Camp Bauercrest

Camp Bauercrest FAQs

What is the philosophy and mission of Camp Bauercrest?
Is my child ready for overnight camp?
Is there a camp handbook that explains the rules, policies and procedures of the camp; in addition to telling me what I should pack?
How do I get to Camp Bauercrest?
Can we visit and tour the camp during the camping season and off-season.
Can we arrange a home visit to meet the camp director or other administration and staff?
How long are your camp sessions?
How much does it cost to attend Camp Bauercrest?
Does Bauercrest offer any scholarship subsidies to campers?
Where do most of your campers come from?
Where does most of your staff come from?
How old are your counselors?
Does your staff receive any training?
What are your daily programs like?
Do the campers go on any trips and do they visit other camps?
Does Bauercrest have social activity with other camps?
How does Judaism transcend daily life at Bauercrest?
My son will require Bar-Mitzvah and/or other academic tutoring this summer; is it available?
How are group and bunk assignments managed?
What should my son wear at camp?
What else should my son bring to camp?
How many campers in a bunk?
How many counselors in a bunk?
Are there bathrooms and showers in the bunks?
Does the camp have a health center and on-site health care available?
What is the closest hospital?
How will I communicate with and hear from my son during the summer?
Can I visit or call my son during the summer?
What is your policy on sending food care packages?
Can I send other care packages to my son during the summer?
I understand that Bauercrest is primarily a sports camp. My son enjoys playing sports but he is not a high-performing athlete. How will he do in this environment?
Can you tell me about your dining facilities and your food at camp?
My son has dietary restrictions attributed to food allergies; are you able to accommodate them?
I am interested in sending my son to Camp Bauercrest. How can I learn more and obtain an application?
What hotels can you recommend in the Amesbury area?

1) What is the philosophy and mission of Camp Bauercrest? Camp Bauercrest aims to build Jewish Identity and self-esteem in young boys through promoting and teaching the values of Sportsmanship, Teamwork, Achievement, and Responsibility.
It is our mission to ensure that every Bauercrest camper:

Has a healthy and enjoyable summer;
Returns to his community more responsible and compassionate;
Attains new skills and makes new friends;
Leaves camp an emotionally and physically stronger person; and
Establishes a stronger connection with Jewish culture, religion, or nationality

2) Is my child ready for overnight camp? Many families begin looking at overnight camps after their child has completed 2nd or 3rd grade (8yrs - 9yrs of age) for beginning overnight camp the following season (completed 3rd or 4th grade or 8yrs - 9yrs of age). Among the criteria in answering yes to this question is if your child has expressed specific interest in going away to overnight camp. An indicator would be if your child has had positive experiences with other overnight situations (e.g., sleepovers, extended overnight visits with friends/family apart from the immediate family). Our camp director is glad to address this question individually with families.

3) Is there a camp handbook that explains the rules, policies and procedures of the camp; in addition to telling me what I should pack? Our camp handbook can be found at the following link: http://www.bauercrest.org/cp_forms.html.

4) How do I get to Camp Bauercrest? Directions to Bauercrest from the major highways can be found at the following link: http://www.bauercrest.org/info_directions.html. Our address is 17 Old County Road, Amesbury, MA 01913.

5) Can we visit and tour the camp during the camping season and off-season. The camp director is glad to arrange in-season and off-season (weather permitting) tours of the camp. In-season and off-season contact information can be found at the following link: http://www.bauercrest.org/contact.html.

6) Can we arrange a home visit to meet the camp director or other administration and staff? Yes. Within many geographic locations, the camp director is glad to arrange home visits. Alternatively, we have veteran staff and families with whom we can arrange home visits and introductions. Off-season contact information can be found at the following link: http://www.bauercrest.org/contact.html.

7) How long are your camp sessions? Bauercrest offers two-week (for 1st year campers only), four-week, and 8-week sessions. For more information on our current sessions and rates, you can visit the following link: http://www.bauercrest.org/info_dates.html.

8) How much does it cost to attend Camp Bauercrest? For more information on our current sessions and rates, you can visit the following link: http://www.bauercrest.org/info_dates.html.

9) Does Bauercrest offer any scholarship subsidies to campers? Yes. Bauercrest is glad to work with families who present a documented and justified financial need in meeting the costs to send their child to camp. Inquiries can be made directly to the camp director.

10) Where do most of your campers come from? Most of our campers come from Massachusetts and the metropolitan Boston area. However, we have many campers attending from many parts of New England and the Mid- Atlantic Region States (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland), in addition to the Southeastern United States (Florida and Atlanta). A smaller percentage of families have come from the Midwestern and West Coast states. We also have some campers attending from Europe and Israel.

11) Where does most of your staff come from? Most of our staff have progressed through the camper ranks at Bauercrest and therefore represent the same geographic regions as our campers: Massachusetts, New England, and Mid-Atlantic regions. We also recruit staff through the Jewish Agency in Israel as part of our Summer Shlichim Program. The Shlichim (delegates) are part of our counselor staff and often contribute to some of our specialty programs. We occasionally recruit staff from other international agencies that bring us counselors from parts of Europe and Australia.

