Registration
Registration | Price | Deposit | Sibling Discount | May 1 Deadline | Payment Plan | Session Changes | Cancellation & Refunds | Waiting List | Financial Assistance
Before Camp
Camper Forms | Code of Conduct | Lakefront Permission | Activity Skill Class Assignments | Cabin Assignments | Camp Store Money | What to Bring | Rodeo & Theme Night | Medication | Insurance
During Camp
Letters & Packages | Homesickness | Cell Phone Policy & Camper Communication | Visiting Policy | Emergency Numbers | Arrival & Check-In | Swim Check | Check-Out | General Store | Early Pick-Ups
After Camp
Tips & Gratuities | Lost Items | Social Media & Post-Camp Communication
Registration: Camp registration will stay open until the camp week is full or up until the Wednesday before the week begins. The fastest and easiest way to register a camper is through our secure online registration system. You can also call the Frontier Camp office during office hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM). Campers must be registered by their parent or legal guardian. Returning campers and their siblings may be registered for the next summer beginning the Friday of their camp week. Registration opens to the public on September 1.
Junior Weeks are for campers aged 7 to 12. A camper’s age is determined by their age on the first day of the camp week and all campers must be 7 or older by the Sunday of the camp week they are attending. Campers may attend a Junior Week at age 13 as long as they are not older than 13 at any point when they are at camp.
We have a very active program and therefore do not allow Junior Campers to attend two consecutive weeks of camp.
Price: The camper fee for summer 2022 Junior Weeks is $854 per week. This price is all inclusive, covering all housing, meals, recreation, and activities. Camper spending money for the General Store and Trading Post (snack shop) is separate from the camper fee and may be added to their account after registration.
Deposit: Prior to May 1, a $200 deposit is required to register for a week of camp. This deposit is applied to the camp fee and is non-refundable and non-transferable to another camper. The deposit secures your camper’s spot in a given week of camp, and allows us to prepare camp for the arrival of your camper. Registrations after May 1 will be required to pay in full at the time of registration.
Sibling Discount: Frontier Camp offers a $75 off discount for second and additional children registered from the same immediate family (i.e. first child registered comes at full price, second and additional children receive discount). This discount is applied to the balance not the deposit.
May 1 Deadline: All camper fee balances must be paid in full on or before May 1 of the camp year. Registrations after May 1 will be required to pay in full at the time of registration.
Payment Plan: Between September and January, we offer an optional monthly payment plan that allows you to divide your camper fee balance (not applicable for camper spending money) up into monthly payments. Payments are run on the last business day of every month.
Session Changes: You can change camp weeks (sessions) at any time, given space availability in the session the camper wishes to change to. Requests for session changes can be made by calling the camp office during office hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM) or in writing by sending an email to [email protected]. Session changes cannot be made via your online camp account.
Cancellations & Refunds: In cases where a camper’s registration is canceled for medical reasons (upon a doctor’s order or for a communicable illness), the deposit, less an administrative fee of $40, will be refunded if the camper can not be accommodated in a subsequent week of camp. No deductions or refunds will be given for late arrivals or early departures.
Campers who cancel prior to May 1 will be refunded any camper fee amount paid over and above the deposit. Campers who cancel after May 1 but at least two weeks prior to the start of the camp session will be refunded half of the camper fee if the camper’s account was paid in full at the time of cancellation AND we are able to fill their space from the waiting list. For campers cancelling during this time frame whose accounts are not paid in full, the amount of a partial refund (if we are able to fill their space from the waiting list) will be at the discretion of the camp staff. Campers who cancel within two weeks of the start of their camp session will forfeit all fees paid and will not receive a refund.
Frontier Camp reserves the right to dismiss any camper whose behavior is detrimental or harmful to self, other campers, or camp staff. Campers sent home for disciplinary reasons will not receive a refund and may be ineligible to return for future summers.
Waiting List: If there is no space available for a camp week, you may place your camper on the waiting list for that session at no charge. If you are adding your camper to a waitlist via your online camp account, your credit card information will be required, but no charges will be applied unless the camper is registered at a later date. Campers are called off the waiting list in the order they are placed on the list. You may not substitute another camper (including siblings), for a camper’s spot on the waiting list.
We register numerous campers off waiting lists each summer, so we recommend you leave the desired camp week open on your camper’s summer schedule in the anticipation a spot may open up. If a spot does become available for your camper, we will contact you via email or phone. If we do not receive a response within 5 business days, we will remove your camper’s name from the waiting list. During the summer (May 15 through August 15), if we do not hear from you within 24 hours, we will remove your camper’s name from the waiting list.
