EVERY DAY IS A NEW ADVENTURE. Parent Information Packet YMCA CAMP EBERHART

Transcription

1 EVERY DAY IS A NEW ADVENTURE Parent Information Packet YMCA CAMP EBERHART

2 WELCOME TO YOUR BEST SUMMER EVER. We are delighted that you made our camp your child s home away from home this summer. At YMCA Camp Eberhart, we been sending kids on summer adventures for over 100 years. This summer more than 2000 children will enjoy the fun and excitement of meeting new friends, learning new skills and sharing AN EXPERIENCE THAT LASTS A LIFETIME. Please take the time to read through this booklet. You will find the answers to many questions, necessary forms and information that will help you have a better understanding of policies and procedures. It will also help to make the check-in procedure run more efficiently for you. Our YMCA Camp Eberhart staff and facilities are among the finest in the country! We spend many, many hours training our summer staff to provide the best programs for your child and to do our work safely throughout the summer. To help ensure that your camper is ready for arrival, please share the information in this booklet with your child and family. In this booklet, you will find information regarding: Procedures for Check-In and Check-Out. Forms to be completed prior to arrival at camp Health and Safety at Camp Basic Camp Rules Camp s daily schedule Camp Store How to keep in touch with your camper Refunds, receipts and returned checks Contact information for staff members Directions to Camp CHECK-IN PROCEDURES Check-in begins Sunday at 2:00 p.m. (Staff will not be available to assist you until 2:00.) When you arrive for Check-In, please report to these locations (in order) to perform the following activities: KLINGER HALL 1. Receive camper s cabin assignment and turn in signed code of conduct. 2. Deposit money into camper s store account. 3. PRESENT A copy of your insurance card for our records. 4. Turn in medications, in original containers, as outlined in the Health & Safety portion of this booklet. WATERFRONT All campers participate in Sunday swim. We use this time to evaluate each camper s swimming ability. For your child s safety, we include swimming lessons in our programming. If you do not want your child to take swimming lessons, please inform our Camp Director in writing. Sundays are a great time for your whole family to get to know YMCA Camp Eberhart better. We invite you to take a walk around camp, check out our facilities and talk with our staff. You may wish to visit our Camp Store down by the waterfront for snacks, drinks and souvenirs. On Sundays, the store accepts cash only. Account information is transferred after the check-in process is complete. Camp programming begins at 4:00 pm. We ask that parents plan to leave before that time to not delay your child s camping experience. FORMS TO BRING ALONG Please have the following forms completely filled out when you arrive at camp. Do not mail them ahead of time. HEALTH HISTORY & CONFIDENTIAL FORM We need your child s complete medical history, insurance information, PHOTOCOPY OF CURRENT INSURANCE CARD and your SIGNATURE on the Authorization for Medical Emergency. We also request that you include information regarding your child s specific needs and interests on this form. In the event of a medical emergency, this information will ensure that we can quickly care for your child until you can make arrangements to be with your child. CAMPER CODE OF CONDUCT (back page of packet). Please take the time to read and explain the code of conduct to your camper before arriving at camp. To help your child understand that your expectations as a parent are the same as ours, be sure to have this form signed by both the camper and yourself. AUTHORIZATION FOR RELEASE OF CAMPER Complete and SIGN the Authorization for Release of Camper. For the safety of all our campers, only persons listed by you on this release will be allowed to take your child from camp for any reason. We will check identification against the names on the release at check-out time. We will keep these signed documents on file during your child s stay. We do not keep your confidential information to protect you. Therefore, we ask that these forms be completed each year that your child attends camp.

