WELCOME TO YMCA CAMP EBERHART! The YMCA Camp Eberhart staff is delighted that you have selected our camp. This summer, more than 2,000 will attend our camp to enjoy the fun and excitement of meeting new friends, learning new skills, and sharing "An Experience That Lasts A Lifetime."

Our staff and facilities are some of the finest in the country, and we are proud of the programs that we provide at camp every summer. To help ensure that everything is in order, we suggest that campers and parents carefully share the following information:

Click below to find your answers quickly.

• Forms
  


• Basic Camp Rules & Discipline
  


• Homesickness
  


• Packing and Lost & Found
  


• Keeping in Touch with your Child
  


• Camp Daily Schedule
  


• Check-In & Check-Out Procedure
  


• Camp Store
  


• Health & Safety
  


• Refunds, Receipts And Returned Checks
  


• Evaluations
  


• Contact Information
  

Forms

After you have registered your child for camp, you will be sent a packet of information and forms, which should be filled out completely and brought with you, when you bring your child to camp. Please do not mail these forms ahead of time.

You must complete the history, fill in the insurance information, and SIGN the "Authorization for Medical Emergency". The Physician Examination is not required, but is highly recommended. This form also requests information regarding your child's needs and interests. You must complete and SIGN the Authorization for Release of Camper. Only persons listed on this release will be allowed to take your child from camp, and we will check identification against the names on the release at check-out time.

This form MUST be on file, signed during your child's stay and must be completed anew each year that your child attends camp.

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Basic Camp Rules

• Please do not bring valuable jewelry or watches, expensive clothing, radios, tape recorders, TVs, etc.
• Do not bring cash to camp. You may deposit cash for program and souvenir purchases as well as snacks and pop in your store account.
• Alcohol, drugs, cigarettes and pornographic material are STRICTLY PROHIBITED in camp.
• Campers are not allowed to leave camp without the Camp Director's permission and staff supervision.

Camp Eberhart staff are carefully trained to work with children in a positive and trusting environment. It is assumed that campers are amenable to normal camp discipline and will confirm to the ideals and regulations of our camping program.

Corporal punishment, denial of food at meals, isolation without supervision, ridicule by staff or campers, excessive exercise or deprivation of sleep are expressly prohibited as a means for discipline in our camp. Any camper found in possession of alcoholic beverages, drugs, drug paraphernalia, cigarettes, and/or pornographic material may be dismissed from camp. In such cases, parents or guardians will be contacted immediately. Any camper dismissed from camp for disciplinary reasons will forfeit any refund of fees.

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Homesickness

Homesickness is a normal experience in the process of growing up, and every counselor at YMCA Camp Eberhart is trained to help a homesick camper through encouragement, lots of activity, and building new friendships. Parents can help by writing friendly and encouraging letters, writing often, and not promising a camper s/he can come home if they get homesick. Please feel free to call and talk with the Camp Director at any time. Plan ahead with mail; many letters arrive after a child has left Camp.

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Packing and Lost & Found

Please see the Camper's Packing List to record the items your child brings to Camp. Pack the list in your camper's luggage as well so that s/he can check out at the end of the week to make sure their belongings go back home with them.

Label all belongings clearly. We will attempt to return items left behind. Unlabeled items are held in Lost & Found for two weeks, and if unclaimed, they are then donated to a local charity. Please contact the Camp WITHIN TWO WEEKS if you are trying to locate lost items.

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Keeping in Touch with your Child

Campers are always anxious to receive mail, and parents want to know how their campers are doing. Counselors will make a special effort to encourage campers to write home. Parents might help younger campers by packing pre-addressed, stamped envelopes. Parents of younger campers should also consider writing often. Don't worry if your child doesn't write frequently. Usually their excuse is, "I was just too busy having fun!" If you want to send food "care packages", please send enough for the whole cabin and address it to the group, in care of your child.

Feel free to send your camper e-mail messages. Messages will be printed and distributed at mealtime with other mail. Email can use this link - Email - or please find another link on the "This Week" page in the top right hand corner and please write the camper's name and cabin number in the subject area. We are not able to guarantee the confidentiality of these messages. Please do not send attachments or ecards as we are unable to print them.

