A&M Youth
Camp Cornerstone and Travel Info and Packing List
Hey Everyone – We’re so excited you’ll be going to Camp Cornerstone. It’s going to be amazing. On this page you’ll find everything you need to know about Cornerstone. Please make sure you read
everything well.
Travel Info:
We’ll meet at church at 8:30am on Sunday, June 25. When you arrive to church, please put your big luggage (suitcase, etc.) in the back of the bus (in the luggage compartment.) All of your soft luggage (sleeping bag, pillow, backpack, etc.) will go inside the bus with us. You can go ahead and put it inside the bus (on the back rows) if you want. Or just keep those things with you as you go into the Great Hall to check-in.
During check-in, we will:
-make sure all of your paperwork is complete
-collect any prescription medicine you have
-ask you whether or not you have any phones, tablets, gaming devices,
earbuds, etc. (Electronics of any kind (except cameras) are not allowed
at camp…so please do not bring them. If you have a phone you would
like to check-in, you are welcome to do so. We will keep it locked in
the bus until we return to College Station. Having said that, if your
parents want to keep your phone for the week instead of it being locked
in the back of the bus, that would be great. But we’ll still be glad to check
it in if you want to. (See more info about phones at the bottom of this page.))
Hopefully the check-in process will be quick, and we’ll be on the road as soon as possible.
Food while traveling:
We’ll have lunch for everyone (probably Subway sandwiches) on the way to camp. We will also have lunch for everyone (maybe Jason's Deli boxed lunch or a Cane's boxed meal) on the way home. These meals will be provided.
If your son/daughter wants to bring some money for a snack on the way to/from camp, we will have a snack stop on the way to camp and on the way home.
Okay, so here's the part we need all students to know: if you bring a snack on the bus, all trash from that snack needs to go in the trash can. (not the luggage racks, no the floor under your seat, not your neighbors backpack, etc.) And one more important thing which sometimes seems to be a foreign concept: no throwing of snacks at anyone on the bus...even if you're throwing gummy bears and your friend is trying to catch them in their mouth. And all of you 6th grade students who have not been on a MS trip with us before, sorry you have to hear of MS students who have caused a ruckus before with their snackage choices. We have a really nice bus, and even though some past students sometimes forget where the trash can is, we will allow you to have some snacks on the bus. Just throw away the wrappers or bottles when you're done and keep the crumbs off of the floor. :)
Key Deposit:
Students will receive a room key while we are at camp, and everyone will need a $20 deposit in order to get their key. This room deposit money should be taken on the bus with us…we may check in to our rooms before we unpack the back of the bus…so put it in your pocket or backpack so that you’ll have it as soon as we get to camp.
Games for the bus:
If you would like to bring cards or any kind of game to play on the bus, you’re welcome to do so. Actually, this would be a great idea. Card games, travel games, fun games…anything is great. You can also bring books to read or other fun things to do. If you want to bring a few DVD's as well
we can watch them on the trip to camp. Only really clean movies. Zero profanity. Remember, no phones, earbuds, or video gaming devices.
Our return:
We plan to return around 7:00-8:00pm on Thursday June 29. It could be
earlier. We’ll keep parents updated via email.
Behavior at camp:
All students who are going with our group to Cornerstone are expected to
be respectful, kind, and courteous to all other students and adults while at
camp. They are expected to participate in all activities. They are expected
to be alert and involved during classes and worship times. Practical jokes
or insults to other students are not okay. In addition to this, students are
expected to follow the instructions of Monty, Heather, and the interns. Our
students are generally very well behaved...and we are so thankful…but we
need everyone to be cooperative and respectful. Please talk to your
son/daughter about this before they come to camp.
Packing List:
Bible
Pen
Bedding (sleeping bag and/or sheets for a twin bed)
Pillow
Towel
Toiletries
Swimsuit
Clothes for each day
Sleeping clothes for each night
Tennis shoes (and an extra set of shoes or sandals or something)
Key deposit of $20 (remember to keep this in your pocket on the bus… not in your luggage) Some years they do Wacky Wednesday at camp. Some years they do not. And there is a game show night in which you may want something funny or wacky or crazy to wear. All of the crazy stuff is totally optional, but you can bring it if you want.