3 HEALTH AND SAFETY All campers are screened for medical problems during their first day at camp. Occasionally campers do become ill or require other medical attention during the week. We maintain a well-equipped health facility, complete with dispensary, sick bays, and isolation rooms. A certified Health Officer, nurse, or EMT is on call 24 hours a day. In addition to our medical staff, we foster a close relationship with nearby physicians and the local hospital for consultation and emergency service. To provide medical care for your child, we need your SIGNED authorization and ALL INSURANCE NUMBERS at check-in. The State of Michigan requires us to have this signed authorization on file for each child at camp. If at any time your child requires medical attention outside of camp, or is restricted from normal program participation for more than 24 hours, parents will be contacted. Your family accident/ health medical insurance will be billed, and you will be advised of and billed for any other medical expenses such as special medication and/or supplies prescribed by the physician. All prescription medication brought into Camp must be in original container, and must include the camper s full name, dosage amount, delivery times, and any limitation. All medications, including non-prescribed vitamins, creams, lotions, aspirin, etc., must be turned in and dispensed by the Camp Health Officer, Nurse, or EMT, as required by Michigan law. Do not repackage drugs or substitute another person s prescription; this is prohibited by Michigan law. The Confidential Form provides information so your child s cabin counselor can work more effectively with any special help your child might require. Please include all details. Be assured that it is kept in the strictest confidence and will be kept with your child s medical records in our health center. The State of Michigan requires that we have on file a list of individuals that you authorize to take custody of your child in your absence. Give careful thought to your list and SIGN the Camper Release Form. This is especially important if some other person may be picking your child up from camp or may be visiting your child during the week. CAMP RULES The experience of camp is one of connecting with friends in a natural setting. To promote the community of camp, we instruct our campers to live the YMCA Core Values: caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. 1. We do not allow cell phones, I-pods, other communication devices, or two-way radios. Do not bring valuable jewelry or watches, expensive clothing, or personal sports equipment to camp. 2. Personal electronics are not allowed outside of cabins. Any such items found will be held by the Camp Director until check-out. 3. We will not be liable for lost, damaged or stolen items. 4. Campers may not bring their own vehicles or any animals. 5. Do not bring cash to camp. You may deposit funds for program and souvenir purchases as well as snacks and pop in your campers store account. Cash will not be accepted at the Camp Store during the week. 6. Weapons, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, and pornographic material are STRICTLY PROHIBITED in Camp. 7. Campers are not allowed to leave Camp without the Camp Director s permission and staff supervision. 8. Bullying or hazing will not be tolerated and are grounds for dismissal. DISCIPLINE - Our staff is carefully trained to work with children in a positive and trusting environment. It is assumed that campers are amenable to discipline and will conform to the ideals and regulations of our camping program. Corporal punishment, denial of food, isolation without supervision, ridicule by staff or campers, excessive exercise or deprivation of sleep are expressly prohibited as means for discipline in our camp. Any camper found in possession of alcoholic beverages, drugs, drug paraphernalia, cigarettes, and/or pornographic material may be dismissed from camp. In such cases, parents or guardians will be contacted immediately and are responsible for picking up or arranging transportation at their own expense. Any camper dismissed from Camp for disciplinary reasons will forfeit any refund of fees. We will check for head lice before campers are allowed to go to their cabins. We follow the same guidelines as the school policy for lice. If your child is found with any nits, they will be sent home and may return 24 full hours after treatment.

4 CAMP STORE While at Camp, your child will have the opportunity to purchase various items. However, as stated in our camp rules, our camp store will not accept cash, so camper s don t have to worry about losing money while enjoying all our activities. Any money for snacks, souvenirs, program supplies, and laundry should be deposited into their Camp Store account. This can be done at Check-In, or in advance with your payment of camp fees. Campers can then draw from this account during their stay. Campers are not allowed to overdraft; please plan accordingly. Money left in a camper s account at the end of their stay can be refunded by check at the end of the summer camp season. Many families donate their account to our Camp Scholarship Fund which helps us to fulfill our promise to make camp open to those who would not otherwise be able to attend. The following items can be purchased at the Camp Store: A TYPICAL DAY AT CAMP 7:00 Wake Up 7:45 Benches/Flag Raising** 8:00 Breakfast 8:30 Cabin Clean-Up* 9:15 Chapel Talk 9:30 1st Program 10:55 2nd Program 12:05 Open Program 12:45 Benches** 1:00 Lunch 1:45 Rest Period 2:40 3rd Program 4:00 4th Program 5:20 Benches** 5:30 Dinner 6:15 Cabin Time 8:30 Taps 10:00 Lights out * Campers are asked to take responsibility for their belongings, common areas of Camp and the equipment used during their programs. ** Benches times are used to take roll call and make announcements about schedule changes and programs. *** The time between Taps and Lights Out is used for showers, devotions and reflection on the day. WHAT ABOUT 3-DAY CAMPERS? Check-In time is the same as all other campers. Check-Out time is 6:00-7:00 p.m. Wednesday. If your child wishes to extend their stay for the entire week, you will be contacted by Wednesday morning. SNACKS- A maximum of two items can be ordered during Rest Hour. A maximum of 2 of each type of item can be purchased during Open Program. PROGRAM SUPPLIES- Rocketry, Riflery, Photography, and Arts & Crafts have charges for supplies. Only campers taking these programs will need to purchase these supplies. LAUNDRY- Campers who stay for more than one week can have their laundry done if needed. The cost is deducted from their account. RAGGERS - Campers participating in the Raggers program have the cost of their rag deducted from their account. CLOTHING- Clothing can be purchased during Open Program or on weekends during Check-In and Check-Out. Use this general price list to plan how much to deposit in your camper s store account: Snacks/Soda $1/each Clothing $10-$40 Raggers $4 Rockets $6-$25 Arts&Crafts $4-$10 Laundry $5-$15 Riflery $6 per box (Charged per pound) We want to hear about your camper s experiences while attending Camp. At check-out, you will receive a parent evaluation. We hope you will go through this with your child and return it to us so that we can make our programs and services even better.

