Hey Camper Families,

 

 

    We are super eager to move forward with planning for the 2021 camp season.  We have been working closely with Alberta Health to design a program and a set of protocols which will allow us to run a safe and  reasonably normal summer of Camp Ministry. 

 

    We are looking for your help as we try to discern exactly what your family is looking for and what kind of camp ministry you would be comfortable with.   Would you be willing to invest three minutes and complete a 10 question survey I have put online?  The survey is anonymous unless you indicate that you want us to contact you.  In which case, you have to give a name and contact method :)

 

    You can either click the button below and jump straight to the survey or read a bit more about our plans below.  The one thing I want to assure you of though, is that whatever camp ends up looking like this summer, we take your child(ren)'s health very seriously and will continue to ensure that our practices comply with and exceed provincial and federal health orders and best practices.   Thank you for helping us with this critical planning stage, the sooner we hear from you the sooner we can move forward preparing an incredible camp experience for the summer of 2021.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    With the disastrous summer of 2020 behind us, it is crucial that we find a way to operate face-to-face camps this summer.  No one knows what the case numbers or restrictions will be come summer, so we need to be proactive and design a ministry model which is safe to operate regardless of the state of emergency which may exist.  To that end we are pursuing the ability to effectively health screen and isolate an entire camp of kids in a social bubble similar to what the NHL teams are doing.  The plan we are working on has a chain of several components which together should provide a higher degree of COVID-safety than campers could find anywhere else, even at home.  Below are some of the standards we are working on which will allow us to assure a safe environment while still maximizing the physical, spiritual, and social benefits of summer camp.

 

1) Sanitization 

 

     Ross haven Bible Camp has always been known for a higher than required level of hygiene and sanitation.  We were already sanitizing door knobs, flush levers, light switches and other high touch areas four times a day.  Our dining hall SOPs have us sterilizing every load of dishes and using protocols wherein the first person to touch a plate after sterilization is the person who will eat off of it.  We also have automatic hand sanitizer dispensers at the entrances of every building and activity station and we encourage regular hand washing.  Our Cabin protocols include head to toe bunk arrangements and mattress sanitization after every camp session.  Our medical response plan includes isolating anyone with any symptoms immediately and sanitizing any area they had access to.   The effectiveness of these policies are shown in that several years ago when a camper brought Norovirus to camp we were able to stop it.  the only campers who got sick were the one who brought it and his siblings.  Our 2021 plan is to maintain these standards with some small increases in diligence

    

2) Prescreening

 

     In the past we have sometimes met campers on registration day with a contactless thermometer.  Anyone in the car who displayed a higher than normal temperature was referred to the Camp Medic for evaluation and vetting.  Our 2020 plan includes limiting camper drop offs to any campers and one additional family member all of whom will stay in the non-secure side until intake processing is completed.  Parents will not be permitted to help their campers unpack and set up in cabins.  For each camper a health screen and attestation will need to be completed.  This is a series of 10 questions to verify that the camper is currently healthy and has not been exposed to high risk situations in the preceding two weeks.  As in the past, we will continue to do head lice screening at camper intake.  It is not clear though whether our added infection control measures will allow us to to offer head lice control treatments.  We will communicate that policy as we are able to develop it.

 

3) COVID Rapid Test

 

    A key link in the safety chain is the onsite administration of a COVID rapid test.  Every person onsite will need to take the rapid test.  The one we are trying to procure requires a nasal swab which is processed and confirmed in 13 minutes.   Once a camper''s test is confirmed negative they will be permitted to enter the secure side of camp.

Anyone who leaves the secure side will not be readmitted without repeat rapid testing.  The test we intend to use can give false positives (0.996% rate), but is not known to give false negatives.  If a person tests positive, they will be isolated, anything they have come in contact with will be sanitized, and they will be reevaluated by medical personnel.  If a false positive is suspected, the medical personnel may offer a repeat test.  Any positive test not counter indicated by a successive test will result in the person needing to quarantine for two weeks and we will be obliged to report the findings to Alberta Health.   If a follow-up test indicates negative for COVID19, then a third test will be administered and two consecutive negative tests will permit the person to enter the secure zone.  

 

4) Physical Barrier Precautions

 

     We believe that face to face interaction and physical contact are critical to robust mental health and social development.  While staying within the legal requirements, we hope to encourage as much normal interaction as possible during our camp sessions.

Everyone will be welcome to utilize whatever level of physical protections, like masks or shields, that they are comfortable with.  No one will be shamed for being cautious; however, it is our goal, with Alberta Health approval, to make camp an area where, once inside the bubble, these measures will be neither required nor practically useful.

In order to provide that level of security, we expect to have a much heightened level of  physical barrier protections in place in the registration drop off process.  The property will be barricaded and well signed with electronic surveillance measures.  In the non-secure reception area, expect to see gowns, masks, shields and plexiglass until your camper is processed.  

 

5) Repatriation

 

    In the past, some parents have planned vacations or business trips while their kids were at camp.  This year a parent, guardian or designated person will need to agree to be available at any time to come get their camper if a health or security issue arises.  The camp staff, once inside the bubble, will not be able to leave the site to take your child to a doctor or to return them home, and no one displaying any symptoms will be permitted to stay onsite.  In a medical emergency, an ambulance will be called or if unavoidable as a last measure, a staff member will break isolation and deliver the camper, then do a short isolation/incubation and another COVID rapid test before returning to camp.

 

6) Incubation / Session length

 

     While every effort will be made to rule out the presence of COVID19 at camp, no testing or screening program can give absolute assurance that there is no possibility of transmission.  We are confident that Ross Haven Bible Camp will be one of the most COVID-secure communities on the planet this summer; however, it must be understood that a minute possibility of infection may result in lockdown and quarantine of campers.  We are building our safety net to include the ability to respond to an onsite case and provide quarantine facilities for those not displaying symptoms for up to an additional 14 days if needed.  We have not finalized camp session duration yet.  Fourteen day camps would allow us to guarantee that campers will return home with zero chance of being infectious.  Each day shorter introduces more uncertainty as COVID seems to rarely be able to incubate for that long without causing symptoms.  We need to strike a pragmatic balance and are looking to our camp community for direction in this area.  We are currently favouring ten day camps with a week off between sessions.

 

    

 

    Although some camp procedures will look very different, we are confident that we can operate a safe, spiritually and socially profitable camp season this year regardless of what is going on in the broader community. 

    

If you have read this far, thank you for your interest.  We value your prayers and support as we try to navigate these challenging times.  We hope to have the pleasure of serving your family this year.  If you have any ideas, comments or concerns, we would love to hear from you.  Feel free to call me on my direct cell line or email my private account below, and now that you have made it to the end, don't forget to go back and click on the survey button.  It is crucial that we hear from our families whether they think we are on the right track.  

 

 

God Bless you all, and I hope to see you this summer,

 

 

 

Greg King

Camp Director

 

 

(780) 504 4734