Friendly Pines is nationally known for leadership, location, programming, and progressive standards. In continuous operation since 1941, the camp occupies an ideal location among the tall pines in the Bradshaw Mountain area, just six miles from Prescott and on the border of the Prescott National Forest
Children thrive in the clear, cool, polution-free air At an elevation of 6,300 feet, the nights are crisp with daytime highs usually in the 80’s
Our own deep wells provide an abundance of pure, delicious mountain water. Besides the outdoor setting of fields, lakes, streams, and forests, Friendly Pines also is favored in having both an outstanding staff and excellent physical plant; charming redwood buildings provide amply for sleeping, dining, and other needs
Having separate villages for girls and boys, with a single seating in the dining hall, maintains the “family feeling” essential to the best camping experience.
AN ARIZONA TRADITION
SINCE 1941
GREETINGS GREETINGS
FROM FRIENDLY PINES CAMP AND THE BUD BROWN & JACK MAY FAMILIES
We don’t know if our founders ever gave much thought as to whether or not the summer camp they started in the 1940’s would still be going strong more than 80 years later. We do know, however, the fact that Friendly Pines Camp has flourished for eight decades would make them smile.
Bud and Brownie were a couple. They knew that meless, traditional values which Friendly Pines was were solid enough to er bad times, changing , and a multitude of ions. It was, for Uncle nd Brownie, a “dream true,” where the finest er experiences in some, safe and FUN ng could be offered to ys and girls.
Thanks to Uncle Bud and Brownie’s inspired vision, it has been the great joy of our family to welcome countless, worldwide families and staff members to this heavenly little spot in the mountains of Arizona. For some camp families, that joy now spans up to four generations; Yes, we now welcome the greatgrandchildren of our earliest campers.
As for our own family, Friendly Pines now includes four generations. The torch was passed in the mid-60’s to Bud & Brownie’s daughter and sonin-law, Bebe Brown May and Jack May. Their children, Rosemary May Taylor and
Christopher May, M.D., represents the third generation, while Megan May, Nick May, Collin Taylor, and Brock Taylor represent the fourth generation.
As we prepare to celebrate our camp ’ s 84th anniversary, the same philosophy lives on, ever true to the founding principles of Uncle Bud and Brownie, to turn childhood moments into life’s rich memories.
We warmly invite you to join us this summer at Friendly Pines where, as one camper put it...
"YOUR
THE BROWN & THE BROWN & MAY FAMILIES MAY FAMILIES
UNCLE BUD & BROWNIE
Friendly Pines Camp was founded in 1941 by Bud and Isabelle, better known as “Uncle Bud” and “Brownie” around camp. The camp has grown tremendously since their first camping trip here with their children and several of their little friends, and now stands as a monument to their life’s work. Four generations of Arizona youngsters have benefited from their inspiration and devotion.
JACK & BEBE MAY
In the early 1960s, Bebe Brown May and her husband Jack May took over ownership of the camp from Bebe's parents. They upheld camp traditions and developed Friendly Pines into what it is today. Jack, a Certified Camp Director (ACA), brought a business background of over 20 years, an education from one of England's finest schools, and four years as a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force. Bebe, the daughter of Uncle Bud and Brownie, served as senior director, with experience as a teacher, counselor, and fluency in Spanish. Jack passed away in 2012, and Bebe joined him in 2021. We miss them dearly.
CHRIS, BARB, MEGAN & NICK MAY
Chris, Jack & Bebe's son, is a Diagnostic Radiologist in Scottsdale, AZ. Barb is a homemaker, Megan is in flight school to become an airline pilot, and Nick works in the personal finance industry.
ROSEMARY, COLLIN, & BROCK TAYLOR
Rosemary, Jack & Bebe's daughter, is the Regional Director of HR at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort. Collin is the CEO and Founder of a tech & robotics company, and Brock is a Senior at Arizona State University.
PHILOSOPHY + MISSION
No matter which camping program you choose for your child, you’ll want to know the organization’s guiding philosophy. After eight decades of camping, Friendly Pines remains firmly fixed on a philosophy that embraces the following principles:
succeed at his or her own pace
Provide campers with the opportunity to make meaningful choices.
Teach campers the skills required for living in a group setting.
Foster campers ’ appreciation for the beauty and value of the natural world.
Create an environment that encourages independence, selfreliance, and a sense of responsibility.
Show campers how to develop their own creative, wholesome forms of entertainment.
Help each camper to identify and cherish his or her own unique strengths, talents, and interests, and to seek the best in others.
