I'm the JM Feltner 4-H Camp Director, Kevin Pettigrew, and this is 'How I Camp'

Meet Kevin Pettigrew, the dynamic leader at the helm of JM Feltner 4-H Camp in London, Kentucky, for over two decades. With flexibility as his guiding principle, Kevin has mastered the art of camp management, ensuring every day is filled with joy, learning, and unforgettable experiences for over 300 campers. At the core of the camp's daily life is the Shelter House, the hub for nightly dances and grand group games. Kevin is not just a planner; he's a problem-solver, innovating solutions for space challenges and fostering a community spirit with his hands-on approach and inventive games like "Party Bingo." His dedication to the camp and its attendees shines through his work, making every summer at JM Feltner 4-H Camp the shortest, most vibrant season of the year.

Name: Kevin Pettigrew

Name of Camp: JM Feltner 4-H Camp

Location: London, Kentucky

Years in the Camp Industry: 20

One word that best describes your approach to camp management: Flexibility

Take us through a day at camp under your leadership. What does a typical day look like from start to finish?

By week 3 or so most staff are settling into the camp schedule and the flow of the day, typically I'm looking ahead to the new stuff on the schedule or programs right after dinner. We play a "full camp" game every night, so setting up for that and making sure to plan out stations or activities is a big part of my afternoons. If it's a Giant Group Game, I want it to go off without a hitch for all 300+ campers at camp. Plus Frequent checks in the kitchen for issues or low stocking takes up a small portion too. #qualitycontrolcookiecheck

Describe the heart of your camp. What's the central area or the main hub where activities or gatherings take place?

Our Shelter House is our primary meeting spot, most of our Giant Group Games take place from there and we do an all-camp dance every night at the shelter house, "Sally Down the Alley" Our Shelter house also has restrooms and 2 large storage rooms for recreation and sound equipment.

What are some essential tools, apps, or equipment you rely on to keep camp operations running smoothly?

I rely frequently on my golf cart at camp, it not only gets me from A to B, but also serves as an off-road vehicle when necessary, hauling trash, game equipment, foam machines, water coolers, and staff all over camp.

What’s a challenge you’ve recently faced at camp, and how are you working to overcome it?

SPACE! We run out of storage space, sleeping space, bathroom spaces, and dining hall spaces, camp gets crowded! Since being closed in 2020 we've bounced our attendance back up to record numbers, it's a great problem to have, but a problem nonetheless. One of the changes to solve this was staggering meal times so we aren't trying to fit every camper in the dining hall at the same time, it has been the biggest help so far.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received about managing a successful and enjoyable camp?

"It's the longest days of the shortest summer of your life"

Helps me to recognize that even on the hottest, most hectic days, summer is over before you know it. Enjoy the little moments every session, recognize when you've had success, even the tiny ones, and don't get weighed down by every issue that comes up or thing that goes wrong.

What book, podcast, or resource do you think every camp director should read or listen to, and why?

There are so many out there and it really depends on how much you already know. Michael Brandwein's books on trainings and Jim Cain's books on games are some great places to start. If you have the resources, attend conferences at local and national levels, great teachers are even greater in person

How do you organize and prioritize camp tasks and responsibilities, especially during the busy summer season?

I keep a running to-do list (app) on my smartphone, occasionally it even serves as the agenda for staff meetings at the end of the day.

What’s the most creative excuse you’ve heard from a camper trying to get out of an activity, and how did you respond?

not an excuse, but the best tattle of all time:

Camper: "He just called me the "e-word"....

"Whats the E Word?"

Camper: "Idiot"

If you could invent a new, wildly popular camp activity that perfectly captures the spirit of your camp, what would it be and why?

My staff and I create a new Giant Group Game every summer (sometimes more than one) that works for all 300+ of our campers. Last year we created "Party Bingo" and it might be our most successful game yet. I even wrote it into "Giant Group Games" the book we published earlier this Spring. Campers split into 10 mini-teams who compete in various stations to earn "bingo spots" on their mega-team board. (Even mini-teams vs odd-mini-teams) the stations themselves, which are fun and new, are somewhat irrelevant. The hype and excitement build between each rotation when winning mini-teams get to come up to the stage and pull bingo balls to put on their 10x10 ft bingo boards to earn bingo lines for their mega-team. We mix in "party balls" that also have wild and fantastic consequences like "staff attack" where any staff member can run up and move dots around or "Steal a Dot" where that team can steal any dot off the other board and put it on theirs. The kids get really into the bingo ball pulls and the excitement built around getting another bingo. It doesn't matter that there is no prize for the winning mega-team, it's just hype for the sake of hype, it's perfect.