Letters to Your Child
Don't underestimate the importance of your contact while your child is at Camp Wekeela. Campers particularly love mail, so please make an effort to write as frequently as you can. Many parents send a letter to camp before actual arrival, giving their child support from home during the first few days. All mail should be addressed to:

Camp Wekeela
(Camper name and bunk)
RFD #I, Box 275, Route #219
Canton, Maine
04221

Letters From Your Child
Your child will be writing home at least twice a week, unless he/she is on an out-of-camp trip. Be sure to equip him/her with an adequate supply of stamps, stationary and pencils/pens. For younger children, you may even want to supply pre-addressed, stamped envelopes. You may be, surprised to learn that some of your child's letters contain expressions of love and happiness or perhaps just the opposite. These types of letters should not overly concern you. A child's feelings toward his/her counselors or bunkmates can change drastically in a very short period of time. You have trusted us to care for your child, and we are ready to help them at all times. Keep in mind that if a problem should arise, we will work with your child to clear things up quickly.

Each member of our staff is dedicated to creating a positive and nurturing experience for every camper. If you feel your child has expressed a concern that is "out of the ordinary" or requires immediate attention, do not hesitate to contact us.

E-Mail
You may send E-Mail messages to your child at our E-Mail address: Wekeela1@aol.com. You must type your child's name at the top of the message, aiding us in more quickly distributing messages to your child as part of our daily mail system. Campers may not send out-going E-Mail.

Phone Calls
Campers may speak by phone with parents, grandparents, and siblings on a limited basis. Phone calls can sometimes be emotionally difficult for campers, distracting them from camp activities. Rest assured, if your camper is having any difficulty, we will contact you immediately. For general calls, we have set up a simple set of telephone guidelines for your convenience: Please do not call for one week after camp arrival. This gives your child the chance to acclimate to his/her new summer home.

To arrange your phone calls, contact the CAMPER HOTLINE EXTENSION at (207) 224-7878 before 3 pm., and leave a voicemail message. Your message should clearly state the child's name, bunk and division. Your child will return the call the same evening between 6 & 9 PM. If your child happens to be out of camp on a special trip or participating in a special "Wekeela Day" and cannot call, you will be advised as such by one of our administrative assistants. If you so desire, you may reserve phone appointments in avance by calling the CAMPER HOTLINE and request phone dates. Send a phonecard to camp or your child will be calling 1-800-COLLECT. If needed, we will help your child place a call.

Phone calls are limited to five minutes. Please keep in mind that other campers and parents will be waiting for their turn. Conversations must be brief.

Note that phones will be closed for campers before July 1st, July 19-24 and after August 10th.

Faxes
Feel free to fax mail to your child anytime. Faxes received prior to 11 a.m. will be folded and delivered to mailboxes the same day. Faxes received after 11 a.m. will be distributed the following day.

Our summer fax number is (207) 224-7999.
Campers are not permitted to send outgoing faxes.

Packages
Due to an increasing volume of packages each summer, we have found it necessary to limit each camper to receiving four packages during their session. Packages over the limit of four will be refused and returned to the sender. We suggest sending items such as comic books, magazines, stickers, or books.

We do not recommend sending your child:
Elaborate Gifts - It has been our experience that gifts can sometimes cause hard feelings among bunkmates.

Food, Candy, or Gum - Your child will be provided with plenty of food, and candy is given out at a variety of times during camp. Gum is never permitted at Camp Wekeela. For obvious reasons, we cannot allow food in the cabins. Thus, we do reserve the right to open packages and dispose of any food items.

Water Guns, Knives (including Swiss Army and Leatherman), Silly String, Dart Guns, Sling Shots, Etc. These items are not allowed at camp as they can cause disruptions and even accidents.

Our Parent Liason
Our primary goal at Camp Wekeela is to provide a meaningful and special camping experience for your child. We believe that one way we reach that goal is by maximizing our interaction with each camper. That's why our camp directors spend the majority of their time with our campers, instead of in the office. They have found this to be the best way to keep in close touch with each and every child, and to monitor all camp activities.

This approach certainly does not mean that you won't be able to contact us with questions or concerns. In fact, Camp Wekeela has appointed a fulltime Parent Liaison, Lori Caflun, who is available to you throughout the summer. Feel free to contact her any morning at (207)224-7878. She will check into every question or issue, and return your call within 24 hours. Do try to keep in mind that camper questions you learn of through letters are most often already resolved at the camp site. Our highly trained, caring staff are committed to making Camp Wekeela a memorable experience for every young person. Medical concerns should be directed to the Head Nurse.