5 KEEPING IN TOUCH MAIL & CARE PACKAGES - Your kids are always anxious to receive mail. We know you want to keep up with all the exciting things your child is experiencing at camp. Our counselors make a special effort to encourage campers to write home. If you have a younger or first-time camper with us, consider writing often. Help your kids keep in touch by packing pre-addressed, stamped envelopes. But, please don t worry if your child doesn t write frequently. Usually the kids just say, I was just too busy having fun! If you would like to send food or care packages, please send enough for the whole cabin and address it to the group, in care of your child. - from parents will be printed and distributed at mealtime with other mail. To your camper, visit our web site: and click the button directly beneath our logo. Then your child's first and last name and choose the cabin # from the drop box. Help us to conserve paper by kindly limiting your messages to a half page or less. TELEPHONE - Telephones are not available for camper use except in staff supervised business or emergency situations. If parents have urgent messages that require a telephone call, please ask to speak to the Camp Director and your message will be written down and delivered to the child, normally at the next mealtime. IN CASES OF AN EMERGENCY, DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT ANY TIME. (EXECUTIVE cell: , home: ) VISITORS - Drop-in visits can create a number of problems, sometimes disrupting programs, diverting staff, or setting off homesickness for campers. First day check-in and last-day checkout are good times to visit with staff and tour facilities, not during the week. If parents are going to be in the area, they are welcome to visit, but please make phone us ahead of time. It is important that all visitors check in at the office. Do not ask to take other campers from Camp. WHAT IF MY CHILD FEELS HOMESICK? Homesickness is a normal part of growing up, and all our counselors are trained to help an anxious camper through this process with encouragement, lots of activity, and building new friendships. Parents, encourage your child by sending friendly and encouraging letters often and not promising a camper they can come home if they get homesick. Feel free to call and talk with the Camp Director at any time. We have found that allowing campers to phone home can cause setbacks and further aggravate the issue. We will contact you if there is a serious homesickness issue to help determine the best course of action. WHAT SHOULD I PACK? Please use the enclosed INVENTORY OF PERSONAL BELONGINGS to record the items your child brings to camp. Pack the list in your child s luggage so it can be referred to at the end of the week to ensure all belongings return home. Clearly mark all belongings with your child s name on them. On Saturdays all unclaimed items are placed by the Athletic Field for parents and campers to check. Unlabeled items are held in Lost & Found for two weeks before being donated to charity. Contact camp if you are trying to locate lost items. We will do our best to locate labeled items.

6 WHO DO I CONTACT? BRICE EMANUEL Executive Director, brice@ymcacampeberhart.org DEB MASTOS Office Manager, deb@ymcacampeberhart.org JONI TODD Registrar, joni@ymcacampeberhart.org CAROLYN GRACE Program Administrator, carolyn@ymcacampeberhart.org SALLY WARD Health Officer, marcellaward@att.net MAIL: PHONE: CAMPERS: Camp Eberhart Rd. Three Rivers, MI or YCAMPEB EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS: Executive Home: Executive Cell: Infirmary:* Weekend Cell: Visit our website: Click on your camper (*after office hours) WHAT DO WE DO ON SATURDAY? Check-Out time is 9:30 am. To assure the safety of your child, we ask that you present a photo ID and be listed on the CAMPER RELEASE FORM. REFUNDS, RECEIPTS AND RETURNED CHECKS All camp fees and registrations are handled by YMCA Camp Eberhart. When paying the balance of fees, extending a camper s stay, or canceling a registration, always contact us at YMCA Camp Eberhart, not the YMCA of Michiana. REFUNDS - All requests for refunds MUST BE IN WRITING. Direct your written request to Refund Request YMCA Camp Eberhart Camp Eberhart Rd. Three Rivers MI Full refunds may be issued only in cases of medical or family emergency. If a full refund is requested, a signed doctor s note or other proof of family crisis as well as a letter of request must be sent to YMCA Camp Eberhart. Refunds are only issued if a camper leaves early for a family emergency. NO VERBAL AGREEMENTS FOR REFUNDS OF ANY KIND WILL BE HONORED. The $ per session deposit is non-refundable, but may be transferred to a different period up to seven days prior to checkin date. STORE REFUNDS - Any refund of store money will be sent to the camper at the end of the summer, not dispersed over the weekend at the end of your camp week(s). Please consider donating any unused funds to the YMCA Camp Eberhart Campership Fund. This fund helps us to provide camp to children who not otherwise have the opportunity to attend camp. CASH RECEIPTS - PLEASE DO NOT HAND CASH TO ANY STAFF MEMBER who is not prepared to give you a written receipt. Only cash transactions verified by official receipts will be honored for refunds. RETURNED CHECKS - There will be a $ 25 charge for all returned checks. If you are picking up your camper late, please let us know in advance! There may be additional fees incurred. More importantly, we want to assure your child that we know when to expect you. Campers wishing to extend their stay will be allowed to telephone you for permission early in the week. These phone calls are made in our camp office with a staff member standing by to verify the arrangements. Parents are invited to tour Camp and attend the horse show or other planned events. The horse show begins at 10:15 am. It is presented by participants in the Horse Masters Program.

