Why Register Early?
By Greg Keresztury, Director of Operations
Once the sugar sand has settled on the camping season, we almost immediately turn the page to the next summer. In the world of camping, there really isn’t an “off-season” or “quiet-time,” as we transition from the busy camp season to a different kind of busy. Yes, believe it or not, we are still working hard when camp isn’t in session, as we almost immediately begin debriefing the summer – asking ourselves what went well and what could be improved for next year? We begin focusing on themes and special events, staff retention and development, and of course… next year’s campers!
In an effort to get an idea of our 2018 enrollment, we offer an early registration incentive through October 30. This year, folks who register early for a sessions of Ockanickon (sleepaway camp for boys) and Matollionequay (sleepaway camp for girls) will receive 5% off of their camp fees for the 2018 summer.
Paired with this early-registration incentive is also a free session switch up until May 1, 2018, pending available space. This means that a camp family could move around as many sessions for as many campers as they’d like, so long as it is all done at once. This ensures that there is no penalty to the family for registering early. We also reduce the deposit required for each session (from $250 to $100 per session), and families can choose to begin a payment plan right away to spread out the payments over the course of the school year. Ultimately, we strive to make early registration as easy as possible for our camp families!
The question, of course, is … why do we do this? Part of this is because early registration allows us to have more certainty around our numbers of campers, so we can make decisions earlier in the year on things such as program supply purchases and the number of camp counselors and staff we’ll need per session (in addition to our support staff).
However, the biggest reason is that we want to provide a “thank you” to our loyal camp families who plan their summers around an Ockanickon or Matollionequay experience. We truly believe that camp transforms lives for the better, and that our campers are able to be their best selves at camp (our staff, too). The more families that we can positively impact and provide the experience for the better, as this is how we can best effectuate ‘goodness’ in our corner of the world. So, for those who want to reinvest in their camper’s experience, please consider registering early (online at ycamp.org) – and please accept our thank you for doing so. We are already excited for 2018, and hope your camper will be spending some time with us as well!