Farm Safety Camp Manual

A Group Plan

A Farm Safety Day Camp brings together many people from many sectors of the community to focus on two issues, making the community aware of the dangers surrounding farm children and reducing the risk for injury. Very often, the amount of time volunteers can allot to a day camp is limited, so it is a courtesy to plan ahead and anticipate requiring as little of their time as necessary without compromising the goal of your camp. A suggested timeline follows:

6-8 Months Before Camp

1. Organize a community meeting inviting all interested parties including potential sponsors, group leaders, faculty for the camp, and other volunteers. Ask people to volunteer for the area or role they are most comfortable filling.
2. Have a sign-up sheet with the various roles and committees to be filled.
3. This is a good time to determine if clerical support will be available.
4. Select two or three possible camp dates and possible camp facility at the first meeting.
5. Discuss possible safety topics to cover at the camp and qualified teachers.
6. Ask committee chairs to select their committees.
7. Go over the role of each committee with the chair and any committee member(s) who may be present at the first meeting.
8. At the first meeting suggest 2-3 dates for your next meeting of the planning committee and ask them to select the best date. It is a good idea to plan the next meeting sometime within the next two months.
9. Take minutes and send to absent participants.

4-6 Months Before Camp

1. Verify the facility chosen for the camp is available and reserve it.
2. Have second planning meeting and verify committees and chairpersons are informed of their responsibilities. Give them an opportunity to present any problems they have encountered or foresee.
3. Determine a rain alternative if any portion of the camp is to be outdoors.
4. Group handling the T-shirts may have a design ready for the group to review and/or select since T-shirt orders may require some lead-time.
5. Determine the design of your registration/medical/waiver form and when they are to be mailed or distributed (sample forms in form section).
6. Determine if you are going to charge a fee and if so, the amount. Many camps charge just enough to cover a T-shirt which is $5-$8. Some camps are fortunate enough to have the T-shirts donated so they charge only a minimum fee to assure that people who make camp reservations will attend camp ($2-$4). Other camps charge nothing.
7. Determine camp budget (facility rent, food, printing costs, insurance, etc.) and sponsor financial commitments.
8. Determine classes to be offered at camp and have a back-up plan. This may create a discussion on what the community sees as the needs a camp should address. Also, as mentioned in the section on "Courses That Can Make a Difference," there are specific causes of injury in Georgia that are recommended courses for all day camps.
9. Have 2-3 dates to recommend for the next meeting and determine a specific date, which should be about three weeks prior to the camp unless your group identifies a need to meet sooner.
10. Take minutes and send to absent participants.
    

2-3 Months Before Camp

1. Personally contact each committee chair and faculty member to assure that he/she is on track (clerical committee can be very helpful with this).
2. Address any problems.
3. Take minutes and send to absent participants.

Three Weeks Before Camp

1. Have a three-week planning meeting
2. Discuss any problems
3. Review rain alternatives
4. Review any budget issues
5. Plan for change. ALWAYS there are last minute changes so be flexible and keep your focus on the reason for the camp.to raise community awareness of the dangers of farming to children and, ultimately, to reduce those risks for children.
6. Invite the local newspaper/radio/TV to attend camp
7. Plan to meet the day before camp or very close to that date.
8. Encourage committee members to bring items for the goody bags to the next meeting.
9. Leave nothing to chance!
10. Take minutes and send to absent participants.

Day Before Camp

1. Discuss and handle any problems or last minute issues.
2. Set up as much as possible prior to camp.
3. Keep your focus on the purpose of the camp.
4. Get a good night's sleep!
   

Day of Camp

1. Arrive EARLY.
2. BE FLEXIBLE.
3. Keep your focus on the purpose of the camp.
   

After Camp

1. Send thank you notes
2. Get with the evaluation committee to discuss how to improve your camp in the future. Review the scores on the tests given the campers and see if they did well. Some camp faculty may want to give the same test before class and after class to see what knowledge was gained. Another important concern is did the camp change behavior? Sometimes that can best be measured by looking at the types and number of childhood farm injuries in the community after camp and compare that to the childhood farm injuries before camp. You will probably hear from children throughout the year regarding changes they have made on the farm or changes they encouraged their parents to institute on the farm.
3. Feel good because you have made your community safer by making everyone more aware of the risks to farm children and children who visit farms.

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