41.2266° N, 75.2676° W
The Summer Camp team at Spruce Lake makes it a priority that every camper has a safe, enjoyable, life-changing week at camp. To that end, here is all the information you need to know to prepare your child for camp. Below you will find our policies and information regarding health care and medications, communicating with camp and your camper, packing for camp, arrival and departure policies, and more. If you are the parent of a Summer Wilderness Expedition camper, we have a special section on Expedition Information.
If you have questions about one of our camp programs, visit our helpful Frequently Asked Questions page. For further questions or concerns, feel free to contact our office.
Wilderness Camp Procedures 2020
Precautions for Day Camp 2020
We require two forms to be completed for your child to participate in camp, as they help us ensure your son/daughter’s wellbeing during their time at camp. The Health Form includes emergency contact and health-related information. The Safety Waiver gives your child permission to participate and gives us permission to dismiss your son/daughter to someone other than yourself.
Please mail the Camper Health Form at least 3 weeks prior to your son/daughter’s week. You may also complete/update the health form online. You may attach a copy of your child’s immunization records and both sides of your insurance card.
You are responsible to provide health and safety updates after the form has been mailed. Updates include changes in your child’s health, emergency contact information, adults permitted to pick up your child, and any other information that would help us in caring for your child.
All medications must be sent in the original container with the original label. Please send OTC medications only if your child needs them on a regular basis – all medications will be turned in to the nurse and should have your child’s name clearly marked. If your daughter/son has a medication that needs to be with them at all times (bee sting kit, inhaler, etc.), please provide a fanny pack for your child.
A camp nurse is on the premises at all times while camp is in session. They are responsible to administer medications, provide care under our standing orders, and inform counselors of health-related issues. Numerous team members are trained in CPR, First Aid, and Lifeguarding. In addition, 911, hospital, and clinic services are available as needed with an approximate 20-minute response time.
Your child needs insurance while at camp. There are plans available that provide coverage for one week while your child is at camp that can be purchased independently. Please contact our camp office if you need one of these.
If you have an emergency and cannot get through to the camp office on the phone, try the appropriate Emergency (Director’s) Cell Phone below:
Day Camp: 570-202-1617
Overnight Wilderness Camp: 215-933-9521
As a last resort, call the Retreat Center at 800-822-7505 or 570-595-7505 – and ask if they would contact the summer camp office by radio. Please be assured that in the event of a communications breakdown such as a power outage, regional crisis, or national incident, we are doing everything in our power to care for your child. When you register, you can sign up for Text Updates.
While your child is at Wilderness Camp, we offer a convenient way to send messages to them. Visit our Email Your Camper page to learn how you can provide encouraging and supportive messages to your camper.
During the offseason, you can contact us via the Spruce Lake contact page. During summer camp, we maintain the following office hours:
You can reach our office at 570-595-7505. Our team will be able to help with forms, special requests, and answer any questions you might have.
Please contact us right away if any of the following changes:
The camper details for your son/daughter’s week can be found on our Forms & Information page, under the name of that week’s camp (Discoverers, Trekkers, Adventurers, Navigators.) Included in the Printable Details is a packing list. In addition to clothing items, some commonly overlooked items are dishes, sleeping bags, flashlights, and rain gear.
Each day, your camper should wear sturdy shoes and comfortable clothes for active wear and bring a backpack with a swimsuit & towel, water bottle, sunscreen & bug spray, and a change of clothes.
Day Campers will have a designated location to keep their belongings.
Please send Camp Store Deposits prior to camp. Campers deposit spending money into the online camp spending account, and all purchases are tracked electronically. Money not spent will be refunded in whole dollars only.
Recommended amounts are:
$25-50 per week for overnight Wilderness Camp
$5-10 per week for Day Camp
Common purchases are:
Camp is a time to meet new people as well as enjoy existing friendships. We ask that you communicate well with other parents and be prepared to help us find good tenting solutions when tent mate ideals are in conflict. Tenting assignments are done 1-2 weeks prior to your week of camp and it is our goal to:
Registration opens Sunday after 3:15 p.m. in the Wilderness Camp Pavilion. Buses will arrive by 4:00 p.m. Discoverer Mini-Camp registration will open Wednesday just after 10 a.m.
To register, campers must have:
Standard arrival time (with the exception of before care) each day for Day Camp is 9 AM.
Drop-off will be at the Day Camp Clubhouse at the Retreat Center.
Dismissal is Friday at either 3:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. Parent-Child Mini-Week, Trekkers, Adventurers and Navigators are dismissed at 6:30, and you are invited to attend the Closing Ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Dismissal for Discoverer Mini-Week and Discoverer Weeklong will be at 3:30 p.m. with a Closing Ceremony at 2:30 p.m.
Standard dismissal time (with the exception of after care) each day for Day Camp is 4 PM.
Pick-up will be at the Day Camp Clubhouse at the Retreat Center.
Camper Dismissal Policy – Only authorized persons will be permitted to pick up a camper from camp. Parents/Guardians will be asked to list, on the Safety Form/Registration, all authorized adults who have permission to pick up their child/children. Campers not riding the bus will remain at their table with their counselor and wait for an authorized adult to sign them out. If the person picking up your child is not on the list of authorized persons, (such as a friend or sibling), they will not be able to leave with your child until our staff contact you or another emergency contact person for permission.
This procedure also applies to the Bus Drop-Off Locations. You or the authorized person will be asked to sign out your child/children prior to departing. If you arrive early, you can sign out before the bus arrives.
Early Dismissal/Pick-up at unusual time – If your camper needs to be picked up for any reason at a time other than the normal dismissal, we ask that you make arrangements with the office ahead of time. You or your designated authorized person should come to the office to sign out the camper prior to departing.
Wilderness Expeditions are very different from the on-site resident weeks of camp, since the majority of the camping experience will take place off-site. We ask that you read the following exceptions and special procedures if your daughter/son is involved in an Expedition. Please refer to the Forms page and your camper’s specific expedition for more details, packing list, and other helpful information.
When your son/daughter is on an Expedition, the following health care and safety measures are provided:
Register at the Pavilion – Registration timing is Sunday 3:15 – 4:30 p.m., just like Wilderness On-site Camps. Upon arrival, you may take your luggage to the Blueberry Pavilion, a smaller pavilion located to the right and slightly uphill from the main pavilion, but then you will need to go through the registration line in the main pavilion.
Departure – Most trips dismiss Friday evening at 6:30 p.m.
Bus Service for Expeditions – Bus service for most weeklong expeditions is available by the same schedule and locations as Wilderness on-site camps. Depending on the dates, some trips may not have bus service provided, or may have bus service that does not travel at the traditional camp times. Please refer to the details for your child’s expedition or contact the office to confirm transportation options.
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