1. My Child is participating in the Bible Lessons Program. Should I wait until after they complete the lessons to register for camp?

No! Register your child as soon as possible. Our registration software requires that you pay the $50 deposit to complete your child’s registration and reserve their place for camp. If you have a new overnight camper and they are going to earn the free week of camp, we will refund you the $50 in mid-May when they are awarded the scholarship. (Contact the registrar at campgilead.registrar@gmail.com if you would rather we allocate it toward the Oasis, Missions offering, Crafts, Paintball, etc.) We will automatically apply the scholarship amount to all Bible Lesson participants who complete their lessons by April 15th in mid-May.

2. My child didn’t participate in the Bible Lessons Program. Can we still apply for financial aid?

All 2017 summer campers were sent home with their first Bible lesson and the opportunity to participate in the program and earn a scholarship for the 2018 summer season. The program stopped accepting applicants in January 2018. Bible Lessons Program participants will be given first priority for scholarship funds, and all financial aid applications will be reviewed and granted based on remaining funds and true need. We would never want a camper who would otherwise not be able to afford camp to miss out! Visit the Financial Aid page to download an application. We strongly encourage that your child participate in and complete the program next year to guarantee they receive a scholarship!

3. What to Bring?

Bible and pen, clothing that complies with the dress standard, bedding for a twin bed, pillow, toiletries, towels (at least 1 for the waterfront and 1 for the shower), sneakers and sandals, 1 dark colored outfit that can get wet or dirty, flashlight, bug spray, raincoat or umbrella (recommended). Dress Code: Girls – Tank top straps must be 2 inches or greater in width. No halters or spaghetti straps – Shorts should be loose-fitting and be no shorter than mid-thigh – Modest, one-piece swimsuits with straps or tankinis (bottom and top must stay together with arms raised) Boys – Board shorts or swimming trunks for swimming. More Information can be found on the Packing List

4. What NOT to bring?

Cell Phones, iPods, personal electronic devices (PSP, Game Boy, MP3 players, CD Players, etc.), firearms, alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs. DO NOT bring VALUABLES. Camp Gilead is not responsible for broken or lost items.

5. Who will monitor my child throughout the day and night?

Your child will be assigned to a cabin that will be supervised by one Senior Counselor (18 years old +) and a Junior Counselor (16 years old +).

6. What time do I need to check-in and check-out my child at Camp Gilead?

**Regular Overnight Camps • Check-In is 4:00-5:30pm on Sundays. If you will be arriving later than 5:30, please let us know as soon as possible. • Check-Out is at 4:00pm on Friday afternoon. (A drivers license is needed to verify permission to pick-up.) • Please DO NOT make plans to pick your child up earlier. Campers are engaged in camp-wide activities, and will not be able to receive the full camp experience if they leave early. • If an emergency occurs wherein you must pick your camper up prior to 4:00pm, please call the office at 863-984-1353 and give as much notice as possible so we can make the proper arrangements with everyone involved.

Commuter Camps, Hooked on Fishing, Kinder Camp • Check-In is 7:30-8:30am on Monday. If you will be arriving later than 8:30, please let us know as soon as possible. • Daily drop-off is 7:30am and pick-up is at 5:30pm. Note: Friday, Check-out is at 4:00pm. (A drivers license is needed to verify permission to pick-up.) • Please DO NOT make plans to pick your child up earlier. Campers are engaged in camp-wide activities, and will not be able to receive the full camp experience if they leave early. • If an emergency occurs wherein you must pick up your camper early, please call the office at 863-984-1353 and give as much notice as possible so we can make the proper arrangements with everyone involved.**

7. How will my child be monitored at the lake?

Red Cross certified Lifeguards are posted at multiple locations surrounding the lakefront. On day one, all campers will take a swim test. Any campers who do not pass will be considered “shallow-end only” swimmers. We also have an outstanding “swim number” system, in which your child will be assigned a number and will hang this number on a board to signify they are in the water and remove this number from the board when they are no longer in the water.

8. Are parents/sponsors/chaperones allowed to attend camp with their children?

Due to limited housing, the size our summer staff, and our child-safety screening processes, guests are rarely scheduled during summer camps.

9. Does Camp Gilead serve gluten-free, organic, or vegetarian foods?

If your child has medically-necessary dietary needs, please contact us so we can work out the details of your child’s care. (There are places you can indicate these needs in the registration form)

10. What if my child gets sick during camp or needs medical attention?

Camp Gilead employs a full-time, 24/7 Registered Nurse who lives on-site. In the event your child is sick, needs medicine, or minor medical attention, she is always available. All Counselors and Staff are also CPR certified. In the rare event of an emergency, you would be notified, 911 would be called and/or your child would be driven to the nearest emergency room by two of our staff members.