Telephones are not available for camper use except in staff supervised business or emergency situations. If parents have urgent messages that require a telephone call, please ask to speak to the Camp Director or Associate Director, and your message will be written down and delivered to the child, normally at the next mealtime. No child who wants to telephone their parents will be denied. IN CASES OF EMERGENCY, DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL THE CAMP DIRECTOR AT ANY TIME OF THE DAY OR NIGHT.

"Drop in" visits can create a number of problems, sometimes disrupting programs, diverting staff, or setting off homesickness in susceptible campers. First day check-in and last day checkout are good times to visit with staff and tour facilities, not during the week. If parents are going to be in the area, they are welcome to visit, but please make phone arrangements ahead of time. It is important that all visitors check in at the office. When visiting, please do not ask to take other campers from camp.

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Camp Daily Schedule

  7:15 - Reveille
  8:00 - Breakfast
  8:30 - Cabin Cleanup
  9:15 - Chapel
  9:30 - Program Period #1
10:45 - Program Period #2
 noon - Benches
12:15 - Lunch
  1:00 - Rest Period
  2:00 - Program Period #3
  3:15 - Program Period #4
  4:30 - Work Detail
  5:25 - Flag
  5:30 - Dinner
  6:15 - Open Program
  7:15 - Cabin time
  8:00 - Evening Program
  9:30 - Taps

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Check-In & Check-Out Procedures

Check-in begins Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Michigan Time. Please do not arrive early for Check-in. Staff will not be able to assist until 2:00. When you arrive for Check-in, please report to these locations, in order, to perform the following activities:

    Dining Hall
   1. Turn in green form and a copy of your child's Health Insurance Card
   2. Deposit funds into camper's store account
   3. Receive camper's cabin assignment
   4. Turn in medications, in original containers, according to the guidelines
        outlined in the Health and Safety section.

    Waterfront
   1. Participate in Sunday Swim. This swim allows us to classify each camper's
        swimming ability so that we can ensure their safety throughout the
        week.

It is the opinion of the YMCA Camp Eberhart board of directors that each child learn how to swim. We require all campers to take swimming lessons. If you do not want your child to take these lessons, please let the camp administration know in writing so that they may be excused.

Sundays are a great time to get to know Camp Eberhart better. You are welcome to tour Camp, check out our facilities, talk to staff, and otherwise acquaint yourself with Camp.

Check-out is 9:30-11:00 a.m. Michigan time. Parents are invited to tour camp and attend a horse show or other planned events. If you are picking up your camper late, a donation is requested to cover the cost of meals and other essentials.

Campers wishing to extend their stay will be allowed to telephone for their parents' permission early in the week. These phone calls will be monitored by camp staff who will verify arrangements.

In order for us to release campers, parents must present picture ID, and they must be listed on the Camper's Camper Release Form.

Check-in time is the same as all other campers - Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Michigan time.
Check-out is 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., Michigan time, Wednesday.

• If your camper wishes to extend their stay for the whole week, you will be contacted by Wednesday morning.

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Camp Store

While at Camp, your child will have the opportunity to purchase various items. However, for security reasons, we ask campers not to have cash at camp. Any money for snacks, souvenirs, program supplies, and laundry should be deposited into their Camp Store account. This can be done on the day of Check-in, or in advance with payment of camp fees. Campers can then draw from this account during their stay. Campers are not allowed to spend into a deficit, so plan for them to have plenty. Money left in a camper's account at the end of their stay can be refunded by check at the end of summer camp.

The following items can be purchased from a camper's store account:

• SNACKS - A maximum of two items can be ordered during Rest Hour.


• PROGRAM SUPPLIES - Rocketry, Riflery, and Arts & Crafts have charges for supplies. Only campers taking these programs will need to purchase these supplies.


• LAUNDRY - Campers who stay for more than one week can have their laundry done if needed. The cost is deducted from their account.


