Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Camper Experience

  • We offer a wonderful blend of creative activities and zany fun in a caring community. We consider it very important that the campers have ownership in the running of the camp through the establishment of cabin rules, speaking at community meetings, working together to keep the camp clean, and having the opportunity to share from the heart about important things in their lives.

  • The simple answer is: when both parents and child are ready. To give you an idea of when your child is ready, you can see how they do during an overnight visit at the home of family or friends. You can also ask yourself, “How well does my child adjust to new situations like day care or school, or day camp?” Some children need a little encouragement to take the step toward attending an overnight camp. To make this step easier, please consider visiting Friends Camp.

  • All of the cabins at Friends Camp have bunk beds, electricity, screened windows, and some camper graffiti on the walls. The graffiti dates back decades in some of our older cabins! Our smaller cabins house two counselors and six campers. Our larger cabins house two counselors and 7 to 10 campers. We have two centrally located bathhouses with hot and cold running water, toilets, sinks and individual shower stalls with full length mirrors for tick checks.

  • Our tasty meals are served buffet style. We offer vegetarian options at each meal. Our breakfasts include fruit and cereal in addition to traditional morning fare, such as eggs and pancakes. Our lunch and dinner meals are complemented by a full salad bar. Friends Camp has a long history of offering quality, healthy food that keeps the campers coming back for more.

  • When we create cabin groupings, we look to set campers up for a successful time at camp. Though we do allow friend requests, and we try our best to honor them, we do not promise that every request will be fulfilled. There are many factors that go into the creation of cabin groups, and the main purpose of attending camp is to make new friends and grow. As a small camp community, we do almost all of our activities as a large group and your camper will get to spend plenty of time with friends from home or past summers at activities, meals, and free time. We use a family grouping method for cabins, meaning that there is age diversity in each cabin, within reason. Often, in Jones session especially, we place campers who are closer in age together. We also try to make sure that a camper is never the only camper of color or first-time camper in a cabin group.

  • From a letter home: “I am having an awesome time. My cabin is great and my counselors are the best.” – Brenna

    “Friends Camp helped me realize at an early age that being different is beautiful” – Nina

    From a camper who did not want to come to camp: “I’m having so much fun, I’ll probably leave out the best parts” – Max

  • Each summer we hire or rehire about thirty interesting and thoughtful young adults to work at Friends Camp. The counselors range in age from 19 to 26 years old. They often come primarily from colleges in the northeast; we also have several international counselors each year. We screen our counselors with extensive application questions, an interview, three references, and a background check of state and national sex offender registries. The screening and training of our staff continues throughout the summer with daily staff meetings, enforcement of child safety guidelines, supervision, and observations.

Quakerism at Camp

  • We welcome all youth at Friends Camp. Quakers or Friends, have a long history of offering excellent Quaker camps and schools to the wider public. The Friends Camp experience offers young people a loving community without doctrine or religious rituals

  • Quakers teach tolerance and respect of all faiths. Quaker camps offer a values-centered environment based on equality, truth, simplicity, community, harmony, and peace. It is these values that guide the actions and decisions of the counselors and the campers at Friends Camp. There is no preaching or proselytizing. In following the Quaker tradition of worship, we do observe a daily 20 minutes of silence as time for reflection.

  • The Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, believe that there is that of God in every person and we often refer to God as the Light within everyone. Quakers strive to live their testimonies of equality, peace, integrity, simplicity, and community. Quaker worship is one of silent waiting for the Inner Spirit to offer guidance. Because of some confusion about Quakers, it is important to note that Quakers are not Amish, Pennsylvania Dutch, Anabaptists, Shakers or Puritans. Quakers do not dress like the man on the box of oats anymore, and they hardly ever call people “thee.” For more information about Quakers please ask our Director or visit these informative web pages: www.quakerinfo.org or www.neym.org.

For Parents and Families

  • Campers love getting letters or emails! To send an e-mail or fax to your child, please note your child’s full name and the cabin name in the subject line. i.e., Anna McLeod-Murphy – Loon Cabin. You can send emails to FriendsCamper@gmail.com . Campers are encouraged to send letters home. Phone calls to and from home are not allowed. If you have a question or concern about your child, please call or email the Camp Director. If a camper is staying at Friends Camp for more than one two-week session they can make a call home between the sessions.

  • Our sessions are only two weeks long and are full of activities, so parents and family members and friends are asked to refrain from visiting or calling. You are, however, welcome to schedule a tour of the camp, although we generally do not host tours while camp is in session. Please call the Director to set a date and time for a visit.

