Camp Matters
MARCH 1-2, 2022
We are excited to be gathering together once again at our IN PERSON 2022 camp conference! This event is a great time to connect with other camp loving folks, as we learn together through plenary, breakout, and round table sessions. Read below for speaker introductions and check back for updates and additional details as they are announced.
Public Health Orders and guidelines will be followed as applicable at the time of the event.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Kathleen Hilchey
Kathleen Hilchey is a conflict specialist from Southwestern Ontario. She primarily works with families, schools, and workplaces to stop cycles of bullying. Her goal is always to help all parties to find peaceful ways to solve their problems. After 10 summers working in the camping sphere, Kathleen spent 10 years teaching in the secondary public system. She has an M.Ed. in Peacebuilding Techniques from Brock University and is presently training to become a Certified Mediator.
EVENING SESSION
Nikita Ens
Nikita (Niki) Ens grew up in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, as an outdoor enthusiast, cross-country cyclist, and passionate rock and ice climber. Niki was paralyzed in a 2014 car accident on the same day as her first shift as a graduated Registered Nurse. Since her accident, Niki has become a Para Swimmer for Team Canada, competing internationally and at the 202One Paralympics. Niki currently resides in Saskatoon where she continues in her athletic training and is working on a masters degree.
MORNING SESSION
Norm Porter
Norm Porter is an Officer/Pastor with The Salvation Army currently serving the Prairie Division (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, NW Ontario) since 2019 as the Divisional Children & Youth Secretary & Divisional Secretary for Candidates. In this role Norm provides support for those working with Children & Youth including training, resourcing, mentoring, leadership development, and the recruitment of Officer/Pastors. It also includes the oversight of the beautiful Beaver Creek Camp. Norm has a deep love for camping that started as child, then a staff member, and now a director.
Tuesday
9:30 AM Arrival & Registration
10:00 AM Welcome & Kick Off
10:15 AM Keynote Presentation – Kathleen Hilchey
Conflict Coaching – A Solution to Bullying that Actually Works
Traditional solutions to bullying don’t work. Punitive approaches inflame the situation and silence the person targeted, while “empowering the bystanders” seems to be ineffective. After 10 years teaching and 10 more in camping, Kathleen has honed a 3-step process that empowers the person targeted, breaks the cycle of victimization, and actually solves the problem. By combining elements of restorative justice, conflict coaching, trauma-informed care, and the latest bullying research, you’ll learn a simple new approach to help students escape bullying.
11:30 AM Networking & Trade Show Lunch
First Aid Emergency Response: Are You Ready?
Our goal is to ensure that injury prevention is foremost, but we also need to know that we are adequately prepared to respond when injuries do occur. Participants will leave this session with fun ideas and a few tools to adapt into their own camps to increase safety.
Michael Brenholen, St. John Ambulance
Where do we go from here? Escaping the trauma of pandemic.
In this session, we will look at some of the trends and discuss the ways we’ve seen youth, and even the broader culture, affected by the season of life we know as Covid. This is a significant percentage of our youths lives and the effects will no doubt surface as we move forward out of this two year trauma ordeal.
Evan Peters, Youth Unlimited
How To Handle Our Hardest Campers
We know these campers all-too-well. They can be explosive, sullen, angry, and downright mean. How is it possible to handle them AND provide a good experience for the other campers in the group? Kathleen will help you make sense of these campers, and give you concrete tools to work with them. By combining restorative justice and conflict coaching practices you will learn how to help these campers feel calmer, understood, and, find ways to engage them with the group in a positive way.
Kathleen Hilchey, Anti-Bullying Specialist
Camps Agree, Safety is Key!
Waterfront/pool basics and program ideas: Learn safety skills for both aquatic staff and cabin leaders, as well as activities to encourage water safety amongst campers.
Olivia Peterson, Katepwa Lake Camp
3:15 PM Camp Tour
Your Organization…Who are You and What are You going to do about it?
Facilitated by Matt Larson, Arlington Beach Camp
Can you think of any practices or procedures you currently have in place that are not aligned with your vision and mission? What aspects of your organization seem to fight against each other, for your time, energy, and resources? How could you reframe your perspective to look at them as different parts that work to compliment one another and your mission? If you can’t reconcile them with one another and your vision and mission should they be on their way out?
The Tiered Pricing Model: Why this makes sense for Saskatchewan camps who charge fees
Facilitated by Tim Good, Camp Kadesh
Do you know why your current camper fees are what they are? Do people coming to your camp know how much money per camper needs to be raised based on your current pricing? What if 10% of people were just willing to pay more, what if the number was 50%?
Making camp more inclusive
Facilitated by Rachelle Low, Circle Square Ranch Wolf Creek
Who is coming to your camp recently? What are the obstacles that you/your camp face in making camp more diverse and inclusive? How can you/we overcome these obstacles?
5:45 PM Supper
7:00 PM – Evening Session
Guest Speaker – Niki Ens
Niki will join us on Tuesday evening to share her story and, as a former Sask camper herself, will help us to start the conversation about when and how we make our camps and our programs more accessible for all abilities.
Wednesday
8:00 AM Breakfast
9:00 Morning Session
CAMP MATTERS: Lasting Impressions – Changing Lives, Norm Porter
I Invite you to join me as we hit pause in the busyness of our roles and really consider the lasting impacts that camping has on the lives of campers and staff. What we do really matters!
Understanding a Nonprofit or Charity Board and the role of the Executive Director…”What Should I Do?”
We will discuss common approaches to understanding our shared responsibilities and look at ways to ensure camps can be successful from the Board governance perspective. We will have an interactive session where people can share ideas, learn about their roles, and come up with ways to give clear direction for the Board and to the ED/Camp director. You will also be provided with an outline of items for your Board and yourself to consider after the conference.
Dean Dodge, YMCA Saskatoon
Climbing Wall Safety: How to recognize, assess, and mitigate risks in a recreational climbing environment
Jan Hecker, USask pacWall
Ways to build a Collaborative Camp Team
Join this roundtable discussion to explore the many ways to build and strengthen your staff team. From Collaboration to Culture, Creativity and Communication – elevate your team with teachable moments, conscious design and collective wisdom.
Christine Epp, Camp Easter Seal
11:30 AM Lunch
CCI SK kicks off in the afternoon!
Same location and more camp networking and learning together.