10 Things You Should Know About Camp
I recently read this article: 10 Things your Kid’s Camp Won’t Tell You. They made some very interesting points in the article, and I thought I would address each of the 10 items with regard to Camp Tannadoonah.
1. Accreditation. Camp Tannadoonah licensed by the State of Michigan and is also Accredited by the American Camp Association. We have annual inspections by the State Licensing Official and the Health Department, biannual inspections by the State Fire Marshall, and an ACA accreditation visit every 3 years.We’re happy to share any of these reports and documents with parents.
As far as staff screening goes, each prospective staff member is interviewed by me, and I contact at least 3 references for each applicant. We do state police background checks as well as child abuse central registry checks for each person who is offered a position. Our staff return rate for this year is approximately 50%, and we have a 4:1 or better ratio of campers to counselors (depending on how high enrollment is for a particular week). We’re also happy to provide the names and contact information of references who can tell you about camp.
2. Referrals. We don’t pay any agencies or organizations to provide referrals for us. However, we do pay YOU to refer campers to camp. For every new camper who lists you on their registration, you get a $25 discount off of your camper’s registration fee!
3. The right camp for your child. Camp isn’t for everyone, and there are many different types of camps out there for you to choose from. We try to provide a program that can be tailored to fit your child’s interests, but it’s always possible that there are other programs out there that would be a better fit for your camper. We’re not a specialty camp – we have many different activities and many different options for your camper to choose from. We’re happy to answer questions and help you decide if Camp Tannadoonah is the right place for your camper.
4. Getting in to a camp session. Most of our sessions at camp are not filled to capacity, although last year we had three session that were full or nearly full. We have a capacity of 111 campers, and the typical week has between 80 and 100 campers. We do encourage you to register early, though, because we offer discounts for early registrations.
5. Competitiveness. We’re not a specialty sports camp, and we don’t have a high level of competition at Camp Tannadoonah. Most of our programs are designed to build teamwork and cooperation, not encourage rivalries. While our day is packed full of activities from 7:30am to 10pm, there is down time, and the campers can choose between programs with varying activity levels (e.g., crafts vs. sports and games).
6. Add Ons. All the camp activities except waterskiing are included in the registration fee. Campers can participate in crafts, archery, nature, drama, dance, sports and games, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, swimming lessons, and fishing all at no extra charge. We also offer tennis lessons, digital photography, low ropes team-building challenge, jewelry making, outdoor cooking, and yoga, all at no extra charge. Waterskiing costs $75 extra. We don’t have a list of required clothing or items for camp, and every camper is given a camp t-shirt as part of the standard registration fee. The daily “camp store” snack is also included in the standard fee. We have additional items available in the camp store for purchase, including sweatshirts, water bottles, backpacks, hats, flashlights, etc., but none of these items are required.
7. Negotiable Prices. Last year we provided campership assistance to 94 campers (out of a total of 647 campers who attended for the summer). We offer discounts for signing up and paying before the Early Bird Deadline, and discounts for signing up for more than one session. The campership application is available on our registration page.
8. Illnesses at Camp. We have a registered nurse onsite at camp during all sessions, and also have a supervising physician who reviews all of our health care policies and procedures annually and is available for consultation during all sessions. We collect health histories from every camper upon arrival at camp. We also have procedures in place to limit the spread of any communicable illnesses among campers, and we always notify parents immediately if their camper becomes ill at camp.
9. Values. Our counselors spend a full week at camp before campers arrive participating in a staff training program. We have policies in place to prevent hazing and bullying, and staff are carefully trained to recognize campers who are being bullied. We try to make all the rules clear to campers and parents from the outset, and have a written policy for handling all disciplinary infractions.
10. Homesickness. We know that many campers suffer from homesickness, especially the first time they attend camp. In fact, it’s rare to have a week go by when we don’t have at least one camper who is very homesick. We do provide training for our staff in dealing with homesickness, and we call parents and notify them if their camper seems to be having an especially difficult time. When a camper is suffering from homesickness, we try to get them involved in camp activities to keep them busy, and we try to provide a lot of extra “TLC” to help them adjust.
