Decisions and Checkpoints
On Friday, May 15, the Camp Perkins Board of Directors reached the difficult decision to suspend traditional youth summer camp programs through 2020.
We did not reach this decision easily, nor do we take it lightly. This breaks our hearts, as we imagine it does yours. We are steeling ourselves for a basketball court void of the morning gathering of campers hugging the Lodge and flexing their spiritual muscles, a GaGa Ball court without the endless dust cloud hovering above it, the campfire pit without God's Creation echoing back "AMEN".
As you know, in order to care for others, including yourself and those you care about, our country, our state, and our local authorities have been enacting rules designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus throughout the world. These rules, while important, make it impossible to do youth camp in the way you think about when you think about camp. It simply would not be possible for us to gather together at campfire, in the dining hall, on the basketball court, or even to go sailing - not in the same way we are used to. Summer Camp is the opposite of physical distancing!
One of the greatest challenges right now is that we know so little definitively about how this virus spreads and what it's short and long-term impact is on children. In reaction to that, there is a myriad of varied regulations from a multitude of governing bodies.
Camp is relationships, running around, recreation, restoration—outdoors, together, with Jesus. And because we care for kids, love kids, we believe it’s in the long term best interest of everyone that we set traditional youth camp aside for a season, look forward to Summer Camp 2021, and come up with creative new programs for this season for new community at Camp Perkins.
The very nature of camp is closeness—the opposite of social distancing. Camp is close friendships, face to face conversations, high fives, fist bumps, hugs, singing, s’mores around the campfire, bunk beds, Ephesians 6 on the Lake Field...physical contact. This season of COVID-19 complicates all of that, beyond how we feel we can reasonably keep kids and their families back home healthy and safe.
God has blessed Camp Perkins with magnificent beauty; with terrific recreational spaces; with a community of tremendous staff, volunteers, supporters, and camp families; with Jesus. We know not being able to come to this place is hard. And that means caring doesn’t end at canceling summer camp. Camp Perkins' program leadership is being creative about ways we can continue to care for kids and families this summer and into the future. We are developing plans to open camp beginning in July for fun, safe, minimally programmed overnight camping opportunities for families.
We will send you information about any summer opportunities as soon as we have more details to share.
CHECKPOINTS
We believe that camp is needed now more than ever. Our staff is working hard to respond to the changing situation and do everything possible to create the possibility of running modified programs this summer. For us to feel confident in welcoming people to camp and running programs, there are several different checkpoints we must still reach. Below are the checkpoints and the action steps we are taking to move towards each checkpoint.
Checkpoint #1: Group Gathering Regulations
Currently, Idaho is under a “Stay Healthy” order that extends until midnight on May 30**. Even once this order is lifted, additional stages with restrictions on group gathering sizes for the next 15-day period is outlined. For camp programs to happen this summer, we must be able to comply with any existing state and USFS regulations limiting the size and type of group gatherings.
**Dates are pending meeting gating criteria to move to the next stage.
What we’re currently doing:
Even once the stages of Idaho’s of “Stay Healthy” order are hopefully completed on June 26**, there are CDC guidelines regulating our normal summer operating procedures. As a part of our Special Use Permit with the USFS, in order for camp programs to run this summer, we must comply with any CDC guidelines. We will also be assessing if we can reasonably do so without significantly compromising our ability to “do camp”.
**Dates are pending meeting gating criteria to move to the next stage.
What we’re currently doing:
We recognize that many of our family campers and staff come from households with at-risk individuals and also recognize the operational necessity to be able to contain quickly and efficiently any suspected on-site cases of COVID-19. Camp programs will only happen this summer if we are able to comply with health department recommendations related to both mitigate the spread of on-site infections as well as quarantine procedures in the event of a suspected case.
What we’re currently doing:
This is a rapidly changing situation, and there is still much uncertainty surrounding what the next several weeks and months will look like. This presents some significant logistical challenges in planning and preparing for camp this summer. For camp programs to happen this summer, we must be able to anticipate future needs, stockpile necessary supplies, have the support of our summer staff team, and be ready to “go” within a relatively short time frame.
What we’re currently doing:
As more decisions are made, we will update the website and follow up with emails. Of course, if you have questions or concerns before then, please do not hesitate to contact us.
"Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." - Psalm 25:4-5
We did not reach this decision easily, nor do we take it lightly. This breaks our hearts, as we imagine it does yours. We are steeling ourselves for a basketball court void of the morning gathering of campers hugging the Lodge and flexing their spiritual muscles, a GaGa Ball court without the endless dust cloud hovering above it, the campfire pit without God's Creation echoing back "AMEN".
As you know, in order to care for others, including yourself and those you care about, our country, our state, and our local authorities have been enacting rules designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus throughout the world. These rules, while important, make it impossible to do youth camp in the way you think about when you think about camp. It simply would not be possible for us to gather together at campfire, in the dining hall, on the basketball court, or even to go sailing - not in the same way we are used to. Summer Camp is the opposite of physical distancing!
One of the greatest challenges right now is that we know so little definitively about how this virus spreads and what it's short and long-term impact is on children. In reaction to that, there is a myriad of varied regulations from a multitude of governing bodies.
