A Day at Camp

The bell will ring at 7:00 (depending on your camp). No camper should be out of the cabin prior to the bell ringing, except in an emergency or a quick trip to the bathroom. Campers are not allowed to take a shower prior to the morning bell. When the bell rings, get your campers up and moving. If you have Morning Watch, prepare and go over your program with your campers.

A time to be awakened spiritually, giving praise for the new day and what it holds. These are all-camp services and are 10-15 minutes long, and include elements of praise and thanksgiving and usually a mini lesson or thought for the day. Morning watch is usually held at the steps.

At 8:00AM sharp, unless your director has made special arrangements with the kitchen. It follows morning watch.

Usually directly after breakfast. During this time you should accompany your campers back to the cabins to clean up there bunk area, sweep the cabin, and take out the cabin trash. The bathrooms on your side of camp also need cleaned (bleaching showers, stocking toilet paper and paper towels, cleaning out sinks) daily. The director will let you know who is responsible for the bathroom cleanup that morning. Some camps have an entire cabin clean up the bathroom while others ask for 1 or 2 campers from each cabin help with cleanup. It is important to note that even if you have bathroom cleanup you are still responsible for cleaning your cabin. At the younger camps, cabins are inspected daily and awards are given out each day.

At Primary and Junior camp, campers are responsible for developing and designing a worship center in their cabin daily. This is done during clean up time in the morning. A worship center is a project the campers put together of a Bible story, parable, or other religious thing. Campers use materials they find in their cabins and nature to build these centers.

Bible Study: Bible study is to be held twice a day at camp. Usually in the form of a large group (all camp) and small group Bible study. The Bible study is based on the Brethren Press curriculum that the Outdoor Ministry Association chooses each year. Campers should bring Bibles to Bible Study.

Nature: Camp is a wonderful place to learn and study nature. Many directors bring in special programs or people for nature.

Crafts: At Primary and Junior camp there is usually a period set aside for crafts. Usually the director brings in someone to teach crafts for the week, or asks a counselor to do it ahead of time.

Music: Is a time when campers and counselors get to sing all their favorite camp songs from years past and learn many new ones.

Lunch is held at 12:00

This occurs directly following lunch and is a time of rest and quiet for you and your campers in your cabin. During this period all campers should be on their bunk being quiet, either sleeping, reading, or writing.

Both Junior High and Youth Camps go out into the community and perform service. Junior High camp on Thursday, walks to Hopemont Nursing Home to sing for the residents. Youth Camp goes into the community throughout the week to perform work projects for a variety of people in the community.

Camp Directors often bring in special programs for campers during the week. They very from each camp and from year to year. In the past some of these have included: Sign Language, Missionaries, Rescue Raptor, Scales and Tales, and many more.

Several of our camps take trips off site during the week to compliment their camping program. In the past these have included: Junior – Hike Around the Lake and Terra Alta Park, Junior High – Hikes, Dairy Queen, Hopemont, Terra Alta Park, Youth – Swallow Falls, Alpine Lake, Herrington Manor, and Dairy Queen.

This is a favorite activity for most campers. Depending on the camp, you may go to the lake as small groups or an entire camp. A lifeguard is on duty during swim time.

• Swim suits are to be modest and appropriate. All females must wear a ONE-PIECE suit. Female campers who bring a two piece to camp must wear a dark colored shirt when swimming.
• There is absolutely NO diving off the dock. Campers may jump in feet first.
• Campers should remain close to the beach, and should never leave the sight of the lifeguard at any time.
• All campers/counselors who are boating must wear an appropriate life jacket.
• Primary and Junior campers must have a counselor accompany them anytime they go boating.
• Campers are not permitted to leave the waterfront unless for an emergency.

Recreation is usually lead by several of the counselors. During this time the campers play games and have fun-while burning off all their extra energy.

Depending on the age group, your director may choose to have free time throughout the day where campers can explore a variety of different activities.

Dinner is held at 5:00 PM

This is the closest thing we have to a worship service at camp. Vespers is held at Vesper Point on the lake at sunset. Campers get to enjoy watching the sun set over the mountains while also seeing the wildlife at the lake and hearing the sounds of nature. Vespers is a reverent time that usually last about 15 minutes. The counselor usually has some type of short lesson or story which they share during this time. There is also time for several songs.

This is usually held directly after vespers prior to campfire.

This can be both a fun and a worshipful time at camp. Campers usually go to campfire directly from snack. Just like vespers, campers are asked to be quiet when they pass the boys water fountain. Usually the campfire starts with several fun songs and goes into several worshipful songs. The counselor leading campfire usually prepares some sort of lesson or story just as with vespers with camp. At the older camps, this tends to be a very sacred and reflective time. Campers go to bed directly following campfire.