OPENING DAY CHECK-IN You will need to bring with you: Health Form (make certain it is completed and signed by a licensed physician) Medication in original container with Medication Card Code of Conduct (signed by both camper and parent/guardian) Camper Release Form/High Risk Activity Form (not necessary for Brownie Mini or Day Camp Sessions)

OPEN HOUSE

We are looking forward to having your camper at camp. You may be sure that our staff will do everything possible to make camp an exciting and meaningful experience. We hope to see you at the Camp Whip-Poor-Will Open House on Sunday, June 8, 2008.

VISITORS

Visitors are welcome to tour the camp on arrival and departure days. Please leave family pets at home. There are NO visiting days during the sessions. There are, however, many opportunities for parents/guardians to volunteer at camp this summer.

PAYMENT

The balance of your camper’s camp fee is listed on her balance of payment form. If fees have not been received by the due date, the council will assume she is not attending and will give her space to someone on the waiting list. Remember, the $30 deposit is non-refundable. Please make checks payable to Girl Scouts of Western Ohio (GSWO) and note the session she will be attending. All payments may be made online via our secure server using the Balance Due Payment Form or mailed to:

Girl Scouts of Western Ohio
4930 Cornell Road
Cincinnati, OH 45242-1804

CAMPER INFORMATION SHEET

Please complete and return the camper information sheet to the Great Rivers Regional Office with the balance of payment. It will help the staff get to know your camper and make her camping experience a positive one. Having prior knowledge about a learning difficulty, bed-wetting problem or a recent loss or major change in a camper’s life can be a crucial factor in helping us be sensitive to your camper’s need for patience, understanding and reassurance. Indicate on this sheet if there are any activities your camper should not participate in. Please call Mary Beth King at the Great Rivers Regional Office to discuss any special needs.

ARRIVAL

Campers arriving on Sunday should plan to arrive between 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. on the afternoon of their session.
 

Mini session campers arriving on Tuesday should plan to arrive at 2:00 p.m. on their scheduled day.

Please double check your confirmation form for the correct arrival date. Please do not arrive early as the staff will be meeting and preparing for the session.

You will be greeted in the parking lot by a staff member and asked to leave all of your camper’s gear in your vehicle except for any medications, the health form, and other paperwork. Once you have visited the health supervisor, you can unload your camper’s luggage, place it in the appropriate area, and then check in with your child’s counselors. Camp staff will haul all the luggage to the units after check-in.

The check-in process will include visiting:

1. Camp staff will greet your car and direct you to a parking place. This is where you’ll learn your child’s unit assignment.

2. The camp health supervisor who will review your camper’s health form and general physical condition. This includes a lice check, campers found with nits/lice will be sent home.

3. Drop luggage off in assigned area and meet your camper’s counselors.

Please allow at least 45 minutes to one hour for check-in. We ask your assistance by being patient as we ensure that your camper is properly checked-in.

It is helpful if your camper’s swim gear is packed separately. Swim tests are conducted opening day.

OPENING DAY QUESTIONS

The Camp Director and Assistant Camp Director are available to answer any questions you might have regarding your child’s stay at camp or future stays.

ABSENTEE POLICY

Campers who are registered for camp sessions are expected to arrive within the designated time frame for drop off and pick up. Campers are to be checked in and out by individuals listed on the release form. Parents are asked to notify the camp if a child is ill or will not be attending as expected. Camp personnel are responsible for campers once they arrive on camp property. When transportation to and/or from camp is provided by Girl Scouts of Western Ohio, camp personnel accept the responsibility of the campers beginning at the pick-up site.

No refunds will be given for no-shows.

DEPARTURE

You will find a Camper Transportation Release Form in your packet. Please fill it out, including the names of all individuals who have permission to pick-up your camper, including yourself. A photo ID is required for pick-up. If we are uncertain about the person taking your camper, we will contact you. For your camper’s safety, if we can’t reach you – SHE WILL NOT BE RELEASED.

Campers departing on Friday should be picked up at 5:00 p.m. Parents/Guardians can start arriving at camp at 4:30 p.m.. You’ll have a chance to meet with the camp staff and find out all the fun things your camper has done at camp.

Mini-Session campers departing on Tuesday should be picked up at 11:00 a.m.