12) How old are your counselors? Our counselor staff ranges in age from 17 (Counselors in Training) through the post-college years (21+). The average age of a Bauercrest counselor is about 20.

13) Does your staff receive any training? All of our staff (counselors and administration) participates in a one-week pre-camp training program, in addition to specific workshops in management, safety, social development, and public health during the off-season.

14) What are your daily programs like? Bauercrest offers a structured daily schedule consisting of about six scheduled periods per day - three in the morning and three in the afternoon. At least two of these periods are elective periods. You can see a listing of our offered programs and a sample copy of our daily schedule at the following link: http://www.bauercrest.org/cp_programs.html.

15) Do the campers go on any trips and do they visit other camps? The campers will go on about one off-campus trip per week. Examples of trips are:

Visits to other camps for inter-camp games and events
Local beaches
Amusement parks - such as Canobie Lake Park or Old Orchard Beach
Socials with Camp Pembroke (for 7th graders and above)
Movies - usually attributed to inclement weather
Bowling

Other camps visited are usually in the circle of non-profit Jewish camps in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

16) Does Bauercrest have social activity with other camps? Camp Bauercrest conducts at least one social event/dance each month with Camp Pembroke in Pembroke, MA. Socials are scheduled for our older age groups - Juniors and Seniors (7th grade and above).

17) How does Judaism transcend daily life at Bauercrest? Bauercrest is a wonderful place for children of a variety of Jewish backgrounds, whether religious/day school educated or for those who may be interested in and seeking more knowledge about Jewish religion, culture, and nationality. Most of our families come from a Reform background. As a camp, we are non-affiliated. That is, we are not directly connected to any Jewish movement, be it Zionist, Conservative, or Reform. We do not have religious classes or designated periods of the day for required cultural activity.

Our camp mission reads as follows: To Build Self-Esteem and Jewish Identity through Sportsmanship, Teamwork, Achievement, and Responsibility - our STAR concept. These values are common, though the Jewish message comes in a few ways. Informally, we learn these values at home from our parents (generation to generation) and our teachers (whether in public/private school or in religious classes). At camp, much of this learning comes from the examples set forth from our staff and other camp leadership. Much of the Jewish learning at Bauercrest happens without our even realizing it, as campers informally share life's experiences and acquired values with each other.

While there is always the seamless exposure, tangibly the following are an integral part of camp life:

Prayer (the Ha Motzie) before the meal
Brief prayer after the meal
Friday evening services - about 30min
Magnificent Friday Shabbat dinner with Kiddush and concluding Berachat; followed by a lot of camp songs and cheering
Shabbat discussion group (more often for older campers) discussing current events - often led by our Israeli staff
Saturday morning services - about 30min
Deviation from the regular schedule on Saturday (lazy morning) to include more all-camp activity
Summer Shlichim Program - anywhere from 5 to 10 counselors come to us from Israel through the Jewish Agency and are part of our counselor staff
Israeli Day - led by our Israeli staff
Observance of Tisha B'Av

18) My son will require Bar-Mitzvah and/or other academic tutoring this summer; is it available? Yes. Subject to the availability of tutors, Bar Mitzvah and Academic tutoring is available at a rate of approximately $45 an hour. These services will be billed with payments to be made at Visiting Day or pick-up day. We will review any prescribed education plan or parental request in order to assign an appropriate tutor. The assigned tutor will produce the tutoring schedule.

19) How are group and bunk assignments managed? After initial camp registration, additional forms for medical information, activities, community handbook, and bunk requests are sent to families (after the 1st of the year and closer to spring). Group and bunk placements are determined by grade. New campers are not in a separate bunk, as we honor bunk requests and do our best to integrate campers in terms of years at camp and geographic dispersion whenever possible. We guarantee meeting at least one bunkmate request for every family. We do not intentionally separate campers unless a separation is requested or required.

Group assignments are determined as follows:

Grade Entering Group

4th or below Freshman

5th Sophomore B

6th Sophomore A

7th Junior B

8th Junior A

9th Senior

10th Waiter

11th CI (Counselor Intern)

20) What should my son wear at camp? We are not a uniform camp. That is, we do not require that the boys wear a prescribed attire or color scheme for clothing each day. We do require that each camper have at least 4 Bauercrest t-shirts and a Bauercrest sweatshirt for off-camp trips or inter-camp activities.

21) What else should my son bring to camp? A detailed list of items to bring to camp is available in our handbook at the following link: http://www.bauercrest.org/cp_forms.html. The handbook provides a detailed description of all our policies and procedures.

22) How many campers in a bunk? We have seventeen bunks each with a maximum capacity of about 14 people. The average number of campers in a bunk is about 11. Bunks usually do not house fewer than 7 or 8 campers. These bunks consist of mostly single beds and up to 4 bunk beds. We have three larger bunks with a maximum capacity of about 20 people. These bunks consist of mostly bunk beds.

