Forms and Fees Expectations:
• Please keep a copy of the confirmation email. If you need to modify or make an online payment after pre-registration return to the online registration via the Conference website, type in your child’s name and you will be prompted for the confirmation number. Once the number has been accepted you can modify or make payments as you need.
• The pre-registration fee of $100 is due in the office within two weeks of registration. The remainder is due by June 15, 2009.
• Registration is not complete until all requested forms and fees have been turned in at the Conference Office. We ask that the registration form be returned no later then two weeks before the start date of the camp your child is attending.
• The information from the registration form helps us to appropriately plan camp logistics. Supplying your child’s information at check-in limits and curtails what can be done.
• By being timely with your child’s information we can move to incorporate most needs and better orient camp staffs.
• If you need to cancel a registration the return fees policy is:
Cancelled before May 1 – full refund
Cancelled between May 1 and June 30 – refund minus $75 administration fee
Cancelled two weeks before camp or later and “no shows” – no refund
Transportation Expectations:
• Arrange for your child’s transportation to and from camp before the week of camp.
• Ensure prompt pick up of your child at the end of camp (the director’s letter will have the pick up time listed – this letter is forthcoming).
• For campers living in Utah, Wyoming, and western Colorado every effort will be made to provide rides from strategic pick up points. Whether or not a run is made depends on the number of campers needing transportation assistance and the availability of volunteer drivers.
• Leave your pets at home. Some campers are allergic, some owners don’t clean up after their pets, and it puts you - the pet owners - at a liability risk.
• It is our goal that campers feel comfortable about their entering and leaving camp. Campers who do not know who, how, or when they will be picked up at the end of camp display nervous behavior. Anxiety can be laid to rest with proper planning and communications done prior to camp.
Scholarship Expectations:
• The Conference will match local church scholarships up to $50 for each camper/participant who meets certain criteria – please speak with your church office or church camp coordinator.
• The local church office has the applications for matching scholarships.
• If the cost of camp is prohibitive please speak with your church office. Some Associations provide scholarships and the Conference can help in hardship situations. These contacts should be initiated by a church officer or youth coordinator.
• The Conference desires that no one turn down camp due to financial consideration, and partners with local churches and Associations to assist when needed.
Homesick Expectations:
• Homesickness is a common occurrence. Staff members work hard to help campers process through homesickness, encouraging campers to form friendships with other campers and to participate in activities and programs.
• Talk positively to your child before the camp begins.
• It is better to say “I’m looking forward to hearing your camp stories!” than to say “I’ll miss you so much.” It is more helpful to say “I’ll see you and your new friends on Saturday” than to say “You can call home any time” (which frankly is a lie).
• Telephone calls home are discouraged as such calls rarely relieve homesickness and often exacerbate the issue. Encourage letter writing and talking to counselors instead.
• If a parent is concerned during the week, feel free to call the Camp Director. Your call will be returned at an appropriate time so as not to trigger homesickness for your child.
• Typically a camper does not call home unless it is to assure safety; even then it will more likely be a member of the camp staff.
• The best outcome when homesickness arises is an involved staff and camp friends loving the camper into community.
Mail Expectations:
• Please notate the camp your child is attending on the envelope. When multiple camps are on site or La Foret is hosting two different entities it helps if the camp is identified on the envelope below the campers’ name.
• Send mail early in the week, mail sent Wednesday or latter may arrive after your child has returned home. Camp mail does not get forwarded from La Foret.
• Please limit your mail to about two letters/cards. Packages of snack food or a flood of mail can increase homesickness as well as cause other campers to pick on your child: “What’s wrong with your parents – they think you’re too small for camp?”
• Camp Directors reserve the right to hold onto mail and distribute later in the week so that no jealousies arise.
• The best scenario is for a camper to receive a letter/ card on Wednesday or Thursday. This simple gesture reassures your child that she or he is on your mind.
Medication Expectations:
• For the purpose of camp “medications” include prescription meds, over the counter meds, herbal and nutrient supplements, allergy meds, and everyday items as Tylenol, etc.
• Do not bring medications in a unit dose box or planner, plastic bag or unmarked container, State regulations prohibit us from accepting medicines which are in unmarked containers. A pharmacy will prepare a marked bottle with just enough medication for the week.
• Campers are not to have any medications in their cabins except as noted on the health form by a medical professional.
• Any camper requiring an Epi-Pen must know how to use it and must carry it with them at all times, as there are situations (such as a hike) when the nurse may not be readily available.
• With the information on the medical form, and all medication dispensed by the nurse, a quicker and more helpful assessment can be made in the event of an emergency.
