HELPING YOUR FAMILY GET READY FOR CAMP (2 OF 4)
Hello again! This is the second of four emails designed to share the key info needed to "Blaze the Trail" for a safe, smooth, and successful camp experience. This week's focus is on Check-In Day. Whether you’re a first-time camper family or returning, please read each section carefully as multiple aspects of our check-in process have been adapted significantly for Summer 2021.
CHECK-IN DAY
PRIOR TO ARRIVAL
We strive to make your check-in process as smooth as possible. This section covers items to take care of prior to arrival. To start, here are 3 quick tips for saving time in line:

  • 1) PAY BALANCE: Pay any balance due using My Account.

  • 2) STORE ACCOUNT: Load your camper's store account by logging in to your account → finding the registration listing for your camper → and clicking "Store Card".


  • CHECK-IN FORM & PRE-SCREENING: All campers must have a completed Check-In Form prior to arrival. To help reduce the likelihood of Covid-19 entering camp, all campers will be required to pre-screen for Covid-19 symptoms for 14 days prior to their check-in day. Instructions for pre-screening are included on our 2021 Check-In Form. Two weeks before your camper’s session, we’ll send the email address associated with your camper’s registration an email that will include a link to download and print the form. Please be sure to print, fill out, and sign this Check-In Form before you arrive. A completed form is required for check-in. If another adult is bringing your camper to Glisson, complete the form beforehand and send it with your camper. 

  • REDUCE EXPOSURE: As a reminder, to the extent possible, we’re asking all camper families to reduce their risk of exposure for the 14 days leading up to arrival at Glisson. To help create as safe of a camp environment as possible for all campers and staff this summer, please make every practical effort to reduce exposure by way of physical distancing, wearing face coverings when not at home, avoiding unnecessary travel, and refraining from indoor social gatherings with people outside of your household.
CHECK-IN PROCESS
On check-in day, arrival times will be staggered to make the process as efficient as possible. Our check-in process will look different from previous years. As you drive down Camp Glisson Road, you will be directed into the Lumpkin County High School parking lot. Please follow the staff's direction and the signs to make the check-in process as smooth as possible.

*Please do not arrive earlier than your scheduled check-in time.* If you have campers in multiple age groups, we ask that you arrive at the end of your first time slot. Also, please note that due to a DOT construction project, N. Grove St (the road before the turn onto Camp Glisson Road) will be detoured this summer. For ease-of-reference, we’ll include detour instructions in the email we send the morning of your camper’s check-in day. For now, please plan for an estimated additional 10 minutes travel time if you’re driving from south of Dahlonega.

  • STEP 1: Check-in will be completed from your car as you drive through the high school parking lot. You will turn in your check-in form, temperature will be taken, medications will be turned in, and cabin assignments will be given at this point. Please wear your mask from this point forward in the check in process.

  • STEP 2: After you have checked in at the high school parking lot, you will be directed into camp by our staff and parked in the closest zone to your camper’s cabin or check-in location.

  • STEP 3: After parking, Village and Sparrowwood campers will check in outside of their assigned cabin. Outpost families will check in outside of the Holland Building. Families will not be allowed inside the cabins or buildings. Please plan ahead to say goodbye to your camper outside of their check-in location.
ARRIVAL TIMES
Use the included chart to find your camper’s arrival time by the program and session they are registered for. For a larger view, click or tap the chart or visit our Arrival & Departure page. For reference, here’s a link to the 2021 Schedule. As a reminder, please do not arrive earlier than your scheduled check-in time.
CAMPER HEALTH
The health and well-being of your camper is incredibly important to us. Knowing about your camper's health needs in advance is key to our preparing for the summer, just as your knowing our policies in advance helps you to prepare. For that reason, and because CDC and ACA guidelines for camp Covid mitigation have not changed (even as CDC guidance for masking outdoors has changed) our Covid-19 Mitigation Policies remain the same and will for the entire summer. Please take note of the following procedures to make check-in as smooth as possible:

  • COVID-19: Out of an abundance of care and precaution, campers with pre-existing conditions for complications with Covid-19 as defined by the CDC are strongly discouraged from attending camp next summer. We will be scanning medical forms to clarify medical conditions before camper check-in. Per our Covid-19 Mitigation Plan, to help reduce the likelihood of Covid-19 entering camp, all campers will be required to pre-screen for Covid-19 symptoms for 14 days prior to their check-in day using our Check-In Form. If your camper is symptomatic, or if they have been exposed to somebody who is confirmed Covid-19 positive, you will be required to bring proof of a negative test administered within 72 hours of arrival. Camp fees in these cases will be refundable per our refund policies for illness.

  • TEMPERATURES: We check the temperature of each camper as you enter camp. This will be done in your car and takes only a minute. Campers with elevated temperatures will be re-checked to verify. Just as in past summers, any camper registering a high temperature will not be permitted to enter camp on check-in day.

  • MEDICATIONS: All medications must be given to a member of our healthcare team during check-in inside its original container. This includes all topical ointments, vitamins, etc (over-the-counter medications are supplied by the camp in the health center). Exceptions such as emergency inhalers, epipens, etc must be approved by our healthcare team. Medications must be checked in with a completed Medication Administration Form. To save time, upon arrival, be sure to keep your camper's Medication Administration Form and any medications handy in the car rather than packed away in luggage. These will be collected by our Healthcare Team in the Lumpkin County High School parking lot prior to entering camp.

