Are you ready for some big and exciting news? It’s still mid-winter and we’re already full to capacity for Mini Camp and both sessions of Term Camp!*
We’ve actually been full for the past few weeks and it’s really exciting because we’ve been successful in testing out some new outreach and recruiting methods and we’re happy to say they worked beautifully!
So now we’re just dreaming about summer and concentrating on planning the 2014 camp season — and that’s always a fun way to spend cold winter days!
The bad (and good) news
Of course, our happy news for the season ahead might not be so happy for anyone who was still hoping to come to camp this year. But don’t be discouraged — we do have a waiting list and your camper can get on it.
Every year there are a few inevitable changes that happen for some of our families and that means there are still opportunities for would-be campers on the waiting list to become campers even though we’re currently full. So if you think this is the summer for your daughter or granddaughter to be at Camp Alleghany, contact us about putting her on the waiting list.
We wish we could open up extra spaces for all the campers who continue to contact us about camp this summer. But of course, in order to work within our facilities capacity, and meet our own high standards for counselor-to-camper ratios, it’s just not something we can do. For now the waiting list really is your best bet.
However, what I can offer are some solid tips for reserving your place for next year.
First in line and the best rate
By the time camp has started in any given summer, we’ve also nailed down the camp dates for the following year.
What this means for families that know they want their daughter(s) to come back the next year is that we provide an opportunity for “Early Commitment” at the end of camp. In the past we’ve done this on the last day of camp and it has been wildly successful as parents grab the best rate — LOWER even than our Early Bird Rate — and get their summer planning sewn up (at least for the girls).
But because parents are also eager to get on their way when camp ends, we’ve decided this year to offer three full days for returning campers to be eligible for Early Commitment. Families can choose to reenroll before they leave camp, and they’ll be able to get the same extra-incentivized discount rate via phone or the Internet for the following two days after camp. (The last day and next two days after Mini Camp, and the last day and following two days of each session of Term Camp.)
So if you meant to do that last year, or like to do it every year, put it on your calendar now to do Early Commitment on the last day or following two days of your camper’s session!
Early birds really do get worms
Every summer after term camp…after we relax at least a bit during Family Camp…and then after we’ve cleaned and rolled up the cots and packed away those tents and secured all the equipment and shuttered the buildings, and headed back home…then we turn our sights toward the next summer for our broader outreach.
And that’s when we start readying for Early Bird Registration — from October 1st until December 1st — and let you know about which early bird rate specials we’ll be offering for early registration.
So here are three things you can do to be sure you hear about our specials:
- Bookmark our Newsletter page on our main website (The Rattler Newsletter).
- Subscribe to the blog’s RSS feed to get the blog by e-mail. (Enter your e-mail address under e-mail updates on the right hand side of any blog page.)
- Connect with us socially by liking us on Facebook, and following us on Pinterest and Twitter.
And here’s a not-so-crazy idea: You could pull out your smart phone or pull up your calendar right now and create an alert for October 1, 2014 saying, “Check the Camp Alleghany website about Summer 2015 registration.” Seriously, you can never be too prepared to get your name in on time.
The great thing about getting your registration and deposit in early is that you’ll be eligible for the discounts we customarily offer early registrants. This year, those early registrants saved saved significantly on tuition for both a single term or full term. Now that is an incentive worth planning for!
So let’s stay in touch.
Parents who are considering Mini Camp for their daughters should also follow those steps. While Mini Campers can take advantage of Early Commitment, there are no early bird specials for Mini Camp. But it is still worth it to get your registration in early because all sessions of camp increasingly fill up quicker than quick and lickety-split!
We hope to see your daughter at camp sometime soon!
–Elizabeth Dawson Shreckhise, Assistant Director, Camp Alleghany for Girls
*(There are still spaces in Family Camp so register now before we fill up.)
