The Heart of a Kabeyun Experience
Kabeyun counselors are chosen for their warmth and compassion, their understanding of children and their integrity as much as, or more than their expertise in a particular activity. A staff to camper ration of 1 to3  enables us to place a strong emphasis on instruction and to encourage positive and lasting relationships between campers and their counselors. Each summer we seek a balance between older, more mature and experienced men and women, and younger students. Our staff return rate is typically 80%, and sometimes better. Many of our counselors have "grown up" with us, spending several summers as campers, participating in our counseling intern program for 16-year-olds and continuing as staff.

Our counselors wear several different hats, ensuring their access to all the boys in a variety of contexts. All counselors are instructors in their particular areas of expertise, as well as cabin counselors. There are three counselors in each cabin who share the responsibility for parenting this important home group. In addition, all counselors share in the responsibilities of supervising a table in the dining hall, leading special activities on the Kabeyun stage, and supervising evening activities - they are involved in every aspect of community life, regardless of their particular activity assignment.

Safety and Instructor Certifications
Just about every one of our counselors is certifed by the American Red Cross as a Waterfront Lifeguard - this allows them to take the boys swimming regardless of their activity assignments. Evening dips with the cabin group is a favorite way to end the days, for instance. All trip leaders are additionally certified in Wilderness First-Aid, an intensive, two-day course, as a minimum. Each summer several also hold certifications as Wilderness First Responders - a nine-day course in backcountry medicine.

As instructors, our counselors also hold a variety of professional certifications: paddling staff are certified by the American Canoe Association as instructors; our swim staff are certified as Water Safety Instructors, a Red Cross certification; the archery instructor is certified by the National Archery Association as a Level I instructor; climbing staff have traiining in top rope site management and challenge course instructors are trained in the technical and safety aspects of the ropes course. Equally important is the amount of experience behind them in their respective activities, providing a solid foundation for specific technical and safety training.