Recommended tips | Imamother

imamom7

Tue, Aug 19 2014, 10:30 pm

I just got a list of recommended tips for my sons day camp- $40 for rebbe, $36 for each counselor (2)- $24 for each jc (2)- $24 for bus driver and $10 for bus monitor- this after paying $1400 for camp!!! It's over $200- What should I do? The rebbe was great but my son didn't like the counselors or jcs- barely knew their names- any advice? Is it better to not give or give jc $10 each?

momX4

Tue, Aug 19 2014, 10:37 pm

I give $10 for the counselor and JC for each half. ( I feel the JC works just as hard).
If the rebbe is married and was there the entire summer $25, otherwise I tip like the counselor.
If I personally know(not from camp) any person I need to tip, I tip the recommended amount.
I tip more than asked for my DC that is still in pampers.
I drive a carpool to camp, the tipping is way cheaper than the gas.

I also write a nice note.

It adds up, times 4 kids.

seeker

Wed, Aug 20 2014, 12:33 am

When I was a counselor/jc/etc, I appreciated the gesture of tipping and kind notes from parents, and if someone tipped lower than usual or gave a small gift (I.e. something from amazing savings that cost them $5 but was trying to look like it cost $20) I understood that it probably meant it was financially difficult for them to tip and I appreciated the gesture EVEN MORE. As a teenager I appreciated money but there was a salary for the job (ok not a phenomenal one but that's teenage summer work) and my life didn't depend on the tips.

So with that in mind, I try to give something to everyone who mattered to me, I always make sure to write a nice appreciative note, and because I'm not wealthy myself I usually give cash because it's generally more useful but considerably less than the suggested amount. If a specific person went out of their way for my child, or if I know my child made their job harder in some way, the note gets more elaborate and the tip somewhat larger.

Inflation is incredible. $25 tip for a JC would have been highly unusual in my day - and each bunk had just one counselor and one JC. If you have enough kids to need two of EACH why not just have two smaller bunks?! I'm thinking that must mean 20 kids in the group, which means each JC can be making $500 just in tips, not bad, at JC level I think I'd have been lucky to make that much as my base pay. I know life in general is more expensive these days, but I don't think teenage expenses have risen that much in ten years, I do hope these kids appreciate what they're getting!

gittelchana

Wed, Aug 20 2014, 2:56 pm

imamom7 wrote:

Give whatever you can. They'll have to deal with it.

This is precisely the reason why my dh never accepted tips while working in camp.

Barbara

Thu, Aug 21 2014, 11:31 am

gittelchana wrote:

Give whatever you can. They'll have to deal with it.

This is precisely the reason why my dh never accepted tips while working in camp.

That's lovely of your husband. I assume that he got paid by the camp. Or that you can afford to work without being paid.

Many camps pay their counselors only a very minimal sum, with the understanding that the rest will be made up in tips. Those camps usually make the parents aware of the anticipated tips in advance. If the camp didn't, I do feel bad for the parents. But remember, you get to make that mistake once. Next year, you know, and if the tips are not affordable, then you cannot afford the camp.

If you cannot afford the recommended tips, then take what money you do have and split it 60% to the counselors, 30% JCs, 10% bus counselor. Those are the people who are not earning a salary, and who spent the summer looking after your child in anticipation of a tip. The rebbe and the bus driver receive a salary. If someone is going to be stiffed on tips, that's who it should be. And, frankly, since they'll be getting tips from the whole camp, they won't miss it as much as the bunk staff.