General Camp Problem Solving
Conference Sessions By Category

What’s Your Next Best Move?
Bob Ditter, MEd, LCSW and Norman E. Friedman, partner, AM Skier and dean of the Gene Ezersky Camp Safety College
Thursday, 9-11:30 - Salon D
Using real life examples that occurred at camps all around the country this past summer, Bob and Norman will take you through the “white water” of life at camp and help you devise better strategies and responses to some of camp’s most vexing situations. Always a popular session, you will walk away with new insights and skills. Pre-registration for this seminar is required and is limited to just 30 participants. For member to go to one: $45 and nonmember, $65. For a member to go to both: $70 and non-member $110. This is a free-standing course; to register, use the form enclosed with this brochure. Special Offer: Attend the morning AND afternoon workshops and save money: pay just $70 (ACA members) or $110 (all others).

What Keeps You Up at Night?
Matthew Leopold, Northwestern Mutual
Friday, 9-10:15 - Suite 301
Camp owners need to identify and prioritize goals and concerns with regards to business succession planning. Specific information will cover life, disability and key management tolerance, trusts, employee benefits, retirement and estate planning.

Collaborative Problem Solving — Advanced Skills for Defusing Emotional Bombs
Chris Thurber, school psychologist, Philips Exeter Academy
Friday, 9-10:15 - Salon A
Extend your conflict resolution skills beyond the old-fashioned problem-solving rubric of
identification, brainstorming, and trial-and error. In volatile situations, this traditional approach can actually backfire and escalate conflict. Instead, this workshop uses powerful new tools to identify needs, communicate effectively, and resolve conflicts durably. Also helpful for staff-staff conflicts and staff-parent conflicts.

We Squashed It! Problem Solving and Conflict Management
Scott Arizala, CEO/founder, The Camp Counselor
Friday, 10:30-11:45 - Stark
This session is about effectively teaching and using the best problem-solving and conflict management strategies. These essential skills for young people (both campers and counselors) will not only make for a successful set of camp skills, but certainly life skills, too. Come hear the stories and techniques of the best approach and ways to handle training, facilitating and role modeling these skills. Come away with great ideas for staff training!

This Old Camp
Gary Forster, national camping consultant, YMCA of the USA
Friday, 10:30-11:45 - Salon C
As camp directors and staff, many of us are thrown into camp facility maintenance and management without any background in how to clean, repair, design, or build camp buildings. Like the TV show, this workshop shows you the issues that we all typically face; teaches “rules of thumb” for things like plumbing, electrical, acoustics, roofing, heating, and work organization; and puts it all in a context of how it helps us meet our mission (and get more campers!) Photos of real-life problems (you’ll laugh because they’re true!) and lots of pictures of time-and-money-saving solutions.

Ma'am, Put Down the Phone and Step Away from the Child!
Chris Thurber, school psychologist, Philips Exeter Academy
Friday, 10:30-11:45 - Salon A
We can’t arrest our over-anxious, over-involved parents, but we can do lots to soothe their anxiety
and curb their micro-management impulses. This practical session focuses on helping helicopter
parents manage their stress so you can get on with the business of running a camp and promoting youth development. Coach parents to let go for a bit and allow their children to blossom.

Improving Camp Safety: Understanding Camp Injuries and Illness
Deb Bialeschki, PhD, ACA research coordinator and Susan B. Baird, RN, MPH, chair of the Healthy Camp Study Advisory Committee
Friday, 10:30-11:45 - Frost
ACA is involved in a five-year monitoring study of camp injuries and illness that affect camp
program participation by staff and campers. Hear the national results of the second year of research and learn strategies to keep staff and campers healthy. Both presenters are experienced
researchers and presenters who are prepared to translate study findings into useful guides for attendees. This session is a must for directors, health staff, and risk managers.

