FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: I read in your literature that you are a Christian camp. What does that mean?
A: Cherith is a not for profit, interdenominational, Evangelical Bible based camp. The founders of the camp established Cherith as a place where young people could grow in all areas of life: physically, socially, mentally and spiritually. We are not connected with any specific denomination, meaning that we have many different Christian backgrounds represented in our leadership. Everyone is welcome to attend Cherith regardless of their religious background, if any. Many of our campers are not regular church attenders. Each day, during our Bible Exploration time we share the Christian message through interactive stories that emphasize principles from the Bible. The Staff also share the Christian message through a consistent lifestyle. You are welcome to call or email the office with any questions.
Q: My child could go to more than one program because of their age. How should I decide which program is best?
A: We usually say that parents know best. Although your child will be placed in a cabin with children their own age, there are times when they will be with others in the program. The key question to ask is “Do they generally get along better with children a little older or a little younger”? Also consider that the older the age group of the program, the more freedom there is to plan their day, and the more independence is required of the camper.
Q: How many activity periods are there in a week?
A: Campers will choose 3 activity specialties for the week from our extensive list. Each period is 1 hour in duration. Cherith offers skill based outdoor programing. There is also a 4th activity period that is more recreational in focus that campers can choose from daily.
Q: Can I choose activities prior to camp?
A: Riding lessons are chosen prior to camp. The other activities are chosen by the camper on the Sunday they arrive.
Q: Is my child going to be limited from doing certain activities because of his age?
A: Certain activities require a certain level of maturity. Any age restrictions are for safety reasons. Most activities are designed to accommodate all age levels.
Q: What is the camper to staff ratio?
A: It is important to distinguish which staff members you are counting in the ratio. At Cherith there will be one or two staff members in each cabin with up to seven campers. But, when you count all campers and all staff in the program, the ratio is closer to a 2:1 camper to staff ratio on site.
Q: How are the staff selected?
A: All potential staff go through an extensive selection process. They must fill out a detailed application and obtain three references. After that a personal interview may be arranged to determine their suitability. The final step involves a Police check, Vulnerable Sector check.
Q: How old are your Cabin Leaders?
A: Cabin leaders must be at least 17 years old and assistant Cabin Leaders are usually at least 16 years of age.
Q: What is your staff return rate from summer to summer?
A: Many of our staff return year after year. A number of them were campers and are graduates of our CILT program (Leaders-In-Training). The return rate changes from year to year, averaging over 60%.
Q: How closely supervised are the campers?
A: Campers are supervised all the time. Cabin Leaders and Assistant Cabin Leaders sleep in the same cabin as the campers. During the day the level of supervision changes according to the activity.
Q: What safety standards do you meet?
A: Cherith adheres to a rigid set of safety standards. We exceed the standards established by the government and meet or exceed the standards of the Ontario Camping Association, who complete an extensive review process every four years to continue to grant us accreditation. Additionally, Cherith has established its own Risk Management Manual which stipulates how activities are run. We do our best to ensure your child’s safety.
Q: How close is the nearest hospital?
A: The nearest hospital is located in the town of Walkerton, which is about an 8 – 10 minute drive from camp.
Q: My child is taking medications. How will this work at camp?
A: Medications are controlled by our Heath Care Coordinator and are stored in our Medical Centre. The Health Care Coordinator distributes them according to individual camper needs.
Q: Can I arrange a visit to Cherith prior to camp?
A: Yes, just give us a call to arrange a visit.
Q: Can my child be in the same cabin as their friend?
A: We do our best to accommodate any requests to be in the same cabin as a friend. Most times this is possible if they are of a similar age.
Q: What is the food like?
A: All meals are served family style with good, wholesome food that campers generally like. We continually evaluate our menus to ensure we meet this goal. A fruit bowl is available during each meal at the beverage counter. A vegetarian option is available at each meal. You have the opportunity to indicate any special dietary needs on the camp application form. Other special dietary needs will only be accommodated on an individual basis if possible.
Q: Can I correspond with my child during camp?
A: Yes, there are several ways to do this:
By Mail
Campers look forward to receiving mail and we encourage parents and relatives to send letters. Due to our location, it may take more than a week for us to receive mail. We recommend sending any letters the week before they are due to arrive. Please do not send anything through the mail that may contain, contains, or is a nut product. All mail, including snail mail, is distributed every day at lunch.
Address camper mail to
(full name of camper),
Camp Cherith
Box 142
Walkerton, ON
N0G 2V0
By Email
You may email your camper. A 50¢ charge will be placed against their tuck account for each incoming e-mail. Campers are unable to e-mail back. Our e-mail. address is: office@campcherith.ca (Please type the campers full name on the “subject” line)
By Phone
Campers do not have access to the phone. We would encourage you not to call them unless it is an emergency. If you would like to know how your child is doing you may call and ask to speak to the Director. The number to reach us is 1-519-881-2448