UNIT PLACEMENT

“Which unit (living area) will I live in?” This is our most frequently asked question. Unit placements are done the week before the session begins, and are determined by total camp enrollment and numbers in each program opportunity. You will have to wait until you arrive for this information. Staff members live in tents adjacent to the girls to give staff and campers privacy and allow girls to learn to work together.

Tent placement is arranged when you arrive. Buddies registered for the same program opportunity, and selecting each other, will be placed together. Because tents sleep 4, it will not be possible for groups of 3 to sleep together as this would leave 1 girl out. Groups larger than 2 may not share a tent - please divide the girls before you arrive.

CARE PACKAGES

Meals are well-planned and snacks are available. Do not send food packages. Food received will be kept and returned at the end of the session. Remember, food in a camper’s tent might be an open invitation to small animals! Birthdays are an exception.

TELEPHONE

Telephones are for emergency purposes and not for campers’ use. Parents/guardians with concerns are encouraged to call the camp director. The camp phone number is (513) 899-2751. Campers may not have cell phones at camp!

BADGES

Your camper’s camp experience is designed to give her an overall introduction to the session topic she has chosen. Badge work is not the focus of our camping sessions. However, during the course of her stay at camp, several badge requirements may be completed. A badge sheet will be handed out on closing day that lists the requirements she earned. She may have requirements yet to meet on her own time.

MAIL

Mail is very important to campers. Write “happy” letters. Let her know you miss her, but you’re glad she’s having fun. Save less cheerful news for when she gets home. If you send a letter the Friday before her arrival, she’ll have mail on Monday!

The mail can sometimes be unpredictable and can take up to a week to arrive at camp. We recommend that you write cards or letters and leave them in our mailbox on opening day.

Mail arriving after your camper leaves camp will be returned to sender.

E-MAIL

We are happy to offer you a one-way e-mail connection. You can e-mail your child at: campwpw@grgsc.org.  Please limit your e-mail per day.

LOST AND FOUND

Personal property of campers will be kept 2 weeks following each session. Inquiries should be made to the camp office. We will do our best to return valuable items marked with the camper’s name. Items left longer than 2 weeks will be donated to a local charity. Camp is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

LAUNDRY

Only facilities for hand washing and showering are available at camp. Bedding of bed wetters will be laundered in the camp washing machine.

PREPARING YOUR CAMPER FOR HOMESICKNESS

Homesickness is a normal reaction for anyone away from home, even if it isn’t the first time. People, activities and surroundings are new which can lead to homesickness. We work with each camper individually to get through this. Spending time away from home will be one of her most valuable growing experiences.

You can prepare your camper by helping her understand that most campers come without buddies, and she will quickly make new friends. Reassure her that camp is a lot of fun. Make certain she knows you will write her many happy letters. Please avoid telling her that if she is unhappy she can come home. This can set her up to fail. We are committed to creating a partnership with you to help your camper have the best summer camp experience possible. We value your input and appreciate any information that will make your camper’s experience a success.

CAMPER BEHAVIOR

Our staff works hard to help every camper feel safe and have a positive experience. However, we cannot allow an individual’s behavior to compromise the positive experience of the group. We will make every effort to work with you and the camper to correct behavior; however, a camper who runs away or physically or verbally abuses campers or staff will be asked to leave. If you have any concerns about your camper’s behavior, please call and help us help your camper succeed.

HEALTH CARE

Our goal is to provide a safe, healthy environment. All of our staff are First Aid and CPR certified, and a registered nurse or EMT is on-call daily. Our consulting physicians are from Group Health Associates in Mason, and we use the emergency services at Bethesda North and Bethesda Medical Center Arrow Springs in Warren County. We will notify you if your camper stays overnight in the health center, or if she needs to see the doctor.

All medication must be in its original container, labeled with the camper’s name, physician’s name, and dosage.

Each camper will be checked for head lice upon arrival, and if found, she will not be able to participate in that week of camp. We will ask you to provide immediate treatment at your expense. Please do a preliminary exam on your camper, and any camper in your car pool. Notify us at registration of any changes in health status since you completed the health history, or if your camper has been exposed to a communicable disease in the last three weeks. A camper who has recently had a communicable disease MUST have a physician’s release to remain at camp.

