Youth and Recreation Activity Resource Center
Activity and Resource Center
Planning and Conducting
a Resident Camping Program
Chapter 6
Resident camping can be done on a limited budget. However, if more finances are available, the program can be more elaborate. The program for resident camping should begin with a skeleton timetable indicating mealtimes and bedtimes. A step-by-step process for completing the timetable is described in this chapter. Fill in the blank time slots with activities that meet the desires and needs of the campers.
In a decentralized resident camp-if the counselors are well-trained and capable-each group of campers could make its daily schedule. This work should be done under the leadership of a trained counselor who guides the group to develop a balanced program.
Planning a Resident Camp
Finding a Campsite
Check on the assemblies or camps owned by the Religious Denominations, Local Churches, National Parks, State Parks, Boys or Girls Clubs, Scouting Organizations, YMCA or YWCA Organizations, Privately Owned Camps and other non-profit organizations that work with youth. Many of these offer excellent services. Their leaders can give assistance in planning the program that will work well in their setting. Contact any private campground owner and seek information concerning his facilities. Many times such a person can assist in planning. The internet offers information on hundreds of camps and retreat centers.
Write the Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Request G.P.O. catalog I 29.71:969.
Just any site will not always accomplish a particular camp's objectives. Availability is not the only factor in selecting a campsite. The site must be adaptable to accommodate the number of campers, the age groups, and the division of campers by sex. This site should provide the food desired for your type of program, and, the site should have adequate water and sanitation facilities. Don't force it! If a site doesn't fit the program, look for another place.
The sleeping accommodations should be appropriate for the campers. Several factors are involved: ages, needs, likes and dislikes, experience, and sex. One site might be ideal for a group of junior high boys, but it would never work for a coeducational senior high camp.
Food is a very important item to consider. Make sure that the food is properly prepared. Healthful, good food is even more important at camp because appetites are usually greater.
Carefully note how a camp manages its food situation. At some sites the manager will furnish all the food, prepare it, and even serve it. Others will provide facilities, but the church must provide the food and the cooks. Other sites might require the individual camper to provide and prepare his own food. Each of these approaches can be satisfactory only when food is of good quality and adequate quantity.
(See the materials in chapter 2 regarding retreat site selection. That material also will apply to the selection of sites for resident camping.)
Designing a Budget
Any camping budget should pay the cost for the camp staff, administration, program expenses, and honorariums. The camper would pay his cost for the sleeping accommodations, food, transportation, insurance, and in some cases even a part of the program cost. This amount is usually called the camp fee. It is best to have each camper pay a part of his costs. He will value the experience more when he shares in it financially.
A "campership" is a fund set up by individuals or the organization to sponsor campers who otherwise could not afford camp. Usually the campership will only supplement the amount that the camper can pay.
Enlisting Leaders
The camping director is a member of the recreation staff in a church or organization. His/Her principal function is to co-operate and conduct the camping program in a church or organization. If he/she is not available to direct your resident camp, he/she should assist the church or organization in finding a qualified camp director.
Camp Director
Enlist the camp director first. Upon his/her shoulders rests the bulk of responsibility for enlisting and training other staff members. The camp director should be a Christian, with camping experience and leadership ability.
Counselors
Provide one counselor for every eight campers. This rat}o allows the counselor to better know his/her campers, and it makes for a closely knit group. It is important that this person be a Christian who enjoys working with campers. He/she will work closely with the camp director before and during camp.
Program Staff Personnel
This could be one person responsible for any one aspect of the program (except counseling). Or, your program may call for several program staff persons. It is possible to have a good program with no program staff if your camp director and counselors are experienced in their areas of leadership and are trained to lead their groups. If you do have a program staff, make sure they are Christian individuals who are trained and skilled in the areas they will be leading.
Although a camp physician or registered nurse is preferred, at least one person on the staff should have had an up-to-date American Red Cross first aid course. This person would function under ordinary circumstances or in emergencies. He/she is not a doctor or a nurse. He/she is a person trained in first aid procedures; he/she knows what to do until the patient sees a doctor.
If your camp uses water sports, you must have a lifeguard. This program staffer has been singled out because of the importance of his task. Don't cut corners here! Be sure your lifeguard is certified for his position through the American Red Cross or YMCA and is qualified to lead your campers. Check local regulations to see how many swimmers are allowed per lifeguard.
If you rent a facility that doesn't furnish meals, you must enlist and train camp cooks. These people should be Christians, and they should have experience as camp cooks. The dining hall staff could include the cooks, the counselors, and the campers. Or, a separate staff could help in the kitchen and dining hall.