Dress Code at Cornerstone:
Shorts must be past finger-tip. No tank-tops or sleeveless shirts. Shirts must cover stomachs and leggings are not allowed.
Optional Things:
Lanyard for your room key card (to wear around your neck) camera, snacks, extra money for snacks which can be bought at camp (we encourage you to not send too much), a watch, shower shoes, games/cards for the bus.
Prescription Medicine at Cornerstone:
If your son/daughter needs to take prescription medication at camp, that medicine must be turned in to the nurse. Students are not allowed to have medicine (prescription or over the counter) in their dorm room. If you have prescription medicine, please click here to open and print this form: Camp Cornerstone Medicine Check-in Form and bring it with you when
you turn in your medicine to us when we depart for camp. (If you do not have a printer and can not easily print this form, let us know. We'll have a blank copy for you on Sunday morning. We will collect all medicine on Sunday morning at our church building before we leave. (If you have a ziplock baggie to place the medication form in, that would save us from having to do this before we leave.)
Food Allergy Info:
If your son/daughter has a food allergy, and you haven't let us know yet, let
us know as soon as possible. Also, click here to fill out a form for the
cafeteria: http://www.campoc.org/dietneeds.html
Phone Info:
Phones are not allowed at Camp Cornerstone. If you bring a phone to camp, it will need to be checked in when we depart, and you can get it back when we return to our church.
There is a no-tolerance policy on phones at camp. This is not a place to say, “I’ll just keep it in my bag or in my pocket.” Because of problems in the past with students texting late at night, students sending unkind messages to others students while at camp, and students watching movies or videos on their phone at camp, we have decided to not have cell phones as a part of Camp Cornerstone.
If at any time your son/daughter needs to get you…or if you need to get them…Monty or Heather’s phones can be used. We are more than happy for you to do this. We're not trying to keep students from talking to parents, or keep parents out of the loop about what is happening. We just live in a world where 150 middle school students + phones + students being involved and talking to people around them instead of spending their time on a phone don't always go together well. You can call or text us anytime if you need to talk to your son/daughter. They can use our phones anytime to call you as well. Phones at camp somehow always seem to cause a problem. People will text unkind things, (usually in a joking kind of way, but it still hurts feelings) or take someone's phone and call 911, or someone's phone gets broken...so we're trying to eliminate these things. But we recognize we live in a world where we can always reach our kids by phone...so please call Monty and Heather anytime if you need to check on your student or just ask us how they are doing.
Things Not to Bring:
Cornerstone also asks you not to bring water guns, water balloons, knives of any kind, etc. Practical jokes/pranks are not tolerated at Cornerstone. No electronics of any kind- except cameras. We ask you not to bring bird baths, peanut butter and jelly flavored soda, mustard packets, or flying squirrels.
Camp Mail:
If you would like to send your son/daughter a letter or email while they are at camp, here is a link to find out how to do this: http://www.campoc.org/campermail.html
Camp Store:
If you want to buy anything for your son/daughter from the camp store, here is a link: http://www.campocstore.com/
Summer T-shirts:
If you do not have our youth group summer t-shirt yet you can get one anytime. Our 7th-12th graders have already had an opportunity to buy one, but our 6th graders (incoming 7th) have not had a chance to get one yet. You can get one the next time you are at church from a box in the Middle School Room. Money can be placed in the Youth Box. (lockbox in the wall in the Youth Cafe near the HS room door) Students can also can get one on the morning we leave for camp or we will take some to camp and they can buy them there. Shirts are $7 each.
How Parents Can Keep Up With Our Trip to/from Camp:
We will let parents know we have arrived at camp on Sunday via email. We hope to create
a group in CCB with the wording [Camp Cornerstone Parents] which would appear
in the subject line every time we email everyone.
We will send a few updates throughout the week, and with our anticipated arrival time
on June 29. Students will not be calling parents with travel updates on the way home,
unless you need them to…therefore…please check our updates to know when your
son/daughter will be home.
Okay, that’s it. If you have other questions, please let us know.
Get excited! And be praying for God to be at work in our hearts and in our lives!
See you Sunday, June 25, at 8:30am.