Quick Facts Check-In/Check-Out Time 6:00 7:00 p.m. on Friday 9:00 10:00 a.m. on Sunday General and Registration Questions? Customer Care 888.747.6945 or info@gsnwgl.org Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday s 8:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. Questions about camp? Lisa Puck Freeman Email: lfreeman@gsnwgl.org Office: 920.955.3389 Camp Birch Trails: 715.536.6888 Health Forms on CampDocs Yes, everyone needs one completed. Pages for reference Check In/Out, Parking, Housing, Bathrooms Page 2 Health Information, Trading Post, Substance Use, Activities, Lost & Damaged Items, Food Page 3-4 Off Site Field Trips, Behavior, Refunds, Camp Staff, Adults Attending Camp Page 5 Packing Tips & Frequent Questions Page 6 Driving Directions to Camp Page 7 Dear Parents, Guardians, and Troop Leaders, Thank you for choosing Girl Scout Camp. At Camp Birch Trails girls will explore nature, learn new skills, gain independence, and have a ton of fun in a safe, girl-led environment. Camp Birch Trails has so much to offer: woods, water adventures, and everything else in-between. Be sure she s ready (and you are too) by reading through this confirmation packet. See you at camp! Lisa Puck Freeman Camp Director, Camp Birch Trails Weekend Program Packing List Please label all items with your first and last name. Clothing Rain coat or Poncho Swimsuit Pajamas Jacket/sweatshirt Tennis shoes & Water Shoes T-shirts Shorts Underwear Socks Long-sleeved shirts Jeans or other long pants Equipment Warm sleeping bag or blankets Pillow with pillowcase Flashlight with new batteries Water bottle Do Not Bring Cell phones, radios, MP3 players Electronic games or appliances Aerosol spray cans Personal Items Towel and washcloth Travel size-soap/body wash, Shampoo, and conditioner Toothbrush and toothpaste Deodorant Sunscreen Insect repellant- no aerosols Comb/brush Tissues Hair fasteners/headbands Lip balm Other personal toiletries Optional Items Quiet games or books Disposable camera Hat or bandana Sunglasses Activities for your troop to do during down time 1
Check-in at Camp Check in on Friday is 6 p.m. Please make sure to eat before you arrive at camp. Follow the camp driveway into camp and a camp staff member will meet you at the top of the hill to direct you where to drop your girls and equipment off as well as where your housing will be for the weekend. Please remember to drive slowly on the roads in camp as there are others walking around. Upon arrival, our check in procedures will be handed to you along with a map of camp. Please proceed in your vehicle to your housing for the weekend, you are free to unpack everything from the vehicles and then return the vehicles to the parking lot for the rest of your time at camp. Camp staff will be in your housing area to help unpack and give a tour of camp if you would like. At 7 p.m. we will gather in the Dining Hall for a welcome as well as instructions for the weekend, we will offer a light snack and water. We will start your first activity shortly after we go through instructions and expectations for the weekend. Troops will then have a bit of free time after the all camp game to get settled and hang out as a group. Parking All vehicles must remain parked in the parking lot for the duration of the weekend. Troops can drive to their living areas to unload vehicles, but then must return their vehicles to the parking lot when done. Do not plan on keeping food or supplies in your vehicle, as it is a long walk from living areas to the parking lot. Check-Out at Camp Check out for weekend programs is between 9 10 a.m. on Sunday morning. Please make sure to complete an evaluation in the Dining Hall at breakfast before you leave. Each troop is responsible for cleaning their housing area before they leave, including but not limited to sanitizing beds, sweeping the floor, emptying garbage cans and cleaning the bathroom areas. This helps us to ensure that camp is clean for the next group. Leaders are welcome to drive their vehicle back to their housing unit to collect all of their things and girls. Please remember to drive carefully as there are many other girls and adults in camp. Housing Troops will be housed in platform tents, yurts, cabins, or the lodge. Platform tents and yurts have a wooden floor and canvas sides and are in a unit with pit toilets and a washstand. Four beds with mosquito netting are provided in each platform tent. Cabins and yurts have four bunk beds, sleeping eight people. Cabins have wood floors and screened sides with a wooden roof. The lodge, cabins, and yurts are equipped with electricity. Your housing area will be assigned to you upon check in. Placements are made based on the age of campers, group size, and camper medical needs. If you require special accommodations because of a medical need, please contact the camp at least two weeks prior to arrival. Pack clothing for cool nights and warm days. It may get chilly, so bring plenty of blankets or a warm sleeping bag and warm clothing. Please bring a flashlight, there is no electricity in the tents. Participants are responsible for their personal items brought to camp. Bathroom Facilities Camp Birch Trails has two-bathroom facilities equipped with showers, electricity, hot running water, and flush toilets available for men and women. All units have outhouses. Groups living in the Lodge for the weekend are the only ones allowed to use those facilities. 2