23) How many counselors in a bunk? We maintain a camper to staff ratio of approximately 3 to 1. Considering this ratio, a bunk having 9 campers will usually have 3 counselors - one of them often being a Counselor in Training.

24) Are there bathrooms and showers in the bunks? Each bunk has three sinks and two toilet stalls - all modern and newly renovated. Modern shower facilities (group/locker room style) are located in three primary locations near each of the bunk living areas.

25) Does the camp have a health center and on-site health care available? Bauercrest has an on-site health center staffed by 2 nurses 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We also have an attending physician who visits the camp at least 3 days per week and on an as needed basis.

26) What is the closest hospital? The closest hospital facility is Anna Jaques Hospital, located at 25 Highland Ave., Newburyport, MA. The hospital is approximately 8 miles (a 15 minute drive) from camp.

27) How will I communicate with and hear from my son during the summer? Campers are required to write home to their parents at least three times per week. Counselors will track this process on a regular basis. Campers will also receive daily U.S. mail (except for Sundays). In addition, parents can send email "bunk notes" to their children through services offered by our partners at Bunk1.com. In addition, we post photos regularly to our photo gallery hosted by Bunk1.com. Parents can obtain a Bunk1.com account through our website to view photos and news and purchase units of bunk notes to send to their children.

28) Can I visit or call my son during the summer? Parents are strongly discouraged from calling or visiting their sons during the summer sessions, unless for family emergency. An overriding exception to this rule is that campers are either allowed to call home or receive a call from their parents on their birthday if it occurs during the camping season

29) What is your policy on sending food care packages? Sending food care packages during the season is not allowed. Parents can send their children with one shopping bag or plastic container of kosher food snacks at the beginning of a session. Full-season campers are allowed to receive an additional package on visiting day.

30) Can I send other care packages to my son during the summer? Non-food care packages are allowed to be sent to campers during the summer containing appropriate items such as books, playing cards, socially appropriate magazines, etc.

31) I understand that Bauercrest is primarily a sports camp. My son enjoys playing sports but he is not a high-performing athlete. How will he do in this environment? At least 50% of the day is devoted to organized intra-league sports and sports electives. As our mission states, Bauercrest aims to build Jewish Identity and Self-Esteem based on four primary facets: Sportsmanship, Teamwork, Achievement, and Responsibility - our STAR concept. It is the desire to participate in any of our activities and not the level of one's performance that will help to determine your son's likelihood of enjoying a summer at Bauercrest. We are a nurturing environment for young men and we encourage our campers to pursue a variety of activities - both athletic and non-athletic. Sports and competition are among the platforms on which we teach the values of the STAR concept. However, we impress the meaning of these values throughout all activities and daily life at camp.

32) Can you tell me about your dining facilities and your food at camp? We are a kosher-style kitchen and are professionally staffed with a head chef, assistant chef and additional meal preparation and cleaning staff. We purchase all kosher meats and do not mix meat and dairy products at any meal and we do not prepare and serve shellfish of any kind. We maintain two separate storage locations for meat and dairy plates and flatware. Our menu is nutritious and kid-friendly. Food is served family-style by our waiter campers. Breakfasts consist of both hot entrée and cold cereal offerings. Vegetarian and pasta alternatives are almost always offered with every lunch and dinner meal.

33) My son has dietary restrictions attributed to food allergies; are you able to accommodate them? Yes. We are accustomed to working with families whose children have a variety of restrictions including nut allergies, lactose intolerance, and issues with food containing wheat products/gluten. Our administration, along with our kitchen staff and health care staff will work with each family to ensure that these dietary needs are met.

34) I am interested in sending my son to Camp Bauercrest. How can I learn more and obtain an application? Our most current application and camp forms are available at the following link: http://www.bauercrest.org/cp_forms.html. For more information, you can contact:

Rob Brockman
Executive Director
Camp Bauercrest

Off-Season Address
20 Normandy Drive
Sudbury, MA 01776
(978) 443-0582 - phone
(978) 443-0540 - fax
rob@bauercrest.org

In-Season Address
17 Old Country Road
Amesbury, MA 01913
(978) 388-4732 - phone
(978) 388-0303 - fax

Our contact information is also available at the following link: http://www.bauercrest.org/contact.html.

35) What hotels can you recommend in the Amesbury area? Some suggestions for hotels near Bauercrest:

Fairfield Inn Amesbury - about 2.5 mi from Bauercrest
35 Clarks Road
Amesbury, Massachusetts 01913 USA
Phone: 1-978-388-3400
Fax: 1-978-388-9850
Sales: 1-978-388-3400
Sales fax: 1-978-388-9850

Courtyard Boston Andover - about 17mi from Bauercrest
10 Campanelli Drive Andover
Massachusetts 01810 USA
Phone: 1-978-794-0700
Fax: 1-978-794-9558
Sales: 1-978-794-0700
Sales fax: 1-978-794-9558

Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel - about 18mi from Bauercrest and very nice!
250 Market Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801
United States
Phone: (603) 431-2300
Fax: (603) 431-7805

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