TOBACCO POLICY

Camp Whip-Poor-Will is a tobacco-free facility. If a camper is caught with tobacco products, cigarettes, cigars or chewing tobacco, her parents/guardians will be notified and asked to pick her up from camp immediately.

HEALTH EXAMINATION

A health examination by a licensed physician or other licensed medical personnel is required within 24 months (2 years) of camp attendance, providing no serious accident or illness has occurred since the last examination. We do not keep health forms on file from previous years. We recommend you keep a photocopy for yourself (if attending multiple sessions, make multiple copies). The health history must be completed prior to camp by a parent/guardian. Up-to-date immunizations are required. Please bring the health form to camp with you. DO NOT MAIL IT! Your camper cannot attend without it! Download the health form here.

SWIMMING

All campers will participate in a swim activity during their first swim time to enable the lifeguards to identify each camper’s strengths and skills. Color-coded swim caps will be assigned following the activity.

To qualify for the advanced swimmer color-coded cap, girls will have to complete the following:
- swim across the pool in any manner
- tread water for one minute
- grab an object off the bottom of the pool
- jump into the deep end

Girls may try for a higher-level cap at any time during the camp session by talking to the lifeguard and re-taking the swimming test.

HORSEBACK RIDING

Campers attending City Slickers, Blazing Saddles, Adventure Challenge and Saddle Up are required to wear hard sole boots, over the ankle with at least ½” heel, long jeans/riding pants, and helmets. Shorts, cotton or slick pants, sneakers or lug soled hiking boots are NOT ACCEPTABLE for horse programs. Helmets are provided.

PACKING LIST

The following checklist of suggested items should be helpful in planning and packing. Remember to pack enough for her time at camp. Have your camper help pack so she knows what she brought and what it is packed in. Mark the number of each item taken, and use as a checklist when packing. Label everything with her name. Don’t buy new clothes – send the “grungy” ones.

Pack for warm days and chilly nights.

Be sure luggage and sleeping bags are labeled on the outside with name, address and phone number.

DO NOT BRING TO CAMP

• Sandals or shoes that are open in the front or back; this includes sport sandals, such as Teva’s or Nike’s, and clogs.

• Halter or tube tops

• Radios, cassette players, or CD players of any sort

• Bottles or glass containers

• Electronic games (i.e., Gameboy or virtual pets) or appliances (i.e., blow dryers, Walkmans)

• Cell Phones (if brought, they will be confiscated and returned at departure)

• Aerosol cans

• Food/snacks/gum

• Tobacco products, including cigarettes & lighters

What to pack The checklist below is a guide.  What your camper brings to camp depends on her personal habits.  Please do not feel obligated to go out and purchase items.  *
Clothes �       Jeans �       Shorts �       T-shirts �       Underwear (plenty) �       Socks (plenty) �       Shoes/Sneakers (2 pair) �       Pajamas �       Sweatshirt or sweater �       Raincoat & hat or poncho �       Bathing suit, towel and sunscreen (to be brought to camp ready to use opening day) �       Hat for sun protection �       Boots with ½ heels (this is only for horse programs) �       Bedding �       Sleeping bag or sheets/blankets �       Pillow   Optional �       Camera and film �       Tissues �       Sanitary napkins/tampons	Equipment �       Unbreakable cup, plate & bowl �       Knife, fork, spoon �       Dunk bag (mesh bag with drawstring for dishes - optional) �       Flashlight & extra batteries �       Laundry bag (cloth recommended – label it) �       Washcloths & towels �       Stationery, pen, pencil �       Stamps �       Water bottle �       Day pack (for carrying swim stuff and gear around camp) Toilet Kit Containing �       Soap and soap dish �       Toothbrush, toothpaste �       Comb, brush �       Shampoo �       Sun screen �       Mosquito repellent (non-aerosol) �       Deodorant   **label all items
*High Adventure packing list

QUESTIONS???
Prior to May 19, 2008, please call Mary Beth King at the Great Rivers Regional Office Center at 513-489-1025 or
1-800-537-6241. After that date, please call camp at 683-2892.

For financial or billing questions, please call Debbie Santel at the Great Rivers Regional Office at 513-489-1025 or 1-800-537-6241.