Mini 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 :) Also, the camp store is open after dinner for limited sweet snacks and a small (8oz) soft drink, should a girl wish to partake.

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.

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 tent mate 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. Mini Camp staff are mature women who will nurture your daughters’ needs as if their own.

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 during Mini 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.  Traditional postal service delivery is made through a camp P.O. Box in Lewisburg.  You may send mail (preferably mailed during the week before she comes to camp) and encourage relatives to do the same.  Outgoing mail is slow; many families receive letters from their daughter during the week following their daughter’s Mini Camp week.

Girls may post mail at the camp Post Office. Outgoing mail is sent across the river once daily.  Incoming mail is also delivered once daily (this includes mail sent electronically through Bunk Notes).  Packages are welcome, but without candy included.

All communication from family and friends 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 Mini Camp week experience.

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

The Mini Camp week offers a miniature experience of what term camp offers.  Your daughter, by virtue of your legacy, will be the same color as you were when she returns to term camp.  During Mini Camp each girl is assigned one of a rainbow of colors which will be her color for the week. The girls participate in fun and varied activities with their mixed age group color team throughout Mini Camp as an introduction to the bonding and pride that ‘Ghany girls experience during term camp once officially tapped as a blue or gray team member.

Does Mini Camp “count” for term camp honors and progressions?

Term camp is full of ways in which girls are honored and awarded for their achievements.  Mini Camp does not “count” towards such things as “four year,” “ten year,” however your daughter might reach a progression within an activity (such as finishing prone in rifle) and that achievement “counts.”  Mini Camp alums can say, for example, “This is my 5th year and I went to Mini Camp”, or, “I’ve been a “Ghany girl for 6 summers, including Mini Camp!”

What if I have a concern about my daughter but I'm afraid to tell the camp?
 
Open and honest communication with us about your daughter is extremely important. If we don't know about a concern or a problem, we won't be as prepared to handle it if something should happen. If your daughter wets the bed, takes certain medications, has specific fears, etc, these are all things that we strongly encourage you to communicate with us so that we can best care for your daughter and make camp the most pleasant experience possible for her. All information will remain confidential.

What happens if my daughter's birthday occurs while she is at camp?

If your daughter’s birthday occurs while she is at camp, she will receive a birthday cake at dinner. The other campers and counselors will sing to her (several times!) during the day, and her counselor will be sure to make it a special celebration for her throughout the day.

What mailing address do I use to send my daughter letters and packages?

If you are mailing something UPS, please send to: