Information for new leaders
Do you:
- Love outdoor activity
- Enjoy being part of a great team of volunteers
- Get satisfaction from giving kids experiences of new possibilities
- Accept the responsibilities of care for young people
- Have fun while working hard?
Why not join us this summer?
Camp Cooinda is always on the lookout for people over 18 years of age who are interested in having fun in the outdoors on the amazing Gippsland Lakes. Our leaders display great people qualities, work well in a team and can be trusted with the care of young people.
Follow these steps to find out if leading at Cooinda is for you.
Step 1: Is it for me?
Our leaders are a big part of what makes Cooinda special. We're a diverse group that comes together from many backgrounds and experiences to form an effective team.
We are a not-for-profit, volunteer-run charitable organisation and no one is paid to be part of our leadership team. Yes - all our leaaders are volunteers.
Some leaders have previously been Cooinda campers, while others come from outdoor camps/clubs or come along to give it a go! Each brings various skills and experience, helping us put together a carefully crafted leadership team that's a great mix of youth and experience. All leaders are valued and contribute their skills and ideas to the rest of the team.
What is is like to be a Camp Cooinda leader?
What is expected of a leader?
As a leader, you don't have to know all parts of the program to contribute. Many fun and challenging activities in the team offer the satisfaction of building experiences for teenagers that enhance self-esteem and expand their horizons. Being a leader at Camp Cooinda is an experience that many people have enjoyed and found unforgettable.
Building great relationships with leaders and campers
There are different leadership roles at camp, including skills instruction, cooking, powerboat or road transport, and leading individual groups of campers called ''patrols''. You will meet and make friends with other leaders, and many of our leaders remain friends for years after camp.
Equally as rewarding is getting to know the campers. They come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, and they respond to the experience of group living and challenging activities in different ways. Generally, they leave camp having had a positive, enriching and, at times, life-changing experience. As a leader, seeing kids grow through the Camp Cooinda experience is one of the things that keeps many leaders coming back year after year.
Responsibility to campers
Given the focus on outdoor activities and group living, leaders need to adhere to established safety and personal welfare principles and Camp Cooinda Inc.'s child protection policies.
Every leader has a duty of care to the campers attending Camp Cooinda. Through its years of operating on the Gippsland Lakes, Camp Cooinda has developed policies for our water-based and land-based activities to ensure they remain safe and enjoyable. These include safety rules for sailing, canoeing, swimming, kayaking, archery, and other activities, providing campers and leaders with great experiences within appropriate safety parameters. Our leaders understand and apply these policies throughout the camp program.
Swimming capability
Camp Cooinda is a water-based camp and every camper must be able to swim a minimum of 100 metres. Most leadership roles in camp, such as patrol (group) leaders, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, powerboating, swimming and water games leaders, require us to be able to swim at least the same distance also. There are only a few leadership roles in camp where this is not required, such as cooking, land games leadership, archery instruction and assisting with supplies.
The site
The Camp Cooinda site operates from the Banksia Peninsula in East Gippsland. This is just over 300 kilometres east of Melbourne, with the nearest towns being Bairnsdale (20km by road) and Paynesville (4 km across the lake). The site has an excellent white sandy beach and is near the intersection of Lake King and Lake Victoria, making it the perfect spot to set out and explore the lakes.
A bit of background
Camp Cooinda is a non-profit organisation established in 1960 by David, Joy and John Merritt after they had been involved in camp leadership in Australia and the USA for many years. They developed a great idea – to run a camp for teenagers, allowing small groups of eight to ten young people of a similar age to share with adult leaders in planning their own program and to experience the challenge of travel in canoes and kayaks from a base camp to various sites around the lakes.
When a farmer offered land for youth camps on the Banksia Peninsula in Gippsland, this provided the opportunity to run a camp on one of the fantastic lakeside sites. The underlying aim of Camp Cooinda is for teenagers, through experiences in cooperative groups in the outdoors, to grow inside. Although it follows Christian principles, Camp Cooinda does not actively teach or study the doctrines of any particular religion. It encourages people to think about what is important to them as individuals and as a group, in the context of an active outdoor experience.
