Overnight Camp FAQ

What happened to Ye Olde Commons (YOC)?

Our residential summer camp was called Ye Olde Commons for years because that was the name of the campground that hosted our camp. The site is under new ownership and there is a lot of work being done on the camp infrastructure. This plus the pandemic AND scheduling issues has resulted in a new location for our sleepaway camps going forward. For now, we are using the generic name “Residential Camp” until our writers are ready to reveal the plot for the week.

Are adults CORI checked?

All adults who walk onto the site (paid & volunteer) are CORI/SORI checked before they can begin working with us. In addition, we renew these checks every year to make sure we are kept up to date. All staff members are personally interviewed by the Director and Office Manager and usually come from past community involvement (graduate students, parents/guardians, siblings, etc).

What is the ratio of youth to leadership positions?

We hold to a strict 1:10 counselor-to-youth ratio on-site. In fact, in past years our ratios have been closer to 1:5, thanks to an excellent staff and great community support.

How do you handle bullying, hazing and abuse?

We hold to a strict set of community principles that encourage modesty, courtesy, integrity, self-control, perseverance, and an indomitable spirit. These are a key part of the school year and summer curriculums. In the ten years that we have been doing youth programming individually, and the more recent years that we have offered youth programming as an organization, we have never had a case of internal hazing or abuse. We attribute this to 1) the commitment of all our community members to the principles that we teach, and 2) our preparedness to respond to such situations. In order to uphold those principles, we have daily camp meetings with all youth and we have adult supervision at all times, including in the cabins themselves.

What are your safety precautions?

We also have First Aid, CPR, and CERT Safe trained staff present at all of our events. 

There will generally be a hospital within a fifteen to thirty-minute drive of the site, depending on where we hold our event.

In all the years we have been running overnight events, we have never had to call an emergency ambulance.

Is there a set bedtime?

Bedtimes can be set by parents prior to the event or at check-in, or they can be left up to the youth. Our night activities often end around 11 PM. We are happy to encourage early bedtimes, but we find that youth are often very self-regulating and reasonable with their bedtimes. Due to the exciting and involved activities happening all day long, most youths are exhausted and fully prepared to sleep at 10 or 11 at night.

How many youths sleep in a cabin? How are they supervised there?

The campers are put into groups of 6, in addition to one intern/counselor per cabin. Different campgrounds offer different types of accommodations and groups may be set by gender and/or age depending on which location is hosting us. Counselors stay with the youth all day long and participate alongside them, forming close bonds with the youth. Group bonding activities contribute to excellent counselor-camper bonds. Most campers identify their counselors as their favorite staff members by the end of the camp session.

If my youth cannot attend camp, can I get a refund?

You may cancel your ticket order and request a refund within 48 hours of purchase. We will refund you the cost of the ticket minus credit card fees AND a $50 processing fee.

After 48 hours, event tickets are non-refundable. Once event planning is underway your payment will be applied to our costs for running the event and cannot be returned.

Read our full refund policy.