• RAGGERS - Campers participating in the Raggers program have the cost of their "rag" deducted from their account.


• CLOTHING - Clothing can be purchased during Open Program or on weekends during Check-in and Check-out.

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Health & Safety

All campers are screened for medical problems at check in. Occasionally campers do become ill or require other medical attention. Camp has a well-equipped health facility, complete with dispensary, sick bays, and isolation rooms. A certified Health Officer, Nurse, or EMT is on-call 24-hours a day.

In addition to Camp's medical staff, arrangements have been made with nearby physicians and the local hospital for consultation and emergency service. To complete the arrangement for medical service, we need the parent's SIGNED authorization and ALL INSURANCE NUMBERS. The State of Michigan requires camps to have this signed authorization on file for each camper at camp.

Any time a camper is referred to medical attention outside of Camp, or is restricted from normal program participation for more than 24-hours, parents will be contacted. Your family accident/health medical insurance will be billed, and you will be advised of and billed for any other medical expenses such as special medication and/or supplies advised by the physician.

All prescription medication brought into Camp must be accompanied by written orders that are signed by a physician. Orders must include the camper's full name, dosage amount, delivery times, and any limitation. All medications, including non-prescribed vitamins, creams, lotions, aspirin, etc., must be turned in and dispensed by the Camp Health Officer, Nurse or EMT, as required by Michigan law. Do not repackage drugs or substitute another person's prescription; this is prohibited by Michigan law.

The Confidential Form provides an opportunity for your child's cabin counselor to work more effectively with any special help your child might require. Please share the requested information and be assured that it is handled in the strictest confidence and is kept with your child's medical records in the Health Center.

The state of Michigan requires that Camp have on file a list of individuals that you authorize to have custody of your child in your absence. Please be sure and give thought to this list and SIGN your authorization on the Camper Release Form. This is especially important if some other person may be picking up your child from Camp or may be visiting your child during his/her stay.

Head checks for lice will be done before your child goes to their cabin. We follow the same guidelines as the local school policy for lice. If your child is found with any lice or eggs they will be sent home and may return 24 full hours after treatment.

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REFUNDS, RECEIPTS & RETURNED CHECKS

All Camp fees and registrations are handled through Camp Eberhart. When paying the balance of fees, extending a camper's stay, or canceling a registration, always contact Camp Eberhart, not the YMCA of Michiana.

The $100 per session deposit is non-refundable, but may be transferred to a different period up to seven days prior to check-in date. All requests for refunds MUST BE IN WRITING three weeks prior to scheduled stay. Full refunds may be returned only in cases of medical or family emergency. If a full refund is requested, a signed doctor's note or other proof of family crisis as well as a letter of request must be sent to Camp Eberhart. NO VERBAL AGREEMENTS FOR REFUNDS OF ANY KIND WILL BE HONORED. All requests must be in writing and directed to:

Refund Request,
YMCA Camp Eberhart,
10481 Camp Eberhart Drive
Three Rivers, MI 49093

Due to the number of campers checking in and out during the weekend, refunds of store money will be sent to the parent (or camper) at the end of summer. Upon your arrival on Saturday you will be given a slip to specify whether you would like a refund check mailed to you or not. Please consider donating these funds to the YMCA Camp Eberhart Campership Fund. This fund allows disadvantaged youth the opportunity to attend camp.

PLEASE DO NOT HAND CASH TO ANY STAFF MEMBER who is not prepared to give you a written receipt. Only cash transactions verified by official receipts will be honored for refunds.

There will be a charge for all returned checks.

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Evaluations

We want to hear about your camper's experiences while attending Camp. At check-out you will receive a parent/camper evaluation. We hope you will go through this with your child and return it to us so that we can make our programs and services even better.

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Contact Information

YMCA Camp Eberhart
10481 Camp Eberhart Drive
Three Rivers, MI 49093
(269) 244 5125 or 888.YCAMPEB
Office E-mail: office@ymcacampeberhart.org
Director E-mail: brice@ymcacampeberhart.org
After hours, please contact Executive Director Brice Emanuel at (269) 244 8740

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