11. My child gets homesick. Can I visit or call them during the week?

We find that most children do not experience homesickness. In the event that this happened to occur, we encourage them to stay through the night and see how they feel in the morning, and they are usually fine when they wake up because they are excited about that day’s activities. Our counselors are wonderful at encouraging campers to look forward to “tomorrow’s events” and also to encourage and comfort them! Remember that usually a child’s first time away from home is harder on the parent than it is on the child! Something else that helps is for the camper to write letters home, and for parents to write letters, send e-mails, or send care packages to the camper, since cell phones are not permitted. Parental visits during the week are greatly discouraged; however, exceptions will be made for birthdays!

12. How can I reach my child?

There are many wonderful ways Camp Gilead offers for you to express your love for your child during his/her week at camp! You may write to your child – Mail is delivered to campers daily during lunch by calling their names up to the front during “mail call.” You may also communicate with your child through e-mail with the use of our special system, called Bunk1. Your child will not be able to e-mail you back, but will receive the e-mail in the same manner he/she would receive regular mail (at lunch). You will receive more information for Bunk1 before camp begins. Finally, Staff members deliver special cabin “packages” each night of the week (Monday-Thursday). One parent from each cabin is able to purchase this package for their child’s cabin during registration. After Chapel, staff members deliver these cabin treats – for example, milk/cookies, cereal (breakfast in bed), or popcorn, etc. Campers LOVE these packages!

13. Can my child stay with a friend or the rest of his/her church group?

Your child may request one friend to stay with, who must also request him/her. Groups of no larger than three campers will be placed into the same cabin. If a group of four campers requests to stay together, two will be placed in one cabin and two will be placed in another, usually nearby. Camp Gilead’s setup is not able to accommodate large group requests, due to the exclusion it causes to other campers. Part of the Camp Gilead experience is for campers to make new friends-for-life, which they will be able to do if they do not know everyone in their cabin.

14. Will my child get money back if he/she doesn’t spend it all in the camp store/Oasis?

Yes. Each child will have an online record of the amount of funds parents have placed into the camp store account before or during check-in. More funds can also be added during the week by calling us at 863-984-1353 (so that we can make these funds available).

15. Can my child attend a week that is lower/higher in grade than his/her actual grade?

For older children, some exceptions to this would be a large group that is coming together, where only one of the campers is one grade older, or a sibling pair that is from a long-distance away. Please contact our registrar at campgilead.registrar@gmail.com for assistance. There are no exceptions made for younger children – they must attend camp during the week that is designated for their age category.

16. Cancellation and Refund Policy

Most of our staff is hired and supplies are ordered and paid for by May. When a family cancels, it costs the camp. We need to readjust supplies, review our team availability, update master schedule, notify our pre-scheduled staff members. We too have given our commitment to our staff members and want to be able to honor our original promise to them. With this in mind, we have worked hard to create a balanced refund policy that takes both the needs of our families, and the needs of the camp, into consideration. PAYMENT INFORMATION $50 deposit per child per session is due at the time of registration in order to secure your camper’s spot in camp. This is a non-refundable deposit barring medical issues (see below). REFUND POLICY First, we would like to encourage you to simply move to another session so your child can have the experience of summer camp. However, we understand that things come up and you may need to cancel all together. To do so, please call or email us with this information: • $50 Deposit is not refundable or transferable at any time unless it is a medical reason (must have written explanation from Doctor). • If you cancel with more than 30 days till the session start date, then you will receive all money paid EXCEPT $50 Deposit • 15-30 days until the session start date, 50% refund of money paid EXCEPT $50 DEPOSIT. • 2 weeks prior to start of camp session = NO REFUND It is camp policy that no tuition refunds will be made in connection with late cancellations, late arrivals, early withdrawals, or camp dismissals due to misconduct. There will be no reduction or refund of fees for the discontinuation of the camp season due to illness, injury, acts of God, natural disasters, acts of war, terrorism, fire, pandemics or epidemics. MEDICAL REASON FOR CANCELLATION We understand that medical issues may arise over the summer or just as your child is set to attend camp. Please call us as soon as possible to inform us of your need to cancel. We will ask that you submit a written excuse from your child’s physician. If your child is sick and there is time and room, we will work with you to switch your camper to another session.