How will Camp Dickenson create a safe and healthy environment this summer?
A healthy camp starts at home! This year, more than ever, camp is asking parents and guardians to partner with us in keeping our community healthy. Below is a summary of some mitigation strategies camp will use this summer to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, we want families to recognize that following these protocols this summer can only limit the risk of exposure, not reduce it entirely.
We are asking families to take extra care to avoid high-risk activities (such as large gatherings, indoors, without physical distancing and/or face coverings) in the two weeks prior to camp. Pay particular attention to a loss of the ability to taste or smell by any member of your household.
We also discourage families from making special travel plans for the two weeks following camp. Traveling to a different region, to a place shared with many people, or to visit vulnerable populations can contribute to a dangerous spread of the virus.
We are asking families to take extra care to avoid high-risk activities (such as large gatherings, indoors, without physical distancing and/or face coverings) in the two weeks prior to camp. Pay particular attention to a loss of the ability to taste or smell by any member of your household.
We also discourage families from making special travel plans for the two weeks following camp. Traveling to a different region, to a place shared with many people, or to visit vulnerable populations can contribute to a dangerous spread of the virus.
Camper Drop-off
Typical: All camper families will come to the multipurpose building, stand in line for health screening and camper check-in, and some will stand in line a second time to see the Nurse and Health Supervisor.
Modification: Campers will receive health screening by leadership staff in their vehicles while on the road into camp. The existing screening form will be expanded to include recommended COVID symptom checks. Vehicles will then proceed to the cabin for drop-off. Families will say goodbyes in the car, and only the camper will go into the cabin. Counselors will assist with luggage. Rosters will be checked at the cabin, and communicated to leadership via radio. Families with multiple campers in attendance will drop off in order of descending age.
Housing
Typical: Campers are housed by age group and gender. Facility capacity is set to allow for all beds to be full with the amount of staff to maintain ACA supervision ratios, by age.
Modification: Program capacity is reduced to allow for empty bunks. Campers will alternate sleeping between top bunks and bottom bunks in adjacent beds. All windows will be retrofitted will box fans, with half facing out and half facing in, to provide additional airflow and ventilation.
Masks
2021 Policy: Staff and campers will be required to wear masks that are multi-layered, reusable cloth masks, worn over the nose and mouth. Single-layer “neck gaiter” style face coverings are not sufficient. See-through face shields will be used by staff or Ministers in Residence leading worship (when they are at least 10 feet away from the cohorts.) Leadership staff will wear face shields combined with cloth face coverings when interacting with cohorts.
Meals
Typical: Campers will gather outside the Lodge and sing songs, while one group at a time is released to go through the service line. Grace is sung by each group inside. Multiple groups will sit in each side of the Lodge.
Modification: The group staying the Duplex will gather at the back steps, the group staying in the cabins will gather at the front steps, and the group staying in the Farmhouse will gather at the downstairs door. Each group will sing their grace outside. Both sides of the Lodge will serve a single cohort. The oldest in camp will have the honor of eating on the patio (front porch). Leadership and support staff will not eat at a separate staff table, but instead at the table of the cohort where they are sleeping.
Activities
Typical: Morning activities will be in age-groups, afternoon activities will be for campers to choose their own, and evening programs are for all campers to share together.
Modification: Morning, afternoon, and evening activities will be pre-scheduled, and will take place within a cohort. Activities that travel off-site and present the possibility to interact with the general public will not be included in the schedule. Supplies will be stationed in activity areas for staff to wipe down activity materials at the conclusion of an activity (ex. Bows, basketballs, fishing poles). Additional emphasis will be placed on activities that take place outdoors. In the event of rain, cohorts camp will be divided between the multipurpose building, the pool pavilion, and the river pavilion.
Worship
Typical: All campers gather for worship at one of the following locations: Lower Vespers, Upper Vespers (Tuesday), Pool Pavilion (rain), or the Multipurpose Building (rain). Worship includes songs, a message from the MIR, and an opening and closing prayer.
Modification: Cohorts will come together and utilize the full scope of the seating areas to remain physically distanced with at least 10 feet between cohorts. All persons will wear masks, with speakers and song leaders being provided a mask or face shield that allows their mouth to be visible. Communion elements (Thursday) will be blessed by the pastor and then distributed by the counselors of the individual cohorts. Campers and staff (non-worship leaders) will wear masks while singing, even when outside and physically distanced.
Medical Care
Typical: Counselors administer basic first-aid, medications are administered by the healthcare supervisor, any care beyond basic first aid is administered in the Health Center, and Nurse Amy consults in-person with the Healthcare supervisor daily.
