Term Camp FAQs

What is the food like?

Honestly, the food at Alleghany receives the highest praise from campers and parent evaluation surveys alike!  Miss Hazel and her staff prepare balanced meals, including fresh fruit and salad daily.  The girls enjoy three great meals, and milk & cookies before bed J  Also, the camp store is open after dinner for limited sweet snacks and a small soft drink, should a girl wish to partake.

What if a child gets homesick?
How do I prepare my child for leaving home?

It is important to tell your daughter that she or a tentmate might get homesick and that is O.K. That is a part of camp and if anyone does, there are folks there to help if help is needed.  Be assured that we work as a team to make sure your child is happy, and our nurturing counselors and staff are trained in working with homesick campers.

What type of shoes is appropriate?

Children are not permitted to walk around in open toe shoes.  If they want sandals, they need Keens and not Tevas to walk around camp. Flip-flops may be worn to the showers, and river shoes are recommended for swimming, while required for canoeing.

Why are tent requests not granted?
Why is it so important to not stay in a tent with a friend?

Your child already knows "Mary" and if they are in the tent together, they will get to know fewer new children.  If they don't stay together, your child will not only meet her new friends in her tent, but will also meet the children in "Mary's" tent.  Also if your child stays with Mary in a tent, the other two children in that tent will definitely be left out from the start.

How may I communicate with my daughter while she is at camp?

Campers may not have cell phones in camp and the camp office does not allow campers to receive calls, unless in the event of a family emergency.  A web-based means to send current messages to your daughter is through Bunk Notes [link, or “see Send Camper Email”]. Traditional postal service delivery is made through a camp P.O. Box in Lewisburg.  You may send mail and encourage relatives to do the same.  Outgoing mail is slow; many families receive letters from their daughter a week or so after it is sent. All communication should remain upbeat and positive.  Please refrain from remarking how each relative, pet, and neighbor misses the girl dreadfully and relating all the events she is missing back home.  Inquiring about the camp schedule, weather, activities, and asking questions are great ways to encourage your daughter during her camp experience.

I went to Alleghany as a camper and was a [blue/gray].Will my daughter have a “color?”

Your daughter, by virtue of your legacy, will be the same color as you were. If your daughter does not have a family member who attended camp previously, she will be assigned a color (requests for a particular color are not typically honored or guaranteed).

May I send food to my daughter?

There is NO FOOD allowed in the tent area.  Girls may not bring food in from home, nor will food mailed to them be permitted on tent row.  A trip to the camp store for a cup of soda and small sweet treat remains an after-dinner tradition held; however NO FOOD OR DRINK will be taken back to tent row.

May I visit my daughter during the term?

Alleghany has recently changed its Parent Visitation Policy. Beginning in the Summer of 2010, we will offer one Saturday afternoon per term for parents to visit their daughters and observe them in their activities. Parents may also visit during the Dance and Drama Shows to watch the performances. Alleghany’s website and Parent Handbook will detail the specific dates and times for visitation opportunities. We will no longer have Sunday visitation hours, and parents will not be able to take their daughters out of camp on visitation days.

Alleghany’s directors have made this change to reduce camper homesickness. As so many of our brother and sister camps have noted in changing their policies, limiting or omitting parent visitation has been of benefit to the overall well-being of the campers. We have found that parent visitation, especially trips out of camp with parents, can create homesickness where none existed previously. This is often true for girls who merely witness another camper’s parents visiting.

We have made this change with the best interests of all the campers in mind, and we thank you for understanding and supporting for our decision.

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