Q. How are cabin assignments made?
Q. My child is coming without a friend. Will that be okay?
Q. How will my child be cared for at bedtime?
Q. My child occasionally has a night time accident or wears Pull-ups. How will this be handled?
Q. What if my child gets homesick?
Q. Will someone make sure my child will put on sunscreen and bug spray?
Q. What if my child cannot swim?
Q. What if my child leaves some belongings at camp?
Q. What if my child has special dietary needs or won’t eat the camp food?
Q. What should I expect when checking in or checking out my child?
Q. Is there a waitlist for registration? How do I get on it?
Q. What health care is available for my child while they are at camp?
Is there a question that you would like to see added to this list? Please email Doug Vanderwell so we can make this as helpful as possible. Thanks!
Q. How are cabin assignments made?
A. At Camp Roger, campers are grouped in cabins by gender and grade. Campers are welcome to request one to two cabinmates. As long as cabinmate requests are within two grades of each other they will be placed in the same cabin. Because making new friends is an important goal at Camp Roger, we cannot necessarily honor requests of large groups of campers to be together. For campers who do not request cabinmates, we take care to assign them to cabins in which there are other campers who have not requested cabinmates as well.
Q. My child is coming without a friend. Will that be okay?
A. Yes. Many of our campers come on their own, without a specified cabinmate, and we are mindful of this when making cabin assignments. Our counselors are very intentional about building friendships and community within the cabin. The whole first day is designed to make friends and create a place where everyone will get to know each other.
Q. How will my child be cared for at bedtime?
A. Nighttime is a wonderful time at Camp Roger. We take our time and enjoy this part of the day. Our counselors explain the things that need to happen before the campers sit down for evening devotions. There is a bedtime checklist which includes such things as brushing teeth, going to the bathroom, washing hands and face, and putting on PJs. Once everyone has completed these tasks the campers gather on carpet squares in the middle of the cabin around a candle for a time of devotions, prayer, and conversations about the day. This is a great time in which campers learn more about who they are as a child of God and how to build a deeper relationship with him. Once devotions wrap up, campers will head to their bunk and the counselors will check in with each of them. There is always a counselor in the cabin or just outside the cabin by a light if campers are having trouble sleeping and need someone to talk to.
Q. My child occasionally has a night time accident or wears Pull-ups. How will this be handled?
A. This is a fairly common occurrence, and our counselors know how to handle this in a discrete manner. Campers can take Pull-ups into the bathroom stall and put them on at bedtime. In the morning they can change out of them in the bathroom stall and throw them in the garbage can in the restroom. If an accident occurs campers can quietly let their counselor know. Any wet clothes can be put inside their sleeping bag, and when all the campers are out of the cabin doing their morning activities our nurse will wash, dry, and return the items before campers return from their activities.
Q. What if my child gets homesick?
A. We want every camper to have a positive experience at camp. To help ensure that, our counselors are extensively trained to help comfort a child who is missing his or her home and family. We work with campers to get them involved in activities and help them find things that they enjoy doing to more fully experience camp. Our head counselors and other support staff encourage them and develop strategies specific to the camper’s personality that will help them have a fun and successful time at camp. If a camper is having a particularly hard time, we will not hesitate to call a parent so that we can work together to help the camper.
Q. Will someone make sure my child will put on sunscreen and bug spray?
A. Yes. Our counselors remind campers when they leave the cabin to put these important things on. Each cabin also has an extra bottle of sunscreen and a can of bug spray in case campers run out or lose theirs. If your child needs an extra hand applying it, our counselors will be happy to help.
Q. What if my child cannot swim?
A. Because we need to know each camper’s swimming ability, we do a swim challenge on the first day of camp. Campers are supervised by counselors in the water while they swim from one side of the swim area to the other. If this is difficult for them, a lifeguard is in the water, ready to help them across. Our swim zone is clearly divided into a shallow end and a deep end. If a child finishes the swim challenge successfully they will be allowed to swim in either section. If not, the camper will be able to still go swimming, but will play in the shallow end. Campers all swim with a buddy and we do buddy calls every 9 minutes. Our waterfront is fully staffed according to the guidelines required by the state of Michigan and the American Camp Association.
Q. What is my child leaves some belongings at camp?
A. Lost and found items are gathered on a daily basis and displayed at meal times on the fireplace mantel. At the end of each session, lost and found items are gathered and displayed in central area on closing day. All items left are then cleaned and stored until the end of the summer season. Parents/guardians may contact the camp office and arrange a time and date to pick up any lost items or pay the cost of shipping if we need to mail them to you. At the end of the summer all items are donated to charity.
Q. What if my child has special dietary needs or won’t eat the camp food?
A. If your child needs to have special food prepared (gluten free or vegetarian for example), we do not have a separate menu for that so we ask that you provide us with easy to prepare food and our nurse assistant will assist your child in getting his/her meal ready. Our kitchen staff cannot make the food. We also have a buffet table with other options such as cold cereal in the mornings, and sandwich fixings at lunch and dinner.
Q. What should I expect when checking-in or checking-out my child?
A. Check-in times are from 12:45pm to 2:00pm on the day your child’s session begins. The check-in process will take anywhere from 45-60 minutes. When arriving at camp anticipate a wait in your car. Many campers are excited to get to camp so they wait in line before the gate is opened. You will be shown where to park and go either up to Girls Hill or to Boys Hill where you will be greeted by counselors and shown to the cabins. After helping your child get situated in their cabin, you will go to the lodge for any remaining things to do for registration (paying bill, handing in health forms, making camp store deposits). This is also a time to shop in the camp store. Pick up is from 9:30am – 10:30am on the last day of your child’s session. You will once again be shown where to park and your child will be waiting for you in their cabin. You may again shop in the camp store and check to see if there is any camp store money left in your child’s account.
Q. Is there a waitlist for registration? How do I get on it?
A. If a session is full we will post that on the website. If you are still interested in that session please call the camp office at 616-874-7286 and ask to be put on the waitlist. We will take your name, number and child’s information and put you down in the order that we receive calls. As openings become available, we will contact you. If there are other sessions that your child is able to attend, it is a good idea to register, even if you are on the waitlist for a session. If the session you are on the waitlist for opens up, you can always cancel the other session. It is just a good idea to have a back-up because we cannot promise that the waitlist campers will be called.
Q. What health care is available for my child while they are at camp?
A. Camper safety is very important to us and so we go above and beyond what is required by the State of Michigan and the American Camp Association. While accidents and injurys are infrequent occurances at Camp Roger, we are prepared just in case. We always have a Registered Nurse on site along with a nursing student as an assistant. We have a doctor that is on-call in case advice is needed. We are also blessed to be just two miles down the road from an EMS station. Our counselors are trained to take good care of campers, but if it requires more than a bandaid and a hug, they know the nurse is there to help them. The nurse also manages all camper medications. (Please remember to bring them in the original bottles!) Parents will turn in all medications to the nurse at the start of camp. The nurse will then make sure the medication gets properly dispensed and documented. Campers who are heading off site on a backpacking trip or on a campout are accompanied by a staff member trainied in First Aid and CPR. Campers going on Pioneer and Voyager trips are sent with a staff member who have received extensive training and is a Wilderness First Responders. If you have additional questions about how camp would handle your child's needs, please don't hesitate to give us a call.