- Though we love our rustic cabins, the limited accessibility to frequent hand-washing and the need for increased ventilation to reduce the viral load in all indoor spaces (imagine keeping the windows open all night at 7000 feet elevation...brrr!) make the youth cabins a challenging facility for housing campers from multiple regions with varying community spread. This is more motivation to continue the path toward adding bathrooms to the cabins! We are in the process of burying conduit to put power lines underground this spring... and conduit for potential future water lines!
- Wearing face coverings, staying 6 feet apart, spending the week with only the people in your assigned cabin, keeping personal items separated from the other campers' items within the cabin - these and the other CDC recommendations for Youth Camp that we are required to follow make camp feel a whole lot less like camp.
Camp is relationships, running around, recreation, restoration—outdoors, together, with Jesus. And because we care for kids, love kids, we believe it’s in the long term best interest of everyone that we set traditional youth camp aside for a season, look forward to Summer Camp 2021, and come up with creative new programs for this season for new community at Camp Perkins.
The very nature of camp is closeness—the opposite of social distancing. Camp is close friendships, face to face conversations, high fives, fist bumps, hugs, singing, s’mores around the campfire, bunk beds, Ephesians 6 on the Lake Field...physical contact. This season of COVID-19 complicates all of that, beyond how we feel we can reasonably keep kids and their families back home healthy and safe.
God has blessed Camp Perkins with magnificent beauty; with terrific recreational spaces; with a community of tremendous staff, volunteers, supporters, and camp families; with Jesus. We know not being able to come to this place is hard. And that means caring doesn’t end at canceling summer camp. Camp Perkins' program leadership is being creative about ways we can continue to care for kids and families this summer and into the future. We are developing plans to open camp beginning in July for fun, safe, minimally programmed overnight camping opportunities for families.
- Extended and additional Family Retreats is one possibility we are exploring for July. We hope to hold our currently scheduled Family Camps, with an added option to extend your stay. Due to regulations, the programming will be different and we know this does not replace the summer camp experience for your child. However, if we can make a way for your families to get away to Camp Perkins, we pray it would be a new way to bless you.
- We also are hoping to hold Leaders in Training camp, or other leadership opportunities for high school campers, and Ridges Backpacking camps.
- We are also exploring the opportunity to bring an in-person campfire experience to various regions of Southern Idaho where we can gather safely on the lawn of a church and sing "Radical God" and "Joy" and be together in a new way... and maybe deliver your Summer Theme shirt if you still want it!
We will send you information about any summer opportunities as soon as we have more details to share.
CHECKPOINTS
We believe that camp is needed now more than ever. Our staff is working hard to respond to the changing situation and do everything possible to create the possibility of running modified programs this summer. For us to feel confident in welcoming people to camp and running programs, there are several different checkpoints we must still reach. Below are the checkpoints and the action steps we are taking to move towards each checkpoint.
Checkpoint #1: Group Gathering Regulations
Currently, Idaho is under a “Stay Healthy” order that extends until midnight on May 30**. Even once this order is lifted, additional stages with restrictions on group gathering sizes for the next 15-day period is outlined. For camp programs to happen this summer, we must be able to comply with any existing state and USFS regulations limiting the size and type of group gatherings.
**Dates are pending meeting gating criteria to move to the next stage.
What we’re currently doing:
- Closely monitoring all government regulations as well as staying up-to-date on the predicted trajectory of future restrictions.
Even once the stages of Idaho’s of “Stay Healthy” order are hopefully completed on June 26**, there are CDC guidelines regulating our normal summer operating procedures. As a part of our Special Use Permit with the USFS, in order for camp programs to run this summer, we must comply with any CDC guidelines. We will also be assessing if we can reasonably do so without significantly compromising our ability to “do camp”.
**Dates are pending meeting gating criteria to move to the next stage.
What we’re currently doing:
- Staying up to date on the current best practices recommended for similar organizations.
- Staying in communication with our local health department regarding potential operation this summer and what restrictions might be involved.
- Staying in touch with the American Camp Association (ACA) and Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA) as they continue to advocate for camps on a national level. We are working through the guidance currently provided for overnight camps for this summer.
We recognize that many of our family campers and staff come from households with at-risk individuals and also recognize the operational necessity to be able to contain quickly and efficiently any suspected on-site cases of COVID-19. Camp programs will only happen this summer if we are able to comply with health department recommendations related to both mitigate the spread of on-site infections as well as quarantine procedures in the event of a suspected case.
What we’re currently doing:
- Staying up to date on current best practices and recommendations in this area.
- Developing updated screening procedures for guests and staff.
- Developing updated policies and procedures related to infectious disease prevention at camp.
- Developing updated policies and procedures for cleaning and disinfecting high touch areas of camp.
- Consulting with experts to put together an infection control plan.
This is a rapidly changing situation, and there is still much uncertainty surrounding what the next several weeks and months will look like. This presents some significant logistical challenges in planning and preparing for camp this summer. For camp programs to happen this summer, we must be able to anticipate future needs, stockpile necessary supplies, have the support of our summer staff team, and be ready to “go” within a relatively short time frame.
What we’re currently doing:
- Surveying our summer staff to collect information about their ability and willingness to serve even in a shortened summer season of Family Camp.
- Developing contingency plans in several different critical planning areas related to this summer.
- Working with our suppliers to ensure adequate ability to stock necessary items such as hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies.
As more decisions are made, we will update the website and follow up with emails. Of course, if you have questions or concerns before then, please do not hesitate to contact us.
"Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." - Psalm 25:4-5
