HORIZON PARTICIPANTS

Horizon Travel Info and Packing List

Hey Everyone – We’re so excited you’ll be going to Horizon. It’s going to be amazing. On this page you’ll find everything you need to know about where to meet for camp and what to bring. Please make sure you read everything well.

Travel Info:

We’ll meet at church at 8:00am on Sunday, June 22. When you arrive to church, please put your big luggage (suitcase, etc.) in the trailer. Please put your own stuff in the trailer instead of putting it on the sidewalk and assuming someone else will load it for you. If you want a pillow, backpack, blanket, etc, in the bus, you can keep it with you.

The beginning of this trip will look a little different because Monty and the interns will already be at camp. We are still working on details related to getting the group to camp. We have to have a bus driver and we need some parents who will go with the group and take care of our students. If you would be willing to help with this (and a few have already told us they are, but we need more) you can follow this link to the sign-up page: https://amchurch.ccbchurch.com/need_detail.php?need_id=928

The parents who ride the bus to camp with campers will bring our 15 passenger van back home on the same day...unless they want to make other plans to spend the night on the road. We also need a CDL driver because Monty and Heather can't drive on the way to camp. (Monty will drive back.) If no one else can, Joseph Knox can drive our students to camp. He is a bus driver for A&M and has had quite a bit of experience driving our bus. We are very very picky about who drives our students, and Joseph has the experience and ability to keep our students safe.

NOTE: This is not just something where we need some parents to sit in the bus and do nothing. We need parents who will be authoritative enough to make sure our group acts appropriately on the bus. This means, you can't sit at the front of the bus and assume everything is going well behind you. Wish it was that easy. Our students are great, but we have problems on every single trip when our students have free reign of the bus and when we do not have fairly significant involvement from our interns or parents. Again, our group really is great. But it just takes a few students who decide they will see what they can get away with to make for a bad trip. It's anything from throwing candy - or - stealing someone's shoes and hiding them, and they can't get off the bus at lunch - or - the guys deciding they will trade punches (and then it goes too far and someone gets their feelings (and their arm) hurt) - or - students saying something that hurts another student's feelings - or - someone decides they like another student on the bus, and then decide they don't before the trip is over, and then everyone picks a side and half our students are enemies with the other half of students by the end of the trip - or - actually, it's not that bad...but these have all happened in the past. It just takes a few students to make it bad for the rest of the group. Starting camp on a bad note is not how we want to start camp.

Okay, back to logistics...

At the Church:

After your luggage is loaded, you can come inside the building, turn your medication in to the medication box, and if you have a phone and are not leaving it at home - you can put your phone in the phone box.

We ask that you not bring any phones, tablets, gaming devices, earbuds, etc., on the bus or to camp. You are welcome (and very encouraged) to bring cards or games for the bus ride. Also, if you would like to bring a DVD or two to play on the bus TV's, you're welcome to do so. As always, the movies need to be very clean. ZERO profanity and none of the other bad stuff that sometimes can be found in movies. And we don't know what to say about snacks. Every time we say students can bring snacks, I spend a ton of time cleaning up the bus from candy and crackers and such on the floor. We're don't want to say "no snacks" but we're also really tired of picking up after everyone.

Hopefully the check-in process will be quick, and we’ll be on the road as soon as possible. We need to be in Oklahoma City between 3 and 4.

Food while traveling:

There will be a lunch stop on the way to camp. You will need money for this stop. It will probably be a McDonald's type place. If you want a drink or snack at some of the gas-station stops, bring a few dollars for that as well. On the way home on Friday, June 27, your food will be provided.

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, not 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. We're only saying this because there was a lot of trash left on the bus on our last MS trip, Soul Link. We have a really nice bus, and even though some past students sometimes forget where the trash can is, we will allow snacks on the bus for this trip. Just throw away the wrappers or plastic 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:

We already said this - but want to say it again - 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.

Our return:

We plan to return around 7:00-8:00pm on Friday, June 27. It could be

earlier. We’ll keep parents updated via email.

Behavior at camp:

All students who are going with our group to Horizon 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.

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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)

Money for lunch on Sunday

Key deposit of $20 (remember to keep this in your pocket on the bus…

...not in your luggage)

Dress Code at Horizon:

Shorts must be past finger-tip. No tank-tops or sleeveless shirts. Shirts must cover stomachs and leggings are not allowed.

Optional Things:

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, small backpack to put your Bible in when you go to classes

Prescription Medicine at Horizon:

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: Horizon Medication 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 and 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, please email monty@amchurch.net and let me know. I will forward this info to the cafeteria.

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Phone Info:

Phones are not allowed at Horizon. 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 Horizon.

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 350 students + phones + social media + ignoring those around you because you're staring at a screen 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:

Horizon also asks you not to bring water guns, water balloons, knives of any kind, any other weapons, any kind of tobacco or vaping device, any drugs, etc. Practical jokes/pranks are not tolerated at camp. 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, this is possible. Here is a link to send an email: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeB8SnHhmP3H141x1X_HYIc8Pna_Zk08p7I4pvv5NOKDpd7qg/viewform

Summer t-shirts: Our summer t-shirts were late in arriving this year. So, instead of the usual Sun night or Wed night when we give everyone a chance to get one at church, we are going to bring a summer shirt for you and give it to you at camp. It's a summer camp gift to you. Students going to Trek or HS Mission Trip will get a shirt too. Everyone who is not going on a youth summer trip can buy a shirt.

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 have created a group in CCB called [Horizong Parents] and this will be in the subject line of all emails you receive.

We will send a few updates throughout the week, and with our anticipated arrival time

on June 27. 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.