Getting Prepared for Camp!
May 4th, 2011 by Aaron Gach, Boy Scouts of America, Gerald R. Ford Council
Here are the steps: We hear about a great camp. We do some research and find out if the camp will be a good fit for our child. Our children get excited about all the fun they are going to have.
What happens between the day we decide to send our child to camp and the day they arrive? Hopefully the answer is one simple word… PREPARE!
What do we mean when we say prepare? Well, if you have researched the camp by visiting its website and Facebook, read reviews, talked to parents or peers that have sent their children to that camp, spoken with the camp director/program director/leadership team, and read up on any documents or literature from the camp, you have already begun your preparations in a huge way! The big secret to the absolute BEST camp experience for your child is active preparation by you! If you are sending your child to a great camp the camp leadership will already have helpful resources available to assist you and your child as you prepare. The concept is all about information. The more informed you and your children are about what to expect, the more comfortable your child will be, translating into a better/more fun experience while at camp.
Camps typically present these “preparedness communications” in numerous forms. Flyers, parents books, websites, Facebook, parent meetings (best way!!!), what to bring to camp checklists, menus, daily schedules, program offerings, orientation days, advance sign ups, etc. all represent solid attempts from the camp to transmit useful preparedness communications to your family and camper. The question becomes what do we do with these items? Do we seek them all out, ask questions if we are unclear, and then utilize them to create a plan with our children before they ever leave for camp, or do we file them away to never be seen again?
We recommend a family meeting with your camper to go over what the schedule at camp will be, what to expect for a menu, what programs they will participate in, personal and camp safety, where they will be staying, who is in charge and so on. If a family member or close friend is not attending camp with your camper, can they? Perhaps your child can recruit his best friend to come to camp with them - this is another way to help your child be more comfortable in camp. Whatever the result, time discussing camp and expectations will assist your camper in being ready for camp. In this way your camper will feel prepared and knowledgeable on what to expect, so that when they arrive at camp there is a much smaller learning curve, and they can get down to the business of having the best experience ever!
See you at camp!
About the author…
Eagle Scout Aaron Gach is the Council Program Director for the Gerald R. Ford Council of the Boy Scouts of America, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan which annually serves over 20,000 young people here in west Michigan with the support of over 7,000 adult volunteers. He began his outdoor adventure as a Cub Scout at his Council’s resident summer camp. He now enjoys camping, mountaineering, climbing, hunting, water sports and more in the great outdoors! He joined his camp staff in 2000 and later served as Camp Director. Currently Aaron supervises camping operations for the four summer camps of the Gerald R. Ford Council, and the property’s year round maintenance and operations team. Gerber Scout Reservation, home to three camps, serves over 5000 Scouts and leaders each summer, and thousands more in the non-summer months. Visit www.bsagrfc.org for more info.
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