Financial Assistance: Does Frontier Camp offer financial assistance for camp tuition? Yes, we have a scholarship program for families who otherwise would not be in a financial position to participate at Frontier Camp. If this describes your situation, we invite you to send an email to [email protected] to request a scholarship application, specifying whether it is for summer camp or for a parent/child weekend. Once we receive your completed application back, our scholarship committee will review it and then get an answer back to you. Keep in mind we do not offer full scholarships as we have found that an experience at FC is a win/win if the family makes an investment financially to some degree.
Camper Forms: Six camp forms must be completed for each Junior Camper: the Camper Health Profile, Parent/Guardian Authorization Waiver (Release of Liability), Camper Covenant, Lakefront Permission, Activity Class Preference, and Cabin Mate Request. These forms are completed after registration via your online camp account and are made available beginning in January of each year. Camper forms must be completed by the camper’s parent or legal guardian. All camper forms are due on or before May 1.
Camper Covenant and FC Code of Conduct: Frontier Camp strives to create a fun, adventurous, and wholesome community that fosters Godly growth, respect, and unity among campers and staff. We require each camper and their parent/guardian to thoroughly read, understand, and abide by our Camp Covenant and the code of conduct as part of our Child Protection Plan. Parents, it is important to read and discuss the information in the Camper Covenant carefully with your camper(s). We consider your signature on this form as acceptance of responsibility for both the camper and parent to abide by these standards and to accept the consequences of non-compliance.
Lakefront Permission: Frontier Camp’s water-based summer recreation opportunities include both pool (chlorinated) and fresh (lake) water. This form allows parents to opt their campers out of activities involving lake water (“all in” or “all out” due to the logistical challenge of managing multiple activities at 2 lakefronts). Frontier Camp will identify lake users with a swim bracelet to ensure accuracy in enforcing this parental directive. Please read and sign the form before filling out the Activity Class Preference Form.
Activity Skill Class Assignments: As part of completing your camper forms, you will complete the Activity Class Preference form. This form allows you to request your camper’s top four activity choices and two alternates. The preference order you choose does not determine when during the day your child will have a certain activity. Furthermore, because activities are assigned using a computer algorithm, designed to allow the maximum number of campers to receive their top activity preferences, we cannot ensure that cabin mates and friends will have activity classes together; so choose based on interest, not friends. Activity periods take up less than four hours of the camp day, so there is plenty of time for fellowship with friends during the camp week.
Classes are filled according to the date of registration, not the date the Activity Class Preference form is received, given all of a camper’s forms are received by May 1. Activity assignments are not disclosed prior to check-in on the Sunday of your camp week.
Cabin Assignments: As part of completing your camper forms, you will complete the Cabin Mate Request form, allowing you to request friends for your camper to bunk with. You may request up to 3 cabin mates, for a total of 4 campers per group. Please note that we only honor mutual (completely agreeing with each other) requests resulting in groups of no more than 4, so make sure to coordinate these choices carefully. If you list more than three names, only the first three listed will be considered. For friend groups larger than 4 campers, please have all the parents decide how to split the group, and ensure that those choices are reflected on each camper’s form.
We assign campers to cabins by age. When assigning groups, we place a requested older camper with younger campers rather than a requested younger camper with older campers. Requests spanning more than 3 years in camper age separation require approval from a Camp Director.
Camp Store Money: Every Junior Camper has an opportunity to visit the Trading Post (snack shop) twice a day. In addition, every camper will have the opportunity to visit the General Store to shop for FC gear at least once during the week. Campers make all purchases using their prepaid camp store account (cash is not allowed at camp). You may fund this account prior to camp via your online camp account. We will NOT take camp store deposits during check-in. Unused spending money will be refunded on the last day of camp. An average camp store account is $40 to $60.
What to Bring: For a complete, printable packing list, click here. Included in the Frontier Camp Code of Conduct is a dress code for a camper’s time at camp. These dress code policies help Frontier Camp create the best camping experience for everyone. Frontier Camp reserves the right to use discretion to ensure all campers are modestly dressed. Campers who are immodestly dressed at camp will be asked to change, so please keep the camp dress code in mind when packing clothes to bring to camp. Finally, before packing for camp, please view our packing tips to help keep camp and your home safe from unwanted pests.
Rodeo & Theme Night: We invite all our campers to join our staff in dressing up in their best western duds on Thursday evening to enjoy the Frontier Camp rodeo! Then, on Friday evenings, our week culminates with a theme meal and evening event. The theme changes every summer, and ties in to those wacky characters we’ve been watching in Bible drama all week! For this year’s theme, click here.
