camparrowhead.org

manalli · Guest

How do I know that this is the best camp for me to send my son? I am so confused as to which one would be for him. Last year was his first camp experience and he really loved it.

jez · Posted: Mon May 10, 2026 9:45 pm Post subject:

Hi, I can start the ball rolling on this one. Firstly welcome to this message board and thank you for visiting. My name is Jez and I am one of the senior staff at Camp Arrowhead. I have worked at many different camps and have even completed an undergrad degree related to this. I can honestly say that there is no place like Camp Arrowhead. Its a camp which is small enough for staff to know every camper at camp, but still big enough to have all the wonderfull camp activities and big camp experiences for your child. We maintain a 4:1 staff ratio which make camp Safe for your child. Since I am mentioning safety, we maintin high safety standards that allow us to be a part of the American Camping Association. Our activities are constantly evaluated to continue these safety standards.
Let me finish by saying that I live in Australia and like the past 5 years, return to Camp Arrowhead because it is the most fun I have all year long. Where else can you paddle a river, climb a rock, camp out under the stars, forge hot iron into something beautiful, shoot off a rocket and even help build a race car...but more importantly, make life long friends!
Camp Arrowhead IS FUN!
We would be happy to answer any further questions you have on camp.
_________________
Life is all about having fun.

GoneFishing

Hello! As Jez said, welcome, and thank you for visiting the message board! My name is Jim and I am also a Senior Staff member at Camp Arrowhead. It’s true, with the number of camps today, finding one that matches you and your child’s needs is no easy task. Jez hit on some of the key factors, which every parent should know about camp.

What is the camp's philosophy and program emphasis?
Camp Arrowhead exists to fulfill the calling to serve children, parents, and families by providing a place where children develop socially, mentally, physically and spiritually.

Our program emphasis is twofold. Camp Arrowhead, unlike many camps lets the campers choose their activities every day. This allows for the camper to try a bit of everything, or to focus their interests and talents on a few specific activities. Very few camps have the resources available to pull this off, being small also doesn’t hurt!

What training do counselors receive?
All our staff participates in an intensive 7 day counselor orientation. Our camp staff is trained in safety regulations, emergency procedures and communication, behavior management techniques, child abuse prevention, appropriate staff and camper behavior, specific procedures and policy, to name a few.

How does the camp handle homesickness and other adjustment issues?
Our counselors are fully trained and ready to combat homesickness. They do this by taking the time to get to know every camper as an individual. This allows the Staff to completely tailor a program that specifically for your child.
Thought our years as directors, we have found that the most common time for campers to experience homesickness is in the periods of down time. Our camp program takes this into account by not allowing for chunks of down time.
Parents play a vital role in the successful experience of a homesick camper. Some times an encouraging “You can do it!” is all a camper needs. We work closely with the parents, as a team to come up with the best solution for the serious cases of homesickness, which are few and far between. If you think your camper may be at risk of serious or moderate homesickness, I encourage you to contact the camp office.

Is the camp accredited by the American Camping Association?
It is only logical that members of your family attend an ACA-accredited camp. Accreditation visitors ask the questions -- 300 of them -- regarding essential health, safety, and program quality issues important to a camp's overall operation. This does not guarantee a risk-free environment, but it's some of the best evidence parents have of a camp's commitment to a safe and nurturing environment for their children. Camp Arrowhead gained ACA accreditation in 1999.

Camp Arrowhead is the camp that goes the extra mile!
As Senior Counselors, we are always working out logistics to make our program better, for campers, staff and parents alike. We were the first camp in the area to enact an anti-bully plan. We were the first camp in the WORLD to build a race car! This summer is a whole revamping of our kitchen program, and some other “Top Secret” items that I am not at liberty to talk about.
We encourage parents to take an upfront role in their camper’s experience. To complement this, your campers counselor and division leader (divisions are age groups) will be contacting you though the summer both via telephone and written mail. As a parent you are always welcome to contact the camp office, division leader or your child counselor at any time. (We may not always be available, but we will always call you back in a timely fashion.)

I hope that I have answered some of your questions. Again, thank you for considering camp and stopping by the message board. If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected].

Yours in Camping,
Jim Ligori