Opening day
Opening Day goes much more smoothly for families that have turned in all paperwork ahead of time.
We want to provide the safest environment for your camper, so we ask that all campers have a head check before entering into the main camp gates. Checks begin at 1:00pm at Fern Retreat for all sessions except for Girls Camp (head checks begin at 12:00pm for Girls Camp only), and they run throughout opening day. If you arrive after 4:00 PM, please go to the infirmary for the head check. Your child will receive a wristband after he/she has been checked. We thank you ahead of time for your cooperation and patience. Counselors, games, music, and refreshments are awaiting your arrival at Fern Retreat.
Families are greeted by the CF Counselors along the Ferny road. Your camper will receive his/her nametag and, if we have received all your paperwork, you will get a packet that includes your camper’s cabin assignment, a map of how to get to your cabin, and a brief history that tells you all about your camper’s cabin counselors. Parents who have not fully completed the health certificate will need to check in with the nurse at Fern Retreat before moving into the cabin.
At 2:00pm, the gates open!!! Go to your cabin and get settled – as long as you have been given your green camper’s packet. At the cabin, you will be greeted again by your camper’s counselors, draw for a numbered bunk, select a cubbyhole for toiletries and a shelf for sheets and towels, and you’ll probably unpack a few items. All counselors are wearing staff shirts, and they look forward to helping you in any way. It is very important that we have all the necessary paperwork before you leave. Please remember to bring your health form, permission form, application, and payment if you haven’t already mailed them in.
From 2:00pm – 4:00pm (2-3pm for GC-2. Coed, & BC-2) there will be an Open House on the Campgrounds - Feel free to walk around camp on your own or with a guide, take a boat ride around the lake, and enjoy refreshments in the Dining Hall. Old scrapbooks are there for you to browse as well. Margaret Lee, the Owner of Camp Fern, would love to greet you personally and learn more about your expectations for your camper this summer. Don’t forget to check out our new Camp Fern merchandise and other Camp Fern goodies.
At 4:00pm, (3pm for GC-2, Coed, & BC-2), the camp session officially begins! Parents will have departed by this time, and all campers and counselors will meet at the Council Ring (near the waterfront) for our opening Pow Wow. During this Pow Wow, the counselors introduce themselves to the campers and get them pumped up about the summer activities we have to offer. After the skit, the kids are dismissed to their cabins for scheduling and the raft swim. We have Sunday night Cookout for dinner and then an evening activity.