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how
to choose a
summer camp
Follow these suggestions and your
youngster will come back healthier,
happier, and wiser from the stimulat
ing experience of group living in the
out-of-doors.
It's not too early in the year to discuss whether
Junior or Betsy should go to Summer camp and,
if so, which camp is the right one for him or her.
If your child feels secure at home and has had
brief happy experiences away from home visiting
relatives or friends; if your child wants to go to
camp, it's close to certain that a good camp would
not only be fun but important educationally.
There are about 13,000 camps in the U.S. a lot
to choose from. In making your selection, there
are three main considerations: 1) Is the camp safe,
clean, and well-run? 2) Is the camp program suit
able for your child? 3) What about costs?
You will want affirmative answers to such ques
tions as: Will my child be physically safe? Are
kitchen and food handling clean? Is the food
wholesome and appetizing? Is the director well
motivated, skilled, and experienced? Are the
counselors old enough, plentiful enough, trained
enough? Does the program focus interest on the
camper, or is it just custodial "business" for the
director? Are sleeping quarters adequate?
You should, if possible, consult with parents of
other campers and get acquainted with the camp
director in order to size up such matters. Directors
of good camps welcome questions from parents.
A dependable, more objective means of deter
mining whether a camp "measures up" is to find
out if it is a member of the American Camping
Associations Every one of its nearly 3,500 member-
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camps has had to meet accepted standards of
camping which have been defined for years.
Here are some examples of specific standards: A .
camp must have one counselor for every eight
campers age eight and older. All camp brochures
and publicity material must be accurate. All motor
vehicles must be in safe operating condition. Coun
selors must be at least 19, with the average con
siderably older. The camp program should "afford .
an opportunity for the campers to participate in a
creative outdoor group experience in a democratic
setting, and should provide for the development of
each individual." Program activities should be
geared to the ages, abilities, and interests of the
campers. There must be a medical exam for staff
and campers before camp starts, and a checkup
upon arrival by a physician or registered nurse.
You can find out if the camp belongs to ACA by
looking for the membership seal on the camp bro
chure or stationery, or you can check directly with
the American : Camping Association, Bradford
Woods, Martinsville, Ind. The ACA will send you
a listing of all accredited camps for 50 cents.
The second major consideration-in selecting a
camp is to study programs and find one that's
suitable for your child in terms of his age, inter
ests, temperament, skills, fortes, and foibles. The
better you know your child, the easier it will be
to find the right camp.
Decide if you want your child in a competitive
camp where teams, points, awards, and striving to
be "best" is the philosophy or in a camp that be
lieves in achievement for its own sake.
While many camps stress-athleties,-there -is-a
trend toward the . kind of outdoor activity that
wouldn't be possible in the city: canoeing, trips
into the wilderness, cooking out, exploring nature,
noncompetitive swimming, campcraft skills that
spell joy and comfort in the out-of-doors. Granted,
there are benefits in either the athletic or the
more "outdoorsy" programs and camps frequently
combine the two. .It's a matter of emphasis.
If your child has specific interests, consider the
special camps whose programs stress such activ
ities as music, dancing and drama, sailing, wilder
ness trips, or ranch living. Older teen-agers may
prefer one of these camps.
Camp fees range from as much as $1,000 for an
eight-week period down to Boy Scout, Girl Scout,
and Camp Fire Girl camps that average around
$20 a week. YMCA, YWCA, and other youth or
ganization camps cost from around $20 to $60 a
week. Camps sponsored by churches, civic organi
zations, schools, and municipalities range from
pay-what-you-can to $40 or more a week. Day
camps range from almost free to $50 a week.
In planning your budget, find out what "extras"
you'll be paying for. Although many camps are
all-inclusive, others set additional charges for such
things as riding, laundry, and special trips. Some
camps require only basic clothing; others, special
equipment your child may not have.
All told, the task of choosing a camp for your
child is not so bewildering, provided you know
what to look for and how to find it. Your serious
consideration is vital to achieving the result at
Summer's end of a returning camper who is more
healthy, more responsible, and more skilled after
the constructive fun of group living outdoors-
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...
A good Summer camp is well-kept.
There are no hazards for children.
All time is used constructively.
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And counselors are worthy leaders.
Family Weekly, April 12. 1959 15