Medication: All medications (prescription, non-prescription, and dietary supplements) must be administered by our health care staff. For more information on our health care staff and procedures click here. Camper medications will be turned in during drive-thru check-in on Sunday, so please have it ready to turn in when you pull up. All medications, including over-the-counter and non-prescription drugs, must be in the ORIGINAL CONTAINER and placed in a zip-lock bag labeled with the camper’s name. Prescribed medications must be prescribed to the camper and not expired. Loose pills, multiple medications in one container, or medications in pill sorters will NOT be accepted. This is a state regulation and we cannot make any exceptions to it.
Insurance: In order to keep Frontier Camp the best value in Christian Camping, we ask camper parents to provide proof of insurance coverage for your camper. Your insurance policy provides the protection needed in the event that your child is involved in an accident or illness requiring advanced medical care.
Letters & Packages: Letters and cards are welcome! Campers really enjoy getting letters during their stay at camp! However, we do NOT accept packages for campers. There are three ways you can mail letters/cards to your camper:
- You may leave letters for your Junior Campers at the drive-thru check-in station. Please make sure you label your letters with the camper’s first and last name.
- In addition, we provide an email service through your camp parent account that allows you to send emails to your camper during their week. Please be aware there is a small fee associated with this service. Due to the active nature of camp, we do not provide email responses from campers. We also do not accept faxes for campers or emails through camp administration (i.e. emails may come through your camp account only).
- Finally, you can always send letters in the old fashion way through the United States Postal Service. There’s something about getting a letter through the “real mail” that’s always exciting for campers! Camper mail can be addressed to:
Camper Name
Camp Session (example: Junior Week 3)
c/o Frontier Camp
131 Frontier Camp Rd.
Grapeland, TX 75844
Note that letters excessively talking about home life or how much you miss the camper can lead to homesickness, especially in younger campers and so such topics should be mentioned sparingly. Thank you for your help in this matter!
Homesickness: Homesickness affects all ages (including moms and dads)! Most new campers will exhibit some symptoms of homesickness during the first night away from home, and in almost every case, the cure comes with the first day of activity. Please do not become alarmed if you receive a homesick letter. Also, please choose your words carefully when writing or talking to your camper, especially as you depart. Comments about empty rooms, sad pets, and picking campers up early tend to stir up feelings of homesickness. If your camper becomes homesick, we will do our best to help them enjoy the camp week. Overcoming homesickness is an important part of child development, and we take it very seriously. We train our staff and plan our program in such a way as to avoid homesickness. However, there are a few children every summer who are unable to shake homesickness. (No more than five in 2000 campers go home early due to homesickness each summer). If your camper’s homesickness becomes severe and cannot be shaken, we will contact you. Please understand that, should you choose to remove your child from camp due to homesickness, you will not receive a refund.
Cell Phone Policy & Camper Communication: We do not permit campers to bring cell phones, tablets, or computers to camp – they represent a liability for the camp (and you the parent) that we do not accept. Communication (e.g. phone calls, texts, tweets, and updates) or the use of applications and games disrupts a camper’s daily activities and can hinder a camper from fully enjoying the camp environment and bonding with their cabin mates and fellow campers. We recognize our culture has become increasingly connected and see a week at camp as a wonderful opportunity for a camper to unplug from the pressures and draws of life that our always-connected society can bring.
Moreover, experience proves that phone calls tend to increase homesickness. Therefore, we only allow camper’s to call home with a camp director’s approval for emergencies, camper behavioral concerns, or a situation in which a phone call home is deemed in the camper’s best interest. Don’t be alarmed if your child doesn’t call; just assume “no news is good news.”
In the event of any type of emergency at camp, physical or otherwise, rest assured parents and/or guardians will be contacted promptly. In the event of a family emergency at home which requires the need to reach your camper, you will always be able to do that through our staff. See below for our emergency contact information.
Visiting Policy: Personal visitors to camp during the camp week interrupt the camp schedule and can negatively impact campers, especially those struggling with homesickness. As such, we do not allow any personal visits to camp while camp is in session. We understand a week away from your camper can be difficult and seek to ease that burden through posting daily updates and pictures via your online parent account. If you have any concerns about your camper or the camp program, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Frontier Camp Main Office: (936) 544-3206
Arrival & Check-In: Sunday camper check-in is a drive-thru event! Arrival times are staggered by last name as indicated below (if you are dropping off campers with different last names, choose a time slot that corresponds to one of their last names). Please do your best to arrive within your scheduled time frame in order to reduce car lines as much as possible. When you arrive at camp, you will be directed to our drive-thru check-in stations. Our staff will conduct an initial health screening at the first check-in station and then you will proceed to the second check-in station where your camper(s) will find out their cabin assignments and get their lakefront permission wristbands. This is also when you will drop off medications and letters/cards for your camper(s). After passing through the check-in stations, you will drive to Fossil Creek (Teen Camp) and/or Main Campus (Junior Camp) to take your camper(s) to their cabin(s), where you will meet their cabin counselors, find out your camper’s assigned activity classes, and drop their luggage on the cabin porch. Counselors will take care of getting campers’ belongings situated inside the cabin, as parents are encouraged to not enter the cabins.
