Broad & Bright Articles
AMSkier’s Broad and Bright library shares valuable summer camp resources and are open to the public. Broad and Bright is a smaller library curated from our full media center of SKI-Way articles, which is packed with valuable tips and resources for summer camps and camp leaders. This extensive library of SKI-Way articles, videos, podcasts and other summer camp resources is exclusive to our AMSkier summer camp clients. Each article is prepared by experts in the camp industry because we know informed and prepared camp leaders help make children’s summer camps safer and better. Several SKI-Way articles are published a month and full access to these articles, podcasts, and other media is exclusively available to AMSkier camp clients. Stay informed by legal experts, child psychologists, behavior specialists, and top leaders in the camp industry and consider insuring your camp with us.
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In years past, when a severe storm would knock out power at camp for hours at a time, the only thing we could do was put campers back in their cabins, make sure the refrigerators and freezers were locked up and keep our fingers crossed that Central Maine Power would restore power as quickly as possible. But as summer weather patterns have become more erratic -- and power outages a more common occurrence -- the thought of installing a permanent, fully automatic, self-contained generator went from being an idea to a reality.
As a life-long camper (two years in day camp, eleven years at sleep away camp, four years as a counselor) I remember one of the sweetest times as a camper was when our counselors would participate with us in recreational activities. Camper/counselor basketball and soccer games, chicken fights, tossing us about the pool – it was like having your big brother allowing you to hang out with him and his friends.
Unfortunately, like many other popular activities of yesteryear such as trampolines, diving boards, canoe jousts and rat tail fights that are no longer allowed due to liability exposure, the time has come for camps to eliminate those activities that involve direct play between staff members and campers.
Yesterday morning I heard a news report on CNN about the autistic child that was allegedly abused by a teacher. We know this because the father put a recording device in the child's pocket in an effort to reveal the abuse for the purpose of stopping it, both for his son and to draw public attention and awareness to this problem.
Dr. Steve Perry, Founder of Capital Preparatory Magnet School and CNN Education Contributor said when interviewed, "One bad teacher can mess you up pretty badly," when he supported the father of the autistic boy's decision to put a listening device in his son's pocket.
The Little Hawk, a Iowa High School newspaper was mailed to me by Max Friedman, the co-editor of the publication who also happens to be the author and my 16 year-old grandson. His front page article, as you will note serves as documentation of a rather serious cultural phenomenon that is carefully researched and spelled out. I wish to share it with you not only as a proud grandfather but more importantly another good reason to continue prohibiting electronics of any kind at camp this summer. Without exception, our feedback from camp directors who have taken a very firm stance with campers and parents report success. Surprisingly, many campers enjoy the freedom it offers not to be connected.
Diabetes, food allergies, ADHA, cerebral palsy-these and other issues are becoming more commonplace as children with disabilities are mainstreamed, and as ever-increasing numbers of youngsters seem to be diagnosed with various ailments. Coupled with improving medical care, more comprehensive governmental and insurance support, and the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act ("ADA"), camp directors mush now deal with situations that their predecessors never faced.
Camps must deal with two sections of the ADA, one for consumers and one for employees. Camps are far less likely to face employment issues and they will be addressed in another Broad and Bright, although many of the same principles apply. Simply stated, the ADA makes it illegal to discriminate against anyone with a disability that substantially limits one or more major life activity.
