No summer camp for my kids this year....

[soccerchick]

The summer camp (Christian, affiliated with the UCC) where I volunteer is $350ish for a week of overnight camp. It's a "bargain" compared with other overnight camps, but it's still a lot of money. Does the camp your kids attend offer any scholarship programs? What about discounts for volunteering? When I was a kid this same camp was $180 a week, and our church paid half. Now area churches can pay maybe $50-100 towards a week of camp, if that.

I agree that the price is good. My dd wants to do an overnight camp that is $1000 for two weeks, and that is before some of the expensive extras, like horseback riding.

Look into all your options before deciding. Yard sale, craigslist, etc. My ads on CL have been very active and productive the last two weeks.

I also seriously doubt you can get a house in the Outbanks for a week for $600, especially in the summer months. Again, explore before you decide and tell the girls you'll do the beach and find it is far more $.

Hope you find a solution.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Oh well. Sometimes we don't get to do what we want.

However I think it is rude to assume that they should pay, and I would crack down on my kids if they ever had the nerve to whine about such a thing. It isn't the church's job to send them to camp.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

You have been getting a great deal over the years. $550 for 2 is still a bargain!
If the kids really enjoy it that much , it's worth m8uch more then a just one week in the Outertbanks.
I don't see how that could cost only $500?? What about spending money once you get there??


Bite the bullet and face it that you're camp is still cheap compared to so many others.

 

[Lstar311]

I would ask for money toward camp in leiu of gifts for what ever occasions are coming up before the camp money is due. I would only ask this of very close family though if you think they could help, not something to write on a birthday invitation.

 

[mjkacmom]

Around here, we pay $75 per child for a week of VBS, 4 hours a day. My kids love it!

 

[budbeerlady]

Around here, we pay $75 per child for a week of VBS, 4 hours a day. My kids love it!

Wow, they pay now for VBS? It was always free....

Anyway, can you contact the camp and see if they offer any early booking discount, 2nd sibling discount, anything? Does it have to be that camp, others might offer scholarships, first time camper discounts, etc.

Dd's 1 week at camp is 350 but if I book early they take off $50, she saves her Christmas and Birthday money toward it so she pays 1/3 of the $300. This year she also sold wreathes and poinsettias and that takes off $60 from the top. I start to set away $10 a week at the beginning of the year so that it can be completely paid for by the time she attends in August.

A week of just Dh and I is worth every penny of the $350, and dd loves it.

 

[sksjasams]

Are you saying you can't afford it, or that you don't want to pay that much? Definitely different things - there was a thread about that recently. If you can't afford it, you can't afford it, bottom line.
But if that's not the case...as most everyone else has said, its still a very good deal and if your kids enjoy it that much you should try to do it. My son will be going to 5 night church camp for $425.
I am using my my tax refund to pay for it, along with football camp and other summer activites. Is that an option for you?

 

[weewuvvdisney]

Our dd used to go to Guide camp. It was $300.00 a week. There was always a little notation at the bottom of the form that if the family was having difficulties, some arrangements could be made. I thought that $300.00 was resonable since it was sleep over, with plenty of activities, transportation to and from the camp. We knew if advance that she wanted to go and budgeted accordingly.

It is a wonderful experience for kids.

 

[Jynohn]

Are you saying you can't afford it, or that you don't want to pay that much? Definitely different things - there was a thread about that recently. If you can't afford it, you can't afford it, bottom line.

I agree. If you can't afford it, then I can completely understand where you're coming from. But if it's a matter of just not wanting to pay that much, then I think it might help to put it into perspective. The amount you're paying for two kids for camp is less than the DEPOSIT for my daughter's camp. I hope this doesn't come off as bragging, because that's certainly not my intention. It's just to point out that you're probably getting a great bargain, whether or not your church is able to help out as much as they have in the past.

DH and I are not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, but we've made the decision that summer camp is a valuable experience for our daughter, and it's something we're willing to sacrifice on other things in order to make it happen. Unfortunately it means that we've canceled our upcoming cruise in order to make the tuition payment, but we feel really strongly about how important camp is so we decided it was worth more to us. Of course I made DH make the call to DCL though since I didn't quite have the heart to do it myself!