Your type and size of camp will dictate whether other staff members are necessary. Other staff positions to consider include:
Unit leaders - These work between counselors and camp directors when the camp is made up of several small groups. A unit leader might have three to five counselors under him.
Handyman - This person is the jack-of-all-trades who can help in almost any situation, and he/she can drive a vehicle for supplies or any errands needed.
Training the Leaders
Every part of church camping should be approached through the prayerful seeking of God's leadership. Training is a most vital concern. Train each staff member to know his//her area of responsibility, how to carry out his/her responsibility, and how to fit into the total camp program. The camp director is responsible for this training.
Every person on the staff should be involved in pre-camp training. Also, campers and parents should receive some orientation.
The camping director on the recreation staff should give special attention to training the camp director so that he/she will be able to train the other staff members.
Train the counselors in camp skills related to their work with their age group. They should learn how to deal with problems, how to lead a person to Christ, how to get along with fellow staffers. Part of the pre-camp training should take place on the campsite.
The program staff will experience pre-camp training through an orientation session. They should know the type camp planned and what is expected of them. They should discuss necessary program details such as properties needed.
Help staffers to know their specific responsibilities. Help them to plan menus and to understand the quality and quantity of food expected. Help them to order the food (if this task is their responsibility). Be sure that they are aware of the equipment they will have and know how to use it. Each person who has a part in food preparation should comply with all health department requirements.
The campers are not on your staff, but they should be prepared for the camping experience. Be sure that they are aware of what they should bring to camp and what is expected of them. And, don't forget the parents. Assure the parents of the competence of your staff, the type program planned, and the safety precautions that have been taken. Remember, they are entrusting to you their most prized and valued possessions-their children!
Three types of training are needed:
1. Pre-camp - Training in preparation for camping.
2. In-camp - Training in a lab-type situation while the staffers are actually experiencing camping.
3. After-camp - Training for next year, beginning with an evaluation by the staffer of the camp and of his own work.
The Planning Committee
Camping should minister to the total person. To minister this way, plan a well-rounded, evenly balanced program. This ministry does not happen automatically, simply because the decision is made to have a camp. Much planning, preparation, and prayer go into a successful camping experience. The planning committee with its work and concerned effort is vital to a meaningful camp.
The camping director on the recreation staff, along with the camp director, enlists a planning committee. The planning committee members are responsible for the success of the camp from the time they are chosen through the camping experience and the evaluation. The committee works very closely with the camping consultant and the camp director to see that the camp is planned well. Their responsibilities are in these major areas.
1. Administration
2. Set policies for the camp.
3. Set dates for the camp.
4. Order needed materials for training.
5. Order needed equipment for training and camp.
6. Make any forms needed.
7. Check any legal aspects involved.
8. Secure camp insurance if insurance is not included in site rental.
9. Evaluate the camp.
Finances
1. Plan the budget.
2. Recommend fees.
3. Supervise the handling of funds.
4. Collect all fees.
5. Pay all bills.
6. Keep a record of all income and expenses.
Campsite
1. Locate facilities suitable for the program and the campers.
2. Visit the site with the camp director to insure its suitability.
3. Reserve site.
Promotion
1. Make the church aware of camping and its role in the Christian education program of the church.
2. Keep the church informed of schedules for camps.
3. Make brochures or other materials needed to accomplish this task.
Transportation
Arrange transportation for campers and staff to get to camp and to return home after camp.
Arrange for any transportation needed while camp is in session.
Be sure all insurance is valid for prescribed drivers.
Program Activities
1. Plan the activities of the camp.
2. Make a detailed schedule of activities.
3. Enlist leaders.
4. Work with the camp director in all phases of planning to see that the activities are suitable.
5. Evaluate the activities after they are completed.
6. Throughout all planning and evaluation include camper representatives.
Objectives
1. List major objectives of the camp (spiritual objectives, physical objectives, and any others).
2. List areas of work for reaching objectives.
3. List methods for reaching objectives.
4. Make block schedule.
5. Evaluate the work.
Conducting a Resident Camp
Develop a Well-Balanced Program
This process of activity planning can be used effectively to make a well-balanced program. The following chart illustrates how a program might be planned. Each camp should be planned with its own set of distinctives.