Are you interested in becoming a leader?
Step 2: Am I available?
Camp Cooinda runs camps over the Australian summer (December-January). To attend our summer program you must be available for a residential training weekend in Gippsland in late November/early December. We also run two training days before each camp starts (included in the dates below).
Dates for Summer 2025
Leader Training Weekend
Arrive: Friday evening 29 November 2024, between 8pm and 11pm
Depart: Afternoon Sunday 1 December 2024
Camp One
Leaders arrive: Friday 27 December 2024, by 12:30pm
Leaders depart: Sunday 5 January 2025, around 4pm. Or stay for a social dinner with other leaders.
Camp Two
Leaders arrive: Tuesday 7 January 2025, by 12:30pm
Leaders depart: Friday 17 January 2025, aroud midday
Applying for a camp
You can apply for either Camp 1 or Camp 2. But if you could do either camp, apply for one of the two and note this in your application comments, and we'll let you know where we need your skills most after Leader Training Weekend.
Yes, I'm available, how do I apply?
Step 3: How do I apply?
Leader applications for the coming summer open in September each year.
Your next steps
- Complete the Leader Inquiry Form to tell us a bit about yourself. We will then send you a personalised link to your application form.
- You will need two recent (<12 months old) written references about your character, skills and experience working with young people. The references must include your referee's name, address and contact details, as we will contact them.
- Apply for a Victorian Working with Children Check as this is a requirement in the State of Victoria. A volunteer check is free. You can apply online for a Working With Children Check at www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au. Please allow 3 to 12 weeks for your Check to be processed, as it isn't instant! When you submit your leadership application, you'll be asked to provide evidence of your Check (or your application for a Check).
- Complete the free online food handling course at https://dofoodsafely.health.vic.gov.au/index.php/en/. There will be a space in your leadership application to indicate the date you completed the course and to upload your certificate.
- Read Camp Cooinda objectives and program policies and Code of Conduct for volunteer leaders. You'll be asked to accept these policies as part of your application.
- Put in your application using your personalised application link (received at Step 1).
- Participate in a leader training weekend camp on the site.
Leader selection process
Leaders come to camp from two main sources:
- Suitable people who express an interest in being a leader in a camp; or
- Previous campers who are now 18 are invited to become leaders if they have demonstrated personal qualities and skills in the camp program.
For those who have been campers, Camp Cooinda has the benefit of seeing these people interact in the camp program over one or more summers. Leadership potential reports on eligible campers assist in deciding whether these campers are suitable. They are then invited to a Leaders’ Training Camp for further training and, if appropriate, they are invited to lead on a summer camp.
Leader training weekend
Leader Training Weekend is held towards the end of each year - this year it will run from Friday 29 November to Sunday 1 December 2024.
The training camp gives Camp Cooinda the chance to meet and see in action the skills and leadership potential of those who have never been on a Cooinda program.
Leader Training Weekend includes:
- The opportunity to experience and learn about the Camp Cooinda program and become familiar with the principles on which the program operates
- To meet other leaders and learn about the different leadership roles at camp
- Training and assessment in canoeing and kayaking skills for every leader who will be involved in any part of the canoeing or kayaking program at camp.
Attending this weekend is a mandatory part of our selection process for new leaders. It is also an expected part of the preparation for camp for returning leaders.
You’ll be notified of your formal acceptance as a leader as soon as possible after the Leader Training Weekend.
Leader recruitment starts in September. All steps in the selection process for leaders in our summer camps must be completed by the end of the Leader Training Weekend in order to qualify for summer leadership.
What do I do now?
Please complete the Leader Inquiry Form to let us know if you are interested and to tell us a bit about yourself.
Once we have received your information, we will let you know if we would like you to continue with the application. Your formal acceptance as a leader occurs at or shortly after the Leader Training Weekend.