Camp Sycamore Valley � Resident camp
Resident camp at Camp Sycamore Valley How to register
… is a camping experience for girls to live in the outdoors for five days. Girls from different troops and/or groups sign up as individual campers and are placed in units.
• Choose the camp session your camper would like to attend. Grade refers to grade camper will enter in fall 2014.
Camp sessions are open to all girls entering grades 2-8 in fall 2014. All girls who are registered Girl Scout members may attend. Girls who are no longer active in a troop or have never been members may attend camp by paying a one time fee of $30.* For girls with a chronic illness or disability, a written statement from her physician is required and must indicate the girl can participate in routine activities without harm to herself.
• Complete one 2014 Resident Camp Individual Registration Form for each camper and session. Please print clearly. • If your camper wishes to attend more than one session, complete one registration form for each session. • Online registration is also available at girlscoutsindiana.org if you are using a credit card to pay the full amount.
*Includes Girl Scouts of the USA membership fee.
• Mail completed registration form with full or half payment to: Girl Scouts of Central Indiana 2611 Waterfront Parkway East Drive Suite 100 Indianapolis, IN 46214
Please fill out the girl member registration form in the back of this book along with the camp registration form.
OR fax completed forms with credit card information for full or half payment to 317.931.3346
Resident camp staff Members of our camp staff are enthusiastic, talented, fun-loving and caring individuals. They are selected based on their experience, ability to serve as role models and their genuine desire to work with children. Our staff is committed to creating a caring and supportive environment that respects each girl as an individual.
OR deliver completed forms and full or half payment to a Girl Scouts of Central Indiana service center. If applying for a Program Assistance Grant (PAG), please submit application with your registration form. A $10 deposit per girl is required.
Staff candidates are recruited from colleges and universities, local community agencies and referrals. Individuals must be at least 18 years old and complete a thorough application process which includes a background check. The health and safety of our campers is always the first priority of the staff.
• Full fee must be paid no later than: May 23 for all June camp dates. June 23 for all July camp dates. Failure to do so will result in loss of the reservation. • A confirmation packet including health form will be mailed to all registered individuals. • Any incomplete forms or registrations without payment will be returned. If forms must be returned to you for any reason, the receipt date for processing purposes will be based on the date in which complete forms and payment (or PAG form) is received in our office.
Staff training prior to camp includes supervising and caring for campers, activity programming, first aid and CPR, team building, and much more.
Car transportation Parents should plan to drive their campers to and from camp. Drop off and pick up times are:
When to register
Sunday drop off
3 - 4 p.m.
Registration opens on Friday, January 17.
Friday pick up
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Registration closes Registration closes two weeks prior or when session is full.
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Refund procedure
How may I contact my camper? May I visit or call her?
The fee for resident camp is not designed to cover the entire cost of a girl’s stay at camp. The remaining cost is covered by various funding sources that support Girl Scouts. For this reason the refund policy is as follows:
Parents and other family members may visit the camps during their designated open house. We do not accept visitors during resident camp as seeing a mom or dad may spark homesickness in many campers. Also, because telephone calls from home tend to increase the likelihood of homesickness, we ask that you refrain from calling camp. We need to keep our phone lines available for business and emergency purposes. We also ask that you do not allow your daughters to bring cell phones to camp. Parents may always call camp directors for an update on their daughter.
• Refunds are given only if cancellation is received two weeks prior to session. • $25 of fee will be retained for handling charges. The $10 deposit for PAG’s will not be refunded if we place your child in a program . • Refunds will not be given to campers who are no-shows or who leave camp early . No refunds will be made for a child leaving early regardless of the reason. We will try to place your camper in another session if she cannot attend camp due to a failed lice exam. If she cannot be placed, there will be no refund.
What health precautions are taken? Is a physical exam required? All campers attending camp this summer must have a medical history form that has been signed by their doctor, which means they need to have been seen by a doctor in the last 24 months. A resident camp health history and exam form will be included in camper’s confirmation packet.
Questions and answers Can my daughter request to go to camp with a buddy?
As part of our check-in procedures, all campers must be seen at the infirmary on opening day.
Resident camping is about camping with friends, both old and new. Girls may request to stay in the same unit with one girl in the same session. Please write the buddy’s name in the appropriate space on the application. Requests must be mutual and only one buddy will be honored. Please mail in the two forms at the same time or we might not be able to place both girls in the same session. Because making new friends is also important, only one request per girl, per unit will be honored.
