Can parents/families visit camp?

We welcome visitors after the first ten days and before the last five days of a camper’s time at camp. Most parents bring a picnic lunch to share with their daughter. Campers are not allowed to leave camp with visitors at any time.

 

How are campers assigned to a tent?

Four to six campers and one counselor share a tent. Campers are placed in the tent based on age and grade in school and we work to mix returning and new campers and campers from a variety of locations. 

 

Do many campers come with friends from home?

The majority of campers come to camp not knowing other campers, or knowing someone vaguely as the daughter of her parents' friends. When campers do come to camp with friends from home, we do not place them in a tent together and remind them of the importance of making new friends at camp.

 

Where do the counselors come from and do many of them have ALC experience?

The majority of our counselors were once campers or CTs at ALC. The new counselors have demonstrated experience working with children and enthusiasm about coming to ALC. Like our camper group, we have counselors from all around the country and the world.

 

How do most girls get to camp?

The majority of our campers arrive by car with their parents. The remaining campers take a chartered coach bus from New York City, Darien, Connecticut or fly into Portland or Boston airports, where they are met by camp staff as they deplane.

 

Where are the campers from?

Each year in our population of approximately 160 campers in camp, we welcome girls from around the world. In 2015, we have campers from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Northern Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela.  Within the United States, we have campers from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

 

Full or Half Session?

While we believe that the full, seven-week experience is so much more than two halves, we recognize that some campers are only able to come to camp for a half session. Some campers begin as half session campers and choose to return for the full summer as they get older. Others are ready for the full experience starting at age eight. There is no question that all campers gain independence, confidence, activity skills and make new friends and that those qualities are in proportion to the length of time they are a part of the ALC experience.

Some new campers prefer first session as that allows them to start at the beginning with everyone, while others are happy to come for second session, knowing they will be swept up into the excitement of camp that is already happening.  

 

How do I know if my daughter is ready to attend a residential camp?

While it’s normal to experience some nerves about being away from home, a child’s enthusiasm about the idea of camp is the best indication that she’s ready. Have her take more responsibility for herself at home and see how she responds. Successful sleepovers with friends and other family members also indicate a readiness to spend more time away from home.

 

How do you handle homesickness?

Individual campers adjust to camp at a different pace, and we work hard to keep them all busy and remind them that it is ok to have fun at camp and miss home at the same time. We work closely with parents to communicate and best support any camper with “beginning feelings.” 

 

What kind of medical staff do you have?

We have RNs who reside in camp and provide coverage 24 hours a day. They work closely with Dr. Dana Goldsmith, a pediatrician in Rockland who also happens to be the father of four former ALC campers. Pen-Bay Medical Center in Rockport is the closest hospital and is about fifteen minutes away.