Camp Prep 101: Communication

Preparing for overnight camp can be a big deal, especially if it’s your first time. There’s a lot to consider, and if you haven’t done it before, the process can become overwhelming. After 101 years, we’ve learned a thing or two about preparing for camp, which is why we started our Camp Prep 101 Blog Series. We’ve already gone over packing and labeling, and now we’re going to go over our tips for Successful Communication.

Mail & Email

Letter writing is the main mode of communication between our campers and their families. Although maybe not the most popular mode of communication in today’s world, letter writing is still the go-to for overnight camp. At a minimum, you can expect your campers to send two letters per week. Although we encourage campers to write home more often than that, you can help by talking to your camper before they head to camp, and setting an expectation of how often they should be writing home.

As for sending letters to your campers, there’s two ways to do so. The first is a handwritten letter sent through the postal service. It brings our campers great joy to see their family’s handwriting while away from home and is a great way to stay in touch. The other way is to send an email through your CampInTouch account. We print out your emails daily, and hand them to campers at mail time. Emails are a more immediate mode of communication, as opposed to the 4-5 days it can take a letter to go through the postal service.

Packages

If you want to give your camper a treat, you can do so, but be sure to abide by our package policy. Our policy balances the needs and wishes of parents, campers and camp staff with safety and feasibility of distribution. We understand it is fun for families to send their campers packages, and it is fun for campers to receive them, but we also need to control what is entering camp and the number of packages we receive daily. We will strictly adhere to the following package guidelines:

• Campers may receive envelopes not larger than 12”x15” and 1” thick.
• Envelopes larger than 12”x15”x1” and all boxes are not
• If a package is received that is larger than the above guidelines, our office staff will contact the camper’s family seeking permission to open the package. If family members cannot be reached, the package will be returned to sender.
• Absolutely no food, candy, gum, or beverages can be sent to campers.
• Additional packages can be purchased from the Camp Chi Canteen or one of our approved vendors.
• Please review the full package policy here.

Of course, if there is something your camper needs (i.e. replacement glasses, school books, etc.) that won’t fit in an envelope. In the spirit of our partnership and this blog- communicate. Let us know and we will do what we can to help out. Please keep in mind that campers can purchase many necessity and toiletry items at the Chi Canteen, and we have access to stores nearby as well.

Photos

You can also check out your CampInTouch account to see daily pictures of your camper’s village. Our team of photographers is out on the grounds all day long, capturing all the action of camp. We upload these photos daily, except for Shabbat, and they are a great way for you to see what is happening at camp!

Even more advice!

The Preparing for Camp section of our wesbite is full of useful information to help you do just that- get ready for camp! Curious what to say in your letters to camp? Nervous about the dreaded “homesick letter.” We cover all that and more in the First Timers section, which is definitely worth a read.