The "Ship's Store" is a camp store where campers may purchase necessary items such as soap, flashlights, and stationery. Campers may also purchase Camp Illahee items such as pens, clothing, and water bottles or snacks (granola bars or crackers). We recommend that each camper have the following amount of money deposited into her "Ship's Store" account before camp starts: $75.00 for the two-week session, $85.00 for the three-week session, and $100.00 for the four-week session. For the Junior session there is no deposit needed since the store is only open during the opening and closing days of the session. The week after closing day, you will receive either a refund or notice of the amount due for any amount over the sum of $5.00.
Campers do not need to bring cash to camp; anything needed or purchased will be charged to their Ship’s Store account. Valuable jewelry, CD collections and electronic toys should be left at home. Camp Illahee cannot be held responsible for lost items.
Campers are allowed one candy bar and one soft drink each week. They may have their soft drink any day of the week, except Sunday, during the Ship's Store period. They may have a candy bar with their bag supper on Wednesday evenings. Great desserts are served after lunch and dinner daily.
You will be sent medical and hospital insurance forms to be filled out and returned to us. We must have signed, completed forms by opening day. Please have your pediatrician complete and sign the appropriate form before returning it to us. CAMPERS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO REMAIN AT CAMP WITHOUT THE COMPLETED AND SIGNED HEALTH FORMS. If you do not send them prior to camp, please bring them with you. These forms stay in the Wishing Well, our health center, with the camp nurse.
The nurse is also responsible for dispensing medications, including non-prescription drugs. All medications brought to camp must be in original bottles with a legible prescription, dosage instructions and the name of the prescribing physician. Campers are not allowed to keep any type of medicine in their cabins. ALL medications (with the exception of inhalers for asthmatics, Epipens and prescription dermatological creams) including aspirin and vitamins must be kept in the Wishing Well.
The Wishing Well will be stocked with the following over-the-counter medications and standing orders from our camp physician will dictate their use: Acetaminophen (Tylenol), Ibuprofen (Advil), antibiotic cream (Neosporin), itch relief lotion (Calamine or Hydrocortisone), antacid tablets (Tums), antihistamine (Benadryl), decongestant (Sudafed), Vitamin C, anti-nausea (Emetrol), and throat/cough lozenges. Epipens (Epinephrine used for anaphylaxis) and Ipecac are available for First Aid treatment.
Illahee has registered nurses permanently on staff; a local pediatrician also makes camp calls twice a week. Parents will be notified by phone if a camper sees the doctor at camp or in his office, spends the night in the health center, or has excessive visits to the medical staff. If it is necessary for a camper to visit the doctor's office and/or receive prescribed medications, parents will be billed accordingly. The doctor's office and our pharmacy may not submit claims to your insurance company. However, we will save receipts for your reimbursement.
Homesickness is a normal part of adjusting to camp! In fact, it is healthy for a camper to relate to the home setting with strong emotions. The new camp environment, making friends, and a natural longing for the familiar make homesickness common for nearly everyone. Occasionally, in an effort to ease pre-camp “butterflies,” a family member will suggest that if a child is not happy at camp, a call home or early pick-up will be arranged. Please do not make this mistake! Although expressed with the best intentions, it is not helpful to the camper, and makes adjusting to camp more difficult. Positive family support gives your daughter the tools she needs to make the camp transition a successful and valuable growth experience.
We expect each camper to be a positive member of our community. In order to promote our “heavenly world,” we set high expectations as we work to offer a wholesome, safe camp community. Upon their arrival at camp, we ask our campers to sign the Illahee Honor Code:
“On my honor, in the spirit of Illahee, I promise to be trustworthy, helpful, honest, and true, and to encourage others to do likewise.”
We also ask that they have a positive attitude, respect others, and that they not use or bring alcohol, drugs, drug paraphernalia, or tobacco products. We reserve the right to dismiss any camper who does not follow these guidelines or a camper whose actions or behavior disrupt cabin life or the “Spirit of Illahee” in the camp community.
As a permit holder for group activities on public lands (Pisgah National Forest, Nantahala, Chatooga) we comply with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: and Title IX of the Educations Amendments of 1973; and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975.
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer."
The Illahee program provides an extraordinary opportunity for campers to gain the self-reliance, self-confidence, and independence important to a young girl's development. Visits from parents and relatives can interrupt the camp program and interfere with the camper's progress. We highly recommend that parents visit camp on opening and closing days of the camp session only. At this time, parents are encouraged to meet the staff and view the camp facility. The week before camp and the day between sessions are busy planning days and are not convenient times for visits.