Health Information This summer, GSNWGL Summer Camps are partnering with CampDoc.com to better serve our campers and staff. CampDoc.com offers an electronic health record system for camps, and you can now complete your camper s health information electronically. The security and privacy of your camper's health information is important to us. The CampDoc.com site is secure, encrypted, and password protected. Only GSNWGL Camp s health staff and Directors will have access to camper health information. After signing up for camp, you will receive an Invitation email from CampDoc.com. Click on the green "Accept Invite" link within the email to create your CampDoc.com account. Enter your full email address and click continue to set your password. Once logged in, select your camper's name and click on the health profile link to complete your camper's information. Required questions will be marked with an * and outlined in red. Upload any required documents to your CampDoc.com account. If you're on a phone/tablet, you can take a picture to upload the document. Return to CampDoc.com at any time to make changes or update your camper s health information before camp begins. We re excited to let you know that your camper s health information will save from year-to-year, so once you complete it in CampDoc.com this season, you won t have to start from scratch next year. CampDoc.com sends out periodic reminder emails for incomplete health information. These notifications will come from campdoc.com, so please add this to your safe sender list to avoid accidental delivery to junk and spam folders. We don t want you to miss important notices about camp! Please note that CampDoc.com supports the current and previous major releases of Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari which provide improved security and performance for health information. Each person attending our weekend programs is required to complete a Health Form through CampDoc.com including Adults. Adults are responsible for medications brought by their girls. The Camp Director will be available with supplies for any injuries or illnesses that occur while at camp. Trading Post The trading post will be open during your stay at set times! We will have snacks and soda ($1-2), souvenirs ($1-14), T- shirts ($9-15), and sweatshirts ($20-30). Camp Birch Trails fun patches are available for purchase for your troop. Substance Use Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes policy states that the use of tobacco products including e-cigarettes and vaporizers, alcoholic beverages, and non-prescribed drugs are strictly prohibited at all GSNWGL programs and on GSNWGL properties. Activities We will be offering a variety of activities for troops while at Camp Sacajawea. Camp Staff will lead activities in archery, nature, boating, teambuilding, field games, and arts n crafts. These activities are an introduction to the different thing s girls can do while at camp and to make sure your group is having a great time! We will have a brief meeting on Friday night once all groups are at camp to go over expectations for the weekend and discuss the schedule and any other needs that groups might have. From there, activities will start to happen, and the weekend will go by quite quickly. Leaders and parents are responsible for their girls in between activities and other scheduled time. Camp staff is always willing to help where needed. We will have a campfire Saturday night and would love troops to participate by sharing a talent, song, or skit! Each unit has a fire scar and firewood, and troops are welcome to use them for fires at any time. Free time is generally before or after meals; this is a great time to work on badges or relax. 3
Off-Site Field Trips Some troops have included an off-site field trip in their weekend. Camp staff will provide transportation to and from field trip locations. Transportation is provided in 12 and 15 passenger vans. If your camper requires a booster seat, you must send that to camp with her. If a camper requires a booster seat and did not bring one to camp, she will not be able to attend the field trip. Please let camp know a head of time if your daughter requires a booster seat for riding in a van. If you have signed up for the additional off-site Field Trips for horseback riding or zip lining those activities will take the place of activities in camp. Horseback riding is a 15-minute drive and 1-hour program and participants are required to wear closed toed shoes and long pants. Zip lining is a 45-minute drive and 2-3-hour program and participants are required to wear closed toed shoes. Weekend Schedule Friday Evening Troops Arrive Activity 1 Lights Out/Bedtime 6 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 10 p.m. Dinner Campfire Lights-out 6 p.m. 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. 