No orientation period is complete without a "lost camper" drill. After the camping area has been divided into zones, assign each counselor and volunteer to duty either with the rest of the children or in a zone. On signal, each staff member should proceed directly to his "alert" assignment. Those so assigned will stay with the campers. Each assigned to search the zones will go directly to his zone. When the camper is found, the alert is rescinded.
If cookouts are to be a part of the camping program, it is important that the orientation period include at least one cookout. During this excellent opportunity for teacher-leaders to help the staff learn to plan with a group of mentally retarded children, the counselors can learn to break down routine tasks into their simplest components so that the cookout can be camper-centered rather than a counselor project. Wood gathering, fire building, menu planning, food preparation, and serving can all be done by the campers, with guidance. Campers must be allowed to be as self-reliant as possible -- don't underestimate their abilities. Discourage counselors from doing too much for the campers.
Recruitment and Registration
Camper recruitment should begin before school closes in the spring. Contact public and private schools and day centers for listings of children enrolled in special programs for the mentally retarded. General information and a camper registration blank should be sent to each family represented in these listings. A deadline for camper registration will enable the director to adequately staff the camp with paid personnel and volunteers. Registration and waiver forms are illustrated in Appendix B, page 6l.
Small groupings of campers will make camp more manageable for the staff and much more fun for the campers. Group the boys and girls according to their functional level as nearly as possible. Criteria to be considered are chronological age; mental ability; social adjustment; sex (if there is a preponderance of one sex); and, probably most important in the camping situation, physical ability and stamina. If the camp includes boys and girls from day centers and public schools, age and class placement could be an initial way of grouping the children. As camp progresses, the staff should not hesitate to reassign a child to another group if it is felt he would be happier and could function better there.
Part-time participation in camp activities should be considered for those children who cannot endure the rigors of a full camp day. Very young children who are enrolled in preschool programs seem to benefit from a half-day program. Children with exceptional problems can be included in that part of the program from which they can benefit. By planning for part-time campers, the frustration of long idle periods can be avoided.
All children should be accepted on a trial basis. This practice allows the director more freedom in developing an individual program for each
