Counselors

Our counseling and program staff are carefully selected and screened. Each staff member goes through and interview, has 3 postive references, one of whom is their pastor and a nationwide background offender check performed.  Staff goes through an extensive 2 week training program, trained in CPR and First Aide and most of our staff are life-guard trained..

Camper – Staff Ratios:

Day campers—1 staff to 5 campers
Mini (3-day) campers—1 staff to 6 campers
Seven day campers—1staff to 8 campers

When does the Camp health center call parents?

Calls are placed to parents when:
1) a camper has a health-related concern and
    requests a call home
2) a camper has a temperature of 100 degrees or
    higher,
3) a camper spends more than four hours in the
   health center,
4) a camper goes to the hospital.

Water Safety

Campers are given a swim test within a few hours of their arrival at camp.  There are two tests that the lifeguards have campers try in order to decide which wristband they will receive for the week. Campers are required to wear their colored wristbands the entire week. The colored wristbands they can receive are:

1. Red: MUST wear a life jacket AT ALL TIMES.  Campers will receive a red wristband if they do not try or pass the first swim test.

2. Orange: MUST wear a life jacket in the DEEP END.  Campers will receive a orange wristband if they pass the first swim test, but do not try or pass the second test.

3. Green:  Not required to, but may if they choose, wear a life jacket. Campers will receive a green wristband if they pass both the first and second swim tests. 

The first test is, without touching, swimming the width of our swim area twice. The second test is treading water for 3 minutes in the deep end. Please be aware that these test are not taken lightly, and if a camper stops treading water at 2 minutes and 50 seconds, we may not give them the next color wristband. However, campers are allowed to retake the tests at the beginning of every swim time.

Our lifeguards also perform "Buddy Checks" every 15 minutes during our swim time.  "Buddy Checks" is a safety system that allows lifeguards to perform a head count. Expectations for this system are explained to the campers before their first swim time, and we stress to the campers how important it is to have a buddy before you enter the water, and to stay with that buddy for the entire swim time.

During our swim time there are 3 lifeguards on duty and at least one observer on the shore.

Boating Safety

At Camp Greenwood we have canoes, kayaks and sailboats available for our campers to use during our swim time. They are required to tell an observer  who is standing on the shore that they are taking a canoe or kayak out, and they MUST stay close enough to keep the camp in their sight. LIFE JACKETS ARE REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES OUTSIDE OF THE SWIM AREA.  NO EXCEPTIONS!

We also have a pontoon, and two other motor boats that ONLY OUR STAFF can operate for fishing and/or other uses.