Sign up today for the International Camp Director's Course

October 21-25, 2024
Roseau River Bible Camp

Running a successful summer camp is more than just organizing fun activities; it's about leadership, safety, and creating a transformative experience for campers and staff. If you're ready to elevate your camp and your skills, the International Camp Directors Course (ICDC) is your key to unlocking new levels of excellence. Here's why:

1. Master the Full Spectrum of Camp Management:

The ICDC isn't just a few workshops – it's an intensive, four-day deep dive into every aspect of running a camp. From staff training and risk management to program development and financial oversight, you'll gain the comprehensive knowledge needed to lead confidently.

2. Learn from the Best, Connect with Peers:

The ICDC faculty aren't just instructors; they're seasoned camp professionals with a wealth of experience to share. You'll also be collaborating and networking with fellow camp directors from around the world, building a supportive community that lasts far beyond the course.

3. Stay Ahead of the Curve:

The camping industry is constantly evolving. The ICDC curriculum is regularly reviewed and updated to ensure you're learning the most relevant and cutting-edge best practices in camp management.

4. Tailored to Your Needs:

The ICDC isn't a one-size-fits-all course. It's adapted to local, national, and regional standards, so you'll be getting the most valuable training specific to your camp's context.

5. Gain International Recognition:

The ICDC is approved and administered by the International Camping Fellowship (ICF). Completing the course not only enhances your skills but also gives your camp international credibility and recognition.

Investing in the International Camp Directors Course is an investment in your camp's future. It's an opportunity to refine your leadership, learn from experts, and connect with a global community of passionate camp professionals.

Ready to take your camp to new heights? Sign up for the ICDC today!

The CCA HR Committee and Strategic Transition Committee is excited to announce the appointment of Matt Wilfrid as the CCA Coordinator. Matt, with the support of the Board and committees, will oversee the execution of many parts of the strategic reorganization to advance the interests of the Canadian camping industry nationally and internationally.

Here’s a note from Matt:

"Hello, friends! I’m incredibly grateful to be joining the CCA. It is an honour to serve an industry that has fundamentally shaped the person I am today. I look forward to working with the CCA team and our provincial partners to ensure that every child in Canada has the opportunity to experience one of our excellent camps and outdoor education programs.]

A little about me - I’ve been a “camp-nerd” from the age of 10 when I paddled my first trip down the Grand River with Camp Ganadoweh. Since that first summer, I haven’t missed a year at camp. After 9 years as a seasonal staff, I’ve had the pleasure of leading teams from 5 camp programs across Ontario, volunteering with the OCA, speaking at conferences across North America and as a consultant and Executive podcast producer for the team at Go Camp Pro.

In my time with the CCA so far, it is clear to me that the work ahead of us is a bit like a giant, multi-day canoe trip. We have a long way to go - with many rapids, portages and mosquitos along the way - and that’s the point, isn’t it? The end goal is certainly important, but the transformation and bonds forged through shared experience is where the real magic is.

Here’s to paddling the boat farther, together!"

- Matt Wilfrid (he/him)

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You can reach Matt at mwilfrid@ccamping.org

The work of the CCA is fueled by dedicated volunteers from across the country, in and out of the camping industry to further the Mission of the CCA.

If you are, or know someone who would like to make a national impact on the camping industry, please contact mwilfrid@ccamping.org

We are currently welcoming new members in the following roles:

• Board of Directors - Independent Director
• Note: Independent Directors must not be an executive of a PCA, or executive of a member camp, who represents that member camp in the PCA’s governance (e.g. PCA’s AGM)
• There is a particular desire for a director with accounting expertise
• Fundraising Committee
• Support fundraising planning, development and obtaining funds to drive the initiatives of the CCA
• Commercial Committee
• Create and manage commercial partnerships that will benefit the CCA membership and support the CCA’s funding and revenue stability
• Partnership Committee
• Support partnership planning and development, and carry out corresponding actions within the scope defined in the year

More opportunities:

• Advocacy Committee
• Develop a yearly federal advocacy plan with targeted issues, outcomes and ministries, and carry out activities 
• Camp Research Committee
• Identify desirable research projects and recommend funding to the CCA BoD
• International Committee
• Identify CCA intent and supported activities at ICF level
• Promotion Committee
• Identify and develop channels to provide public national visibility to PCA messaging
• Industry Data Committee
• Structuring, carrying out and sharing back industry analysis in a given area (e.g. camp infrastructure)

Interested? Please contact mwilfrid@ccamping.org

Come September, we’re excited to share more about the strategic plan, our ongoing work and some professional development resources with our membership through this email newsletter. Please encourage your fellow camping professionals to subscribe to our email list:

Subscribe Here

by: Barb & Peter Gilbert
While we were sad to learn of the death of our friend and camping colleague, Bruce Hodgins, it was uplifting to read the obituaries with details of his many accomplishments.  To his academic accomplishments and his leadership at Camp Wanapitei, we can add his significant contributions to camping in Ontario and indeed across Canada.

In the 60’s and leading up to the Centenary Journey in 1967 to celebrate Canada’s Centennial, Bruce was an extremely active member of the committee that organized campers in every province who paddled a section of a cross-Canada route, which the committee laid out from coast to coast.  Bruce’s expertise in Canadian history and canoe routes was a key to the success of this project.

In 1989, Bruce was a founding member of a committee whose purpose was to develop an annual writing award program with the objective of attracting academic papers relevant to organized children’s camping in Canada to the Camping Collections at the Trent University Archives. The Society of Camp Directors Writing Awards Program attracted submissions in both English and French from across Canada and the United States.  Bruce chaired this committee from 1996 to 2010. From 1996 to 2012, Bruce was also Chair of the OCA Archives Committee ensuring that camp records have a place in the Trent University Archives and can be accessed by researchers around the world.

From 2006-2009, Bruce chaired a committee that planned and executed the Ontario Journey to celebrate OCA’s 75th anniversary.  As a culmination of the event, The Ontario Journey, which recorded the various historical trips (hiking, sailing, kayaking, canoeing) taken by campers from many camps across the province, was published in 2009.

Bruce played a key role in setting up in 2013 the annual Canadian Camping Association/association des camps du Canada Prize for Excellence in Research competition which honours, celebrates and promotes excellence in research that contributes significantly to the growing body of academic literature relevant to the organized children’s camping movement in Canada.

In recognition of  his numerous contributions and leadership, Bruce received the Dorothy Walter Award of Excellence from OCA and the Jack Pearse Award of Honour from CCA in 2013.

Always thinking, always enjoying life to its fullest, remembering the past and looking to the future, a true believer in the value of children’s camping, Bruce will be remembered as a true camper and an example for us all.