9:30 or 10:00 p.m. Saturday Sunday Breakfast 8 a.m. Breakfast 8:00 a.m. Activities 2 & 3 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Evaluations 8:45 a.m. Lunch 12:15 to 1:00 p.m. Open Trading Post 9 to 10:00 a.m. Activities 4, 5, 6 and Open Boating/Trading Post 1:30 to 5:00 p.m. Pack-up/Cleaning & Bye Bye! 9 to 10:00 a.m. Lost or Damaged Items Neither Camp Birch Trails nor Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes will be responsible for the loss or damage to a camper s personal belongings. The Camp Director must check all specialty equipment before use in any programs. Campers should not bring personal sports equipment to camp without prior approval of the Camp Director. Campers are not allowed to bring curling irons, straighteners, hair dryers, radios, portable DVD players, ipods, ipads, tablets, cell phones, video games, animals or pets, weapons, or vehicles. Electricity is not available in most camper cabins or tents. Please label all items brought to camp with your first and last name. All lost and found items will be donated to charity at the end of the summer. Food Meals are served family style in the Dining Hall with at least one adult per table. This encourages the girls to meet others at camp and learn about what other groups are doing while at camp. All campers and adults are encouraged to try everything on the table, trying new foods promotes healthy eating habits and girls might find something new they like. Girls are given a No Thank you helping to try. If they do not like the option for breakfast, then there is a cereal option and for lunch or dinner peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are the alternative option. We also offer a salad bar that is available once a day, usually at lunch. Juice, milk, water, and GORP (Kool-Aid) are provided to drink each day. Menu items could include: pancakes, eggs, French toast, oatmeal, tacos, pizza, hamburgers, grilled cheese and tomato soup, deli sandwiches, spaghetti, lasagna, macaroni and cheese, and baked chicken. Menus vary by week and may change based on food orders and group size. Gluten free, vegetarian, dairy free, etc. food can be provided, please contact the camp two weeks prior to arrival so the proper food can be ordered. Girls and adults needing an alternative option for food will need to go into the kitchen during the meals if they cannot eat what is served. You are more than welcome to provide your child s food for the weekend to the kitchen staff if needed for special dietary restrictions. Please call the Camp Director prior to sending any personal food to camp. 4
Behavior Camp staff will do everything possible to help campers and adults adjust to camp life. All girls and adults are expected to follow the Girl Scout Promise and the Girl Scout Law while at camp. Council policy states that girls and adults may not use weapons, alcoholic beverages, unprescribed drugs, or tobacco products including e-cigarettes and vaporizers, etc. at Girl Scout functions or on Girl Scout property. If a situation arises every effort will be made to correct the issue and ensure a positive camping experience for all campers. At the discretion of the Camp Director, parents/guardians will be notified of behaviors. Camp Birch Trails reserves the right to send home from camp any girl and adult, who consistently exhibits unsuitable behavior, endangers the camp community, or whose actions towards other are un acceptable. This is at the expense of the parent/guardian; we will not grant a refund of session fees. The following are the expectations of all campers and adults attending weekend programs: Respect and cooperate with girls, adults, and camp staff in your unit and throughout camp. Speak with camp staff if you are having an issue or problem at camp. Offensive or abusive language is not permitted. Physical threats, physical violence, aggressive behavior, destructive behavior, and/or threats of destructive behavior will be taken seriously and not tolerated. Self-destructive or abusive threats or actions will be taken seriously. Harassment and teasing of other campers will not be tolerated. Use or possession of alcohol, recreational drugs, tobacco is illegal and therefore, prohibited. Follow all of camp rules and regulations as instructed by camp staff. Pets are not allowed to be brought to camp. Vehicles must remain parked in the parking lot for the entire weekend. They are only allowed in housing areas during drop off and pick up times. Refunds A full refund, including deposit, will be made only if a participant cannot be placed in a session of her choice. Deposits are non-refundable in all other situations. All refund requests must be submitted in writing by August 31 and will be considered in cases of medical emergencies. Refunds will not be made if a participant is sent home due to homesickness, misconduct, or by parent request. If a participant is sent home, transportation is to be arranged and paid for by a parent or guardian. Camp Staff Camp Birch Trails is proud to have staff from all over Wisconsin, Michigan and around the world! Bringing together people of all backgrounds allows our staff and campers to learn and experience new cultures and customs. Each year the staff goes through a two-week training. Here they learn how to work with our campers. They learn games and songs, team building activities, conflict management, age level development, how to help with home sickness, and much more. This training allows them to be prepped and ready to help our campers become girls of courage, confidence, and character, that make the world a better place. Adults Attending Camp For the safety and security of all attendees at our weekend programs, all adults that are signed up for a troop camp weekend experience (including Outdoor Extravaganza, Weekend in the Woods at Camp Nawakwa, Adventure in the Woods at Camp Sacajawea) will need to be a currently registered Girl Scout member and have completed a background check. We will be in contact with you if there are steps that you or any of the adults signed up with the troop need to complete. We will not be able to allow adults to attend if either or both pieces of paperwork are missing. 5
