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Web resources for camp staff: where to look for answers to your questions.


In the heat of summer camp, questions need quick answers. Do certified staff need extra training? What are some effective rainy day programming ideas? Is this legal? What's the standard? Is that considered a reasonable accommodation Reasonable accommodation is a legal term used in Canada, which is the legal obligation to modify a law or a norm when it is contrary to fundamental rights stipulated in Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. ? Where can we find vegetarian snack recipes? The list of potential questions goes on and on. Directors like to think (in March) they've planned a well-equipped, well-organized staff resource area with all the answers.

If your staff office (in July) is buried beneath schedules, health records, insurance forms, copies of Camping Magazine, and corn dog corn dog
n.
A frankfurter that is encased in corn bread batter before being baked or fried, usually served on a stick.
 crumbs, it's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a  to ask the world for help - the World Wide Web, that is.

There's so much information on the web it's sometimes hard to know where to look. Getting lost is easy, something no one has time for during a busy camp season. Here are a few places to begin.

Staff certification, training, standards

Every camp director hopes that all staff stay through the summer and that all programs run smoothly within industry standards. In reality, there's often a need to replace staff, hire last-minute staff, or upgrade the certification and training of existing staff. And sometimes programs or facilities need last-minute tweaks, too.

Equestrian

CHA - The Association for Horsemanship horsemanship: see equestrianism.
horsemanship

Art of training, riding, and handling horses. Good horsemanship requires that a rider control the animal's direction, gait, and speed with maximum effectiveness and minimum effort.
 Safety and Education's web site includes a standards page (www.cha-ahse.org./standrds.htm) to answer some of your questions.

At the instructor standards page, you'll be reminded that head instructors should be at least twenty-one years old, hold current riding instructor A riding instructor is a person whose job it is to teach methods of horse riding (and also horse care) to beginners and improve the intermediate and advanced rider's style and technique.  certification, have experience teaching group riding, and have training in stable management and horse care. You'll also be reminded of the proper procedures for working with groups and that rules and restrictions should be clearly posted in the stable area.

Paddling

The American Canoe Association The American Canoe Association (ACA) is the nation's largest paddle sports organization, promoting canoeing, kayaking, and rafting. The ACA sponsors more than seven hundred events each year, along with safety education, instructor certification, waterway conservation and public  (www.aca-paddler.org/) offers a broad range of courses and certification programs. Courses include "Introduction to Paddling" and "Introduction to River Paddling," both especially designed for use by summer camps and youth groups.

Does your instructor need a last-minute update or recertification recertification Recredentialing Graduate education A process in which a professional is periodically re-evaluated–eg, every 10 yrs by an accrediting body to assure continued provision of safe, high-quality health care ? Check the current list of workshops for open canoe, river kayak, freestyle, coastal kayak, adaptive paddler, methods, instructor trainer update, and swiftwater rescue Swiftwater Rescue is a subset of technical rescue that involves the use of specially trained personnel, ropes, and mechanical advantage systems often much more robust than those used in rope rescue because of the added pressure of moving water.  (www.aca-paddler.org/96certs.htm). Find out more about certification at www.aca-paddler.org/instruc.htm.

If you're interested in hosting a paddling event next summer, look into the association's Event Support Program (www.aca-paddler.org/esp.htm). Support ranges from startup grants to technical advice and even loaner equipment.

Waterfront, CPR Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Definition

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a procedure to support and maintain breathing and circulation for a person who has stopped breathing (respiratory arrest) and/or whose heart has stopped (cardiac
 

Start at the American Red Cross' health and safety services resource page (www.crossnet.org/hss/index.html) for links to courses, information about health and safety services, HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome  education facts and networks, the Mosby Lifeline catalog, and information about programs designed for local communities.

You can get a list of available Red Cross courses for both participants and instructor candidates at www.crossnet.org/hss/hsfacts/index.html. For more in-depth information, click on the course of interest. For example, www.crossnet.org/hss/hsfacts/fs3461i.html is the Waterfront Lifeguarding Instructor Course. The page lists the purpose of the course, prerequisites, learning objectives, length, instructor, certification requirements, authorization validity, and participant materials.

Once you know what you need, go to the Red Cross searchable database Refers to databases on the Web that are searchable by typing in a query. The term is quite redundant because all databases are searchable. In fact, that is one of their major features.  (www.crossnet.org/where/where.html) and enter your zip code zip code

System of postal-zone codes (zip stands for “zone improvement plan”) introduced in the U.S. in 1963 to improve mail delivery and exploit electronic reading and sorting capabilities.
. You'll find contact information for the center nearest you.

Government standards, legislation

For detailed information about Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA OSHA
n.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a branch of the US Department of Labor responsible for establishing and enforcing safety and health standards in the workplace.
) standards, go to its home page (www.osha.gov/) and click on "standards." Then click on "standard interpretations and compliance letters," In the search box, type bloodborne pathogens (or any other standard of interest) and hit enter. You'll see choices for frequently asked questions, background, costs, application of personal protection equipment to the standard, and much more. Keep in mind the site is a government site, so expect text, outlines, and official codes. But the information you need is all there.

For the latest legislative news affecting camps (and what you can do about it), visit the American Camping Association's legislative page at www.aca-camps.org/gov.htm. You'll also find links to state legislative resources and an Internet guide to the U.S. Congress.

Disabilities

Many camp staff members working with campers with disabilities find it helpful to talk with other staff in the same role. Easter Seal camp directors are willing to help others find the best way to include campers of all abilities. For a list of Easter Seal camps and contacts, go to www.seals.com/publish/ness_programs/camplist.html.

