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Camper Questions
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Your first day will be excellent. You'll move into your new cabin and meet your cabinmates. These are the guys that you'll be closest to all week. You'll meet your counselors and pick which activities you'll tackle during the week. Get ready to make some friends!
You'll sleep in a cabin with 7 other campers your age, and two counselors. You can see a picture of a cabin interior on our Camp Tour page.
Your cabin will have two counselors assigned to it the same day your arrive. They will be energetic, fun-loving Christian guys who want you to have the best week of your life. You need to know that they have your back and you can talk with them about anything - good or bad - and they'll listen to what you have to say, as a good friend should.
Your age will decide which activities you are eligible for, but a list of sample activities include swimming, fishing, canoeing, sailing, kayaking, craft shop, soccer, tetherball, rock climbing, riflery (.22 or air rifle), archery, slingshot, and a high ropes course (battalion only).
We wouldn't be able to feed a camp full of guys every year if our food wasn't AWESOME!
Hopefully you'll get to see lots of wildlife at Northern Frontier. Common sightings include white-tailed deer, beavers, great blue heron, loons, frogs, toads and red-spotted newts (a small orange lizard). A full list of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians in the Adirondack State Park can be found here.
A typical day is always packed with good food, great discussions, lots of fun and adventure. To see a daily schedule for both Stockade and Battalion campers, click here.
Parent Questions
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You may send your son an e-mail message by using our Camper Contact Form. We retrieve and print all the e-mails once a day and deliver them during lunch. You may also send your son a letter or postcard via USPS. Please reserve phone calls for emergencies only.
All activities are carefully planned to be age appropriate, as well as monitored by trained counselors who will be on-hand to assist in any way possible.
Most counselors were once NF campers themselves. Of all the applications we recieve, we select the counselors that will have the most positive impact on your son and the surrounding camp.
A standard cabin (Stockade & Battalion) will have 2 counselors and 8 campers, for a ratio of 1 to 4.
NF is inspected regularly by the NYS Department of Health. This inspection includes the entire camp property, including all camp facilities, with a focus on both safety and sanitation as well as staff training. In addition a health care professional in on duty 24/7. Most staff are also certified by the American Red Cross in CPR and First Aid.
Yes, a counselor will be present in each Father/Son Camp cabin. They will lead the specialized activities and help whenever needed. They also want you and your son to grow closer to each other, and to God.
Rules for acceptance and participation in Northern Frontier's program are the same for everyone, without regard to race, color, national origin or religious beliefs. Boys and their fathers do not have to be members of any specific church or Christian Service Brigade to participate in Northern Frontier Camp. If you're interested in what we believe, click here.
Limited scholarship funds are available to those who can demonstrate financial need. These are distributed on a first-come/first-served basis. Contact Northern Frontier Director's wife, Betty Essery, to apply for a scholarship. E-mail or call (845) 876-8009.
YES! You may deduct $25 from your total camp fees for your second son and each additional son that attends Northern Frontier this year.
Parents are welcome to drive their son(s) to Northern Frontier. The camp address and driving directions can be found here.
Alternatively, we charter a bus to camp each Saturday from Hawthorne, NJ and Newburgh, NY. More information on the bus schedule, fees, and reservations can be found here.
It is Northern Frontier's decision that divisions between programs be determined by age and not by school grade. We believe that school grade is based primarily, if not entirely, on academic ability and progress. This does not take into account the social, spiritual, emotional, physical and mental (apart from academic) areas which are also developing in a boy or young man.
We understand that certain churches that use Brigade Ministries programs or other youth programs have chosen to determine program division by grade. The discrepancy between a specific church's policy and Northern Frontier's policy will cause an occasional situation where a boy or young man may not attend the same Northern Frontier program as others in his school or church program. While it is never our goal to disappoint others, it is our belief that Northern Frontier's policy is in the best interest of the camper in regard to his personal enjoyment, growth and emerging manhood.
Northern Frontier's programs are divided by age as follows:
Stockade and Battalion:
Stockade - for boys ages 8 through 11
Battalion - for young men ages 12 through 16
Battalion Trips - for young men ages 14-17
Father/Son Programs:
Tree Climbers - for fathers with sons ages 6 or 7
Father/Son Camp - for fathers with sons ages 8 and up
Father/Son For Older Guys - for fathers with sons ages 12 and up
Father/Son Trips - for fathers with sons ages 13 and up
Age Requirements (All dates are of the corresponding camp year):
Tree Climbers: A boy must turn 6 by September 1. If he turns 8 before June 1, he should register for Stockade or Father and Son Camp.
Stockade: A boy must turn 8 by September 1. If he turns 12 before June 1, he should register for Battalion.
Battalion: A young man must turn 12 by September 1
Battalion Trips: A young man must turn 14 by September 1
Father/Son Camp: A boy must turn 8 by September 1
Father/Son for Older Guys: A young man must turn 12 by September 1
Father/Son Trips: A young man must turn 13 by September 1
Exceptions to this policy are rare and may be made only by the Camp Director.
While we can't specifically recommend any hotels/motels, we can help point you in the right direction. Click Here.
Staff Questions
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We're so glad that you asked. Your first step would be to contact Budd Smith, our Assistant Camp Director. Next, you should download the 2012 Staff Application.
The primary and most abundant positions available each summer are Junior Counselors and Collegiate Counselors. We also have positions in the kitchen, on service crew, water instructors (WSI Certified), trip coordinators, maintenance and more! Mature Christian men wishing to volunteer their skills and time are also welcome. Contact Budd Smith for more details.
In most cases, it is highly recommended that you pursue the CORE Training program, as it is the obvious route to working at NF. Any young man desiring to participate must apply and submit references. For an application, contact Program Director, Peter Fowler at pfowler@northernfrontier.org.
