Innovative , web-based

tools to revolutionize

camper groupings .

CampMinder ' s COO Paul Berliner ( right ) during his first summer at Camp Saginaw .*

Frank Fagan CampMinder

If you ’ ve never had the pleasure of organizing bunks or groups , I ’ d like to paint you a picture . You ’ ve just spent nine months tirelessly navigating through all of the necessary tasks preparing for the start of camp . Then you ’ re handed a puzzle . The puzzle seems simple at first glance … it ’ s a numbers game , really . You have X number of children who need to be placed into an existing blueprint of bunks or groups . The cover of the instruction booklet , however , offers an ominous warning : “ The future of your business is dependent upon the successful completion of this puzzle .” With a growing sense of anxiety , you open

the booklet . The instructions spill out all over your desk and land with a thud onto the floor . These instructions , otherwise known as “ requests ,” are overwhelming .

“ Please put Johnny with George

but not with Louis .” “ Suzie

would like to be with Alice , as

long as Alice isn ’ t with Lucy .

Otherwise , she wants to be

with Ellen .” “ Jeffrey is new

to camp , and he would like to

be with other fun boys from

the Baltimore area .” “ Jessica

enjoyed being with Lisa and

Josie last year , but she wants

to see if she likes Jamie ’ s bunk

this year . If she doesn ’ t like it ,

please move her back .” “ Jimmy

MUST be with Lance , but only

if there is a bed by the window

available . Otherwise , please

make sure he is with Chuck

in a top bunk .”

Suddenly , this once-simple puzzle becomes a bewildering web of seemingly impossible scenarios . To make matters even worse , these requests often change following the completion of the puzzle . Such is the process of Bunking and Grouping .

Unfortunately , it is simply impractical to expect you can automate the process of organizing bunks and groups without sacrificing the human element . There are too many variables , too many changing

requests , too much knowledge stored in the head of a camp director . After all , camp directors understand their camps ’ philosophies . They know their returning campers well , and they listen to the parents of new campers . They recognize the difference between the needs of a young camper and a six-year veteran . A camp director is full of knowledge that can never be translated into numerical equations or digital sequences . In fact , much of a camp ’ s success can be attributed entirely to the thought process of its camp director . That will never change . What can change , however , is the level of efficiency with which a camp director puts his or her thoughts , philosophies and knowledge into action . That ’ s where CampMinder ’ s new Bunk & Group Administration tool comes into play .

Camp directors use a wide variety of methods to design their bunks or groups . Some spread out sheets of paper , each representing a bunk , and start writing the names of each child in blanks found on the pages . Others cover their desks with note cards , each representing a child and including important information about the child , and place them into stacks representing groups . Regardless of the method , they all parallel the primary functionality of a Delaney Book in one respect or another .

The Delaney Book has been used for classroom design in schools for over 40 years . As such , a Delaney Book can be used just as effectively for the bunks or groups associated with a summer camp . Envision a book wherein each page represents a bunk or group . On each page is a series of slots within which a card representing a child and containing information about that child is placed . The cards can be moved easily from page to page as necessary , and upon completion , the book represents the entire set of full bunks or groups . Turning from page to page allows the camp director to view each of their bunks or groups and the children within .

As with any paper-based management system , there are drawbacks to the original Delaney Book . How would a camp director run a report of the information contained within the Delaney Book pages ? How would he or she ( or any administrative staff , for that matter ) see information relative to their bunks or groups if they are not within arm ’ s length of the Delaney Book ? How does a camp refer to historical bunking or grouping information without amassing bookshelves or filing cabinets full of Delaney Books ? And what happens to that historical information in the case of fire , flood or loss ? These , among others , are the reasons that camps are moving head-first into the digital age . They store health forms , camper applications , staff background checks and reference forms , financial data , notes , and other information digitally . Why not bunking or grouping information ? The short answer : it ’ s hard to abandon the tried-and-true method that has been successful for years , and there has never been a digital version of note cards spread across a desk or sheets of paper upon which camper names are written . Until now .

CampMinder ’ s new Bunk & Group Administration tool moves “ tried-and-true ” bunk and group design methods into the digital era without interfering with a camp director ’ s knowledge or process . The intuitive interface allows the camp director to easily configure and “ build ” their bunks or groups , while simultaneously viewing important information about each camper , accommodating the ever-evolving list of parent requests , and monitoring crucial details such as capacity , staff coverage and unassigned campers . A camp director has complete autonomy to create bunks or groups within session-specific plans supporting multiple sessions , even if their dates overlap , while also setting very specific criteria ( such as gender , grade , location , capacity and age ) for each . He or she can create temporary holding bunks or groups to keep certain campers together while deciding where they should be placed . Bunks and groups can even be built to accommodate only those staff who might not live with campers . The drag-anddrop functionality allows for easy placement into and removal from these custom-built groups or bunks . Highly-detailed reporting offers camp administrators the ability to quickly view or print bunk and group information at any time . And because CampMinder operates entirely within the cloud , all of this functionality and information is available anytime , anywhere .

You ’ re smart , and you know your camp better than anyone … we get that . But use your brain power for important things , like making Johnny and Suzie happy . Let the power of technology help you with your sanity .

BUNK AND GROUP CONFIGURATION

Connect bunks and groups to sessions , and then assign campers and staff to them . It ' s easy to do , you get to keep all your information in front of you , and you ' ll never have to stare at a desk full of note cards again !

BUNK & GROUP ADMINISTRATION PANEL

Drag-and-drop campers into a bunk or a holding area . Filter for campers or staff using whatever criteria you want . And do it all without losing sight of your camper parents ' requests .

Frank Fagan spent 11 years as associate director at Camp Laurel South in Maine , a camp that turned out to be one of CampMinder ’ s first clients . Following two years as director of an international camp staffing agency , Frank joined CampMinder as Director of Client Development in January 2010 .

Frank Fagan frank @ campminder . com