SUMMER CAMP FAQ

Homesickness among campers is common, especially for first-time campers, and is completely normal for campers of all ages. Statistics say that 90% of kids who go to camp experience some level of homesickness. CranHill Staff are well trained to help campers adjust to new schedules, new foods, and new people, and help campers do life together at camp each week by immediately involving them in team building and fun activities. CranHill has an extremely high success rate of working with campers with homesickness and we need our parents to help us in that process. Homesickness is common but is usually short-lived due to all the fun people and activities at CranHill! Parental support and encouragement are critical to the success of their child. Here is how you as parents can help partner with us. 1) When dropping campers off at camp be sure to leave them on a positive note. Make sure to set your camper up for success by letting them know you expect them to have fun. 2) Help campers set some goals for their time at camp (meeting people, learning something new, etc.) that you will connect on when you pick them up at the end of the week. 3) Try not to promise campers that they can come home if they don’t like camp. 4) Before you leave be enthusiastic about their time at camp. “Child Sick” parents often lead to homesick campers. Leadership staff members may contact parents if a child is struggling with homesickness to let them know that we are working through the challenge and may ask for their help. We ask parents not to promise a camper they can come home, but instead reassure them that how they feel is normal, that they are loved, and that they will be okay until they are picked up from camp at the end of the week. While Homesickness is normal and common, it is very rare that campers need to go home from camp due to homesickness.

CranHill takes and publishes all of our camper pictures to a hosted gallery for each session of camp. Due to our child protection policies, we will not post pictures of campers until after the conclusion of each camp session. There will be a link to the full picture gallery sent to you so you can look through the gallery for pictures of your camper. You can also find a small collection of featured pictures from each session captured by our media team on the CranHill Facebook page. Pictures will be stored in albums bearing the previous session’s camp dates.

Check-In Process: · Check-in Begins on Sundays and runs from 4:00 PM- 5:00 PM (Please do not arrive before 3:30 PM). Some check-in days and times will vary for some of our specialty programs and if there is alternate check-in information it will be sent directly to you via email. · When you arrive, you will be greeted by a staff member at the main entrance of the camp who will give you a flyer that will guide you through our registration process which entails. o Parking your car at Saddle Ridge Parking Lot o Dropping off your camper luggage at our luggage tent o Walking to our Saddle Ridge Pavilion where our registration tables will be located, and the check-in process will begin promptly at 4:00 PM. All campers will get a nametag, check in and confirm camp options, and receive a health check before heading to the cabin. o Cabin Assignments will be provided upon check-in and your cabin leader will be waiting in your cabin to meet and welcome you to camp! · At the cabin you will find that camper luggage has been dropped off on the porch for you. After you have met the cabin leader you can move camper luggage into the cabin and select a bunk for them. The cabin leader will be introducing your camper to other members of the cabin during this time and helping everyone get to know each other. After getting your camper settled you will be free to head home. Check-Out Process: · Check-out occurs on Fridays at 2:00 PM and will run until approximately 2:30 PM (Please do not arrive before 1:30 PM). Check-out days and times may vary for some of our specialty programs, and you will receive alternate information regarding those camps via email. · There will be a short closing program that begins promptly at 2:00 PM on Friday in The Ministry Center that will wrap up the camp week before picking up your camper. · Upon arrival at Camp every person picking up a camper will be checked by designated camp staff to determine if they are authorized to pick up campers. Camp staff will check the picture ID of each person and if they are approved to pick up a camper, they will be given a sticker containing the camper's name, cabin, and cabin leader. The approved parent, guardian, or representative will take their sticker and give it to the camper’s Cabin Leader following the camp closing ceremony. · After the closing ceremony cabins will gather around the Ministry Center and parents will be released to pick up their campers. Please give your authorization sticker to your camper's Cabin Leader. No camper will be released without a sticker given to the appropriate Cabin Leader. · Once you have your camper, head to your campers' cabin to pick up their belongings which will be packed and waiting for you on the porch. We ask that families walk to and from the cabin to pick up belongings to minimize traffic congestion. · Before leaving please be sure to visit the Health Officer station in the Ministry Center to pick up leftover medication as well as check the lost and found table.