Allow campers to learn by doing.
Offer a low-stress, FUN experience that lets children enjoy all of the wonders of childhood!
OUR STANDARDS
Safety and security for campers, far more than just a slogan, is the guiding principle by which careful, intelligent and experienced planning takes every possible precaution. Being without serious illness, accident, or incident throughout the camp ’ s history is a record that speaks for itself
Staff are carefully screened for criminal records, substance abuse, and congenial personality, and must be at least 18 years old; Campers receive 24-hour adult supervision; Access to camp is highly controlled, and the public is never allowed on the property; Equipment is up-to-date and well-maintained; Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in every cabin; An M D is always on call And at least one med staff with a qualification no lower than an R N is always on duty at the camp infirmary to administer meds and basic first aid, and to evaluate and monitor the general health of the camp.
Standards relating to every phase of the camp organization, personnel, program, health, safety, and physical plant equal or exceed those established by the American Camping Association (ACA), Arizona State Health Department and Yavapai County, all of which accredit Friendly Pines. We are also long-standing and proud members of the Western Association of Independent Camps.
PAYMENT OPTIONS
Deposits and payments may be placed on credit card* (Visa, MasterCard, or American Express), paid by check, or via e-Check/ACH (NEW FOR 2025!)
*Credit card surcharge applies
Monthly payment plans can be arranged during enrollment, and incur a $50 charge per household.
If you are interested in learning about potential financial aid options, please email info@friendlypines com
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL
September 17 to October 15, 2024: September 17 to October 15, 2024:
Keep in mind these Early Bird discount deadlines, so you can maximize savings on your camper ’ s tuition! Each discount is per camper; no discounts for Adventure Trails Two-Week Sessions -$100 One-Week Sessions -$100 Adventure Camp -$50
On 3/1/25, you will be charged a Secondary Deposit:
Two-Week Sessions
One-Week Sessions
Adventure Camp
Adventure Trails
$650 per camper
$430 per camper
$390 per camper
$470 per camper
The purpose of the secondary deposit is to break up the payments; in the past, enrollees would pay their deposit in the fall, then a large lump sum in May
$590 per camper FINAL
CANCELLATION FEES
SEPTEMBER 1DECEMBER 31
JANUARY 1FEBRUARY 28
MARCH 1APRIL 30
MAY 1
$100 per camper
Initial Deposit, per camper
Initial + Secondary Deposit, per camper
Full tuition, per camper
Some sessions may have waitlists. Particularly sessions that are in 'desirable' times during the summer, or offer a specific program (like Adventure Trails, our horsespecific session)
The likelihood of getting into a session you ' re waitlisted for is hard to call; there are so many factors that go into waitlist movement It kind of depends on the year, the session, and how much before or after the final cancellation deadline (May 1st) we ' re at. We've had waitlists in the past that had 15 people who all eventually were able to get into the session, but conversely, we ' ve had waitlists of one person that never had any movement So determining how likely your camper is to get in to a specific session is really not always possible to determine.
There is no penalty for waitlisting, nor is there any money that has to be put down to reserve a spot on the waitlist If you ' re at all interested in potentially getting into a specific session, it is in your best interest to at least get on the waitlist. We will email all campers on a given waitlist first, should spots open up You can register as normal; upon 'check out', you will select the waitlist option right in your shopping cart You can also enroll for a session that does have availability AND the session that you ' re actually interested in but has a waitlist; if a spot opens, we will be able to manually switch your registration That way you can still get a spot somewhere during the summer
OUR SESSIONS
All of our sessions are virtually the same; food and lodging is included, campers live in a cabin of similarly aged children, and they participate in a variety of different activities as well as the evening activities like the Overnight campout, Carnival, and Rendezvous.
A 13-night program where boys and girls ages 5-14 get to create their own daily schedule by choosing from our 30+ activity offerings. This is our most popular program, as the children get a real taste of the camp magic, and is a great option even for first-time campers! Our most popular sessions.
ght program similar to our two-week session, half the time. One-week campers do have specific one-week activities (horses, target , ropes course, etc.), but also do get mixed in he two-week campers for most other ties (hiking, water sports, arts & crafts, etc ) ames of the sessions (Pioneer vs Explorer or eeker A vs Trailseeker B) are simply used to mine the specific session in question; there is al difference between any of the different . A popular session with our first-time ers.
