Event Information It s Your Planet, Love It! Journey Kickstart at Camp Merrie Woode Check-In: Friday, May 11 at 7:00 p.m. Check-Out: Sunday, May 13 at 10:00 a.m. Please note this date has changed from what was printed in the Source. Complete Before Event: Leaders should obtain and carry with them a signed Parent Permission Form for each girl in their troop. (Leaders keep the forms with them, they are not turned in during check-in.) Every girl and adult will need to complete the Health History and Medication Record forms. For additional questions, or to inform us of any allergies or other health concerns, please contact Stephanie Hall at the Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan Kalamazoo Regional Center by email at shall@gshom.org or by phone at 800-497-2688, ext. 7067. Location Details: Camp Merrie Woode 12584 Burchette Road Plainwell, MI 49080 Arrival and Parking Information: Please enter through the North Entrance. From the North Entrance, follow the one-way road to the parking lot for check-in. Additional Information: Girl book and adult set are included. Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner and Sunday breakfast are included. This program is meant to help start the Journey; the entire Journey will not be completed. Girls and adults will have fun and learn how to complete a Journey. Tagalongs: A tagalong is a child not registered in the troop, such as a sibling of any age. Tagalongs change the dynamics of the event, which is not fair to the troop, other participating troops or the event facilitator. Unless otherwise indicated, tagalongs are not permitted to attend events. Adult Supervision Requirements: A minimum of two adults must accompany every troop/group to a program event per Girl Scout Safety Activity Checkpoints. For more information, visit https://gshomorg.presencehost.net/file_download/6f24a795-f2ca-4440- b04d-99973d669825. Parents/adults who attend the program are responsible for supervision of the girls with them and may be asked to assist the girls with activities as needed. Photos: A Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan staff member or volunteer may be taking photographs of the girls/adults participating in activities. Photos may be used in promotional materials, news releases and other published formats for Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan. If girls in your group are not authorized on their membership form to have their picture taken, please let your program facilitator know. We can t wait to see you at the event! 2017-2018 GSHOM 1
Arrival and Departure Check-In and Check-Out Check-in begins Friday, May 4 at 7:00 p.m. Check-out is Sunday, May 6 at 10 a.m. Check-In Procedures 1. Check-in will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. and will run until 8:00 p.m. If you find that you will be late arriving to camp, please notify Stephanie Hall, 269-330-8198, right away. 2. You will be greeted at the parking lot by a member of the camp staff to help you check in. 3. Please make sure to sign yourself and whoever else is arriving with you, in. At this time you will be given your schedule and housing assignment. 4. Any paperwork should be turned in at check-in. Staff will confirm that all your paperwork is complete. 5. All medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, need to be locked up. If you are not locking up your troop s medications yourself, they need to be turned in at check-in. 6. A staff member will direct your group to where they can leave their luggage. 7. You will then be able to walk back to your unit. Check-out Procedures 1. Check-out is at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. 2. Please place any luggage in the same spot where it was dropped off in your unit before 9:00 a.m. so that it can be taken back to the parking lot before check-out. 3. You will get back any medications you checked in at the last meal before you leave. 4. You will be asked to clean and sweep your lodge or unit, and place any bags of garbage at the entrance to be collected. We also ask that you help to clean up any communal areas, such as the bathrooms. 2017-2018 GSHOM 2
Health and Wellness at Camp Food Three meals are prepared each day, and snacks are available as well. You do not need to bring food to camp, and we highly suggest that you do not bring food in the units since it can attract animals to your tent or cabin. Please make sure to include all allergies, food intolerances, and dietary restrictions in your paperwork. This helps to ensure that we have meal options for everyone. If you have a question or concern about food, please contact Stephanie Hall, Outdoor Adventure Specialist. Health History A Health History Form must be completed for each participant, girl and adult. If you need a copy of the Health History Form, please contact programreg@gshom.org. Please note paper copies of the Health History Form cannot be returned. Please make a copy for your records before submitting. State licensing requires that the originals be kept on file. Medications All medication both over-the-counter and prescription must be turned in during check-in or locked up in a secure location by an adult in your group. For example, this can be a lock box that you bring to camp or locking it up in your car. All medication must be in its original bottle and fully labeled. If it is a prescription medication from your pharmacist, it must be labeled with the camper s name, the doctor s full name, the name of the medication and the dosage directions. We cannot administer medications that do not come in its original container, or if the prescription is for someone other than the camper. Camp staff will have a supply of over-the-counter medications, and will administer all medications according to our camp medical protocol. You will be given back your medications at your last meal at camp. 2017-2018 GSHOM 3