- Last Names E – K: 3:00 to 3:30 PM
- Last Names L – R: 3:30 to 4:00 PM
- Last Names S – Z: 4:00 to 4:30 PM
- Last Names A – D: 4:30 to 5:00 PM
Swim Check: All Junior Campers take a swim check in the pool on Sunday afternoon after check-in. Once most of the campers for a cabin have arrived and moved in, the cabin heads down to the pool as a group for the swim check. The swim check consists of swimming approximately 20 yards. After each camper finishes the check, the lifeguards will give them a color-coded wrist band to be worn throughout the week, based on the campers’ swimming capability in the pool. Swim bands will be assigned based upon how comfortable the camper appears in the water, their body position, and the energy that is exerted when they are swimming. One band signifies that the camper needs to wear a personal floatation device (PFD) when in the deep side of the pool. The other band allows the camper to swim in the entire pool without the use of a PFD unless they so desire.
If a camper is not satisfied with the outcome of the swim check, there will be an opportunity to re-check. To provide the campers with enough time to get comfortable in the pool, the re-check will take place on Wednesday afternoon before Bonus Activity Time. A re-check does not guarantee a change in their wrist band color.
Check-Out: Camp will conclude on Saturday with a Closing Ceremony. Parents and guardians are encouraged to join us for a snapshot of their camper’s week before they head home! We will have coffee and a breakfast snack for you.
Junior Camp will start promptly at 9am in the Chapel and end by 9:30am.
Teen Camp will start promptly at 10am in the Quarry and end by 10:30.
*Note for parents/guardians with junior and teen campers: The Teen Camp Closing Ceremony will begin at 10 AM in the Quarry at Fossil Creek. The Junior Camp Closing Ceremony will conclude with enough time for parents/guardians to pack up their Junior campers and then attend the Teen Closing Ceremony!
Written instructions signed by the parent or legal guardian must be received by the camp office by 5:00 PM Wednesday if someone else is picking up your camper. Frontier Camp may request a photo identification of those picking up campers.
General Store: The General Store is located next to the Chapel and is open to campers at various times during the camp week. We will have an outdoor “Mobile Store” set up on check-out day where parents can purchase FC shirts, hats, and more.
Early Pick-Ups: We discourage early pick-ups, as we do everything we can to make the check-out process as streamlined as possible. If picking up your camper during the standard check-out time is not possible, please contact [email protected] to discuss your special circumstances. Early pick-ups will require an additional $25 administrative fee, and the Frontier Camp office must be notified of an early departure at least 48 hours in advance.
Tips & Gratuities: Our motto is “Excellence in Christian Camping” and we seek to exemplify that in all aspects of our camp program. We hope we exceed your expectations in all that we do, but ask that you please refrain from giving our staff members tips or gratuities of any kind when you drop your child off, including cash or gift cards. If you would like to extend your appreciation to one of our staff members, a note of thanks or encouragement is always welcomed.
Lost Items: Please mark all clothing and personal items with your child’s full first and last name and counsel them to keep up with their belongings during their week at camp. Frontier Camp does not take responsibility for recovering lost or misplaced items of clothing or equipment. We will place lost-and-found articles near the camp exits on Saturday mornings during check-out for parent perusal. You will be able to drive by these tables and take a look to see if you recognize anything that belongs to your camper. Missing items after the camp week should be reported to the office as soon as possible. Frontier Camp retains lost-and-found articles for two weeks after a camp week ends.
Social Media & Post-Camp Communication: One of the hallmarks of our ministry is helping campers establish relationships with Biblical role models that will inspire and encourage them, supporting the work that parents are investing into the lives of their kids. We recognize that campers and counselors develop close trusting relationships with one another at camp, and that these relationships are healthy, wholesome and beneficial to campers and staff alike. We have strict standards that govern all interactions at camp to protect our campers and staff, and insure healthy relationships during camp. These extend outside of camp as well. We are aware that many campers will naturally want to keep in touch with their favorite counselors after camp, and that current technology and social networking capabilities facilitate this. It is our recommendation that you as parents be aware of your child’s interaction with communication technologies, and that you talk to your child about what contact information you will and will not allow them to exchange with camp staff members or other campers. In sharing contact information with a staff member or camper, you understand that you accept full responsibility for overseeing whatever contact occurs as a result. We want to partner with you, the parent, in keeping children safe by communicating our policy to you.