A D V E N T U R E W E E K
A D V E N T U R E C A M P
A 6-night traditional Friendly Pines Camp program where boys and girls, ages 5-14, will have 5 of their favorite activities daily, and they will not go on an overnight campout; these are the only major difference from a one-week session, and allows the campers to have 5 activity periods in a day instead of 4. This session is usually our smallest. Popular with returning and first-time campers alike.
A D V E N T U R E T R A I L S
A 6-night program for boys and girls, ages 10-16, that focuses on horseback riding, horsemanship, and horse care. All skills taught are to prepare campers for a two-day, overnight horseback trip. Campers who love horses, have extensive prior experience with horses, and want to ride all day, every day usually go for this session. Previous horse riding experience & extensive time spent around horses required for participation
SESSION SIZE:
120-200 CAMPERS PER SESSION
CABIN RATIO FOR 6-8 YEAR OLDS: 6 CAMPERS TO 1 COUNSELOR
CABIN RATIO FOR 9+ YEAR OLDS: 8 CAMPERS TO 1 (SOMETIMES 2) COUNSELOR(S)
FENCING
OUTDOOR SKILLS
SWIMMING
ROPES COURSE
HATCHET THROW
SPORTS
SEWING
CANOEING
ARTS & CRAFTS
ARCHERY
NATURE STUDY
HIKING
PERFORMING ARTS
RIFLERY
HORSEBACK RIDING & MORE!
WHAT KIND OF FOOD IS SERVED AT CAMP?
We have always been highly complimented on the quality of food that we serve at camp. Each day, our amazing kitchen staff churns out 3 hot, nutritious, and DELICIOUS meals for over 300 people.
Typical fare can include:
Breakfast: hotcakes, eggs & bacon, oatmeal
Lunch: grilled cheese & soup, gyros, pizza
Dinner: lasagna, tacos, "Thanksgiving Dinner"
We also provide two snacks per day, one in the morning in between activity periods, and one right after Siesta in the afternoon. Examples of snacks include:
AM Snack: trail mix, graham crackers, Goldfish
PM Snack: cantaloupe, watermelon, grapes
CAN CAMPERS BRING SNACKS? CAN I SEND THEM FOOD?
We have a no-outside-food policy at camp Critters and forest animals are notorious for finding food if it's kept in the cabins We also do not sell snacks in our camp store Our 3 meals a day + 2 snacks always provide plenty of food for our campers and staff It's hard to ' go hungry' at camp!
CAN YOU ACCOMMODATE FOOD ALLERGIES, DIETARY RESTRICTIONS, OR SPECIAL DIETS?
Absolutely! We can cater to diverse dietary needs like lactose-free, glutenfree, vegetarian, vegan, and more. Food allergies such as nuts, dairy, soy, and gluten are well-handled. We welcome campers with nut allergies, and if your camper has specific snacks they prefer due to allergies, we can store them separately and provide access during meals
MY CAMPER TAKES REGULAR MEDICATION; CAN YOU ADMINISTER THESE MEDS WHILE THEY'RE AT CAMP?
You will provide details of your camper ' s regular medication and dosage in the Health History form. Upon arrival, we will securely store and manage their medications at our Camp Medical Center. Our medical team will follow the specified dosage and instructions from a medical professional. Remember, all medications, including prescription, over-the-counter, vitamins, and supplements, must be accompanied by a signed doctor's order for us to administer them
F O O D & H E A L T H F O O D & H E A L T H
HOW DO YOU ASSIGN CABINS?
Campers will live in cabins of campers of similar aged campers. Basically, we will take the oldest 8 campers and put them in a cabin, then the next 8, and so on until everyone is assigned.
Our typical consideration order for cabin assignments is as follows:
1. GENDER, 2. AGE, 3. GRADE
CAN CAMPERS REQUEST TO BE IN THE SAME CABIN AS A FRIEND OR SIBLING?
We are usually able to accommodate cabin requests. We ask that you limit your camper ' s cabin mate requests to not more than two other campers, for a total request group of three campers. We must consider the experience of the campers in the cabin who are not part of this circle of friends. Should the n three total campers, we will contact you to dis s.
Be aware that the older camper is moved down to be in a cabin with the younger camper, not vice-versa. Sometimes the “being together” is less important to the older child than being placed with their own age/grade level might be!
There is a place to make a bunk mate request during the online enrollment process
AMPER DOESN'T KNOW ANYONE GOING INTO CAMP?
In our experience, more than half of first-time campers come to camp without knowing another soul. These campers do just fine and make plenty of friends in their cabins and activities. In fact, we ' ve even been told before that returning campers sometimes like the fact that they have two 'sets' of friends: one group for school/home and one for camp!