Life happens, we’ve all been there so if you are running late to check in or check out don’t worry! Just give our office a call at 231-796-7669 to let us know and we will relay the information to our Program Director and make the necessary accommodations. You can also pre-arrange any abnormal check-in or check-out details directly with our Program Director via email at programdirector@cranhillranch.com. Please try and arrange those details at least a week in advance if at all possible, to ensure the necessary changes can be made.

Cell phones are a common and normal part of life for campers in our culture. They are amazing pieces of technology that have made entertainment and staying in touch so much easier, and we know that many campers and parents want to try to stay connected during camp. The heart of CranHill is to provide an environment where campers can be present in the moment with other campers, the creation around them, and ultimately their Creator. To this end, cell phones prove to be problematic and disruptive at camp by drawing campers' attention away from what is happening around them. We want to give all campers a break from “normal” and encourage them to unplug and connect with their Cabin Leaders and cabin mates. We want to encourage all campers to grow in their independence and be immersed in the camp experience free of digital distractions. We ask that campers leave their cell phones, and any other electronic devices at home and not bring them to camp. Any cell phones, music players, or other electronic devices brought to camp will be held by the Program Director or Program Manager until the end of the camp week and then returned.

We want your camper to be successful at camp. While we think of camp being a fun and relaxing time, it’s important to remember that campers are learning new skills, having lots of new social interactions, and need to concentrate on instructions from cabin leaders, not only in the cabin but during activities as well. Therefore, if your camper takes medication at home we require that those medications also be brought to camp as we do not allow for “Med Holidays” while a camper is at camp. If your camper has medications below are the things, you will need to be aware of. · All camper medications must be turned in to the Health Officer at check-in. This includes any multi-vitamins, supplements, or over the counter medications that you will be bringing to camp. Camper medications must be in the original container with dosage and frequency marked per law. Please do not bring medications to camp in presorted containers as we will not be able to accept them. · A Health Form is required for each camper and is a required form to complete in UltraCamp before arriving at camp. All medications being checked into camp should match those listed on the Health Form. If a Health Form was not completed before registration parents will be asked to complete a paper Health Form before turning in any medication. oYou can save a great deal of time at registration by having the Health Form completed BEFORE arriving at camp. · All medications will be kept in locked storage and will be distributed by the Health Officer according to the listed dose and time specified on the camper Health Form. · A written record of medication administration will be kept for each camper with prescription medications. · Medications will be passed back to the camper parent/guardian during the camp check-out process at the end of the week.

A packing list of what to bring to camp will be sent via email one week in advance of the start of their camp session. If you would like to see a packing list before that time you can find the same packing list posted on our website by clicking HERE. When packing for camp here are a few tips that we suggest. · Label each item with your camper’s name and label each bag with the Camper’s Name, and how many bags they have (1 of 3, 2 of 3, 3 of 3, etc.). · Have your camper involved in the packing process so that they know what belongs to them. · Send old/familiar clothes that campers will recognize as their own, not a lot of new ones they won’t remember belonging to them. · Leave expensive clothing and valuables at home and try to pack light as storage space in the cabins is limited. · Cabin Leaders will do their best to help your camper keep up with their belongings. However, we cannot be responsible for lost items. Please consider this when making decisions on what to pack for camp. There will be a lost and found table at check-out but if you cannot locate items before you leave you can fill out a “Lost & Found Slip” at the Barn Store and we can contact you if the item is found. Please note that you will be responsible for all shipping costs of returning items to you in the mail.

The Authorized Pick-up List is how we determine who can pick up your camper from camp during our check-out process. You can add people to your camper's authorized pick-up list at any time before the day of check-out. We encourage parents to add as many family and friends to their authorized pick-up list in the event they are not able to pick up their camper themselves. If a person comes to pick up a camper and is not on the authorized list, campers will not be released to them until we speak to the primary parent or guardian listed on the camper's UltraCamp Account. Here is how you can add people to your authorized pick-up list: 1) Log in to your UltraCamp Account. 2) On your account homepage click on the “Pickup Authorization” tab 3) Click on “Add/Edit Pickup Authorization”. 4) Click “Add” and enter the contact information of the person(s) you are adding to your authorized list. 5) Select “Save” and the added person(s) will now appear on your authorized pick list for your camper.