Modification: Staff and campers will all complete and record a multi-symptom check at breakfast with their counselors. Lifeguard staff will wear masks whenever they are not in the pool. The Health Supervisor will wear a mask and face shield when providing care for any camper or staff, to allow them to move between cohorts. Symptom based removal from a camp program will be at the recommendation of Nurse Amy. Camp will not require a negative COVID test to be provided by staff or participants prior to arrival at a session. If available- staff will be tested using a rapid-test on Sunday staff meetings.
Transportation
Typical: Campers and staff use 15-passender vans, and one 15 passenger mini-bus, to move about camp, and travel off-site for trips to the swimming hole, blueberry patch, etc. In the event of inclement weather, campers may be picked up and moved from one part of site to another (example- taking Day Campers from the river pavilion to the Lodge for lunch when its raining.)
Modification: Off-site trips with a possibility of interaction with the general public will not be scheduled. The only exception is the canoe trip on the river. Any occasion where campers will be in a vehicle for transportation will include masks for all persons in the vehicle.
Parent Pick-up
Typical: A parent program takes place in the pool pavilion, with all campers, staff, and families together to recap the week.
Modification: Parents will proceed directly to the cabins, where they will wait in a queue to pick up their campers one at a time. Families will stay in their vehicles and staff will assist in getting luggage to vehicles. A weekly video will be posted by 4 pm for families to view together at home.
Positive COVID test
In the event a camper exhibits COVID symptoms, parents will be asked to pick up their child for evaluation from their doctor. We will request the family seek a COVID test from their healthcare provider. That camper will not be allowed to return to camp without a negative test.
Parents of campers within the cohort will be notified of the presence of a positive test OR a camper sent home due to COVID-19 symptoms and will be given the opportunity to pick their camper up from a session early.
Cleaning
Typical: Cleaning duties during summer camp at Camp Dickenson are traditionally divided between the following groups: Housekeeper, Support Staff, lead cook, and counselor staff.
• Housekeeper- maintains overall cleaning supply organization system, including supply levels and working
• Support Staff- works under the direction of the Support Staff Supervisor; cleans the Lodge after each meal, cleans all bathrooms daily
• Lead Cook- maintains the kitchen and service area to meet local health department regulations for a food service establishment. Supervises the end-of-day cleaning by the Support Staff.
• Counselor staff- lead campers in daily clean-up of cabin areas; perform an end-of-week full cleaning of one area (assigned by the Support Staff Supervisor).
• Healthcare Supervisor- cleans and disinfects the heath center daily
Modifications: In addition to existing practices, Support Staff and Camp Housekeeper will utilize the Daily Disinfection List in Appendix C of the ACA Field Guide. Camp has secured a generator of hypochlorous acid, which is an approved virucide for COVID-19. When used in a backpack sprayer with a mist nozzle, this disinfectant can be applied to both soft and hard surfaces without damage. The kitchen and food service areas of the Lodge will begin using food service grade quaternary ammonia for sanitation after each meal. Counselors from each cohort will be responsible for disinfecting program items (fishing poles, basketballs, bows, etc) after their cohorts activity.
The health center will be supplied with a UVC light and ozone generator, which will run on a timer each night.
Typical: All camper families will come to the multipurpose building, stand in line for health screening and camper check-in, and some will stand in line a second time to see the Nurse and Health Supervisor.
Modification: Campers will receive health screening by leadership staff in their vehicles while on the road into camp. The existing screening form will be expanded to include recommended COVID symptom checks. Vehicles will then proceed to the cabin for drop-off. Families will say goodbyes in the car, and only the camper will go into the cabin. Counselors will assist with luggage. Rosters will be checked at the cabin, and communicated to leadership via radio. Families with multiple campers in attendance will drop off in order of descending age.
Housing
Typical: Campers are housed by age group and gender. Facility capacity is set to allow for all beds to be full with the amount of staff to maintain ACA supervision ratios, by age.
Modification: Program capacity is reduced to allow for empty bunks. Campers will alternate sleeping between top bunks and bottom bunks in adjacent beds. All windows will be retrofitted will box fans, with half facing out and half facing in, to provide additional airflow and ventilation.
Masks
2021 Policy: Staff and campers will be required to wear masks that are multi-layered, reusable cloth masks, worn over the nose and mouth. Single-layer “neck gaiter” style face coverings are not sufficient. See-through face shields will be used by staff or Ministers in Residence leading worship (when they are at least 10 feet away from the cohorts.) Leadership staff will wear face shields combined with cloth face coverings when interacting with cohorts.
Meals
Typical: Campers will gather outside the Lodge and sing songs, while one group at a time is released to go through the service line. Grace is sung by each group inside. Multiple groups will sit in each side of the Lodge.
Modification: The group staying the Duplex will gather at the back steps, the group staying in the cabins will gather at the front steps, and the group staying in the Farmhouse will gather at the downstairs door. Each group will sing their grace outside. Both sides of the Lodge will serve a single cohort. The oldest in camp will have the honor of eating on the patio (front porch). Leadership and support staff will not eat at a separate staff table, but instead at the table of the cohort where they are sleeping.
