On your way into our camp via the primary entrance you will find our welcome station. A member of our staff will be serving as a greeter to welcome you into camp, to assist in contactless temperature checks, and to ask all those arriving a brief screening questionnaire. It is important that all participants and drivers consider these questions prior to their departure. The greeters and site guides at our entrances are one of the many processes we will be using this year as we work to ensure a safe environment at camp.
Check In and Arrival
Camp Keowa’s official check-in begins at 11:00 a.m.
How to Obtain Fast Track Status Prior to Camp
- All participants, (including adults attending only part of the week), must be listed on the participant
- roster in our online camp registration system for the week your troops is attending Camp Keowa.
- All participants who are listed on the week’s participant roster in our online camp registration
- system must actually be attending for some duration of the week you are in camp.
- Balance owed must be paid in full prior to arrival at camp. (Units may make payments directly on
- our online camp registration system at any time using either credit card or eCheck.)
Visit the online registration system here: https://scoutingevent.com/640-Keowa
Arrival
Units are encouraged to arrive early, but not before 10:00 a.m., to begin campsite setup; however, financial check-in will not begin until 11:00 a.m. Please do not plan on being able to check in before 11:00 a.m.
When you arrive at Keowa, you should first find your unit’s assigned site guide at the carport located by the parking lot. This site guide will help your unit throughout the check-in process. At this time, the leader in charge of financial check-in should report to the office. The rest of the unit, along with the site guide, will be taken to your campsite.
Cars
Your unit is allowed to have one car at a time transfer gear to your campsite. If you have a trailer, you may leave it in your campsite, but all cars must be returned to one of the two main parking lots, next to the main office or in Rondack.
Campsite
While the unit leader is completing financial check-in, the site guide will take the rest of the unit up to your site, so they may get situated. Before the unit leaves the site for medical rechecks and swim tests (for those who need to take swim tests), all participants should (a) bring their medications to leave with the medical staff, and (b) change into their bathing suits if they plan to take the swim test.
Financial Check-in
For financial check-in, you should send the adult representative who intends to perform the financial portion of your unit’s check-in to the front of the office before your unit goes to the site. This representative will be greeted by a staff member who will confirm the unit’s status as a Fast Track unit or non-Fast Track unit:
- If the unit has a need for changes to the event roster, you will be directed into the Office where
- there are staff available to aid in making these changes.
- Fast Track units will be directed to the Scoutmasters Lounge. There, the office manager will send
- you to complete your unit’s financial check-in based on the order of arrival in the waiting area.
Open Field Sports
All day on Sunday, Field Sports will be hosting Open Program. If your unit is finished setting up camp, they may come to Field Sports while you are waiting for your medical recheck time.
Medical Recheck
Each unit should arrive at Medical Recheck five minutes before their assigned time. If you or your scouts have any special dietary needs this is an additional opportunity for that information to be communicated to our excellent kitchen staff.
After completing medical recheck, units will receive dining hall orientation.
Program Check-in
During your unit’s medical recheck, your unit leader and SPL will have an opportunity to meet with our program director to learn about and schedule participation in available bookable programs taking place throughout the week. Please see our “Program Request Sheet – Camp Keowa” You will also have an opportunity to book these programs prior to arrival at camp. Please have the unit leader who is registered on the GNYC website watch their email for the opportunity to book these programs before you arrive.
If you have any scouts in Project LEAF, the leader’s next step is to briefly meet with a Project LEAF representative in the dining hall, where the representative will take down information, so as to put your scout in a patrol where they will thrive the best. The representative will also answer any questions you have about the program.
Swim Tests
After dining hall orientation, your unit will proceed on to take their swim tests at our lake.
Swim Test your Unit Before Camp
To better serve our customers, Keowa now supports and encourages troops to pre-test their participants for the BSA swimmers test before coming to camp. If you pre-test your troop, you will not need to take the dock test upon arrival at camp, thus expediting your check in process greatly!
This is simply a matter of finding a qualified person to conduct the test, such as a BSA or Red Cross certified lifeguard. Other qualified individuals are specified on the Unit Swim Classification Record: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/Outdoor%20Program/Aquatics/pdf/430-122.pdf
All that is required is for the qualified individual to administer the test to Scouts or adults who are planning on doing aquatic activities, and then recording their test results on the Unit Swim Classification Record. The procedure for administering the test is specified on the Unit Swim Classification Record.
It is imperative that not only the Unit Swim Classification Record be brought to camp, but also a proof of certification for the individual who administered the swim test. Both documents must be given to the Aquatics Director after your troop has completed the Medical Recheck when you arrive to camp on Sunday.
The Keowa waterfront staff reserves the right to retest any individual they feel does not satisfy the required swimming level for the activity which they are performing.
After units have completed their swim tests, the check-in process is complete.