What a month! I just spent the last couple of weeks traveling, but it’s not what you think. I won’t impress you with stories of far off places and exciting adventures, but what I saw and learned was amazing none the less….for our campers and for our staff.
I attended two conferences to keep us on the cutting edge in dealing with important issues that face camping and youth organizations. While lots of topics were covered, it was safety that emerged over and over again as the commanding issue in our discussions.
My first stop took me to Seattle, WA for the Camp Risk Management Conference. It was cold and rainy the whole time, but the annual topic of best risk management protocols and tools was so worth it. I was in rooms filled with other camp directors and executives. Together, we explored topics that included employee training & learning; facilities management; activity/program safety management; and emergency contingency planning & evacuations. Following our discussions, I came home with additional training techniques and safety protocols that will help Camp La Junta campers and staff to have an even safer and more awesome summer experience. It was time well spent.
After rainy Seattle, I headed to cold (but at least with sunshine) Branson, MO to learn more—this time, about a new, innovative plan designed to prevent, detect, and respond to abuse in children’s programming. The course is called the Child Protection Plan (CPP). CPP was developed by a respected senior risk consultant in youth protection. The aim of the CPP is to give organizations like ours the tools to go beyond the “standard” in protection. I’m confident that this great, informative CPP approach will support Camp La Junta in staying at the forefront of abuse awareness and training. And it will guide us as we implement the latest strategies to ensure safety.
Our goal at La Junta is to provide a memorable, fun and safe camp experience to all our campers and staff each summer. I want you to rest assured that that we always work hard to achieve this by seeking out and listening to knowledgeable advisors and acting on the most effective resources we can find.
Meanwhile, holidays are coming and I’m excited to get back into the office before school lets out. We have tons of fun ideas coming down the pipe, and we can’t wait to share them with you in the New Year.
