|
Now that the craziness of summer has passed (and the craziness of fall has just begun), we will once again send out our “NEWS TO USE” email messages. These will be sent approximately every 3 weeks. If you have news to share, please contact the Section office.
GREAT TO SEE YOU ! It was great to see so many new and returning faces at the recent ACA Southeastern Camping Conference! I continue to hear positive comments about the quality of the speakers, the opportunities for networking and the value of the information shared and learned! Be sure to mark your calendar for the 2007 Conference! Join us in JACKSONVILLE , FL September 24–26, 2007 . Plans are just now underway so please share your ideas and thoughts. THANKS to the great conference committee who created the energetic atmosphere and provided the leadership!
82 ACCREDITATION VISITS ! Volunteers from the Section conducted 82 accreditation visits! We are pleased to welcome 12 (a dozen) NEWLY accredited camps to the Section! Many thanks for the hours (days) of volunteer time given to implement this program! All accredited camps will be receiving the official letter and certificate of accreditation later this fall. If you have any questions, please call the Section office.
STANDARDS UPDATES : The Standards co-chairs are in the process of setting the dates for the fall/winter/spring Standards courses. If your camp is scheduled for an on-site accreditation visit in 2007, someone from your camp who will be involved in the preparation of the materials and who will be on-site the day of the visit, must attend a Standards Course. The exception to this “rule” is if this person is an accreditation visitor and will be attending the Visitor’s Update. Camps being visited in 2007 will be sent the schedule of courses once it has been finalized. Camps will be provided with their NEW Accreditation Process Guide at the Standards Course.
VISITOR’S UPDATE : All individuals who want to continue being accreditation visitors for the summer of 2007 must attend a Visitors’ Update Course. We will host this four (4) hour course at several sites throughout the section. All visitors will be sent the schedule once it has been finalized.
SECTION BOARD NOMINATIONS: Nominations for President-Elect, Vice President (and delegate), Secretary/Delegate and 2 one year term delegates are being accepted through October 15. Check out http://www.acasoutheastern.org/members/board_nomination_07.php for more information.
PLEASE COMPLETE!
Enrollment Survey
Camp Directors ! We need your enrollment data!!! We asked in January and April how your enrollment and recruitment processes were going- now we want to know exactly how your summer went. Please go online to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=721272578221 to complete a brief 10 minute survey that asks for you to estimate enrollment and recruitment information for the Summer of 2006 as compared to Summer 2005. These data are CRITICAL to our efforts to develop trends and track changes that may be occurring around the country. Once you complete the survey, you can immediately look at the results and even “filter” the information by characteristics like camp type, sponsorship, section, etc. Go online TODAY (but if not today, at least by Oct. 27 th) and contribute your valuable data to our efforts to have accurate enrollment information for you!
Salary Survey
Been wondering if your salaries are in line with what staff are paid from another camp similar to you? Check your mail boxes for this year’s industry survey focused on Salaries and Compensation. This mailed questionnaire was sent to 1,700 camps randomly selected to provide this vital information, so if you receive one, please fill it out and return it by Oct. 27 th! We need our information to be as accurate as possible, so every single survey response is important to us. This questionnaire is the second in our annual systematic industry surveys, and the effort to compile needed information around business operations (Fall ‘05), salary information (Fall ’06), and program/site information (Fall ’07) so the data are never older than three years AND we can start to track trends. Thanks for your help!!
IS YOUR CAMP ACCREDITED? Use the Correct ACA Logo. The American Camp Association has officially implemented our new brand, logos, and name, so now we need to do all we can to promote consistency with the new image and brand. Our collective work to get parents and the public to recognize the value of the camp experience and the credibility of our work will be much stronger if we are all using the same image and name!
Recent ACA research on Web site usage revealed:
77% of ACA-accredited camps have a Web site.
Of that 77%...
- 54% mention ACA on their site
- 56% do not display the accredited-camp logo
- 21% display the NEW accredited-camp logo
- 22% display the OLD accredited-camp logo
- 24% have a hyperlink to ACA's Web site
Of the 933 camp Web sites that do mention ACA...
- 42% use "American Camp Association"
- 58% use "American Camping Association"
Consistency is Key
ALL ACA-Accredited camps need to join in a united marketing effort to enhance the value of accreditation consistently—not only in your camp’s marketing materials but on your web site as well.
ACA’s web site supplies you with marketing tools that are designed to help you convey the value of accreditation to a public ready to hear about how fun and safety can co-exist at camp; how ACA Camps Set the Standard; and how new marketing language, presented consistently over time, can give your camp the edge.
Download the new logo (www.ACAcamps.org/accreditation/marketing.php) to use in your marketing materials and web site. You can also keep parents informed of the benefits of the camp experience by linking to www.CampParents.org, the new ACA parent site, or use content from the site to address parent concerns and answer questions.
Help us portray the new image of ACA and the value of ACA Accreditation!
CHECK OUT THE SECTION WEBSITE http://acacamps.org/southeastern/meetings.php for an update on District meetings (several are being held throughout the Section in the upcoming month). Take the opportunity to get to know the camp professionals in your area, learn from them and others! Join in and enjoy!
Rhonda Mickelson
Executive Director
Pamela Allen
Membership Services Coordinator
American Camp Association Southeastern
919.402.4336 phone
919.402.4766 fax
|
Quick Links