Packing Tips and Frequent Questions Pack clothing/equipment into one duffel bag, tote, backpack, or old suitcase. Girls should help pack their own gear so they know what they are bringing to camp. Put your campers name on all of her clothing and equipment. Use nametags or a laundry marker. If you bring a laundry bag for her dirty clothes, please label that bag with her name. The packing check list is for your convenience. Avoid unnecessary purchases. If you can substitute something on the list with an item you already have, feel free to do so. Remember, she will be outdoors most of the time and, therefore, needs clothing suitable for warm days and cool mornings/evenings, as well as rain. Leave anything of value at home. We cannot be responsible for missing articles or items ruined while at camp. Frequently Asked Questions Do I really need to pack two pairs of shoes? And why can t she wear flip flops around camp? Living outdoors, girls can get wet and messy. Sudden downpours happen at camp and can leave a pair of shoes wet for the rest of her time at camp. It s best to plan for that by packing an extra pair. Flip flops are not sturdy enough for the activities at camp, girls will be running, jumping and having fun at camp. We want to ensure that her feet are well taken care of while at camp and thus no longer allow flip flops to be worn at camp. Flip flops can be worn to and from the shower house and while showering. Activities like archery, field games and teambuilding require closed toed shoes to be worn during their time frame-please make sure all girls and adults participating are prepared for this. Will there be Coffee? Of course! We try to make sure Troop Leader s and adults are up and running in the morning by providing coffee. If by chance you are up before our kitchen staff, we simply ask that you plug in the coffee pot and start brewing. Otherwise our kitchen staff will let you know when it s ready. If we run out of coffee in the pot, have no fear we will brew more! However, please have patience if this is during a meal service. We will make more after we ve finish serving the hot food. Is there any down time (free time) at camp? Troops will have free time in the afternoon and in their housing area. This is a great time to work on a badge or project together. Can we bring snacks? Troops are welcome to bring their own snacks, but they must be kept in the dining hall for critter control. We do have various snacks if the girls or adults get hungry, please let a camp staff person know and they will be able to assist you. Why do we need so many adults with us? Girl Scouts must follow the ratios provided by GSUSA to ensure that the girls are safe. Leaders and adults are responsible for the girls at night and during their free time. Camp staff will be helping to provide the scheduled activities and at meal time. Leaders are responsible for the behavior of the girls while at camp, if needed camp staff will step in to make sure everything goes smoothly for everyone. What happens if we get rain or storms? At Camp Birch Trails we are great at providing spur of the moment activities and games for kids in case we need to move inside. If an activity is canceled because of inclement weather, we will do our best to do something similar to what you should have been doing or something that the girls would like to do instead. Camp staff are flexible and troops will need to be in this case a well. What are the Troop Leader/Parents expectations for the weekend? Our goal is to provide a fun and exciting weekend for your group. Troop Leaders and parents who are attending with their girls are responsible for any time in between activities and getting the girls to meals, campfire and activities in a timely manner. Camp staff will be following the schedule that has been provided for the weekend and do their best to keep things moving. Activities are only open/available when trained Camp Staff are there we will not open activities unless they are scheduled. Please make sure that your group respects quiet time at night, our weekend schedules are packed full of activities and everyone needs their sleep to be ready for the fun of camp all day! Occasionally our schedule may change due to circumstances outside of our control-please make sure that your group is on time for the start of activities and are prepared for the activities that you will be doing. Before groups leave on Sunday-their living area for the weekend should be cleaned, swept, mopped, beds wiped down, garbage taken out and any liter picked up and throw away. Every Girl Scout leaves Camp better than they found it! 6
Driving Directions to Camp Birch Trails W5860 Olivotti Lake Rd. Irma, WI 54442 Google Directions: gsnw.gl/campbirchtrailsdirections From the north: Follow Hwy 51 (south) to Cty Hwy J past Irma. Turn right (west) onto Cty Hwy J and continue for 1.3 miles to Pier St. Turn left (south) on Pier St. and continue for 3.9 miles to Olivotti Lake Rd. Turn right (west) onto Olivotti Lake Rd. The front gate to Camp Birch Trails is at the end of the road. From the south: Follow Hwy 51 (north) to Lincoln Dr. Turn left (west) onto Lincoln Dr. and continue for 1/2 mile to the stop sign (Pier St.). Turn right (north) on Pier St. and continue for 2-3 miles to Olivotti Lake Rd. Turn left (west) on Olivotti Lake Rd. The front gate to Camp Birch Trails is at the end of the road. **Please note: Most GPS units and MapQuest will not give your correct directions to camp, please use the directions provided. 7