We strongly feel that 'not knowing anyone ' should not be a reason to refrain from sending your camper to camp! Kids are resilient, and they will adapt to the "scariness" of not knowing anyone quickly!
WHAT ARE THE CABINS LIKE?
Our cabins are rustic, but comfortable. All of the cabins have electricity, hot water, and a full indoor bathroom (toilet, sink, shower). Most have wooden floors and twin-sized bunk beds, but size and layout varies. We do not have air conditioning in the cabins, but all do have fans and screened windows
A TYPICAL DAY @ FPC
7:00 AM RISING BELL
7:30 AM CLEAN-UP BELL FOR BREAKFAST
7:35 AM FLAG RAISING ON BALL FIELD
7:45 AM BREAKFAST
8:30 AM CABIN CLEAN-UP
9:10 AM READY BELL FOR ACTIVITIES
9:20 AM FIRST ACTIVITY PERIOD BEGINS
10:20 AM FIRST ACTIVITY PERIOD ENDS; AM SNACK
10:30 AM SECOND ACTIVITY PERIOD BEGINS
11:30 AM SECOND ACTIVITY PERIOD ENDS
11:30 AM CABIN RE-GROUP
12:00 PM LUNCH AFTER RE-GROUP CABIN FREE-TIME
11:50 AM CLEAN-UP BELL FOR LUNCH
1:00 PM SIESTA IN CABINS
2:10 PM SIESTA ENDS; PM SNACK
2:20 PM THIRD ACTIVITY PERIOD BEGINS
3:20 PM THIRD ACTIVITY PERIOD ENDS
3:30 PM FOURTH ACTIVITY PERIOD BEGINS
4:30 PM FOURTH ACTIVITY PERIOD ENDS
4:30 PM CABIN RE-GROUP; MAIL TIME
5:15 PM FLAG LOWERING ON BALL FIELD AFTER RE-GROUP CABIN FREE-TIME
5:10 PM CLEAN-UP BELL FOR DINNER
5:30 PM DINNER
6:45 PM EVENING ACTIVITY
8:10 PM RETIRE TO CABINS & GET READY FOR BED
9:00 PM LIGHTS OUT
WEATHER & CLIMATE
Prescott enjoys mostly perfect weather, with summer highs reaching the mid- to upper80ºFs and nighttime temperatures dropping to the low-60ºFs, and receives an annual average of 277 days of sunshine. While cabins lack air conditioning, they have fans, openable windows, and screens for airflow. Monsoons occur in late summer, generally after July 4th until September's end Rain jackets are essential packing items for camp, regardless of the session your camper attends!
VISITING CAMP
Prospective families can explore the camp grounds during the fall, winter, or spring seasons by scheduling individual camp tours in advance. An annual Open House event is also available for attendance, and families are welcome to participate in either or both options. However, visiting times are not offered while camp is in session; you'll have the opportunity to tour the camp when you drop off and/or pick up your camper
TECHNOLOGY
Embracing a tech-free approach, our camp prioritizes outdoor engagement, peer interaction, and diverse activities for campers ' enjoyment. Our days are brimming with exciting pursuits that far outweigh screen-related activities, ensuring a fulfilling experience beyond phones, the internet, and video games. Electronic devices like cell phones, laptops, video game consoles, and more should be left at home to maintain this ethos
COMMUNICATION
Regrettably, direct calls to campers aren't available. You can however call the camp to inquire about your camper ' s well-being through a staff member. The preferred correspondence method is snail mail, eagerly anticipated during the daily mail time at 4:30 PM, excluding Sundays. Alternatively, you can send emails, which will be printed, folded, and included with the cabin's mail
CAMPING...
...A MAGIC WORLD COMPOUNDED OF VIBRANT BLUE SKIES, MOUNTAINTOP VIEWS, THE RUSTLE OF CLEAR WATER OVER A CREEK BED, COMPANIONSHIP IN THE FOREST, FLICKERING CAMPFIRE LIGHT AGAINST THE TALL PINES, THE WONDER OF WILD ANIMALS DISCOVERED IN THEIR NATURAL HOME - AND FINALLY THAT INNER SENSE OF GROWTH AND ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT COMES WITH PROGRESS MADE TOWARD NEW SKILLS AND NEW CONFIDENCE GAINED UNDER KINDLY, UNDERSTANDING COUNSEL – THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY YOUR CHILD DESERVES!