7 CHARACTER COUNTS Camper Rules and Code of Conduct YMCA CAMP EBERHART (This form needs to be turned in at check-in) 1. Stay safe while having fun! 2. Do not bring weapons, drugs, alcohol or electronic communication devices (i.e. cell phones, IPods, palm pilots, two-way radios, etc.) 3. It s okay to get mad. It s not okay to hit anyone. 4. Respect your environment by refraining from littering and abusing equipment/furnishings. 5. No camper is allowed to have or use any form of tobacco product, controlled substance or alcoholic beverage. 6. No camper is allowed in any cabin or bathhouse except his/her own. 7. After lights out, campers must remain in their cabin. 8. All campers must participate in all their scheduled activities. If ill, inform cabin counselor, who will direct the camper to the health officer. 9. No pillow fights or towel flicking (rat-tails). 10. Campers are expected to treat each other with caring and respect. Bullying or hazing will not be tolerated and may be grounds for dismissal. (INITIAL) I understand that these rules and guidelines are for my safety and the protection of the campers and staff. Consequences of inappropriate actions while attending Camp 1. Campers are made aware of all rules and guidelines again upon arrival. 2. Camp staff will first verbally warn campers for breaking these rules and guidelines. 3. After warning camper, if behavior or action persists, camper will not participate in that given activity. 4. If behavior or action persists, the appropriate member of Administrative Staff will be contacted and brought in to intervene. 5. At this point, Administrative Staff member will determine whether to notify parents or give one more chance for improved behavior. 6. Parents will be notified if behavior persists. Camper will be placed on 24-hour behavior contract. If behavior does not improve, camper may be sent home at parents expense. 7. The Camp Director will review all decisions thoroughly with parents and staff before any child is sent home. 8. The Camp Director reserves the right to send home any camper if it is decided it is in the best interest of the YMCA Camp Eberhart program, campers and staff. I have read, understand and will comply with the above code of conduct. Date: PRINT CAMPER S NAME PRINT PARENT/GUARDIAN S NAME CAMPER SIGNATURE PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE

8 DIRECTIONS TO YMCA CAMP EBERHART From South Bend: Take IN-23 to Cassopolis. Turn east on M-60 to 2 miles past Jones to Corey Lake Road. OR: Take IN-23 (becomes M-62 at State Line) to Edwardsburg. Turn east on US-12 to M-40 (to Marcellus). Turn north on M-40 to Jones, east on M-60, 2 miles to Corey Lake Road. Turn left on Corey Lake Rd. for 1.5 miles to STOP sign (Jack s Pizza is on the left). Go straight on County Line Road 3/4 miles past Corey Lake Marina. Camp Eberhart Road is on the right. From Indiana, Illinois or Ohio: Take the Indiana Toll Road to the Middlebury, Constantine exit. Go left off the Toll Road into Michigan. At the State Line, this road becomes US-131. Take 131 north through Constantine about 8-9 miles to M-60. Take M-60 to the left to Corey Lake Rd. Turn right on Corey Lake Rd. for 1.5 miles to STOP sign (Jack s Pizza on left.) Go straight on County Line Road 3/4 miles past Corey Lake Marina. Camp Eberhart Road is on the right. From Michigan: Take M-60 west from Three Rivers towards Jones, to Corey Lake Rd. Turn right on Corey Lake Rd. for 1.5 miles to STOP sign (Jack s Pizza on left). Go straight on County Line Road 3/4 miles past Corey Lake Marina. Camp Eberhart Road is on the right. OR: Come south on US-131 from Kalamazoo area (connects with I-94) to M-60 west in Three Rivers to Corey Lake Road. Turn right on Corey Lake Road for 1.5 miles to STOP sign (Jack s Pizza on left). Go straight on County Line Road 3/4 miles past Corey Lake Marina. Camp Eberhart Road is on the right.