In this article:
- ACA Session Slides
- Inter-camp collaboration
- ACA Director Hotline information
- Helpful hints on documentation during camp
Sessions I attended during the weeklong conference in Orlando included: Termination, Incident Command Systems, Lessons on Staffing from Corporate America, Taking Back Control from Armed Intruders, Building Codes for Camp People, Insurance & Risk Management, and the ACA Crisis Hotline Yearly Review.
Several of the session slideshows are linked above, and I’m happy to share additional notes from these sessions – which leads to my first takeaway from the conference:
1. We work in one of the most collaborative industries in the country.
This wasn’t the main topic of any session I attended, but was apparent throughout my interactions with seasoned and green camp professionals. A few directors provided their contact information and encouraged me to call them anytime, even during the summer.
Sidebar: if you would ever like to dialogue about the complexities of our profession, or how to onboard external communication systems with existing camp administration software, feel free to shoot me an email, or give me a call (828) 686-3885 ext. 1010.
2. Utilize the ACA Hotline. 800-573-9019
Michele Branconier and Vincent Irving led an insightful session on the calls they received in the last 12 months. They work on a team that is available 24/7/365 and field any situation your camp may face, regardless of accreditation status. It is anonymous, does not get reflected in your camp’s accreditation process, and is free to use. They usually respond within 10 minutes.
A major takeaway from this session is that the issues we faced in 2022 were not exceptional. The increase in camper on camper abuse, and the rise of staff mental health needs are growingly more common for the industry.
3.Document everything.
or try
In a session on executive leadership, 4-camp executive directors shared helpful tips on a variety of topics, including documentation. A tool we are utilizing this summer will be a nightly google form that automatically forwards to our full time team. Austin or I will fill the form with items of the day the team may need to know and it will slide into the email inboxes of our team.
Thanks for reading! I hope you and your team are able to get outside and take a few deep breaths before the 2023 summer!
Daniel Weatherby
Camp Rockmont
