There is a new guide for leaders to help them plan for young women’s camp. This pamphlet is pretty straightforward, but it does make the planning process much easier. The guide will be shipped out to local units, as they are prepared. Initially the guide will only be available in English and Spanish, but they will ship out guides in other languages as soon as the translation is completed.
One of the things that stood out in the planning process was the focus on the spiritual aspects of camp. It emphasizes that camp is designed to help the young women feel the spirit. The most important aspect of camp is not the camping, but rather how it can bring young women closer to Christ. In this light it emphasized creating times to allow the young women feel the spirit.
The leaders should pick a theme early in the planning process. The theme should have a spiritual focus. In addition to planning with the theme in mind, it is important to plan opportunities for the young women to grow spiritually. You may consider planning classes and/or firesides that focus primarily on this.
Of course camp is also about helping the young women master survival skills, enjoy nature and to spend time building friendships. You should make sure that you plan time for these activities as well. You should still use the Young Women Camp Manual as a focus for the structure of camp. The pamphlet is a supplement and a guide to planning.
Successful camps take a lot of careful planning and preparation. Often the stake young women’s camp committee starts planning next year’s camp sometime in the fall. As you begin the process, be sure to include youth camp leaders as well. These girls can act as an example to the younger girls, but they will also have important ideas to contribute to camp as well.
Related Articles:
Young Women: 5 Tips for Leaders
Young Women: Five Tips to Help Your Girls Become Leaders