Maho Bay Work Exchange Program 2012

Each year on December 15th we start our application process for our summer work exchange program here at Maho. Typically we'll get about a hundred or so applications in the first 2 days, as those most excited about joining us for the summer wait for the first day we start accepting the applications. If you've been thinking about it but haven't filled out the application, you still have a few weeks left until April 15th.

Those unfamiliar with our program will quickly realize that when looking to spend some time down here it's definitely the most economical way to experience Maho Bay, St. John, and all of the Virgin Islands: In exchange for free lodging, we ask for a commitment of one month of work in one of our various departments; Maintenance, Housekeeping, Restaurant, General Store, Registration, or other specified area.

We look for enthusiastic people (or couples) with skills that will help us keep Maho Bay Camps up to par during the off season and help prepare for the high volume winter. We'll still have plenty of guests here during the off season, and being able to offer excellent customer service is an important part of the month long commitment.

We ask for one hundred twenty hours of work for a thirty day stay (124 hours for 31 days, etc.). This equals 4 hours of work for each night of scheduled lodging at Maho Bay Camps. Work exchange volunteers generally work 6 hours a day for 5 days with 2 days off each week. Duties might include: tent-cottage renovations, painting, cleaning restrooms, pruning, filing, pressure spraying boardwalks, cashier, data entry, cooking, customer service, etc.

Additional benefits include 40% discounts in our general store and restaurant, use of floats and chairs at half price, discounts on most water sports such as diving, windsurfing, snorkel gear and sailing trips, half off internet use and a dollar off the Mr. Frett taxi fares.

It's not all fun & games, as you'll be here in the heat of summer and most likely doing a lot of manual labor, but the amount of time off each day and weekend over the course of the month leaves plenty of time for beaching, snorkeling, hiking, boating, or whatever your idea of down time includes.

Pictured below is what could be your home..............for a month.

welcome Angie & the Maho breakfast power cookie

Maho Bay's Pavilion Restaurant welcomes, Angela Foster to its current team of volunteers. We've introduced her to our restaurant as she comes to us with quite a background in baking. She says "what could be better than spending the day doing what I love in an open-air kitchen with panoramic views of the Caribbean" Well honestly we don't know, Angela! After graduating from pastry school in her home state of Michigan, she cut her teeth as a pastry cook at the Ritz-Carlton outside of Washington D.C. The Delaware beaches then lured her to enjoy a more relaxing life as a pastry chef, baking whatever the area restaurants needed in crocs and shorts instead of a chef's jacket. Baking naturally led to Inn keeping, living in such beautiful and touristy areas of the Mid-Atlantic, so after running a B and B for a year, she now works as a chef at the Delaware Inn in Rehoboth Beach. Angela will be with us through the end of November. Luckily that scone recipe she whips up for us freezes really well. And that means figgy scones for Christmas, everyone!!!

While Angie isn’t willing to share her recipe for those awesome scones we have included the Maho Bay recipe for Breakfast Power Cookies. Enjoy!!!

Maho Bay Power Cookies

2 cups dark brown sugar 3 cups AP flour

2 cups granulated sugar 2 tsp salt

3/4-cup butter softened 3 cups uncooked oats

1-cup vegetable shortening 2 cups coconut

4 eggs 2 cups raisins

2 tsp Vanilla 1 cup chocolate chips

2 tsp baking soda 1 cup chopped pecans

Cream together brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and shortening. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Combine baking soda, flour, and salt and beat into first mixture. Mix in remaining ingredients to form an evenly mix dough. Drop by heaping tablespoon, 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for approx. 8 minutes or until cookies are starting to brown. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before removing to a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. Makes 7 dozen 4-inch cookies or 3 dozen 8-inch cookies.

Best Results Tip: Drop dough onto trays and chill for a minimum of 2 hours. Then take pans straight from refrigerator to oven..

Beach Cleaning

7 of us started the day off right today, by picking up trash at Big Maho beach! The massive rains earlier in the month, along with the random usual trash gave us more than enough work for the hour or so we spent meandering down the beach. Most interesting find: a Lionfish marker, which means that someone tagged the Lionfish at Big Maho and before the National Park could come get the little bugger the current or waves washed the marker ashore and onto the beach. This also means I know what I'll be doing after work this afternoon........snorkeling Big Maho and finding that Lionfish! Most annoying find: lots of rusty old scrap metal. Once again I thank the 7 volunteers that helped walk the beach and collect those 4 bags of trash this morning!