For the full text of the Americans with Disabilities Act Americans with Disabilities Act, U.S. civil-rights law, enacted 1990, that forbids discrimination of various sorts against persons with physical or mental handicaps. , go to gopher.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/statute.html. You'll find a scrollable document in outline form. Type ADA Ada, city, United States
Ada (ā`ə), city (1990 pop. 15,820), seat of Pontotoc co., S central Okla.; inc. 1904. It is a large cattle market and the center of a rich oil and ranch area.
 in any search engine and you'll find several university-sponsored sites offering interpretations and suggestions for complying with the act.

Children and youth resources

A great place to start when looking for Looking for

In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with.
 resources for diverse children and youth issues is the National Resource Links page at www.slip.net/~scmetro/childco.htm. You'll be a click away from sites such as parent soup, child/adolescent psychology, community anti-drug resources, child abuse information, children's medicine, youth statistics, disabled teen resources, national hotlines, educational resources center, and much, much more.

For camps with young children or a lot of rain, check out some of the sites for parents. You can easily adapt many of the activities for camp. For example, Star Wave (family.starwave.com/funstuff/activity/tvtoc.html) has 365 TV-free activities to do with children. Choices include arts and crafts arts and crafts, term for that general field of applied design in which hand fabrication is dominant. The term was coined in England in the late 19th cent. as a label for the then-current movement directed toward the revivifying of the decorative arts. , fantasy play, food play, group play, recycled/reused household materials, science, and words and language.

An example of an arts and crafts project is the easy bird feeder bird feeder also birdĀ·feedĀ·er
n.
An outdoor container for bird feed, used to attract wild birds.

Noun 1. bird feeder - an outdoor device that supplies food for wild birds
birdfeeder, feeder
 (family.starwave.com/funstuff/activity/tv84.html). Activity instructions include required materials, assembly details, and a reminder that when you invite birds to a backyard feeding party, they'll expect season tickets!

Running low on knock-knock jokes? Borrow some from PBS' Lamb Chop (www.pbs.org/lambchop/).

Knock Knock Who's there? Amos Amos who? Amos-quito bit me.

Knock Knock. Who's there? Andy Andy Andy Andy or Andy "Fan" (born Angel Villalona in Azua de Compostela) is a Dominican musician from the famed Villalona family. He first started as a merenguero. He Struggled with this type of music and decided to cross over to bachata at first with the nickname "Andy Fan".  who? And he bit me again.

Knock knock. Who's there? Wayne Wayne who? (Sing) Wayne, wayne go away, come again another day!

Vegetarian meals

Looking for veggie recipes or just a better understanding of vegetarian cuisine Vegetarian cuisine refers to food that meets vegetarian standards by excluding meat and animal tissue products. For lacto-ovo vegetarianism (the most common type of vegetarianism in the Western world), dairy products such as eggs, milk, and cheese are permitted. ? The Vegetarian Society serves it up at www.veg.org/veg/Orgs/VegSocUK/Recipes/recindx.html. You'll find recipes categorized by course, season, and country as well by age. Learn about individual ingredients and even what celebrity vegetarians eat.

If you're looking for information about the beliefs behind vegetarianism vegetarianism, theory and practice of eating only fruits and vegetables, thus excluding animal flesh, fish, or fowl and often butter, eggs, and milk. In a strict vegetarian, or vegan, diet (i.e. , join a discussion group or visit one of the spirituality and vegetarian living sites linked to the Vegetarian Resource Center at www.tiac.net/users/vrc/index.htm.

Grant writing

Midsummer is often a time when staff see both the awesomeness and the shortcomings A shortcoming is a character flaw.

Shortcomings may also be:
  • Shortcomings (SATC episode), an episode of the television series Sex and the City
 of the current program. Already thinking about funding a new program for next year? Visit the Foundation Center at fdncenter.org/index.html for all the grant writing information you'll need. Check the center's User-Friendly Guide to Funding Research and Resources for information on what funders look for in a grantee An individual to whom a transfer or conveyance of property is made.

In a case involving the sale of land, the buyer is commonly known as the grantee.


grantee n.
, basic funding research approaches, the proposal pro; cess, and grant-writing information resources. You can take a short proposal writing course online, complete with step-by-step instructions and explanations of the components of writing a proposal (executive summary, statement of need, project description, budget, organization information, and conclusion).

Something for yourself

Directors and staff often don't take enough time for themselves during camp. Treat yourself to the latest news. The American Journalism Review's News Link page (www.newslink.org/statnews.html) is a great place to find just the right newspaper. The home page provides links to the nation's online newspapers categorized by state. Click on your state of choice and you'll get a list of daily, business, and alternative papers for that state. Or look to the far right of the home page to search by category (for example, all business newspapers).

CNN's Financial News at www.cnnfn.com/gives you the hour's top business stories as well as stock, mutual fund, and money market fund quotes.

ESPN's Sports Zone at espnet.sportszone.com/ has all the sports and all the scores as well as reader polls, up-to-date interviews, and live audio broadcasts.

Mind Tools' stress management site (www.gasou.edu/psychweb/mtsite/smpage.html) is sure to help you relax. This orderly site is simple and easy-to-use with helpful articles on understanding and recognizing stress; managing life crises; dealing with exhaustion, depression, and burn out; and stress management techniques, including using imagery to reduce stress, progressive muscular relaxation, using your time effectively, keeping things in perspective, and making your environment less stressful.

These sites are just a few of the resources on the World Wide Web that are useful for camp professionals. They'll give you an idea of the type of information available on the web and some great ideas to make your summer a success.

Karen Pavlicin is the editor-in-chief of Web_Guide Magazine, a national newsstand magazine devoted to web site reviews. She is a former editor of Camping Magazine.
COPYRIGHT 1997 American Camping Association
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 1997, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Author:Pavlicin, Karen M.
Publication:Camping Magazine
Date:Jul 1, 1997
Words:1523
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