wait.