Bunk Mates are friends or family members that you would like your camper to be with during their week at CranHill. As we sort our housing we try and keep bunk mates together so that each camper has a buddy they know in their cabin for the week. Campers are assigned to cabins based on their selected program first and then by their age. As you think about adding bunk mate requests for your camper, please make sure that your camper's possible bunk mates are registered in the same program as your camper. We will do our very best to pair your child with one specified bunk mate whenever possible. If your camper has more than one bunk mate on their list, we can make no guarantees we can put all of them together, especially on full weeks of camp when bunks are limited. However, we will do our best to pair them all together. There is a bunk mate request form in UltraCamp that can be filled out any time before the start of a camp session. To be safe please finalize any bunk mate requests at least two weeks in advance of a camp session's start date. To request a bunkmate: · Log in to your UltraCamp Account · Select the Camper Reservation you wish to add bunk mates to. · Under the “Additional Information” tab select “edit” and fill out the Bunkmate Request Option. · Be sure to use the correct spelling of a camper’s name (first & last) so the system will recognize them) PLEASE NOTE: Bunk Mate Requests do not roll over from year to year so please plan to check your list of bunk mates each year that you attend CranHill to ensure your camper has a buddy.

At CranHill we encourage campers not to carry cash and instead deposit money directly into their Barn Store account directly through UltraCamp. Money can be added at any time, and we suggest adding money before check-in day to save yourself a lot of time during the check-in process. Camper nametags include a unique barcode linked to their store account which allows them to purchase items. If a camper loses their nametag our store staff can find their account using a camper’s last name. This system allows campers not to have to carry cash, eliminates the possibility of theft, and simplifies the process for our store. The amount you should add to an account varies by camper, but we suggest between $20 and $30 for the week. Here are some things to consider as you think about Barn Store money. · The Barn Store is open on Sunday drop off and Friday pick up for the purchase of camp supplies, merchandise, shirts, and other CranHill goodies. · The Barn Store account system is cloud-based and parents can add money to a camper's store money account during the week through your UltraCamp account and see what they have been buying. · Any leftover money at the end of the week can be: o Returned directly to you. o Used up after check-out. o Rolled over to future CranHill events or the following year’s summer camp. o Donated to the CranHill Scholarship Fund to help other kids come to camp at CranHill.

If you have a question or concern about payment, please give us a call at (231)796-7669. If for some reason you need to cancel a session of camp, please be aware of the below cancellation fee schedule. Instead of losing out on any funds in the event you have to cancel a reservation be aware that you will also have the option to roll over all paid fees into a future CranHill retreat (including the following year’s summer camp season) or apply it to another camper's registration (on the same account). Please note that a $50 non-refundable deposit is due at the time of registration and your full Summer Camp balance is due one month before the camp session you are registered for. Cancellation Fee Schedule: · Cancellations made before 30 days from the start of the registered camp week all funds (less the deposit) are fully refundable. · Cancellations made up to 14 days before the start of the registered camp week is forfeiture of 50% of the camp fee(s) · Cancellations made within 14 days of the start of the registered camp week is forfeiture of the full camp fee(s).

If any session of summer camp reaches capacity, we will open a waiting list for those sessions in hopes of being able to find a spot for those campers. If a spot in a camp session that has a waiting list becomes available, the following process will start. · The first listed member of the waiting list (based on gender) will be sent an automatically generated email from UltraCamp letting them know that a spot has opened up in their desired camp session and containing a link to register. · Once the email is delivered successfully that possible camper and their family will have 24 hours to respond. They can either click the link supplied in that email or call our office at 231-796-7669 to claim the open spot. · If no response is received in that 24 window UltraCamp will close their link and contact the next person on the waiting list. · The process will continue until the open spot in camp is filled and any remaining names on the waiting list will be updated to reflect their new position on the wait list.