We will do a head and foot check and discuss any special needs with each camper. If your daughter is on medication, her counselors will administer her medication as noted on the bottle. Campers are required to turn in all medications, both prescribed and over-the-counter, in the original containers, to the health director on opening day.
What if my daughter has special needs?
Can I take my camper out of camp to play sports? Can I pick her up early?
At camp, we make every effort to allow all girls to enjoy our camp sessions. If you have concerns about your daughter’s ability to participate in our camp, please call us before registering her for camp. For girls with a chronic illness or disability, a written statement from her physician is required and must indicate the girl can participate in routine activities without harm to herself. Routine activities include hiking at least two miles each day, showering and changing clothes by herself, and walking up and down sizeable hills possibly in the dark with a buddy. If your daughter cannot do these activities without help, we can suggest other camp opportunities that she might enjoy. Unfortunately, we cannot offer one-on-one helpers for campers.
We do appreciate all campers remaining in camp for the entire session. It is disruptive to your daughter and the other campers in her unit if you pick her up midway through her session and bring her back a day later. However, if you wish to take your camper out of camp, you will need to contact the camp director prior to or during check-in on the first day. Make sure you know what time your camper will need to be picked up and dropped off again.
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2014 CAMP GUIDE
Camp Sycamore Valley ďż˝ Resident camp
How often do campers swim and shower?
How can I prepare my camper?
Weather permitting, all campers have the opportunity to swim and shower every day of their session with the exception of opening and closing days.
It is important for parents to talk with their camper about what to expect at camp this summer. Be sure to emphasize the good time she will have. The American Camp Association has great resources for parents available at campparents. org.
Will my daughter need money at camp? No, she will not have the opportunity to purchase anything while at camp. Snacks are free every afternoon and she will receive her T-shirt at the end of the session.
What is camp life like? All campers are expected to participate in all-camp kapers, including making their bed, maintaining their living area, and rotating responsibilities in the dining hall. Each camper is also responsible for her own personal care and grooming. Campers will sleep either in a unit house with their counselors in a separate room nearby, or in tents with the counselors in the unit. Also, campers will earn age-level appropriate Girl Scout recognitions.
What if my daughter gets homesick? Because homesickness is common at camp, especially for first time campers, our staff members are trained to provide a caring, supportive environment for your child. Homesickness usually passes in a day or two. Your encouraging attitude both before and during camp will help prevent homesickness. Please remember that campers who overcome homesickness have met a real challenge and can feel a sense of pride in themselves. If a camper’s homesickness should persist, the parents/ guardians will be notified by the camp director. More information on homesickness will be mailed with confirmations. Campers do not have access to phones and may not bring cell phones.
What are the age restrictions for the adventurous activities? Archery
9 years old
Climbing Wall
9 years old
Zip line
10 years old
Typical day at camp
What if the weather is bad? While at camp, every counselor is in touch with the camp director who has access to a weather radio. We are aware of any storms headed our way and have procedures in place to protect our campers. Some activities may be affected by weather, and in this case refunds are not issued. Please keep in mind that there is only one phone line that does need to be kept open during inclement weather in case of emergency.
7:15 a.m.
Wake up, showers (depending on unit)
8 a.m.
Opening flag ceremony
8:15 a.m.
Breakfast
9:30 a.m.
Morning activities (art projects, swimming, archery)
Noon
Lunch
What grade does my daughter need to be in to attend camp sessions at camp?
1:30 p.m.
Afternoon activities - nature hike, climbing, badges
The grades listed are the grades that your daughters should be going into in the fall. All campers must be in grades 2-8 to attend resident camp this summer.
4 p.m.
Afternoon break/snack
4:45 p.m.
Kapers, flag prep, or hopper duty
5:30 p.m.
Closing flag ceremony
6 p.m.
Dinner
7:15 p.m.
Evening activity
9 p.m.
Bedtime, showers depending on unit
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Resident session We Are Family
Grades: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 “Friends are the family we choose for ourselves.� This week at resident camp, learn what it takes to build and become a team, not only for sports but amongst your Girl Scout family. Spend time on the low ropes course and climbing wall, encourage each other during an all-camp tournament, create your own cabin flag, and more! Walk away with an autograph book full of memories of your new Girl Scout family. $180 July 6-11
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2014 CAMP GUIDE