  • “My child came back very much enriched by the experience” – Parent

    “I am grateful for a wonderful camp where my daughter gets to live Quaker values every day” – Parent

    “Our son was very resistant, did not want to go to camp and once we got there, he did not want to stay after we left. We were worried that he would be miserable. We were extremely happy to hear that camp was fun (except for the island trip) and that he definitely wants to return next year. He made lots of new friends and he enjoyed learning about silk screening.” – A Camper Mom

    “Every year for seven years our daughter has cried when camp ended. The inner peace, special friends, and enlarged sense of self, all supported by gentle Quaker wisdom have demonstrated the rich experience she has received at Friends Camp.” – Parent

    “She returned home relaxed and thoughtful, already talking about returning to camp next summer” – Parent

    “We would like to thank you for providing such a positive and enriching camp experience. Our daughter had a fantastic time! But more than that, she came away feeling more confident in herself and proud of her accomplishments. She believed that people “accepted me the way I am”. What a major feat for a girl that has always struggled mightily in social situations! Because she felt successful and supported, we plan to send her back next year and hopefully, one of her siblings as well. Thanks again for your efforts and hard work.” – Parent

  • From Portland on Interstate 295 to Interstate 95 take the third Augusta Exit #113 across the Kennebec River Bridge to Route 202 North and Route 3 East. Drive for 14 miles to South China. Go through the blinking light in South China and at the next left follow Route 202 (Lakeview Drive). From the Route 3 turn-off the Friends Camp driveway is 3.5 miles on the right.

    If you are traveling south from Bangor on Interstate 95 take Exit 127 onto Route 137 (Kennedy Memorial Drive) into Waterville. Go about a mile and half and turn right after you have crossed over a small bridge. Travel 2.2 miles and turn right, then go 6.1 miles to the light at China Village. Go straight at the blinking yellow light. You are now on Route 202. From the blinking light drive 3.5 miles toward South China on Route 202. Friends Camp is on your left.

  • Campers are picked up between 10am and 11:30am on the Friday at the end of their session. We understand that a Friday morning pick up can be challenging for some families. The reason for this timing is that it gives our staff a day off between sessions, which is valuable time for them to be able to rest and rejuvenate. We want our counselors to be their best selves for your kids, and this time off allows this to be possible!

  • Yes! Please feel free to contact our camp office to be put in touch with parent references.

Inclusion at Camp

  • We do everything possible to make Friends Camp a welcoming place for youth of all identities, including gender identity and sexual orientation. We do not tolerate bullying or any kind of hate speech. We are open to talking about homophobia or transphobia and dealing with them when they come up at camp.

  • Our camp does not specialize in one type of camper and we do not have counselors that are trained to deal with children who have a high level of problems or complex social issues. Each session, we welcome a few youth who sometimes find it hard to fit into the traditional classroom and/or the social scene outside of school. We are a tolerant community that looks for the light of goodness in each person and we are very proud of our campers’ ability to love and care for each other. If you have any questions about how your child would fit into camp life please call our Director.

  • Cabin groups are arranged by gender in boys, girls, and gender-expansive cabins, depending on interest and need each session. When registering your camper, it works best to check in with them about what cabin option makes the most sense for them. Campers can choose to live in whichever cabin type best fits their needs and experiences; our cabins are designed to be inclusive rather than exclusive. For example, a transgender camper who would feel most at home in a girls or boys cabin is welcome to stay there. To be with others experiencing similar challenges and joys around growing up can be an important factor in youth development. We are proud to be a camp for kids of all genders, where campers are free to make platonic friendships with others regardless of gender, in and out of the cabin.

    In order to offer a gender-identity affirming experience for all campers, we offer a gender-expansive cabin option. This cabin is for any camper who feels that this is the best space for them, especially those who fall outside the gender binary or who do not feel comfortable in a boys or girls cabin. We hope that by offering a gender-expansive cabin option, campers who are often targeted by misunderstanding or forced to conform to gender expectations not true to who they are will be able to fully be themselves in a safe and supportive space, alongside other campers and staff members who also identify outside the binary.

    If you have questions about the gender-expansive cabin option, or about housing in general, please contact our office. We are happy to speak with you about what makes the most sense for your camper specifically. Cabin choices are part of the registration process and may be changed up to 2 weeks prior to a camp session. We are not able to change a camper’s cabin during a session.

Programs

  • Except for a movie or two, campers have no access to the electronic world of cell phones, e-mail, video games, and television.

  • Most evening activities involve the whole camp. The evening programs include: group games, singing, variety shows, dances, skits, and a closing campfire. For our youngest campers, there are no evening activities. After camp watches the sun set, the campers begin to get ready for bed.