  • ALLERGIES: Our program, kitchen, and medical staff are experienced at handling all types of allergies. Prior to the start of camp, our healthcare team reviews all camper health forms. Upon review, if an allergy is indicated that our team deems in need of further clarification, our healthcare team will call the camper's guardian/parent prior to arrival for more information.

  • CHANGES TO HEALTH INFO: We understand that some health information for your camper may have changed between the time of registration and now. To make sure our Healthcare Team has the most up-to-date info for your camper, please take a moment to verify that the health information on-file is accurate and up-to-date with any changes that may have occurred: log in to your account → find the registration listing for your camper → click "Medical History" to review and update.
CAMPER MAIL
Mail is an important part of the camp experience. Letters can help campers feel connected to those they love while encouraging them to try new things, make new friends, and be the best version of themselves while away at camp. Mail also takes significant time and staff to sort, review, and deliver. Below are some helpful tips for a positive mail experience for you and your camper (and for efficient delivery and frustration-avoidance).

  • LETTER DROP-OFF: To make letter delivery as smooth as possible for all involved, we highly recommend dropping off camper mail on check-in day. As you exit, you'll pass a drive-thru collection station for you to deposit your camper's clearly labelled mail without leaving your vehicle. While "snail mail" can be fun, it can also be unpredictable and may miss campers during the week. If you choose traditional mail, please only send letters.

  • ADDRESSING: Address all mail with 1) your camper's first/last name; 2) desired delivery day; 3) cabin assignment or trip. Please note that you will learn your camper's cabin assignment during check-in and that mail delivery occurs Mon-Thu. Mail is not delivered on Fridays. Due to the nature of the program, Outpost campers are out-and-about more often and will receive mail when they are on-site but not while they are away on trips.

  • NO PACKAGE DELIVERY: Due to our support staff’s increased role in the sanitation of camp, we will not be accepting packages of any kind this summer. While we know many camper’s look forward to receiving a mid-week care package, we appreciate your understanding as we shift the time typically spent on sorting and delivering care packages each day to time spent mitigating potential spread of Covid-19 within camp.

  • NEW CARE PACKAGE ADD-ON: In lieu of our typical care package delivery options, we have added an option to purchase a care package through our registration system. You can purchase up to 2 care packages for delivery during your camper’s session. Each care package will contain a Powerade, chips, and cookie. The cost for each package is $3. Visit our Camper Communication page for instructions.

  • NO OUTSIDE FOOD: Please do not pack any snacks in your camper’s luggage. We are a nut-free facility and the safety of all campers is our top priority. If campers pack items that have been processed in a plant with nuts, it puts other campers at-risk. Please follow this rule to prevent items from being taken from your camper.  
WHAT TO BRING & NOT BRING
  • LEAVE CAMPER PHONES AT HOME: Campers are not permitted to have cell phones/mobile devices at Glisson. One of the unique strengths of camp is the opportunity for campers to collect experiences and memories that belong only to them. It's a key element of healthy developmental growth for our children, but one that's difficult for us as parents. Please honor our efforts to offer opportunities for your camper to grow and honor the restraint shown by your fellow parents who send their campers without cell phones – leave those cell phones at home.

  • PACKING LIST: Take time today to review your camper's Packing List (updated 5/13/21) and check for any items you'll need to find before camp. Remember that camp, by nature, isn't friendly to clothes. Any clothes that can't get dirty should be left at home. Glisson cannot be responsible for lost or broken personal items. Be sure to bring two pairs of shoes including one closed-toe pair appropriate for creek hiking (not Crocs). Other key items to bring include several face masks, water bottle, flashlight, and rain gear. You can pack for camp in a duffel bag, a trunk, or a large suitcase. Village campers should also bring a day pack or book bag for taking a few items to camp out. "What NOT to Bring" items are listed at the bottom of each list and are not intended to be exhaustive.

  • CLOTH FACE COVERINGS: As mentioned in our Covid-19 Mitigation Plan, campers and staff must wear cloth face coverings in space shared by multiple living groups (e.g. indoor facilities other than cabins, walking through the dining hall lobby to meals), when activities require close proximity, and during transition times throughout the day. Since we use a small group camping model, every living group’s schedule is unique. The majority of that schedule is spent outdoors and as a single living group. Based on a variety of factors, we estimate total mask use will be up to 2 hours per day. Accordingly, each packing list suggests packing at least one cloth face covering per day that your camper will be at camp.
CLOSING
Thanks for reading! We hope it was helpful. In case you missed it, last week's email was "Between Now & Camp". Upcoming emails will focus on "During Camp" and "Checkout Day". If you have any Questions, contact our team at summer@glisson.org or 706-864-6181. We're praying for your camper while preparing for the upcoming summer of ministry. Summer Team members began arriving Wednesday for staff training. We simply cannot wait for summer camp; we hope you and your camper are getting excited too! 
 
Grace and Peace,
The North Georgia Camp & Retreat Ministries Team


We know how to have fun - our passion is forming faith in the process.