Camper & Parent Policies

Camper & Parent Behavior Agreement

At YMCA Camp Greenville, we offer a high standard of care and experiences, and we subsequently have high expectations regarding the behavior of our campers, parents, and other guests to YCG. Accordingly, we have created a Camper Behavior Agreement that we ask all campers and parents to review. Parents & campers acknowledge their commitment to follow this agreement through their participation with our camp.

Parents: Please review all sections of the information below with your camper. Consider printing out this agreement, discussing, and signing the document together with your camper to acknowledge your mutual agreement and commitment to following these guidelines.

Participants in any YMCA Camp Greenville activity agree to:

• Treat other campers, staff, and themselves with kindness and respect.

• Respect others’ personal space, belongings, and privacy.

• Respect differences in others, be a team player, and be inclusive.

• Leave all cell phones or other connected devices at home.

• Use appropriate language and behavior at all times and NEVER bully, tease, or exclude others.

• Cooperate with fellow campers, cabin leaders, and staff.

• Be engaged in the camp schedule and activities and have timely attendance for all activities and meals.

• Remain in the cabin between lights-out and morning wake-up, respecting quiet hours in the cabin from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

• Take care of camp equipment and help keep all areas clean.

• Stay with their group and ask permission before going anywhere and take a truddy (group of three people) everywhere.

• Follow all camp rules and instructions from staff at all times.

While attending YMCA Camp Greenville, both campers and parents understand that they are expected to follow these guidelines and demonstrate the YMCA core values of Caring, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility at all times. Any camper, parent, or other guest to YMCA Camp Greenville who cannot follow these guidelines and any other rules and regulations of camp may be dismissed from the camp program without refund.

Camper & Parent Acknowledgment

By attending their enrolled session at YMCA Camp Greenville, each camper agrees that they have read and understand the expectations as laid out in the Camper Behavior Agreement and commit to following these guidelines and demonstrating their best behavior throughout their week at camp.

By enrolling their camper at YMCA Camp Greenville, each parent agrees that they had read and understand the expectations as laid out in the Camper Behavior Agreement, commit to following these guidelines and demonstrating their best behavior while interacting with camp in any way, discussing and ensuring understanding of this Camper Behavior Agreement with their enrolled camper(s), and abiding by any action taken by YMCA Camp Greenville in response to their camper or themselves breaking this agreement, up to and including dismissal without refund.

Camper Behavior Management

All camper behavior management is implemented with care and respect by our staff. There are some times when a campers behavior distracts from the overall experience of the cabin group by requiring excessive one-on-one attention from staff. In commitment to the success and enjoyment of camp by each camper, our procedure for redirecting challenging behavior is as follows (deviating or expediting as is required by the specific situation and details):

Step 1. Cabin/Trip Leaders will speak about specific undesirable behavior with the camper and together make a verbal corrective plan for success. The cabin Leader will inform their Division Leader about the situation, verbal agreement, and behavior monitoring steps.

Step 2. If the behavior continues, the Cabin/Trip leader will alert the Division Leader, and the Division Leader will have a conversation with the camper in which a documented plan for change will be implementd. The Division Leader will then notify the relevant camp director(s), who will reach out to parents regarding the situation and the approaches utilized, and discuss further steps/advisement.

Step 3. If the behavior continues after this point, the relevant camp director(s) will immediately be notified, the camper will be removed from their program and brought to the camp office, and the camp director(s) will contact the parent to arrange immediate pick-up for the camper. No refund will be issued for dismissal.

When campers are dismissed from camp for behavior, it is for the well-being and safety of the whole group, or as a logical consequence for continued inappropriate behavior.

