IMPORTANT DATES:
New Camper Orientation: Saturday, May 18th from 1-3:30pm
Mini Camp 1:
Sunday, June 30th - Saturday, July 13th (2 Weeks)
Full Season:
Mini Camp 2:
Sunday, June 30th - Sunday, August 18th (7 Weeks)
Sunday, July 21st - Saturday, August 3rd (2 Weeks)
Session 1:
Visiting Day:
Sunday, June 30th - Saturday, July 20th (3 Weeks)
Saturday, July 20th from 11am - 4pm
Session 2:
Training Camp 1:
Sunday, August 18th (4 Weeks)
Sunday, July 14th at 8:30am to Monday, July 15th at 8:30am
Extended Session 2:
Training Camp 2:
Wednesday, July 10th - Sunday, August 18th
Sunday, July 28th at 8:30am to Monday, July 29th at 8:30am
HOMESICKNESS DOES NOT MEAN CAMPERS AREN’T HAPPY
In the same way they come in all shapes and sizes, first-time campers will approach this new experience in many different ways. Your son may want to talk about camp all the time... or not at all. He may not be able to contain his excitement as you order all his Bauercrest gear, then turn pale at the sight of those giant duffel bags. This is all completely normal. Pre-camp jitters are a part of the process. If your camper is having doubts, he’ll look to you to make them go away, or at least put them in their place. If you are struggling with doubts of your own, share them with us... that’s what we’re here for! We’ll talk you through it so you can be brave enough for both of you. While there are countless things you can say if your son is feeling nervous, there is one thing that we strongly urge (beg) you NOT to: Please, please do not ever tell your child that you’ll pick him up early if he wants to come home. There are so many reasons for this, but the two most critical are:
1. This tells him that you’re not sure he can do it, when the truth is that... 2. He can totally do it.
IN THE MEANTIME, YOU COULD: • Show him videos of campers his age having crazy fun and remind him that they were all first-time campers once, just like him. • Help him recall other instances when he was afraid to try something new, then ended up being so happy he did. • Tell him how proud you are of him, and that you are so excited for him to make new friends and have all kinds of adventures with them. • Promise him that his counselors and the entire leadership staff will be there for him, and that he should never be embarrassed to ask for help or tell us how he’s feeling. • Reassure him that it’s ok to miss home. Home will be waiting for him when camp is over. And when he is back home, he will miss camp in ways he can’t begin to imagine. • Get us involved so we can figure it out together!
If you have a favorite stuffie, bring him to camp!
HOMESICK AND HAPPY
This book by Dr. Michael Thompson is a wonderful tool for preparing families for their first overnight camp experience. It’s an insightful look at the magic of summer camp and why it’s so important for children to be away from home. We highly recommend it!
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