Please do your homework before sending your child to summer camp. The most important thing you can do is ask a lot of questions!
Please call our camp director at 207-877-4302 with your questions and/or concerns.
Like most summer camps, a great many of our counselors were campers before joining our staff. Most counselors who work at Friends Camp are at least 19 years old and have completed one year of college. All potential staff members are carefully screened. They must submit an in-depth application, provide three references, undergo an interview, and they must have a positive background check.
At Friends Camp, we train our staff to provide a high level of emotional and physical safety for all campers, over a one week orientation period. We also offer clear supervision and effective feedback to all staff during the summer. Most of the Friends Camp staff will have taken a CPR/First Aid training class. Our lifeguards have taken the American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification training. We also have staff members with certifications in watercraft safety.
Friends Camp is accredited by the American Camp Association. During the summer of 2014, we had our first accreditation visit and we pass the over 270 different health, safety and program standards. Friends Camp is now an accredited ACA camp, and was visited again in 2017. Friends Camp has one part-time nurse who works about 32 hours per week. In addition, we also have a full-time health hut counselor with a Wilderness First Responder certification who works in consultation with our nurse to care for any ill campers and give routine care including daily medications. We have an on-call physician as well. Volunteer paramedics/EMTs and the ambulance from the China Rescue Squad can reach Friends Camp in five to ten minutes. The nearest hospital is only 14 miles from Friends Camp.
Friends Camp will not be using large passenger vans for field trips in 2021. We do have a camp mini-van that is used for necessary camper transportation. Our van drivers need to be at least 21 years old, have a clean driving record, and they must complete an in-camp driver safety training program.
For campers aged 7 to10, the Friends Camp ratio is 1 to 4. For campers aged 11 to 17, the ratio is 1 to 5. In most cases, two or more counselors supervise cabin and program activities.
Yes, please contact camp director Anna for the names, e-mails, and phone numbers of some of our current camper parents.