Camp Volunteer Staff
Camp Lau-Ren is very fortunate to have dedicated volunteers who work for months in advance to plan exciting programs for campers. Each camp is staffed by a Director, Leaders and Counsellors. Seven Summer Staff (Head Cook, Assistant Cooks, Lifeguards and Caretaker) also work on site for the entire summer.
The Directors’ main responsibility is ensuring all campers live in a safe and Christian environment during their week at camp. All Directors have a thorough knowledge of United Church Camping Standards and OCA Camping Standards, and they ensure that all standards are enforced so that both campers and staff have a safe and high-quality camping experience.
The Director is also responsible for recruiting leaders (Health Care Provider, Bible Study Leader, Craft Leader and Sports Leader) for the week, all of whom are volunteers and must go through a comprehensive training program. Leaders are responsible for planning and implementing an exciting and engaging one-week program for the campers.
Counsellors are a minimum of 16 years of age and must attend training sessions before working at Camp Lau-Ren. This training includes sessions on first aid, allergies and allergic reactions, recognizing suspected abuse, harassment, bullying, behaviour management, homesickness, understanding camper problems, age group characteristics, leadership, techniques to be a good counsellor, canoeing and canoe rescue, as well as how to plan Campfire, Morning Watch and Vesper services.
Each cabin has 8-10 campers and two counsellors. Campers are never left alone in a cabin and are always supervised, both in the cabin and at all activities. At each activity, the campers are under the direction of an Activity Leader and/or Summer Staff and are accompanied by their Counsellors.
The 2023 Directors are:
Josh Tyson - Summer Coordinator
Tadpole Co-Ed Camp: June 29 - July 1
Josh (aka “Hives”) has been a Camp Counsellor and Leader for a number of years at Camp Lau-Ren. He is currently attending College. He will be the Summer Coordinator for summer of 2023. He is excited to be spending the whole summer with all the campers and staff.
Tonja Aldis
Intermediate Co-Ed B: July 30 - August 4
Tonja (aka “Soleil”) has spent many summers at Camp Lau-Ren over the years in various roles as both a Counsellor and as a Leader. Tonja has a love of nature and the full camp experience and her favourite activities at camp are canoeing and campfires.
Jenny Lade
Co-Director: Junior/Intermediate Co-Ed B Camp: August 6 - 11
Jenny Lade (aka “Aligator”) continues as a Director this summer and takes over the reigns of this Junior Camp with her Co-Director, Allison Brickenden. Jenny’s organization skills and patience serve her well as a DSW and they come in handy in her role as a Director. She has a deep commitment to Camp Lau-Ren and a wonderful rapport with children and young adults. Her many camp roles over the years have provided invaluable experience. She is the mother of a daughter, Kamdyn – a new generation to join us at camp.
Allison Brickenden
Co-Director: Junior/Intermediate Co-Ed B Camp: August 6 - 11
Ally (aka “Butters”) has been coming to camp since she was in middle school. She has been a camper, counsellor, leader, and is now very excited to be moving into the role of co-director. When not at camp enjoying the amazing food, Ally works with toddlers as an Early Childhood Educator.
Jennifer McLaren
Director: Intermediate Co-Ed A Camp: July 2 - 7
In her life outside of Camp Lau-Ren, Jennifer (aka “Nenners”) is a middle-school teacher and mother of two girls. She loves gardening and holding a book in her lap while she plays Wordscapes on her phone. She really intends on reading that book, though.
Jennifer’s family has been involved with Camp Lau-Ren for almost 50 years. Lau-Ren is one of the places where Jennifer feels most at home and close to God. She keeps coming back because she knows Camp Lau-Ren is a special place where kids can feel safe and have an amazing time, surrounded by people who care about God, nature and the spirit of camp.
Emma Edwards
Junior Co-Ed Camp: July 16 - 21
Emma (aka “Snort”) first came to camp 15 years ago for Junior Girls and hasn’t missed a summer since, having been a camper, counsellor, leader and now Director. Outside of Camp Lau-Ren, Emma is a Stakeholder Relations Specialist at a not-for-profit organization in Ottawa and a dog mom. Emma loves dancing to all types of music, going on outdoor adventures and baking sweet treats. Lau-Ren is where Emma has met some of her closest friends and where she is always happy and relaxed.
Tania Leclerc
Junior /Intermediate Co-Ed A: July 9 - 14. Tania has been involved with Camp Lau-Ren for over 15 years. She started on staff as the Waterfront Director and continued her commitment to camp coming back as a Leader and then Director. She and her family live in Renfrew and works as a Dula.
Emily McKenzie
Junior/Intermediate Girls Camp: July 23 - 28
Emily (aka “Hutch”) looks forward to the week she spends at camp every year. She has been involved with Camp Lau-Ren since 2007 and since that time has developed a variety of skills to help in her role as Director. These include sterning a canoe, singing very loudly and managing the needs of many campers and volunteers. Emily is from the Ottawa Valley and currently works in the Pembroke area in the field of mental health. She is the proud mom of a new baby boy, Oliver, a future camper!
Steve McCulloch
Senior Co-Ed / Leader-in-Training Camp: August 13 - 18
Steve (aka “Mukluck”) started at Camp Lau-Ren as a camper and moved up to Counsellor, Summer Staff, Leader positions and has been a Director since 1997. He is also been the Chair of the Board of Directors and is currently the Executive Director. In his other life, he is a father to Katelyn and Dylan and works as a Facilities Supervisor with the Sudbury School Board.