Waldemar Parents
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to questions frequently asked are listed below; more information can be found in the Bulletin.
If you need further guidance, contact us at info@waldemar.com
Bus to Camp
Your daughter begins her journey to a very special summer experience the moment she steps on the bus! Excited and prepared chaperones will greet her and share her journey to Waldemar. New friends are made, old friends are reconnected and the summer begins!
There are specific pick up locations throughout Texas (including the San Antonio airport) where your child will need to meet on the day of departure, depending on where you live. Waldemar contracts with a number of charter bus companies to transport our campers from your area to Waldemar. Your city representative will notify you of all bus departure details.
Letters and Packages
Address for letters to camp should include:
The camper’s name
Kampong name
Camp Waldemar
1005 FM 1340
Hunt, TX 78024
Campers love to get mail so that they feel connected to home! Sending encouraging, positive letters from home is a great way to keep your camper happy and engaged. You should even receive some mail from her while she is at camp! If you do not receive any letters and are concerned, please notify the office . Keep in mind that Hunt is a rural area with a small post office, so sometimes our mail experiences a delay.
Only campers celebrating birthdays at camp and first-year campers are able to receive packages. If you need to send something else to your camper, please contact the office to make arrangements.
All campers may receive one pre-ordered package during the term from our Camp Store! Click here to place your order today!
Emails
In addition to letters, we invite parents and grandparents to purchase email credits to send emails to campers. Login to Camp-In-Touch to access this feature.
Please note: we do filter emails for G-rated language and content. Emails deemed inappropriate or containing foul language will be charged to the senders but will NOT be delivered to the campers. Inappropriate emails will also be sent home to parents.
Because the majority of inappropriate emails we have received in years past are sent by a campers’ siblings, friends, boyfriends and peers, we ask that ONLY parents, grandparents, and aunts be given the email system access code.
Leaving Camp
Short Term
Waldemar campers do not leave the camp grounds until camp is over, unless they have a doctor’s appointment and are accompanied by a Waldemar staff member. Picking up a camper for any reason during the camp term needs to be approved by the director.
Long Term
Waldemar campers do not leave the camp grounds except for camp sponsored trips. This means that parents do not take campers out of camp when they are here for the closing activities. Campers earn points for days in camp which contribute to earning their All-Star medal and tribal plaque points. Choosing to leave camp before the conclusion of the Final Program may result in loss of an All Star and is at the discretion of the directors.
Any camper missing* more than:
- 3 days (72 hours) of camp will not be eligible for tribal office and may not be eligible for war canoe (at the discretion of the tribal sponsors and directors).
- 4 days (96 hours) will not earn an All-Star and record card points
- A week (168 hours) will result in a camper being ineligible to attend that session
*If your daughter must miss any time at camp, please send notice in writing BEFORE her arrival at camp advising us of the dates that she will be gone.
Religious Services
Laundry
During our Long Term sessions only, camper laundry is picked up by a commercial laundry service each Monday and is returned on Thursday or vice versa. Each piece of clothing must be marked in a conspicuous place with the child’s full name (on shirts at the neck; on pants and shorts in the waistband; on flat pieces in a corner). Printed names should be put in any clothing you bring or send to camp. This is very important! Please put your daughter’s first and last name on the outside of her laundry bag. In case of loss, all marked items can be easily identified and returned. Mark everything including tennis rackets, helmets, etc. Waldemar will not be responsible for damage or loss, therefore, please do not send expensive or delicate clothing or valuable items.
Birthdays at Camp
We love to celebrate birthdays at camp! First, the birthday girl is announced at Reveille. Then she can receive a birthday call from parents or grandparents during certain times of the day (times must be pre-arranged through the office). Available call times are:
Short Term
7:30 am, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm
Long Term
8:00 am, 1:05 pm, 2:05 pm and 7:00 pm
Birthday cake is served to the table where the camper is seated (campers can choose vanilla or chocolate), camper siblings are invited to join and everyone sings Happy Birthday to her in the Dining Hall!
Homesickness
It is not uncommon for children to express that they are homesick. This is totally normal. We understand that for the new campers being away from mom and dad brings up a lot of feelings and emotions. Running, playing, making new friends and navigating new experiences can at times be overwhelming. Fortunately all of our staff are trained in helping campers work through these emotions with compassion and tools for identifying and dealing with the effects of homesickness.
Please remember if your child expresses any sort of homesickness, it is important for you to stay positive and encourage her that these feelings are normal. You can gently remind her that once she gets back into her camp schedule, the feelings of being homesick will go away quickly. Please do not tell your child you will pick her up early if the feelings don’t go away or she is unhappy. Unfortunately, this will undermine your child’s ability to learn to manage and cope with her own, very normal, feelings of uncertainty.
We are here for you and your child. If you receive sad letters, please let us know. We will talk to your camper and her counselor and get back to you to report on her progress. Homesickness can be stressful for all, children and parents alike, but remember kids tend to move past these moments quickly. Together, we will make this transition easy and positive.
Electronic Devices (Including Phones)
Enjoying the experience of Waldemar means spending time with friends, staying involved in all that camp has to offer, and unplugging from the world. Campers are allowed to bring electronics that do not connect to the Internet. Remember plugs are limited, so minimize the chargeable items your daughter brings to camp.
Campers are NOT allowed to bring anything with internet capabilities including: laptop computers, iPads, cell phones, portable game devices (Nintendo, PlayStation, etc.) digital cameras, camcorders, iPods/mp3 players with photo/video/or slideshow capabilities.
Acceptable Electronics: iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano (7th or 8th Generation), and Kindles or E-Readers. Parents, please make sure these items CANNOT connect to WIFI or wireless networks. Electronics will be turned in to the office if they do NOT abide by the rules.
If you are unsure about what to bring or not bring, please contact the office for approval.
Kampong / Tribal Gifts
Near the end of camp, your daughter may write you urging you to send or bring kampong gifts or t-shirts. We kindly ask you to refrain from such material gifts and help the girls instead focus on friendship and handmade tokens of appreciation or support, things like handmade spirit tags, or personal notes written to kampongmates at the end of the term.
Food from Home
In addition to three daily meals, we furnish mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks (aka nourishment). Therefore, we don’t allow campers to receive food from home. If a girl receives a letter with food, candy, or gum and it is inadvertently delivered to her, she might yield to the temptation to break the Honor Code which could be very embarrassing and costly to her tribe and record card points.
Please relay this information to relatives and friends. Be advised that should food, candy, gum or bottled water be sent, we will not be able to save it for the camper. Our baker will prepare cakes for those who have birthdays during camp
Withdrawals / Dismissals
Waldemar reserves the right to dismiss any girl considered detrimental to the camp welfare. Campers and families are expected to support all camp policies. Campers should abide by the Honor Code. Any girl unwilling to cooperate with this code should not attend.
Voluntary or involuntary withdrawal because of homesickness or any other basis does not justify a refund of any fees.
Refund Policy
Camp Deposits are refundable until January 15, 2024. Tuition payments (not including deposits) are refundable through April 1, 2024. Cancellations must be submitted in writing to the Camp Director, Jeanne Stacy. Email jeanne@waldemar.com