Camper & Parent Info

Bob Rumball Camp for the Deaf

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We believe that every child should have a camp experience. A place where they will experience “I can do that”.

We are approaching our 60th year of camping. In our first year in 1962 we served only 8 campers. We have grown since then yet our core value remains the same: delivering one of a kind camp memories without communication, physical or financial barriers. The best summer of your child's life is waiting for them: Deaf Camp 2019.

Youth High School Grade 6 to 12

Senior A Camp

July 7 - July 13

Senior B Camp (Special Skills)

July 14 - July 20

Junior Camp

July 21 — July 27

Special Camp

July 28 — August 3

Campers, Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers

Drop off is anytime between 2pm - 4pm
Pick up is anytime before 11:30 am

Camper Counselling Group Friend Requests

Program Staff work hard to make groups fair for both team activities and counsellor management . Each group typically has a similar age range. If your child has a friend request for their counselling group (same dorm area) - please make a special handwritten note of this at the bottom of the application. The request must also be made by the friend on their application. If one of the campers is more than one year older than the friend requested – it will be the OLDER camper that moves into the younger friend’s dorm area. Changes or special requests made on the day camp starts will not be considered until after all campers have arrived: there are no guarantees that changes will be made, but we will try our best to accommodate all campers. We want your campers to feel excited and ready to start their awesome adventure at camp.

Cell Phone/Tablet/Ipad

We believe that for our campers to enjoy camp to the fullest a cell phone / Tablet/Ipad free environment is important. Looking at their devices or phones means campers are not looking at:

¨ their friends,

¨ their counsellors and or the

¨ beautiful outdoor environment.

They may miss important announcements. Also, sometimes communicating with parents, caregivers and friends from home can make campers feel more homesick and hinders developing friendships with other campers and staff.

Parent/Guardian - Child Communication

Non - emergency communication is limited. Camp does not provide internet access — so skyping or facetime is not available except in emergencies. Wi-Fi is not available for any camper devices. In emergencies campers can use Senior staff devices to skype or facetime. Regular mail is picked up every other day so if you wish to write a letter or postcard we recommend sending asap after your child arrives at camp. The camp’s mailing address is on the bottom of the last page.

Parent/Caregiver– Camp Staff Communication

The best way to contact camp staff :

1) Calling the landline at meal times 8:00 – 9:00 am; 12:30 – 1:30; 5:30-6:30. If no one picks up please leave a message. 2) Emailing jloewen@bobrumball.org is a great option. This email comes to a senior staff phone and is checked regularly throughout the day. Can arrange a Facetime or Skype call via email. Messages from parents/guardians who have a camper in the current session will be answered first. Those of campers of upcoming sessions and those of campers who have returned home will be answered in the order they are received.

Dietary Needs/Allergies/Medications

Kitchen and Tuck Store Staff work hard to make camp as nut free as possible. We do not allow any products that may contain traces of nuts to be brought to camp. Such items will be taken from any camper or staff who bring them by mistake and will be disposed of. The risk of keeping them and returning these items until the camper or staff leaves increases risk of life threatening exposure. We ask that no homemade snacks be sent or brought to camp unless approved by the Kitchen Supervisor and for dietary needs based on other restrictions.

The camper application asks you to list your camper’s dietary needs. If you have any concerns that you would like to further discuss we are happy to do that. Please contact: jloewen@bobrumball.org.

Medications: all medications including over the counter pain killers and vitamins must be handed into the nurse with Doctor or parent/guardian instructions for use. All medications and supplements must be in their original packaging and prescription bottle.

CAMP PICTURES

We have staff dedicated to taking pictures and short videos of each day. These staff try to make sure each camper is regularly featured. All pictures of your child’s session at camp will be posted on our social media sites. You can download pictures from Rumball Camp of the Deaf Facebook page or see on @CampoftheDeaf Instagram for you and your child to remember their time at camp.

We do not recommend campers bringing cameras. Any item of value can be easily lost, broken or even stolen. Please do not send any items of value. We cannot guarantee that they will return in the same condition they arrived in. As staff our only focus is on your children’s safety and wellbeing—not their personal items.

Daily visits to the tuck store are included in your camper fee. This includes one drink and one large candy item or 2—3 smaller candy items. So, your camper does not need to bring any money and we encourage that as money does seem to disappear!

There are additional items that can be purchased from the Tuck shop: sweatshirts, hats, water bottles, sunglasses etc. If your camper would like to purchase these items we will contact you. If you approve we will set up an e-transfer and send the items home with your camper. For those campers being picked up at camp the Tuck shop will be open for purchases.

In attempts to keep camper costs down and to be better stewards of our environment and water usuage we cannot do camper laundry except in emergency situations. Please send an extra bag for your campers dirty laundry to come home in.

Be sure to send your camper with some kind of insect repellent, one long sleeve shirt and pair of pants and socks. Head lice will be checked at the Toronto location and at camp for those dropped off or those getting on the bus in Barrie. IF your camper needs to be treated there will be a $100. charge or may have to be sent home. Please help us avoid this disappointment by ensuring your camper does not have lice.

