Click HERE to view job descriptions and applications (including volunteer)
Jobs
Overview
Pinewoods Camp is a great place to work for the summer, especially if you enjoy people, traditional dance and music, outdoor life, and good hard work. Pinewoods sessions offer American, English, Scottish, and International dance and music classes. The camp is owned and operated by Pinewoods Camp. Inc., a nonprofit that partners with other organizations (Program Providers) to host weekend and week-long sessions for adults and families.
Camp is on a twenty-five-acre wooded site between two freshwater ponds in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Although only a short drive from downtown Plymouth, Pinewoods feels far away from the “real” world. Campers are housed in rustic cabins and spend most of their time dancing in the open-air pavilions, socializing in the Camphouse, walking the paths through the woods, or swimming and boating on the ponds.
Campers come from all over the United States and abroad—many return year after year and often for multiple sessions. As a crew member, you join staff, campers, and volunteers, helping to make Pinewoods a wonderful, magical place and providing a positive experience for all who attend.
Kitchen
At Pinewoods, we take great pride in the food we serve from our primarily scratch kitchen. From fresh-baked breads and homemade desserts to healthy and delicious meals, we create balanced menus that appeal to the campers’ varied tastes and dietary needs using quality ingredients and often locally sourced produce.
Kitchen work is demanding, especially in a setting where many meals are served in a relatively short period of time. Meal times are high energy, and the kitchen crew must work quickly while remaining friendly and helpful to campers. Kitchen crew must be fast-paced, hard-working individuals with the ability to work collaboratively with others while maintaining a positive attitude.
The kitchen crew consists of the Head of Kitchen, cooks, kitchen aides, dishwasher, pot-washer, and a Dining Hall Manager. Generally, the Head of Kitchen budgets and plans menus, orders food, and prepares meals. Cooks may also participate in menu planning and ordering and are responsible for preparing and serving 5-10 meals a week. The kitchen aides, under the supervision of the cooks, do prep work and help serve meals. They are also responsible for after-meal clean-up. The dishwasher supervises the campers on dish duty, runs the dishwashing machine, and shares responsibility for general cleaning with the pot-washer. The potwasher is responsible for washing the cookware that cannot be put through the dishwashing machine and shares responsibility for general cleaning with the dishwasher. The Dining Hall Manager is responsible for ensuring that the dining hall runs smoothly, supervising the set-up and clean-up of all meals, ensuring that all dining hall volunteer camper jobs are done, and acting as a liaison between the campers and the kitchen.
Grounds
The grounds crew, supervised by the Head of Grounds, supports the year round facilities team in helping to maintain the beauty and rusticness of Camp. Grounds Crew members clean the camp’s bathrooms, collect trash and recycling, and prepare for the next session on changeover days. In addition, they assist with trail maintenance, invasive species removal, and respond to Program Providers and campers’ needs and inquiries.
Work Hours, Pay, Housing
Crew members work 35-40 hours per week and have two days off (not always consecutively) each week. Work schedules vary according to each position. Employment begins in mid-May and early June and runs through Labor Day and into mid-September. Crew members live on the grounds in private rustic cabins with shared bathroom facilities. Paid Crew positions are hourly, at-will employment; pay is bi-weekly.
Volunteer Positions
Throughout the summer, opportunities exist for volunteers to join Crew. Individuals volunteer approximately 20-24 hours per week. When not assisting with cleaning, trail maintenance and special tasks, volunteer crew enjoy Camp’s beautiful setting and the session activities. Volunteers must be at least eighteen years old and priority is given to those available to donate a minimum of two weeks. Shared housing and meals are provided for volunteers.
For shorter volunteer opportunities, click HERE to learn about Pinewoods Work Weekends.
Life At Camp
Camp life is fun but demanding. Each session has a full schedule, and campers keep late hours, making the most of their short stay at Pinewoods. Crew are encouraged to participate in evening dances and activities and are invited to participate in day-time classes, work schedules permitting. Finding a balance of the social aspects of Camp while working is often challenging. Crew are encouraged to take advantage of downtime – naps, swimming, reading, nature walks, etc. In addition, privacy is limited. Crew work, eat, and often spend their free time with one another. Crew is expected to be friendly and helpful to campers and to get along with other crew members. Sometimes Crew finds it increasingly challenging to adjust as the summer goes on. The Leadership Team frequently checks in; Crew members often act as a support system for each other, and many long-term friendships form between individuals.
For more information and to apply, click HERE.