NEWS TO USE – January 2007!

VOTE !  Have you voted in the ACA National Election? If so, THANKS!  If not, why not?  Please take a moment to read about the candidates and choose the one(s) you feel will best help move ACA forward. The momentum of the association is strong and it takes dedicated volunteers to keep it moving.  While we know everyone can not serve on a committee or be an accreditation visitor, we do hope you take the time to vote.   Check out www.acacamps.org/election

GUIDE TO ACCREDITED CAMPS !  All camp liaisons were mailed the NEW Directory of Accredited Camps in the Southeast.  With the help of a generous grant from REI, we were able to produce a high quality product that we feel will be well received by the public. Now – our challenge is to get this directory out of our office into places where the public might get them (camp fairs, other public locations). If you are able to assist with this task OR would just like to have a few for your office, please call the Section office and some will be mailed you promptly.  This guide will also be available on the Section website (www.acasoutheastern.org ) in the very near future.

IS YOUR CAMP BEING VISITED IN 2007 ? If so and someone from your camp has NOT registered and/or attended a Standards Course, please contact the Section office immediately! 

GOING TO AUSTIN ?  In the past, ACA Southeastern has been strongly represented at the National Conference and I am sure 2007 will be no exception!  Please mark your calendars for a Section Gathering on Tuesday, Feb. 13 from 5:30 – 6:30 (this will be a chance to see who all from the Section is at the conference, have short district meetings, and find someone to join up with for dinner) AND for our Breakfast/Annual Meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 14.  This breakfast is generously sponsored by KidsCamps.com/CampJobs.com! Be watching for more information about both of these meetings!  THERE IS still plenty of time to register for the National Conference.  Full conference information is available www.acacamps.org/conference

HELP US MONITOR “hot” legislation in your state/area!  We have already been informed (and have passed the information onto the appropriate folks) of some upcoming challenges for the newly adopted School Year Calendar in Florida .  If you hear of issues that might effect camps/programs/property PLEASE let us know and we’ll do the necessary follow up and share the information with those affected. 

DO YOU USE VOLUNTEERS IN YOUR PROGRAM ?  This program is for you!  ACA-accredited camps can receive fingerprint-based FBI criminal background checks for only $18 through the PROTECT Screen program.  Quick and efficient – receive determinations within one week from time of application.  Learn all about this dynamic program and enroll today at: http://www.acacamps.org/publicpolicy/PROTECTScreen.php  Currently, this program is only available to volunteers at camp!  It is the goal to provide this program to all camp staff in the future… in order to make that happen, we have to have strong enrollment for the volunteer check!

LATEST CAMP SALARY DATA RELEASED: The American Camp Association (ACA) continues its signature research efforts into the business of camp operations. This Camp Salary Information ( http://www.acacamps.org/research/salary_study.php) was gathered in the fall of 2006 in a survey of 1,797 camp owners and operators who were a stratified, representative sample of almost 2,700 camps affiliated with ACA. A 52 percent response rate helps the reader understand:

• Current salaries of full-time and seasonal camp employees as stratified by
• Day and resident operations
• Camps sponsored by agencies, religious organizations, independent nonprofits, and independent for-profits
• Camps from all regions of the USA
• Benefits provided to year-round and seasonal staff and their cash value
• Director salaries segmented by tenure in position, education, age, and gender
• Expected salary increases for 2007

This is the largest study of its kind providing current information to camp owners and operators about salaries—that area of the budget that, on average, consumes 54 percent of a day camp’s budget and 40 percent of a resident camp’s budget.  Summary reports and data are available free to members and for a fee to nonmembers. For additional research information (Enrollment Survey, tips and tools, etc, check out ww.acacamps.org/research

FALL CONFERENCE UPDATE:  Mark your calendars for the ACA Southeastern Camping Conference being held September 24-26, 2007 in Jacksonville , FL !  We are pleased to announce that Michael Brandwein will be one of our Keynote speakers and presenters! Be watching for more information in the near future!  JOIN US IN JACKSONVILLE !

 MAY 2007 BE ONE OF YOUR BEST CAMP SEASONS EVER!

Rhonda Mickelson                         Pamela Allen
Executive Director                        Membership Services Coordinator
Rhonda@acasoutheastern.org        Pamela@acasoutheastern.org