 

[TupperMom7]

I'd have to agree with everyone else. You've been having it very good for along time. That being said you have some time to figure away to pay for this. Though it doesn't sound like you think you should be paying this much.

I never said I didn't think I should be paying this much, it's just that we cannot afford to pay this much. The church I attend has always used part of the Christmas Eve service collection towards scholarships and this year they didn't.

So here goes and I'm not flaming just being honest. What your paying for camp is more or less what my mother payed for me to go to camp almost 20 years ago and that was for 2 weeks not the entire summer. You have to consider what are they getting experience wise from attending this program and maybe its time to consider another program if you don't think your getting your money's worth.

The cost of one week[/U] of camp is $325 per child. We have twins, so that's $650 with the church paying $50 each towards it, leaving us with a balance of $550 for one week of camp. You honestly thought it was for the whole summer? No offense, but I wouldn't send my kids away for the whole summer anyway.

Overall I don't think I would compare summer camp to a one week rental anywhere and unless your planning to make every day from say 9-3 a camp experience you have to think about how much its costing them to provide these services.

I know for myself I loved camp it was something to do and it was alot of fun. I'd much rather have gone to camp all summer then spend one week in a rental when I was kid.

Just wanted to clear that up right away. This is a Christian camp where churches from all over send their children for a week of camp. It is a good experience for the kids to learn things and to have fun, but we just don't have the money on our own. For the past ten years our church has always paid for the whole thing or a good portion of it. Last year we paid $200 ($100 each) for them to go and we were able to swing that.

 

[TupperMom7]

I agree. If you can't afford it, then I can completely understand where you're coming from. But if it's a matter of just not wanting to pay that much, then I think it might help to put it into perspective. The amount you're paying for two kids for camp is less than the DEPOSIT for my daughter's camp. I hope this doesn't come off as bragging, because that's certainly not my intention. It's just to point out that you're probably getting a great bargain, whether or not your church is able to help out as much as they have in the past.

DH and I are not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, but we've made the decision that summer camp is a valuable experience for our daughter, and it's something we're willing to sacrifice on other things in order to make it happen. Unfortunately it means that we've canceled our upcoming cruise in order to make the tuition payment, but we feel really strongly about how important camp is so we decided it was worth more to us. Of course I made DH make the call to DCL though since I didn't quite have the heart to do it myself!

Is that for a week of camp or more? In addition, I would like to point out that we have three other children, well they are teens or older, that are not going to camp. It would not be fair to expect them to sit home all summer and do absolutely nothing so the other two kids can go to camp for one week.

 

[TupperMom7]

You have been getting a great deal over the years. $550 for 2 is still a bargain!
If the kids really enjoy it that much , it's worth m8uch more then a just one week in the Outertbanks.
I don't see how that could cost only $500?? What about spending money once you get there??


Bite the bullet and face it that you're camp is still cheap compared to so many others.

It wasn't the fanciest house and it wasn't within view of the beach. It was on the bay side. As far as spending money once we got there, we went out to eat once and that was a barbeque place called "seweys" (sp?). Like the sound you make when calling a pig, if you are inclined to call a pig that is.
Our entertainment was the beach and the ocean. That is why we went.

We are a family of seven, so renting a house is the only way to go and we took our two dogs with us. It was a cute little house up on stilts like they all are, had an inclosed porch, deck, picnic table, etc. and bordered a golf course. And yes, it was $550 a week.

 

[allison443]

Is that for a week of camp or more? In addition, I would like to point out that we have three other children, well they are teens or older, that are not going to camp. It would not be fair to expect them to sit home all summer and do absolutely nothing so the other two kids can go to camp for one week.

Didn't you say the older kids got to go to this camp when they were younger (when the church paid for it?) Maybe they would understand that their younger siblings would go. The older kids might be busy with summer jobs, etc. anyway.

Or maybe you feel the camp isn't that great, i.e. the kids will go if it's low cost, but to pay that much is not worth it to you? There is nothing wrong with saying that, we all make those decisions for our families all the time.
So if you are looking at it as 2 kids getting a week at camp, or the whole family getting a week's vacation trip, there is nothing wrong with making that decision for your family.

