Behind the Scene: The Administration Behind Camp Anothen

There are two major sides to running a summer camp: Programming and Administration.

Programming is the part campers see, love, and remember for years—the games, the laughter, the friendships, and the unforgettable moments that make camp truly magical. Bringing that experience to life takes energy, creativity, and countless moving pieces. At Camp Anothen, Dylan Thompson—better known as “Maui”—leads the charge as our Director of Programming, ensuring each day is filled with fun, connection, and purpose.

But there’s another side of camp that most people never see: the administrative side. It’s not glamorous, but it’s essential. Registration, purchasing, payroll, bookkeeping, insurance—the behind-the-scenes work that keeps camp running smoothly. It looks like tracking down missing forms, building camper groups, printing schedules, monitoring enrollment, and responding to a constant flow of emails and phone calls.

Administration means thinking ahead to Week 4 camper groups while staffing Week 3, all while writing a recap for Week 2. It’s checking friend requests, answering parent questions, ordering the next snack shack restock, and taking the monthly water samples for testing. It’s a lot—just like programming—and it matters just as much.

And truthfully, I love it. When friend requests are matched, parents feel prepared, and the snack shack doesn’t run out of ice cream, camp runs the way it should. Programming and administration may look very different, but they rely on each other completely. It takes both working together to make camp thrive, both in season and beyond.

I’m incredibly grateful for the role I get to play and for the opportunity to support the mission of Camp Anothen every single day.