Program Policies

Program directors are expected to familiarize themselves with these policies before directing any Shehaqua program.

New policies can be added and existing policies can be changed by the Shehaqua Council.

Special Education Tracks

The Education Circle may propose special education tracks for a program, but the program director has the final say whether to accept a special track.

Paying Presenters for Special Education Tracks at Shehaqua Programs

We can offer professional speakers free camp. Participants will have to pay a fee in addition to the regular camp fee to be able to attend professional presentations by a paid speaker. The speaker's payments will be funded exclusively from this surcharge. Any exceptions to this rule would need to be discussed with the Council and require a 2-month advance notice to the Council.

Meals and Lodging for Guests/Unregistered Visitors

Meal Fees for Drop-in Guests for Family Camp in Summer

The meal fee for visitors at our programs is $7 per meal (breakfast, lunch, or dinner). Rather than having the registrar collect this fee from visitors as we have done until now, we will encourage visitors to leave this fee in a donation box, as a suggested donation of $7.

Lodging Fee for Guests/Unregistered Visitors

The price for non-registered overnight guests at programs that take place at Camp Shehaqua (Hickory Run State Park) is $14 per night.

Meal Fees for Drop-in Guests for Spring Gathering and Fall Festival

The $7 per meal fee does not apply for the Spring Gathering and Fall Festival. Instead we have these "day pass" fees in effect, which include meal and activities:

• $25 early bird from after lunch till end of day / $30 late fee
• $30 / $35 if lunch is included
• Cannot be paid with credit card, only in cash or with check

Free Meal for Visiting Presenter

A free meal can be offered to any speaker and their spouse and children under 21 if they visit for the sole reason of giving a presentation and are not otherwise compensated. Whoever invites the presenters and offers the free meal will need to inform the registrar about this arrangement. The meal expense will be charged to the director's discretionary budget. (Read more about the director's discretionary budget further down on this page.)

Promotion of other Organizations and Events

To avoid the impression of partiality and to keep Shehaqua Family independent, we do not allow public promotion or printed advertising of another organization or organization's events (Unification-Church-related or not) at Shehaqua Family programs.

1. After obtaining permission from the program camp director and program education director, individuals may hold a small optional event to talk about a program during free time in an otherwise unused space.
2. Individuals may privately and discreetly give a leaflet to another participant, but may NOT leave leaflets and flyers around the camp. Any leaflets and ads found in Camp will promptly be removed and the distributor will be asked to cease all distribution activities.

Events, presentations, flyers, and announcements to a general assembly of event participants may NOT promote or criticize any group or splinter group of the Unification Movement, or any other organization.

It is recommended that the program directors consult with advisers prior to giving permission for an event. It is also recommended that the program directors only allow events scheduled prior to the beginning of a program to allow adequate review of the event.

Safety and Order

Enforcing the Code of Conduct

• The Program Director is responsible for understanding the Shehaqua Code of Conduct, and for enforcing it.
• The program director is responsible for reading the document Consequences for Code of Conduct Offenses and applying the appropriate consequences outlined in the document.
• The program director is required to read the Google document with ongoing incident reports before the program and update it after the program. To protect the identity of previous offenders, the link to this Google document with ongoing incident reports is not public. The program director should request the link from the appropriate program circle. The incident report might identify people who cannot be given leadership assignments for a year or two, as part of their consequence. The program director therefore has to read the report before group leader assignments are made and communicate with the education director about any restrictions.

Shehaqua Family Camp Noise Ordinance

Shehaqua Family Camp Noise Ordinance: No loud, electronically amplified music after 9PM, except for scheduled events approved by the program director.

Sick Policy

1. Anyone sick (suffering from a cold, flu, diarrhea, or any other infectious illness) is not allowed to work in the kitchen. The camp director needs to get a substitute or, in case the cook is sick, make arrangements for assistants or helpers to take over cooking. If needed, the nurse can make the assessment of who is too sick to work in the kitchen. (http://www.shehaquafamily.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:2015_PA_Food_Safety_.jpg)
2. Anyone sick should report to the nurse. The nurse can determine who needs to sleep in the infirmary to be secluded from others.
3. Sick people should not help themselves for food from the serving tables, but can ask others to bring them food.

Celebrating Birthdays at Our Programs

• If a birthday is being celebrated in public, it has to be inclusive and celebrated at a time everyone is present. Everybody whose birthday happens during one of our programs should be treated the same. Not just one person's birthday is to be celebrated.

• If family members and/or friends want to celebrate a birthday for one person only, they should do it in a building other than the main building and coordinate with the camp director.

• Birthday cakes or other material expenses will not be covered by camp, and the cook will not bake birthday cakes. If the cook agrees, families and friends can purchase the materials from their own funds and can bake in the kitchen during a time when no meals are prepared.

Program Director’s Authority to Extend Early Bird Fees

Sometimes it's hard for a program director to fill all important staff positions before the early bird deadline. If the fees go up, it might become harder to recruit people. The program director therefore has the authority to extend the deadline on the early bird discount (usually May 31) to fill some important staff positions. But the decision to grant an individual an extension has to be approved by 3 people (for example: camp director, education director, and registrar, education circle facilitator, family camp circle facilitator, etc). This applies to the following staff positions: Camp directors and co-directors (in this case the power to extend the early bird fee given to the Family Camp Circle), education directors/co-directors, cooks and assistant cooks, experienced general affairs person, and special speakers.

Program Director’s Discretionary Budget

Program directors get a budget for discretionary expenses ($50 per day for Family Camp; please check with accountant for weekend programs). The discretionary budget is rarely used, since most camp expenses such as food and materials for activities are already included in the budget. But unexpected expenses occasionally can come up, such as the dinner fee for a visitor who helps camp in some way, the last-minute purchase of a piece of equipment needed, or payment for a last-minute assistant cook for a small camp. What the budget is NOT meant for is for taking out the staff for ice cream, for example, or other expenses that will unfairly favor some people over others. Before a camp director decides to use the discretionary budget he or she should consult with two other members on the staff, such as the education director, registrar, or general affair director to make sure they agree that the expense meets the discretionary budget requirements. The discretionary budget is public money and therefore should be used conservatively—no need to spend it unless it's really needed.

Selling Items at Shehaqua Programs

We do not allow camp participants to sell items (books, etc) at camp, unless it is done at the camp store table in the corner of the dining hall, and with the consent of the camp store keeper. We ask that 10% of all sales be donated to the Shehaqua Family.

Deadline for initiating a program at the PA State Park facility

In order to apply for a program at the PA State Park there needs to be by January 31 a camp director who understands he/she needs to find a cook and a logistics team.

Recommendation to use paper products for serving meals

For environmental purposes is it recommended to use paper products, not styrofoam products, for serving meals, even if the cost is slightly higher.