Types of Opportunities

Day Camp
Spend the day at camp and go back to the comforts of your own home at night. It’s the perfect opportunity for girls to enjoy a day time camp experience.

Me and My Gal/Me and My Guy
Take your favorite female or male adult to camp for an overnight of fun! You’ll get to share all your favorite camp activities with one of your favorite adults!

Family Camp
Share your camping adventure with the whole family! You and your family get the chance to experience all there is to do at camp.

Troop Adventure Camp (TAC)
Spend 2-3 nights with your troop at camp! You’ll work with your leaders and enjoy great activities that are led for you!

Resident Camp
Have the ultimate overnight adventure whether you sign up as an individual or with a buddy. Check out the variety of opportunities, there is bound to be something perfect for you!

Older Girl Leadership Opportunities
You are never too old to go to camp! Camp offers a wide variety of leadership building opportunities for girls entering 7th grade to 12th grade. Look at the information in this brochure to find what’s best for you.

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Equal Access
“No one shall be denied admission to our camp(s) or to the benefit of our U.S. Department of Agriculture Child Nutrition program(s) because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, handicap, or age.” Providing specific program requirements are met.

Girls with Special Needs
Girl Scouts of Western Ohio seeks to provide an inclusive environment. Campers requiring special accommodations, meals, equipment, or staffing must notify the regional office in writing and send complete information with her registration(s). All information will be kept confidential and shared only with the camp director and the appropriate staff. Campers should be self sufficient and able to dress, eat and shower on their own.

Transportation
Parents are responsible for transporting children to and from all camps except when bussing is available. Carpooling is encouraged. A photo ID is required to pick up a child from camp.

For out-of-camp trips requiring transportation, campers are driven in council owned or leased vehicles by staff members who are at least 21 years old and who have completed special transportation training and motor vehicle background checks. Seat belts are worn at all times.

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Staffing

In our commitment to ensure the safety of all campers, we strive to meet or exceed all established safety standards for staffing. We maintain a staff to camper ratio of:

• 2 adults to every 12 girls entering 1st through 3rd grade

• 2 adults to every 16 girls entering 4th through 6th grade

• 2 adults to every 20 girls entering 7th grade and above

All staff members are carefully screened to find the best and most qualified candidates to promote a safe, positive, nurturing camp environment. Each candidate submits an application, 3 references and goes through an interview and State and/or National Criminal Background Check according to the National Child Protection Act of 1993.

Minimum requirements of staff positions include:
• Supervisory staff – 21 years or older with supervisory experience
• Camp counselors and specialty staff – 18 years or older
• Volunteer Staff – 18 years or older

International Staff
Some camper’s experience is enhanced through her interaction with the talented and experienced staff that will be joining us from other countries such as England, New Zealand, and Hungary. International staff are selected from applications provided by an international staffing agency and go through a screening process including background certification checks that are similar to the process used for U.S. staff.

Male Staff
Male staff members (paid and volunteer) are a valued part of all aspects of Girl Scouting, including Girl Scout camping. Additional guidelines are followed when men are present, in order to ensure the privacy of the girls as well as the male staff members. In all situations, Safety-Wise standards for involving men in Girl Scout activities must be followed.

Training
All staff participate in an intensive, mandatory training designed to prepare the staff to create a positive, harmonious, and supportive camp environment based on information by the camping industry’s leading experts. During this period, the staff learns about child development, the Girl Scout program, camp skills, group dynamics, safety procedures and regulations. Supervisory staff participate in additional training.

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ACA Accreditation
The American Camp Association (ACA) is an independent national agency which imposes the highest standards of health, safety, program, and staffing for camps across the country. Camps are periodically visited and must maintain high marks to display the ACA logo. We are proud that all council-owned properties are accredited and meet or exceed ACA standards.

Buddies
If your camper has a special buddy who is in the same grade level with whom she wants to share her camp experience, please follow these guidelines to assure placement of your camper and her buddy.

• Buddy pairs are placed when two girls request each other on the registration form. One buddy request only.

• Buddies must sign up for the same camp program

Remember that buddies are not a requirement! Many campers come to camp without a buddy and make new friends quickly.