Situations warranting immediate dismissal from the camp program include, but are not limited to:

• Physical violence

• Possessing any prohibited substance

• Theft

• Emotional, physical, spiritual, or any other abuse or bullying of another camper

Dismissals

Camp Greenville reserves the right to dismiss a camper, without refund, from their session in-progress at any time, for any reason, up to and including:

• Behavioral Issues (see Camper Behavioral Management section for more details)

• Health Concerns, including but not limited to: the camper introducing a communicable condition to camp (such as suspected viral/bacterial infection, rash, or lice), or unforeseen health conditions which hinder the camper’s experience or require medical attention beyond the reasonable scope of camp’s Health Hut.

• Sustained Injury that requires medical attention beyond the reasonable scope of camp’s Health Hut.

• Decision to Leave: although Camp Greenville staff will make every effort to ensure a camper has a positive experience, if a camper decides that their camp experience must end, camp staff will contact parents to arrange for pickup.

Cabin Assignments & Cabinmate Requests

Each camper may request up to 2 friends to be bunked (in the same cabin) with. We make every effort to honor cabinmate requests, but they are not guaranteed.

Cabinmates can only be placed together if they are registered for the same program and session, are of the same gender and division, AND only if they have ALL mutually requested one another. We recommend connecting with the parents of the camper(s) you would like your camper to bunk with to coordinate requests.

Cabins are otherwise assigned by session, program, division, and gender, and larger programs may be spread across multiple cabins. We unfortunately cannot accommodate requests for specific cabin placement or cabin leaders.

Cabinmate requests may be added or updated via the registration platform up until 2 weeks prior to a camper’s session.

We make every effort to honor cabinmate requests that follow these guidelines, while also actively encouraging new friendships through promoting fresh connections & community living.

NOTE: Any instances of large cabinmate request "chains", "trains", or "circles" requests will not be honored. Only campers who ALL mutually request one another will be honored. If you have not been placed with your expected bunkmates, check in with the parents of your requested bunkmates to ensure they mutually requested your camper.

Camper-Parent Communication

At camp, communication between parents & campers is one-way — by dropping off mail & packages at check-in, sending mail, or sending a Letter (email) through the Campanion app.

Drop-Off Mail

The best way to ensure your camper gets mail is to drop letters or packages off on check-in/drop-off day. Care packages are welcomed, but we highly discourage food (if sending food items, please be sensitive to common allergies; note that we are a peanut & nut-free camp).

During check-in, we will collect mail for delivery each day of the week (Monday-Friday; NO SUNDAY OR SATURDAY DELIVERY). Please label each piece of mail with your child’s name, session, day you would like it delivered, & cabin name (you will receive cabin name information in the week before check-in).

Snail Mail

Traditional snail mail is an option, but be aware that it can take 4 – 6 days for mail to arrive at camp, or reach home from camp. If sending traditional postal mail, please label each item accordingly:

Child’s Name
Session # and Cabin Name
YMCA Camp Greenville
4399 YMCA Camp Road
Cleveland, SC 29635

Emails
One-way emails (from you to your camper) can be sent by via the Campanion app. These are called Letters and can be sent at any time. Letters are printed each morning starting Monday at 10:00 AM, and are delivered during lunchtime. No emails sent after 10:00 AM on Friday may be delivered.

NOTE: Adventure campers will ONLY receive snail mail & emails on Mondays and Fridays as they are away on their trip the remainder of the week. Any check-in mail will be carried with Trip Leader and distributed accordingly.

Should an emergency situation arise, camper-parent communication is handled on a case-by-case basis.

You may not send your child with a cell phone to camp; if found with a cellphone or other communication device, the device will be confiscated until pick-up. Note that while we have a standard phone line for business calls & emergencies, your child will not be able to call you, and you will not be able to call your camper directly. The only exception to this rule is for campers traveling by airline and being picked up by camp staff (the appropriate form and fees must be completed in this instance, and you must contact us if your camper is coming with a cell phone; the cell phone will be taken and kept in the camp office after check-in and until check-out) and for select Leadership Development Program & Service Corps participants, during select times and instances.