We have a bed bug protocol with monthly monitoring by Orkin Pest Control. If your camper arrives with evidence of bed bugs on luggage or bedding a cleaning fee will be charged. Some items may have to be thrown out at our discretion.

Please help us get your campers’ belonging back home! Best way to do this? LABEL everything! Some people send a list of what they have sent and that can help too.

On the last day when all campers and staff are together we hold up each lost and found item (not including underwear) for all to see and hopefully claim. What is not claimed is left out on a table until the bus leaves in hopes of being claimed. Every year there is still lots of items left at camp.

We hold onto all lost and found items for 3 months after camp is finished after which we wash them and donate what is left to our local clothing bank.

Contact Jloewen@bobrumball.org if you want us to look for a specific item. If found we will arrange for it to get to the BRCCED for pick up.

At Deaf Camp our goal is to provide a safe environment for every camper to have the best experience EVER! That means we do all we can do to make each day a safe day from physical injury or harm as well as emotional harm. No one is perfect! BUT if a camper behaviour creates a risk to safety and rights of themselves or to other campers the Camp Director will make the difficult decision to send the camper home. Except in the most extreme situations, there will be numerous communications with the camper and the caregivers and opportunities to for the camper to modify behaviour before the final decision is made by the Director. Sending a camper home is rare and happens only when no other options are available.

Staff and campers are informed of the various camp emergency plans for Incidents and Natural Disasters on the first day. Staff will have already been trained or have read the emergency procedures manual.

If there is a need for Evacuation of the camp for any reason, Social Media announcements will be posted regularly as well as individual communication with caregivers as the situation allows. Caregivers will be kept up to date at each new stage of policy implementation.

The Camp’s facilities, buildings and program areas are inspected annually by West Parry Sound Public Health and Fire Protection Services of Seguin Township. Camp staff regularly assess, inspect and maintain program areas and buildings for potential risks and eliminate or mitigate those risks. During the summer session there will be monthly fire evacuation drills. One of those fire drills will be supervised by the Township of Seguin Fire Marshall.

Campers come to camp with a full suitcase and sometimes they go back home with one not so full!!!

We understand this is frustrating for caregivers and campers.

To help us get your camper’s belongings back home please label all clothing with a laundry marker and send the list in the camper application checked with your child’s items and quantities packed and brought. This helps us sort the lost and found and get it into the right campers bags.

For a complete list please check out our website but here are a few key Items often forgotten:

Water bottle— helps the kids stay hydrated as well as cuts down on waste and that is best for the environment. PLEASE PUT YOUR CAMPERS NAME ON THE WATER BOTTLE WITH PERMANENT MARKER. On the bottom is a good place as well as anywhere else.
Hat. We are outside as much as possible and a hat helps prevent heat exhaustion. (Don’t forget to label it on the inside somewhere)
Waterproof sunscreen
Insect Repellent—non aerosol please
Beach Towel
Pillow case for dirty laundry to be taken home
NO SNACKS can be brought to camp—homemade or bought due to allergies. Unfortunately any snacks brought will be removed and disposed off and not given back at the end of the session If there are special circumstances due to food allergies please arrange special accommodation with the Director. Such food arrangements will be held in the camp office and or camp kitchen and given to camper at arranged times.

From Toronto:

Take 400 North, to Exit 213 Lake Joseph Road /Rankin Lake Road
Stay to the right and merge onto Lake Joseph Road for approximately 400 m and turn right on Blackstone Crane Lake Road
Keep right at first “T” intersection onto Blackstone Crane Lake Road for 5 km
Look for Large Bob Rumball Camp of the Deaf Butterfly sign on left.
The “236” green civic address sign is out of numerical order and is actually PAST “237” - don’t turn around or try and drive down the OLD camp driveway! Look for the Butterfly Sign.

Click here to download a printable map to the camp

Bus Transportation:

Please read the camper application for important details if you decide your camper is taking the bus
Bus Transportation Fee is $ 40.00
2 drop off and pick up locations: 2395 Bayview Avenue at BRCCED and the North bound ON enroute at 200 Fairveiw Drive Barrie.
Any changes to bus arrangements made on the camper application will only be accepted in writing to the scanned and or emailed to deafcamp@bobrumball.org and will be approved by the Director in writing.

Bob Rumball Camp of the Deaf

236 Blackstone Crane Lake Road, Seguin, ON P2A 0B7

Phone: 705-378-2898

Email: deafcamp@bobrumball.org

The Bob Rumball Camp of the Deaf offers subsidy for needy campers.

The following are the guidelines:

Subsidies are granted up to 50% of camper fees
We do not subsidies transportation or registration fee
Subsidies are intended for campers whose families and support network face financial hardships
We will require proof of ODSP support
Proof of financial assistance
Campers who receive passport funding are not eligible for subsidy unless approved by the Director
Subsidy requests are made in writing and are kept confidential
Please email Joanne at jbursa@bobrumball.org in the subject line put subsidy request