Special Needs Expectations:
• It is the core value of the Faith Nurturing Ministry Team that “I’m okay and you’re okay.” As such, please be aware that all camps are not best for all children.
• La Foret is a wilderness setting and decisions may need to be made on an activity by activity basis.
• Our camps are staffed by volunteers, their knowledge and ability to address special emotional or physical needs may limit your child from having a good experience.
• The designs of the facilities have limitations in what can be responsibly accommodated.
• Speak up early – if the camper is unable to participate as fully as can be expected, please inform us as early as possible so we may understand how to better integrate your child into camp.
• Keep us informed of your child’s needs such as special visits to the bathroom, nurse, or dietary needs.
• Think through participation in the camp – can the camper keep up with a full day schedule, do other arrangements need to be made for some down time, etc.
• Make arrangements ahead of time. We cannot guarantee an optimum experience when information is first shared at the check-in time.
• From time to time the inclusion of a “companion” who is able to provide special attention and service the camper might need which would be unreasonable to expect of the standard volunteer staff is warranted. Companions are expected to fill out a Camp Staff application, cooperate with the camp staff and directors, and to be the primary care-giver to the camper concerning his or her special needs. Companions’ camp costs are covered by the Conference.
• An interview with the guardian, camp director, and Conference personnel may be warranted before a final decision can be made.
• The Faith Nurturing Ministry Team reserves the right to deny registration if it is felt the camp would put your child or the camp staff into harm's way. By speaking up early and lending yourself as a resource for the staff and director we are more likely to meet our goal of a good experience for the special needs camper.
Items to Bring Expectations:
Please bring: sleeping bag/bed roll and pillow, towels (extra one for swimming) and washcloth, toiletries (shampoo, toothbrush, soap, etc.); medicines as prescribed, OTC as needed; swim suit, shirts, shorts, long pants, light jacket or sweatshirt, socks, underwear, pajamas or nightshirt, extra shoes, flashlight with new batteries, bug repellant, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, bible, fun reading book, laundry bag, rain gear, water bottle, journal, camera, stationery and stamps (and addresses), money to spend at camp (see below), and a stuffed animal.
Please leave behind: electronic toys (see directors letter – in subsequent email – for specifics around iPods, etc), boom boxes, junk food (snacks are provided), cell phones (adults have cell phones for emergencies), weapons, illegal narcotics, tobacco, alcohol.
Remember: the smaller the item (i.e. iPods and cell phones) the easier it is to lose at camp.
Parental Expectations:
• Our camp staffs work in covenant with you the parents and guardians of those children and youth attending camp.
• Conference camping protocol and policies are developed to ensure compliance with all state and other pertinent guidelines.
• Send your love to your campers by a route other than snack foods. Snacks are provided and the La Foret dining hall serves three complete meals. Snack sharing can prove problematic within the cabins.
• Rest assured that one or two letters are sufficient to reassure your camper.
• Encourage your child to make new friends. Camp is a time of exploration. Moving out of comfort zones and challenging one’s self are curtailed by cliques and exclusive friendships. Cabin assignments differ from camp to camp, it is best to encourage your camper to request just one room/cabin mate.
• Cabin/rooming assignments are made by the camp directors (not David Popham) please contact the camp director directly with cabin/rooming requests.
• State regulations grant parents and guardians with custody access to children upon request. While you are certainly welcome at La Foret consider the disruptive nature of your presence for the camp. Campers find it problematic when a parent keeps popping in – “What’s wrong with your mother/father?” Also, the camper gets a confused message – “Have a good week away from home” and “I don’t think you can have a good week unless you’re at home.” Finally, La Foret has a stranger-on-site policy which includes parents and guardians who have not previously arranged to be present during the week of camp. This could lead to the embarrassing situation of having the local sheriff’s department involved.
• If you would like to check on your child, you may call the La Foret office (719-495-2743) which will pass your number onto the camp director(s) who in turn will call you back at an appropriate time.
• When discussing camp with your camper and planning how to interact with your child at camp please use common sense and think in terms of the bigger picture of how your actions impact the camp as a whole. First-time campers should look at www.familyfun.com or www.aca-camps.org websites for tips and strategies to ease your child into their first camp experience.
• No pets allowed at La Foret for the safety of our campers and the cleanliness of the grounds.
Campers Rights and Responsibilities
The RMC-UCC camps are a mixing and sharing of lives in a Christian setting. Our camps are more than just a week together at La Foret to have fun. Our camps are human encounters where children, youth and adults learn to live in community with each other, seeking the Spirit of God. In order to allow this experience to be as positive as possible, we ask that campers come with an understanding of their rights and responsibilities for camp. Please cover this information with your camper as this is the base-line from which the camp staffs build. |
