June 15, 2020 at 5:06 p.m.
Local summer camps unveil plans for 2020 season
Crescent Lake Bible Camp, Camp Birchrock moving ahead; Camp Horseshoe to remain closed
Local summer camps unveil plans for 2020 season
By Stephanie Kuski-
Crescent Lake Bible Camp
Aided by approval from state officials, Crescent Lake Bible Camp (CLBC) began its summer day camp program on June 8 and are in the midst of considering options for their resident overnight camp.
"We have been working closely with and underneath the guidance of the Department of Children and Families, they also work with the Department of Health," CLBC Executive Director Maria Rudesill explained. "We have been given a tremendous amount of guidance... We have amazing people from the state that are supporting us to make sure we can run safely and continue to serve the kids."
Although their summer camp is up and running, the routine is a little different this year.
Rudesill said campers will be monitored daily with temperature and symptom checks to curb the spread of the virus. Campers who show symptoms or have been exposed to the virus will be asked to stay home. Extra sanitizing measures will also be taken to ensure campers stay healthy, in addition to altering communal spaces like the lunchroom to encourage social distancing.
"There are going to be actual classes on hygiene and how to make sure they're washing their hands correctly," Rudesill added. "For kids, it's hard for them to understand what six feet looks like, so we're encouraging them to keep what another camp called 'helicopter distance' apart. So if you can spin around in a circle and not hit anybody, then you're doing good."
She added that current guidance from the state allows CLBC to continue their program at normal capacity, which normally hovers at around 60 campers. But that larger group is oftentimes already split up into smaller groups, another strategy which will be utilized this summer to encourage social distancing.
"Our number one goal here at Crescent Lake Bible Camp - and this is with everything we're doing with staff, everything we're doing with training, everything we're doing at our facilities - is to do what we can to make Crescent Lake Bible Camp the healthiest environment possible for kids," Rudesill said, "to do the best we can to offer a safe space for kids to come and play."
Registration for those summer day camp programs at CLBC are encouraged as soon as possible and are available on their website. Those interested can also refer to their Facebook page or call (715) 203-0500 for more information.
Camp Fire Oneida
With 240 acres of open space and fresh air for campers to explore, Camp Fire Oneida - the organization that runs Camp Birchrock - has also opened its day camp program, which is set to run through Aug. 28, Camp Fire Oneida Executive Director Hailey Laska said.
In addition to their traditional day camp, a new day camp program called Leader in Training (LIT) is also up and running, Laska noted. The fate of the resident program, however, will be decided by June 19.
"Our plan is to stick to small camper groups, like age-based camper groups, and be in those groups as much as possible," Laska explained. "We're also going to be mixing our camper groups out in the wilderness and socially distance from each other. Because we have all this property, that just lends itself to not being stuck in these small groups the whole time, because we have plenty of space to keep a distance between campers."
Precautionary measures will be taken to keep campers safe and healthy. Staff and children will have their temperature checked upon arrival, Laska said, and parents won't be authorized to exit their vehicles when dropping their children off at camp. Mealtimes will also take place in smaller groups with one counselor assigned to a prescribed set of campers, as well as extra sanitation between meals.
Laska said their campers will be spending a lot of time outside this summer. Activities which traditionally took place in enclosed spaces, like arts and crafts in their Craft Cabins, will take place outside rather than inside.
"From my perspective, we're really trying to change the types of activities we're doing so as to not include a bunch of new precautions into existing activities," Laska said. "So we're really just trying to think outside the box in the sense of different camp activities we can do."
"There are some program areas and some program times and activities where social distancing is not possible," she continued. "In those cases and times, we're going to do the best we can to keep each other as far away as possible but also maintain a normal as possible camp environment."
While there are several unknowns to navigate in the weeks ahead, Laska said many other camps have put together resources which have been made available to Camp Fire Oneida, including social distancing games and camp activities which attempt to maintain a normal camp environment while staying conscious of COVID-19.
"We could not do this alone," Laska said. "Our national organization gives us a lot of resources."
For more information about Camp Fire Oneida and Camp Birchrock, or to register for day camp programs, visit their website or call (715) 362-3513.
Camp Horseshoe
Although some area camps received the green light to move forward with their summer programs, others chose to postpone their programs until the 2021 season. One of those is Camp Horseshoe summer camp for boys.
Owner and Camp Director Jordan Shiner said the decision to close this year was based on the hard fact that they couldn't run their camp the way they're accustomed to given the current best practices.
Because current guidelines recommend one camp counselor stay with a prescribed group of campers for the duration of their stay to avoid any potential exposure to others, and because only a handful of staff are certified in certain programs - like rock wall climbing, for instance - Shiner said they wouldn't be able to run a number of their programs and thus postponement was their only alternative.
"I had gold-standard testing prepared: every staff, as well as camper, was going to be tested before they came to camp," Shiner explained. "We then had protocols of a lockdown, a bubble creating a safe haven at camp."
"Even though we were going to have all these best practices," he continued, "we were told that even with all those things, that we couldn't operate camp."
Despite that decision, Shiner commended Linda Conlon, public health officer at the Oneida County Health Department for being positive and proactive with local camps in staying on top of plans to move forward through a series of Zoom meetings.
He said the organizers of every camp have had to make their own decision based on the resources available to them, and although Camp Horseshoe won't open this year, there will be other opportunities down the road.
"We're going to be back," Shiner said. "It's not a good thing for us. Obviously our business has to be closed, but we're in a strong position. We're doing stuff during the summer with our kids virtually."
"Year after year, we're community supporters," he continued. "I'm a member of the community, so I want to make sure the community is safe, first and foremost."
To stay up-to-date on Camp Horseshoe's plans for the future, visit their website, Facebook page or call (715) 362-2000.
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