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?