LDP Cell Phone Policy

Cell Phone Policies for each particular level of the LDP program & Service Corps volunteers are in effect during the attendee’s registered/accepted LDP session(s) and Service Corps session(s). During Stayover weekends and when LDPs also attend D4 base or Adventure programs, cell phones (possession of and use) are not allowed at any time. Phones may be securely kept in the camp office for the duration of these program periods.

• Sophomore LDPs

  • No phones will be used or be in the possession of Sophomore LDPs. Phones may be securely kept in the camp office for the duration of the program.

• Junior LDPs

  • Phones brought to camp will be securely kept in the camp office and will be given to Junior LDPs for use during their scheduled break times. Availability will be at the discretion of the camp directors.

• Senior LDPs

  • Senior LDPs will receive training about appropriate phone usage while on-the-job. Phones are permitted for Senior LDP use with the understanding that excessive or inappropriate phone usage will result in escalating disciplinary action up to and including loss of phone priviledges.

• Service Corps Volunteers

  • Phones brought to camp will be securely kept in the camp office and will be given to Service Corps participants for use during their scheduled break times. Availability will be at the discretion of the camp directors.

Dress Code

At Camp Greenville we want all campers to be able to express and be themselves. This self-expression can manifest through clothing choices, cabin bunk decor, pins on a backpack, and in other material forms. While encouraging this self-expression, we maintain a culture of unity at camp, including in our camper’s clothing and other material choice. Accordingly, all packed items for camp must follow these guidelines.

Clothing and other material items must be free of:

• Any specific politicians and campaign slogans and imagery.

• Text or images that discriminate against federally protected classes (race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age, or disability).

• Depictions/implications of explicit or illegal material (sexual acts, promotion of violence, or controlled substances).

Clothing and other material items must:

• Allow for safe and comfortable participation in any camp activity and be appropriate for an outdoor active setting.

• Provide full coverage of private areas with minimal need for adjustment; campers must be able to move freely without fear of private areas being exposed.

• Swimwear must:

  • Be of an athletic style without string fasteners and functional for an active waterfront setting

  • Be sturdy and firmly attached without fear of parts breaking or falling down

While we respect the rights of the individual to express themselves through their attire choice, the camp administration reserves the right to restrict items that might offend others or promote items or subjects that are inconsistent with camp’s core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.

Prohibited Materials at Camp

When assisting your camper in packing for camp, note that the following items are prohibited on camp property; any camper found in possession of these materials will be immediately subject to dismissal:

• Weapons of any kind, including: knives, firearms, bows and arrows, etc.

• Electronic Devices, including: cell phones, video games, tablets, personal computers, smartwatches (including Gizmo), any other personal entertainment device

  • Camp focuses on allowing children the experience of our amazing natural setting free of distractions brought by electronics. The one exception is digital cameras that are not phones or connected to a data plan or Wi-Fi in any way. See also “Camper-Parent Communication” section regarding other policies specific to phones.

• Fireworks, matches/lighters or any hazardous materials

• Alcohol or tobacco in any form, including: vapes, juuls, chewing tobacco, etc.

• Non-prescription (illegal) drugs, drug paraphernalia

• Medications (prescription OR over the counter) not turned into the Health Hut at check-in

• Any living thing, such as pets or plants

• Skateboard/scooters

• Any food or drink containing peanuts, nuts, or byproducts of these items (we are a peanut & nut-free camp)

• Items that do not comply with the policies list in the “Dress Code” section

We highly recommend your camper does not bring the following items (Camp Greenville will not be held responsible for breakage or loss of any camper personal items brought to camp):

• Anything that you or the camper would be upset if it became: scratched, stained, battered, broken, lost, or unrecognizable

• Cash (unless bringing for adventure trips)

• Jewelry/Valuables/Expensive Clothing

Shelf-stable candy & snacks (no gum, no nuts or peanuts) are permitted in camper cabins and care packages, but MUST be prepared in a sealable plastic container and kept to a minimum.