Good luck with what you decide.

 

[okeydokey]

Is that for a week of camp or more? In addition, I would like to point out that we have three other children, well they are teens or older, that are not going to camp. It would not be fair to expect them to sit home all summer and do absolutely nothing so the other two kids can go to camp for one week.

Your other children have already had years of camp. Maybe they will understand that it is someone else's turn now.

 

[crisi]

Our church has been having problems - our membership is increasing, but our collections and pledges went down drastically with the recession. We've had to cut payroll, full time staff took a paycut - including our minister, we laid off other staffers. Moreover, the drains on the church funds have increased, particularly the minister's discretionary fund - used to help members pay their heat bill or buy groceries or keep out of foreclosure.

I know we aren't alone. A friend works as a social organzation for a relgious based alliance - the churches can't afford to fund the organization because their own congregational needs right now are so urgent. Another has been a church administrator, she's only been working part time for a year.

Its a tough time to allocate church funding, and a lot of non-essentials get cut.

 

[nunzia]

I work in Finance at a church..our offerings have been down quite alot. We are fortunate in that we have many generous members who feel camp is important and we have been able to offer full scholarships for many years. Our camp is owned by our denomination and there are alot of costs to keep it running. The fees for camp do not cover the cost of the camp. I would still try and find a way to send at least the youngest who hasn't had as many opportunities. Maybe you could spearhead a parent group to do some fundraising for camperships? I know our church is eager to always participate in fundraising that benefits the kids and youth. Something as simple as an enchilada dinner (maybe even with donated food supples) could go a long way to lower camping cost. It's only February..plenty of time to be creative and fundraise

 

[G's mommy]

My son attends two church camps and one non-church camp per summer. Our church Youth camp (grades 6-12) this summer is $290 for 5 nights, includes transportation, lodging, food and registration with the Youth conference they are attending. The other church related camp he attends is a music and arts camp, it is $375 for 6 nights, includes lodging, food, and all instruction. I have to drive him there and pick him up. Our church does set aside some money for scholarships, you just have to apply. The other camp my son attends is not associated with a church, it is $595 for 5 nights (this is their early bird, absolutely lowest price) and includes lodging, food, all activities except horseback riding (pay extra $80 for that) but does not include transportation. It is a 5-6 hour round-trip drive. Our Youth pastor is awesome about getting everything arranged months in advance and we pay $60 a month until the full $290 is paid. These camps do add up to a lot of money, we have a family in our youth group that has triplets! I know they have to pick and choose their activities wisely. This summer, we will scale back our family vacation in order to continue to send our son. It won't be too many more years and he will not want to go anymore. He's our only child, so at least we do not have to figure it out for two or more.

 

[jcc0621]

Wow! That cost is for overnight camp? I pay$250 a week for DS 6 to attend Day Camp. I think you are getting a great deal. Hope you can find a way to work it out.

 

[hello kitty]

Is that for a week of camp or more? In addition, I would like to point out that we have three other children, well they are teens or older, that are not going to camp. It would not be fair to expect them to sit home all summer and do absolutely nothing so the other two kids can go to camp for one week.

Who had these children? You or the church? Your children, your responsibility. Maybe what money they do have is going towards people who actually need it. They have been footing the bill long enough.

Do you think it's fair to tell the families who are going without food and basic necessaties, "Sorry, we can't help you! We need to send TupperwareMom7's brood to camp AGAIN. It wouldn't be fair for the younger ones to miss out because the older ones have already been. AND it wouldn't be fair for the older ones to sit at home while the younger ones go. Here, gnaw on some old leather and build yourselves a lean to."

I guess this would be fine with you because it doesn't affect you and yours.

 

[dis-happy]

Here's a thought...have a day camp at home. My gf did this for a week one summer with her girls and some of their friends. She planned it all out...taught them a sewing project they worked on all week, went swimming, an art project every day, played tennis, cooking project, even a campfire. Years later every single one of those girls still talks about what a fun time it was. Maybe you could have your older teens each plan an event. It could work...give it some thought!