ROUNDTABLE: Best Practices for Working with Camp Referral Agents
Pam Cobb Heuberger, ACA New England president and Bette Bussel, ACA New England executive director
Friday, 1-2:15 - Suite 301
Do you use camper referral services? Are you thinking it might be a good idea? Come to this
roundtable session to talk about the ACA “best practices” framework that has been developed to
improve the working relationship of camps with referral agencies. These guidelines, based on a collaboration with ACA New York, can create a more positive camper recruitment relationship. We all have the same goal … to get the right kids to your camp … so let’s share ideas, feedback,
experiences and information.

Camp Marketing: The Stuff That Works!
Gary Forster, National Camping Consultant, YMCA of the USA
Friday, 1-2:15 - Salon C
We’ve done research to find out what works and what doesn’t, and yes, it IS rocket science. That
is, if you ignore the critical issues and try to reinvent things on your own, it will come crashing down around you; and if you put your time and energy in the right places, you can fly to the stars and be a hero. Choose to be a hero. This is one of the few workshops where we’ll tell you what to STOP doing to make room for the new stuff you’ll START doing! You’ll get a sample marketing plan AND the resources to convince anyone that you’re making the right decisions.

Revisiting the 3 Rs of Volunteerism: Recruitment, Recognition and Retention
Debby Colgan, MEd, director of community development for South Shore Elder Services and advisory board member, Camp Hawkeye
Saturday, 9:15-10:45 - Suite 301
Working with volunteers is equal parts art and skill. Today’s volunteers have many skills, experiences and resources to offer camps. In order to welcome such valuable people to your camp, it's important to have a clear vision for the role that volunteers will play in your program and a sound organizational structure that provides direction, supervision and recognition. Thinking and planning first will pay off in the long run when volunteers, staff and campers have a joyful summer together.

Weddings, Retreats and Rental Groups
Ian Moorhouse, Hill House
Saturday, 9:15-10:45 - CEO
What happens at your camp from September to June? Bring your questions, ideas and concerns as we discuss what it takes and what it means to have a user group at your camp in the “off season.”

Events 101: From Start to Finish
Laurie Backall, Hill House, director of marketing and development
Saturday, 11:30-1 - Pierce
Have you ever wanted to run a large-scale fundraiser for your organization? Learn how to run a silent auction, live auction and themed events from start to finish.

Staying in Camp and Out of the Courtroom: Five Sure Ways to Get Sued When Working with Children and How to Prevent Them
Ian Gardner, national director of camp and youth relations, Markel Insurance
Saturday, 11:30-1 - Salon C
What’s going on in our camps to cause lawsuits? What types of accidents are really happening at camp? We will discuss some actual current camp lawsuits as well as some national statistical accidents and loss trends in camps. This interactive workshop will provide recommendations for increasing camp safety and helping keep camps out of court. Attendees will be provided with suggestions and training activities for working with and helping your staff and campers become more safety conscious.

Land: One of Your Camp’s Most Valuable Assets
Wolfe Tone, project manager, The Trust for Public Land
Saturday, 11:30-1 - Dartmouth
Camps from around the country are reaching out to conservation organizations, seeking solutions to protecting their land. This session will help camps think about the vision for the future of their land, and provide an introduction to the tools and techniques available for protecting their legacy. We will identify a variety of real estate techniques that have been used successfully for years to help protect family lands, farms and working forests, and discuss their advantages and applicability to camps. Plan today to preserve your camp’s legacy for tomorrow!

Stress Busters — Long Lasting
Jim Wolfson, certified life and executive coach and consultant, former camp director
Saturday, 11:30-1 - Stark
Assisting a director or directing a camp yourself can be very stressful, even during the off-season. Learn how to develop a simple, custom program that you can begin now that will help you think more clearly, master your emotions and tap your deep resources so that big problems start to seem smaller. Please come prepared to actively engage in this experiential workshop.

Stress Busters — Fast Acting
Jim Wolfson, certified life and executive coach and consultant, former camp director
Saturday, 4-5:30 - Webster
You just learned that a camper is missing or an irate mom is on the line for you. What can you do to quickly regain your center and compose yourself? Learn proven tools that take just one to three minutes that will let you operate at higher efficiency. With calmer thoughts and smoother emotions, you can tap into the resources you need to tackle the problems at hand. Please come prepared to actively engage in this experiential workshop.