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Family Handbooks

Catoctin Quaker Camp – Family Handbook 2024
Opequon Quaker Camp – Family Handbook 2024
Shiloh Quaker Camp – Family Handbook 2024
Teen Adventure Quaker Camp – Family Handbook 2024

Packing Lists

Catoctin Packing List

Opequon Packing List

Shiloh Packing List

Teen Adventure Packing List

Camp Directions

Catoctin

Opequon (New Location in 2024!)

Shiloh

Teen Adventure

Health & Safety

Medical Forms

All medical paperwork can be found in our registration portal on CampBrain. Please log in to your account to download, fill out, and upload the camper’s medical forms.

Some of the medical forms require a physician’s signature, so please plan accordingly. We will need a physical that is within the 12 months of the start of your camper’s session. These forms are also required to give your camper medication, even over-the-counter medication.

Physical Exam Form (For all campers & families)

Medication Administration Authorization Form (for Catoctin campers & families ONLY)

Ticks

We facilitate regular tick checks throughout each session. Click the links below if you’re interested in
more information about ticks and Lyme disease and how to reduce your camper’s risk.

Information about ticks and tick-borne illnesses in the US (CDC)

Information about Lyme disease (CDC)

How to prevent and avoid tick bites (University of Rhode Island)

Food & Allergies

Every camper will have access to healthy food choices that are safe for them to eat, though allergies and dietary restrictions may reduce options available to them at each meal. We will accommodate a wide range of eating habits but cannot guarantee that all preferences can be met. We ask questions about your camper’s diet during the registration process, so our staff can be informed and prepared to nourish all members of our camp communities.

Medications

BYM Camps can only administer prescription drugs in accordance with direction from licensed medical personnel. BYM Camps must have a doctor’s written direction on the original labeled bottle of medicine. Camper parents / guardians must supply the camp with enough medicine for the time the camper attends one of our camps.

Physical and Behavioral Requirements

In order to be safe and successful at BYM Camps, campers must be able to move daily on foot over uneven and natural terrain. They must be able to sleep outside in rustic wooden structures with other campers and staff. They must be able to lift and carry a backpack for hiking and trips, as well as eat provided meals and hydrate regularly. We ask that all campers follow directions and participate willingly in camp activities, daily chores and community life activities. Campers must refrain from violence, verbal assault, bullying or any similar behavior.

Additionally, in order to be a part of the BYM Camps community and to live at camp, all campers & families must read and sign (and then upload into your account) the BYM Camps Community Agreements form. If you have any questions or concerns about your camper’s ability to meet these requirements or abide by these agreements, please contact us immediately.

Community Agreements – BYM Camps 2025 (For all campers & families)

Cabin Group Assignments at BYM Camps

When making Cabin Group assignments, our overriding priorities are the safety and belonging of every camper. In general, we make Cabin Group assignments based upon camper ages and preferences whenever possible. Overall, we aim to set every camper up for a successful and fun time at camp.

Learn more about BYM Camps’ values on Gender and Inclusivity.

Introducing the Gender-Inclusive Cabin Option

For Summer 2025, we will have three housing options

Male+ Cabin (Male-identifying & Non-Binary campers welcome)
Gender-Inclusive Cabin (All campers welcome)
Female+ Cabin (Female-identifying & Non-Binary campers welcome)

Summer camps across the country have been expanding cabin choices to affirm all campers’ gender identities. After a positive response to our policy these past two summers of allowing campers and families to choose between a Male & Non-Binary Cabin option and a Female & Non-Binary Cabin option, and incorporating the best practices from other successful and values-aligned camps, we’re proud to offer a Gender-Inclusive Cabin option in 2024.

During the registration process, campers and families will be asked to select a preferred cabin option. They will also have the choice of selecting a second option that they’d also be comfortable with. The Gender-Inclusive Cabin option is available to all interested campers and families. Even if a camper does not identify as being within the LGBTQIA+ community, if they feel that this cabin option would be good for them socially, or as a friend or ally, they are welcome to choose it. We will not place a camper in a Gender-Inclusive cabin without their expressed interest and comfort.

All of our cabin groups are designed to be inclusive rather than exclusive. For example, a transgender camper who would feel most at home in a Female+ or Male+ cabin is welcome to select that option. To be with others experiencing similar challenges and joys around growing up can be an important factor in youth development. We are proud to be camps for kids of all genders, where campers are free to make friendships with others regardless of gender, in and out of the cabin.

As with anything new, we’re sure you’ll have questions, and we’ve compiled answers and additional information below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are you offering a Gender-Inclusive Cabin option?

There are many reasons for why we are offering this new housing option. First and foremost, we’re proud to be a camp that welcomes and affirms campers across all gender identities. Providing an inclusive, all-gender cabin option is important for creating a welcoming and affirming experience for all campers, particularly for campers who identify outside of the gender binary of male or female.

Secondly, after many conversations and extensive survey data, it is clear that campers, families, and staff want this additional option. For example, non-binary campers now have an additional cabin choice, rather than selecting between two binary options, neither of which might feel right for them.

Lastly, friend requests between campers of different genders and campers who simply want a multi-gender cabin experience can now be accommodated more often, increasing our ability to maximize camper safety and belonging.

Who can stay in a Gender-Inclusive cabin?

The Gender-Inclusive Cabin option is available to all interested campers and families. Even if a camper does not identify as being within the LGBTQIA+ community, if they feel that this cabin option would be good for them socially, or as a friend or ally, they are welcome to choose it.

How will you determine which cabin my camper stays in?

In general, we do our best to make cabin group assignments based upon camper ages and preferences whenever possible. During the registration process, campers and families will be asked to select a preferred cabin option. They will also have the choice of selecting a second option that they’d also be comfortable with.

When we create cabin groups, we aim to set all campers up for a successful and fun time at camp. We do allow friend & cabin mate requests in the registration process, and we do our best to honor them, but we do not guarantee that every request will be fulfilled. There are many factors that go into the creation of cabin groups, and one of the main purposes of attending camp is to make new friends and grow. There are many large-group and free choice activities where campers can spend time with those outside their cabin group.

Is there a chance that my camper could be housed in a Gender-Inclusive cabin even if they don’t want to be?

No, this is an opt-in program. We will not place a camper in a Gender-Inclusive cabin without their expressed interest and comfort.

If we select the Gender-Inclusive cabin option for our camper, how will that impact their camp experience?

Your camper’s cabin experience will be the same as any other cabin’s! The only difference is that Gender-Inclusive cabins are staffed by counselors who have opted in to work with Gender-Inclusive cabins and who represent a mix of genders. Cabins are simply a “home base” at camp, and all campers will participate in the many different camp activities, including some based on individual camper choice.

My camper is transgender. Do they have to select the Gender-Inclusive cabin option?

We want every young person to select the cabin option that is best for them, and we follow best practices outlined by industry leaders. Transgender campers are welcome to select the cabin option that fits with their needs, preferences, and gender identity.

How will you handle privacy and changing clothes in Gender-Inclusive cabins?

All of our campers, including those staying in Male+ and Female+ cabins, will have access to private changing areas. These could be restrooms and shower stalls in the centrally located bathhouse, or changing stations that are located throughout camp.

Who will be the Gender-Inclusive cabin counselors?

In our hiring process, we give staff the opportunity to identify which cabins they would be comfortable living in and supervising. All staff receive training on the gender spectrum, on promoting positive cabin environments, and on following and enforcing privacy and safety rules. Counselors are then placed in cabins based on what leadership think would provide the best possible experience for campers. There are always at least two staff members assigned to each cabin, and they sleep in the cabins as part of the cabin community.

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