GLEN LAKE CAMP AND RETREAT CENTER

Since early June, we have been actively planning programming options for a variety of scenarios to be able to offer our Summer Camp experiences next summer. As always, the safety and well-being of our campers, volunteers, and staff remains our top priority. In the months leading up to Summer Camp 2021, we’ll continue monitoring conditions as they fluctuate and expert guidance as it emerges, adapting our plans and protocols as-needed to ensure the safety of all involved. We are looking forward to welcoming campers back to camp, and we’re excited to be preparing for Summer 2021. 

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We are grateful for the chance to partner with your family to provide faith forming Sumer camp experiences and we look forward to you being a part of our summer programs in 2021. Keeping our campers and staff safe is at the heart of all we do at Glen Lake Camp and Retreat Center. So, as we prepare to open our gates to Summer Campers, we would like to share with you the ways we’ve modified our practices, before and during camp, to mitigate the risk of spreading Covid-19. Please know we will continue to monitor developments in the knowledge, tools, and governmental restrictions related to the pandemic. Our policies and procedures will be subject to change according to future updates. 

 

Before Camp
Here are some of the ways your Glen Lake Camp experience will be different before camp: 

• Register for Summer Camp 2021 with our Courage and Confidence Policy outlined here. 

• Out of an abundance of care and precaution, campers with pre-existing conditions for complications with Covid-19, as defined by the CDC, are strongly discouraged from attending camp next summer. You will submit medical information on our online registration and we will be clarifying medical conditions before camper check-in.

• Campers who test positive, show symptoms, or have been exposed to Covid-19 within 20 days of their check-in at camp may not attend. If more than 20 days, camper must have a negative test according to CDC guidelines. Camp fees in these cases will be refundable per our refund policies for illness.

• Should affordable, accurate, rapid testing for Covid-19 become available before summer, we may require a negative test result from each camper during check-in prior to entering camp.

• A contactless check-in will take place as you enter camp. It will have staggered arrival times to limit the amount of time camper families wait in line. All administrative facets of check-in will take place in the parking lot and parents will then drive into camp and remain in their cars while campers are assisted by staff in unloading belongings and getting them into their cabins. Parents will NOT be allowed to move campers into cabins or to step out of the car on Glen Lake Camp property. The camp store will NOT be open during check-in. Families checking in multiple campers may be required to engage the check-in process multiple times, once for each camper. 

• Our regulars check-in screening will include temperature checks and, as usual, campers who register a temperature of over 100.0 degrees will not be allowed to enter camp. Due to Covid-19, those campers with a temperature over 100.0 degrees will be required to have a normal temperature for 24 hours and a negative Covid test to return to attend the camp session.

• Staff will be required to test negative for Covid-19 and will be required to maintain a self-screening log for 14 days prior to their arrival for staff training. 

 

During Camp

During the camp week a number of proactive mitigation measures and operational changes will be implemented, including the following:

• We have reduced the number of campers allowed to register at each camp. Cabins will have 10-12 campers and no less than two adults per cabin, to reduce the likelihood of in-cabin exposure allowing us to run camp should positivity rates for the virus in the state of Texas remain higher than desirable. Should positivity rates indicate a lower incidence of disease, and therefore, risk, we may adjust our capacities upward. 

• We will operate camp in “living groups”, small groups of campers that stay together during camp activities. This summer our living groups will be the same as our cabin groups, allowing us to use the best practice of “cohorts”, an internal method of limiting potential virus spread advised by both the CDC and Texas Department of State Health Services.

  • This means that all living groups will be the same gender. 

  • Spacing will be utilized to minimize exposure of living group “cohort” members who will not be required to wear masks while sleeping or when together in their shared space. 

  • Should a camper present with symptoms during camp, that camper, and all campers and staff in the living group, will be isolated and may be sent home. Our refund policy does not allow for a refund in the case of an illness after camp has begun. 

  • Use of cabin cohorts will allow us to contact camper families should we learn after camp that a camper was asymptomatically positive while at camp.

• Typical camp activities involving the assembly of larger groups will be altered significantly or eliminated. These changes will include, but are not limited to: 

  • Living groups will be seated together for meals.

  • Large group assemblies will maintain appropriate spacing between living groups, or will happen in living groups.

• Campers and staff must wear cloth masks in spaces shared by living groups (like walking through the dining hall lobby to meals), when activities require close proximity, and during transition times throughout the day. 

• Camp will adhere to regular and thorough prevention and sanitation measures as necessary, including regular use of spray disinfectant in public areas. 

• As usual a member of our Healthcare Team will be on call at all times for camper during camp, and a registered nurse will be onsite 24-7. 

 

After Camp

• In the event of a Covid-positive camper or staff member, we will notify those exposed and actively participate in health department contract tracing.

• We are asking that all families agree to notify us of any Covid-positive diagnosis of their campers or immediate family member in the 10 days following their camp experience so that we can notify our other camper families. 

We believe that the combination of all these mitigation efforts, plus others we’ll implement behind the scenes, combined with continued increasing societal awareness and responsibility, and lower positivity rates for the disease in Texas, will allow us to operate camp this summer. We fully expect to return to camp in Summer 2021. If, however, Texas positivity rates climb in ways that aren’t expected, we will monitor and may decide to cancel summer programs once again. If that should occur, please know, should we cancel any of our programs, we will refund all deposits and fees we’ve received for any cancelled programs. 

 

We are sharing a lot of information here. If any of it is unclear, or if you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact our Program Director at patrick@glenlake.org or 254-897-2247 and/or check for more updates for 2021 on our website. 

 

Thank you for being a part of our Glen Lake Camp family, especially during this challenging time. We look forward to an incredible summer together. 

 

Grace & Peace,

Patrick Turkett
Program Director