  • We are not a camp with a heavy focus on overnight wilderness camping. For our teenage sessions, campers can sign up for an overnight hiking and camping experience when they register, and all sessions have opportunities for campers to adventure in the outdoors. We often take campers on overnight canoe trips on China Lake or in our “Back 40” woods on camp property.

  • Friends Camp programs happen in the mornings of each week of a session, and are different every week (read below for more info!). Campers get to choose the top three programs they are most interested in, and then are placed in one for the week. During other activity times and free time, campers get to pick what they want to participate in, and are able to switch between activities.

  • We offer a wide variety of morning programs each week. Programs last for three days, for around two hours per day. Our programs are created and run by counselors and are different every week, but we always make sure to offer a balance of active, creative, chill, and silly programs. Some programs teach campers new skills like pottery, sailing, or woodworking; others engage campers’ imaginations as they create characters, art, and stories. Programs are designed with camper age ranges in mind, so a Jones program (age 7-12) might look different from a Rustin/Fell program (age 13-17). See the examples of program recaps from sessions in past years below for a sense of the variety of program possibilities.

Safety at Friends Camp

  • We believe that appropriate supervision and enforcement of a few important rules are the key factors in maintaining a safe camp. We offer very few activities that have any element of risk. We have a very safe waterfront area with trained lifeguards on duty and clear safety rules. We look to all campers to set a tone of safety, respect for rules and kindness to each other. We also use our daily business meeting and cabin meetings as teaching moments about how we can best interact among ourselves to maintain a caring and safe community.

  • Friends Camp requires campers and staff to have received all immunizations required to attend public school in Maine. Medical waivers will be accepted for those campers unable to be vaccinated due to health reasons. The residential summer camp setting poses a particular challenge regarding infectious diseases; and therefore having a population of campers and staff who have been immunized is an important protection against communicable disease at camp. Further, it protects those more vulnerable in our wider communities including those medically unable to receive vaccines, infants, and the elderly. Our Quaker values guide us to value the health of the community, and we are following the suggestions of the Association of Camp Nurses, the Maine CDC, and the American Camp Association with our policy.

  • Our newly renovated Health Hut is staffed with multiple part-time registered nurses and by our paraprofessional staff of Wilderness First Responders. A local physician is also on call for consultation and treatment. Local ambulances and paramedics are just 3.5 miles from camp and the nearest hospital in Waterville is only 14 miles away.

  • Camp counselors have a variety of skills to engage your child with interesting activities and help them connect with other campers; new friendships will develop during the first few days of a camp session. Counselors will always listen carefully to homesick children and comfort them. We hope that parents and campers will write letters to each other by snail mail or by e-mail. Phone calls to campers, however, are discouraged.

  • Each of our staff members is carefully selected and screened. Most have completed one year of college before becoming a counselor. Our waterfront, drama, arts, and health hut counselors have additional training and/or certifications. Each summer we hire one counselor for every four camper

  • Like most summer camps, a great many of our counselors were campers before joining our staff. Most counselors who work at Friends Camp are at least 19 years old and have completed one year of college. All potential staff members are carefully screened. They must submit an in-depth application, provide three references, undergo an interview, and they must have a positive background check.

  • At Friends Camp, we train our staff to provide a high level of emotional and physical safety for all campers, over a one week orientation period. We also offer clear supervision and effective feedback to all staff during the summer. Most of the Friends Camp staff will have taken a CPR/First Aid training class. Our lifeguards have taken the American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification training. We also have staff members with certifications in watercraft safety.

  • Friends Camp is accredited by the American Camp Association. During the summer of 2014, we had our first accreditation visit and we passed over 270 different health, safety and program standards. Friends Camp is now an accredited ACA camp, and was visited again in 2017 and 2023.

  • Friends Camp has one part-time nurse who works about 32 hours per week. In addition, we also have a full-time health hut counselor with a Wilderness First Responder certification who works in consultation with our nurse to care for any ill campers and give routine care including daily medications. We have an on-call physician as well. Volunteer paramedics/EMTs and the ambulance from the China Rescue Squad can reach Friends Camp in five to ten minutes. The nearest hospital is only 14 miles from Friends Camp.

  • Friends Camp uses vans for its every day operations. All staff who drive the vans must be at least 21 years of age, have a clean driving record, and have passed a driver certification test at the beginning of the summer. Vans are typically used only for necessary camper transportation, and occasionally for trips away from camp.

  • For campers aged 7 to10, the Friends Camp ratio is 1 to 4. For campers aged 11 to 17, the ratio is 1 to 5. In most cases, two or more counselors supervise cabin and program activities.