The whole family is welcome to participate in the drop-off at camp, but the family pooch needs to stay home, please. Several new families commented last year that they would like to have had a better sense of what to expect upon arrival. Here’s the plan:

If you are driving to camp, please plan to arrive between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00. (Families flying a boy to Manchester or Boston will inform us of flight itineraries and we will send counselors in camp vans to retrieve the boys from the airports.) Upon arrival at the entrance you will be met by our counseling interns who will guide you to your son’s cabin. There you will be met by a cabin counselor who will help you to unload.

New Families
At this time you can begin to settle him into his area in the cabin, but I encourage you to allow him attend to the details of organizing. All luggages are unpacked into shelves and stowed for the duration of his stay. His bed should be made up with sheets and blankets; a month is too long to sleep in the same sleeping bag! A sleeping bag is a good second blanket for chilly nights. Counselors will also check with you about any items that should leave camp with you – the “what to leave behind” list from the packing list: money, candy, food, I-pods, cell phones, knives, etc.

The next stop is the infirmary to check in with the nurses. This is a good chance to meet Debbie and Kelly and review with them your son’s special medical needs. Be prepared for the possibility of a bit of a wait during the middle of the day – a nice opportunity to chat with other parents and kids!

From the infirmary, you’ll head to the office to say hello to Laura, Chuck and Ken. Your son will receive a Kabeyun T-shirt (no additional charge), you can sign up to rent blankets, and Kabeyun sweatshirts and caps will be available for purchasing. Each new camper will then be introduced to another counseling intern who will give him a good tour of camp before he heads to the waterfront for his swim screening, and back to his cabin to finish unpacking. Parents should plan to use this moment at the office as their opportunity to say good-bye. It is our intention that the tour is for the boys – a great opportunity to start connecting with the place and the people.

Returning Families
You are familiar with the routine! Expect to learn your son’s cabin upon arrival. The interns will greet you and offer an escort to the cabin. The cabin counselors will be there to greet you, help unload, and check with you about anything that should go home with you – candy, food, knives, money, etc. You may want to get your son started with unpacking, but the boys often want to do this on their own and will have plenty of time after you depart. While it is imperative that each boy check in with the nurses, returning parents may want to skip this visit – still, all medications must go to the infirmary to be stored and dispensed by the nurses. Returning boys should come to the office for a new Kabeyun T-shirt and we’d love to say hello to all families as well. You can say good-bye there and he can get on with finding new and returning friends. There is no need for a visit to the swim staff – he will pick up with lessons where he left off last year.

Lunch?
Families who arrive at camp near the lunch hour, 12:30-1:30, are invited to join us for a great buffet in the dining hall, but our first concern is welcoming the kids and integrating each as quickly and smoothly as possible. Longer partings are difficult for some of the boys. The tour for new boys with a smiling intern provides you with an easy opportunity for departing, and is a good way to get them involved with camp right away.

By the first assembly before dinner at 5:30 camp will be complete, and by the time evening activities roll around, it will feel like we’ve been in the routine for weeks already. The first evening and first full day are focused on reviewing routines with a particular emphasis on beginning to build cohesion within the cabin groups.