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Objectives |
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Methods |
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Spiritual |
1. Bible Study |
Individual – directed by counselors |
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Small groups - directed by counselors |
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2. Worship |
campfire service |
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Morning watch |
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Vespers |
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3. Prayer |
Cabin devotions |
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Discussion on why and how |
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4. (others) |
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2. Physical |
1. Food |
Regular meals |
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Snacks |
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2. Rest |
Night |
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Period in day |
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3. Safety |
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4. Sanitation |
Observe good sanitation principles |
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Learn and Practice good sanitation principles |
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5. Recreation |
water sports |
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Games |
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6. (others) |
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3. Social |
1. group Participation |
Games |
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Fellowship |
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Team Work |
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2. Insure sense of Security |
Be in a cabin group |
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Make new friends |
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4. Educational |
1. Learn about Nature |
class in Nature appreciation Ideas |
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Build a nature trail |
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2. New Ideas |
Plan new games |
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Offer activities for free time |
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3. Leadership Training |
Give campers positions of leadership in small groups |
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4. (Others) |
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Develop a Block Schedule
After completing the program activity planning, make a block schedule as in the following example. First, set up events such as meals and bedtime; these probably will not change from day to day. Then by looking at the program methods in the activity chart (column III), fill in the vacant blocks.
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Time |
First Day |
Second Day |
Third Day |
Fourth Day |
Fifth Day |
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Lunch |
Lunch |
Lunch |
Lunch |
Lunch |
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Supper |
Supper |
Supper |
Supper |
Supper |
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Bed Time |
Bed Time |
Bed Time |
Bed Time |
Bed Time |
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For a more flexible method of planning program activities, try using this block schedule form. As before, fill in the activities that will be the same each day. Next, train your counselors so that they can add the other program activities. During camp, the counselors will then work within their small groups to set up their own schedules for each day.
This block schedule is a very good method if you have mature, well-trained counselors. It is not a shortcut to schedule planning; it requires much preparation and training. One advantage of this method is that more variety is possible. Also, the group can better meet its daily needs since each day's schedule probably will be different
Plan Special Days
Plan for the special days at camp. Some of these are:
· The first day
· A rainy day
· The last day
On the first day of camp, the director faces the problem of changing a bunch of individuals into a group. This could be the first time away from home for some campers, and they might need special help in adjusting. The first-timer in the quiet, open country may need assurance that everything is OK. Counselors usually handle these special situations.
A rainy day can be a disaster day. Or, it can be an unusually fun day. Have a special rain-day plan tucked away, and pull it out like a welcome umbrella. With such a plan the program continues, and the campers stay dry. If the weather is warm, and there is no lightning or camper illness, take a rain hike. A rainy day can be the best day at camp - if you have creatively planned for it.
The last day of camp is very important. It is the time of transition when the camper goes home to continue living a changed life. The last day at camp should prepare him for this transition.
Develop a Sequence of Actions
Plan, conduct, and evaluate the resident camp according to a sequence of actions. The following sample schedule gives an approximate time when each action should be completed. Add the actual dates for your camp actions in the right column. The camp director assists the planning committee in seeing that such a timetable is met.
CAMP ___________________________ CAMP DATES ________________
Action Schedule Date
Enlist camp director 6 months prior to camp date _________
Enlist planning committee 6 months prior to camp date _________
Determine the age group for the camp 6 months prior to camp date _________
Find site 6 months prior to camp date _________
Initiate planning of programactivities 5 months prior to camp date _________
Recruit staff 5 months prior to camp date _________
Set camp fees 5 months prior to camp date _________
Plan camp budget 4 months prior to camp date _________
Print and send out registration information 4 months prior to camp date _________
Check on progress of committee work 4 months prior to camp date _________
Finalize plans for program activities 3 months prior to camp date _________
Check on camp insurance 3 months prior to camp date _________
Begin training sessions for staff. 3 months prior to camp date _________
Begin accepting registration fees 3 months prior to camp date _________
Examine legal aspects of camp 2 months prior to camp date _________
Order all supplies .......... 2 months prior to camp date _________
Planning committee makes all policies 2 months prior to camp date _________
Make arrangements for transportation 1 month prior to camp date _________
Make arrangements with doctor
........................................ to be on call 1 month prior to camp date _________
Check location and procedures
........................................ of emergency room 1 month prior to camp date _________
Continue staff training . during camp
Evaluate camp After camp
Evaluate the Camp
The camp director and planning committee should evaluate every phase of the preparation for camp. This evaluation usually is done on an individual basis and the results probably are not revealed until the camp is over. Draw up a form including the general things that took place in camp and any specific areas in which evaluations are desired. Draw up different forms for the various groups evaluating. Evaluators should include:
· Camp director
· Planning committee
· Counselors
· Program staffers
Use the information from these evaluations in preparation for the next camp. Since the camping director on the recreation staff continues working in this area, he should have a copy of each evaluation. These evaluations will help the next planning committee and camp director.