Activities
Typical: Morning activities will be in age-groups, afternoon activities will be for campers to choose their own, and evening programs are for all campers to share together.
Modification: Morning, afternoon, and evening activities will be pre-scheduled, and will take place within a cohort. Activities that travel off-site and present the possibility to interact with the general public will not be included in the schedule. Supplies will be stationed in activity areas for staff to wipe down activity materials at the conclusion of an activity (ex. Bows, basketballs, fishing poles). Additional emphasis will be placed on activities that take place outdoors. In the event of rain, cohorts camp will be divided between the multipurpose building, the pool pavilion, and the river pavilion.
Worship
Typical: All campers gather for worship at one of the following locations: Lower Vespers, Upper Vespers (Tuesday), Pool Pavilion (rain), or the Multipurpose Building (rain). Worship includes songs, a message from the MIR, and an opening and closing prayer.
Modification: Cohorts will come together and utilize the full scope of the seating areas to remain physically distanced with at least 10 feet between cohorts. All persons will wear masks, with speakers and song leaders being provided a mask or face shield that allows their mouth to be visible. Communion elements (Thursday) will be blessed by the pastor and then distributed by the counselors of the individual cohorts. Campers and staff (non-worship leaders) will wear masks while singing, even when outside and physically distanced.
Medical Care
Typical: Counselors administer basic first-aid, medications are administered by the healthcare supervisor, any care beyond basic first aid is administered in the Health Center, and Nurse Amy consults in-person with the Healthcare supervisor daily.
Modification: Staff and campers will all complete and record a multi-symptom check at breakfast with their counselors. Lifeguard staff will wear masks whenever they are not in the pool. The Health Supervisor will wear a mask and face shield when providing care for any camper or staff, to allow them to move between cohorts. Symptom based removal from a camp program will be at the recommendation of Nurse Amy. Camp will not require a negative COVID test to be provided by staff or participants prior to arrival at a session. If available- staff will be tested using a rapid-test on Sunday staff meetings.
Transportation
Typical: Campers and staff use 15-passender vans, and one 15 passenger mini-bus, to move about camp, and travel off-site for trips to the swimming hole, blueberry patch, etc. In the event of inclement weather, campers may be picked up and moved from one part of site to another (example- taking Day Campers from the river pavilion to the Lodge for lunch when its raining.)
Modification: Off-site trips with a possibility of interaction with the general public will not be scheduled. The only exception is the canoe trip on the river. Any occasion where campers will be in a vehicle for transportation will include masks for all persons in the vehicle.
Parent Pick-up
Typical: A parent program takes place in the pool pavilion, with all campers, staff, and families together to recap the week.
Modification: Parents will proceed directly to the cabins, where they will wait in a queue to pick up their campers one at a time. Families will stay in their vehicles and staff will assist in getting luggage to vehicles. A weekly video will be posted by 4 pm for families to view together at home.
Positive COVID test
In the event a camper exhibits COVID symptoms, parents will be asked to pick up their child for evaluation from their doctor. We will request the family seek a COVID test from their healthcare provider. That camper will not be allowed to return to camp without a negative test.
Parents of campers within the cohort will be notified of the presence of a positive test OR a camper sent home due to COVID-19 symptoms and will be given the opportunity to pick their camper up from a session early.
Cleaning
Typical: Cleaning duties during summer camp at Camp Dickenson are traditionally divided between the following groups: Housekeeper, Support Staff, lead cook, and counselor staff.
• Housekeeper- maintains overall cleaning supply organization system, including supply levels and working
• Support Staff- works under the direction of the Support Staff Supervisor; cleans the Lodge after each meal, cleans all bathrooms daily
• Lead Cook- maintains the kitchen and service area to meet local health department regulations for a food service establishment. Supervises the end-of-day cleaning by the Support Staff.
• Counselor staff- lead campers in daily clean-up of cabin areas; perform an end-of-week full cleaning of one area (assigned by the Support Staff Supervisor).
• Healthcare Supervisor- cleans and disinfects the heath center daily
Modifications: In addition to existing practices, Support Staff and Camp Housekeeper will utilize the Daily Disinfection List in Appendix C of the ACA Field Guide. Camp has secured a generator of hypochlorous acid, which is an approved virucide for COVID-19. When used in a backpack sprayer with a mist nozzle, this disinfectant can be applied to both soft and hard surfaces without damage. The kitchen and food service areas of the Lodge will begin using food service grade quaternary ammonia for sanitation after each meal. Counselors from each cohort will be responsible for disinfecting program items (fishing poles, basketballs, bows, etc) after their cohorts activity.
The health center will be supplied with a UVC light and ozone generator, which will run on a timer each night.