Health Care
In a conscious effort to provide a safe and healthy environment for all campers, Girl Scouts of Western Ohio requires campers to provide the following:

• Resident Camp
  A physical exam that has been taken within 24 months of the camper’s stay at camp is necessary for campers, including adult chaperones who attend resident camp. Health exam forms must be signed by a licensed physician. If a girl arrives at camp without a signed health examination form, she will be sent home.

• Me and My Gal, Me and My Guy, Troop Adventure Camp and Day Camp
  A health history must be provided that is current within 6 months, unless otherwise specified.

The Privacy Act of 2001 protects all personal and medical information. The disclosure of confidential information is only available to the health personnel. It is the camper’s responsibility to provide this information for each session they attend. Forms will not be transferred to another camping session. Forms are not available from the previous year.

All camps have staff members who are First Aid and CPR certified.

Camp Kapers
Kapers are chores girls share while attending camp. Each staff member will model and teach campers proper ways to care for the environment and their camp surroundings. Each unit is responsible for the upkeep and cleaning of their area, and for additional daily camp responsibilities. This may include cleaning the dining hall, latrines, bathhouse, the grounds, etc. Girls are closely monitored to make sure that established health and safety procedures are used in completing cleaning tasks.

Volunteers
Volunteers are an integral part of the Girl Scout organization. Volunteers are individuals who are 18 years or older. See camp descriptions for opportunity details.

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REGISTRATION PROCEDURES

Camp Fees
Girl Scouts of Western Ohio has worked hard to offer summer camp opportunities at the lowest possible rates. We have been able to maintain fundraising efforts and minimize expenses in an effort to offer camp opportunities to girls at about half the actual cost. Non-Girl Scouts may attend camp for an additional $150 surcharge to the fee ($150 reflects a portion of the Girl Scout subsidy). Non-Girl Scouts who wish to become Girl Scouts should indicate on the registration form and include a $10 registration fee in lieu of the $150 non-Girl Scout fee.

Registering For Camp
Many camps fill quickly. You are encouraged to submit your camp registration form by the registration opening date. Registration opens January 30, 2008 for all camp programs excluding Troop Adventure Camp (TAC). TAC registration opens February 27, 2008.

• Registrations may be submitted online, by fax, mail, or walk-in to the regional service center offering that specific camp opportunity. (Registrations submitted to any other service center may delay the registration process.)

• Girls will not be considered for placement prior to 5 p.m. on registration opening date. On the opening date, girls will have an equal opportunity to be placed in their first choice of camp.
  Note: If we receive more registrations than spaces available for a program, an impartial drawing will take place. A drawing is only conducted on opening day. The day after opening day, all registrations will be accepted and placed on a first-come, first-served basis by date received.

• Submit one form per camper per camp program opportunity.

• Each camp registration form must be accompanied with a $30 non-refundable deposit per camp/per camper, or payment in full for camps $30 or less, in the form of cash, check, credit card, “Cookie Dough” or “Nutty Bucks”.

To comply with auditing practices, checks, cash, and credit cards will be processed immediately upon receipt of the registration form. This does not guarantee registration.

Financial Assistance
Financial assistance is available to registered Girl Scouts wanting to attend camp, based on financial need. All campers must pay the $30 deposit and some portion of the program fee. See page 46 for form.

Balance Due
A balance due letter will be sent in the mail with the confirmation letter. The balance of the camp fee can be paid by cash, check, credit card, “Cookie Dough”, or “Nutty Bucks”. The balance of all camps must be paid IN FULL by June 4, 2008 with the exception of Troop Adventure Camp.

To ensure fair and timely registration of all campers, registrations submitted without the appropriate forms completed and/or proper fee included will not be accepted and will be returned. If the balance is not paid within 10 days of the due date, your reservation will be cancelled and your deposit forfeited. Each camp registration form submitted on or after June 4, 2008 must include payment in full for each camp program.

Refunds
Deposits are nonrefundable unless the desired program opportunity is full or has been cancelled. Written refund requests for the balance of the fee must be submitted within two weeks of the end of the camp program and will be considered for the following reasons:

• Serious illness or accident (with a physician statement)

• Death in the immediate family

• Camper moves from the Girls Scouts of Western Ohio service area before camp begins

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