Dressing for Camp and the Weather Footwear Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan recommends that close-toed shoes (such as sneakers or hiking boots) and socks are worn to aid in the prevention of blisters and injuries. Please make sure that your shoes are broken in; there is a lot of walking at camp and new shoes can lead to blisters. Close-toed shoes are required for certain activities such as horseback riding, the climbing wall, and archery. You may bring sandals to camp for certain activities, but they must have a heel strap (such as Chaco s or Tevas), to keep them from falling off your foot. If you are unsure of the appropriate footwear for an activity, our staff will be available to help you figure out the best choice. Please note: flip flops are not permitted at camp except as shower shoes. We advise bringing at least two pairs of shoes in case one pair gets wet or muddy. Weather at Camp We believe there is no bad weather, which means we continue activities even when it is raining. It can be helpful to check the weather for the time you will be staying at camp, but weather is often unpredictable, so it is a good idea to be prepared for changes. Rain gear such as ponchos, rain jackets, and/or rain pants can help keep everyone warm and dry so that they can keep enjoying the day and the activities. Layering is also helpful to adapt to changes in the temperature. If there is a thunderstorm, we will move inside until at least 30 minutes since we ve seen lightning or heard thunder. If there is more severe weather at camp, camp staff will inform you of the severe weather plan. What to Carry with You It is a good idea to bring a small bag to carry things that you might need throughout the day. Please make sure that everyone in your group has a water bottle. Staying hydrated will keep everyone happy and healthy. Sunscreen is another important item to have with you; remember that it is possible to get sunburned even on a cloudy day. Insect repellent is a key item to have with you at camp; please do not bring an aerosol spray as they damage the tents and some of the gear at camp. Lost and Found Please remember to label everything you bring to camp. This will help the staff to be able to return items to you if anything is lost. Should you return home and find that items are missing, contact Stephanie Hall. Items that remain in the lost and found will be donated by camp to charitable organizations every 4 weeks. 2017-2018 GSHOM 4
Housing Lodge Lodges sleep 8-20 people and have electricity. They have beds with mattresses, and you will need to bring your own sleeping bag or bedroll. If you have signed up for the lodge option, you will receive your unit assignment at check-in. Tent Tents are hard- or soft-sided, sleep 4-8 people, and do not have electricity. The soft-sided tents are platform tents with a wooden platform base and canvas sides. They have 4 cots with mattresses; mosquito nets are put up seasonally (June-August); you will need to bring your own sleeping bag or bedroll. If you have signed up for the tent option, you will receive your unit assignment at check-in. Keeping the Group Together You will receive your tent or cabin unit assignment at check-in. If you would like your troop to be housed together, please make sure that every girl and adult is either a registered member of the troop or marks the troop number on their registration. We will do our best to keep your troop together. Special Accommodations If your troop requires any special housing accommodations, please make sure to note this on your registration. You will also be able to provide more information on the Health History. Please also follow up with Stephanie Hall at shall@gshom.org to ask about the accommodations of where you will be staying and to explain what your troop needs. 2017-2018 GSHOM 5
Sample Schedule **This is only an example of a typical schedule for a weekend program. This is NOT your troop s schedule. The activities for each program are different. This is meant to give you an idea of the amount of activity vs. down time** Possible activities include: Nature walk, games, snack making, and campfire. Friday 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Check-in (parking lot) 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm Opening Campfire 10:00 pm Lights Out Saturday 7:45 am - 8:00 am Flag Ceremony 8:00 am - 9:00 am Breakfast 9:00 am - 10:15 am Activity 1 10:30 am - 11:45 am Activity 2 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Lunch 1:15 pm - 2:30 pm Troop Time 2:45 pm - 4:00 pm Activity 3 4:15 pm - 5:30 pm Activity 4 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Dinner 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm Nighttime Activities 10 pm Lights Out Sunday 8:00 am - 9:00 am Breakfast 9:00 am - 10:00 am Pack/Clean Unit Trading Post During your time at camp, your troop will have the opportunity to visit the Trading Post (camp store). The Trading Post carries a variety of items such as t-shirts, fun patches, water bottles, stuffed animals and much more. Items range in price from $.50 - $55. Don t miss your opportunity to bring home a camp memory. We are not able to run credit cards at every event so please plan to bring cash, check, or cookie/cashew cash just in case. 2017-2018 GSHOM 6
Suggested Packing List When packing for camp, we suggest you pack with your daughter, not for her, so she knows everything she is bringing. Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan is NOT responsible for personal equipment, accessories or clothing. WHAT TO BRING TO CAMP Sleeping Sleeping bag or bedroll (made up of twin bed sheets and blankets) Pillow; pillow case (tie up with sleeping bag or bedroll) Clothing and Equipment Shirts for each day Pants*/shorts for each day Underwear for each day (plus a couple of extras) Socks for each day (plus a couple of extras) Sweatshirt or sweater Pajamas Raincoat or poncho Close-toed sturdy shoes** Sandals with a back strap Hat for hot days Sunscreen (A minimum of SPF 15) Non-aerosol insect repellent Backpack or small bag Flashlight and batteries Reusable water bottle Toiletries Towel and washcloth Soap Shampoo and conditioner Deodorant Toothbrush and toothpaste Comb and/or brush Lip balm 2017-2018 GSHOM 7
Kleenex Personal sanitary products (if necessary) Shower shoes/flip-flops Barrettes and ponytail holders (for long hair) Optional Items Camera (disposable cameras recommended) Troop work Books, playing cards, etc. Sunglasses Small stuffed animal Items Happier at Home Food, drinks or gum Electrical, butane, or battery-operated hair-grooming products Jewelry or other valuables that cannot withstand sand, mud or marshmallows Any clothing or accessories promoting inappropriate behavior *Pants are required for horseback riding. Pants or knee-length shorts are required for the climbing wall. **Close-toed shoes are required for certain activities such as horseback riding, the climbing wall, and archery. Technology at Camp We encourage everyone to use their time at camp to unplug from technology and connect to nature. Adults may bring cell phones, but we ask you not to take calls unless they are urgent and to step away from the group if you need to take a call. 2017-2018 GSHOM 8
2017-2018 GSHOM 9 IT S YOUR PLANET, LOVE IT! JOURNEY KICKSTART