Camp 2021
Dear Witchlets community,
We are excited to announce that we will be holding camp in person this year! The dates are August 7-11, 2021. There are some requirements which are described below.
We didn’t make this decision lightly or quickly – we have been talking about it for months, we took into consideration all the feedback we received via the survey, we have looked at CDC and state guidelines, and we have communicated with the Mendocino Woodlands.
We support each family in making the safest decision for its members, and our policies are intended to reduce risk as much as possible for the community as a whole. We understand that not everyone will be able to attend or choose to attend, given the restrictions. These requirements are FOR THIS YEAR ONLY, and we are choosing to follow them to keep Witchlets alive during this pandemic time. We look forward to having everyone at camp when that becomes possible again! All of you are important to our community, and we can’t wait until we can all be together again in the redwoods without restrictions.
Requirements for Camp:
Based on California state guidelines, the Mendocino Woodlands requires that all attendees aged 16+ be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 before camp (having received a full course of vaccines plus two weeks for it to take effect). This will significantly reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission to our children and youth, as well as to those whose health conditions put them at higher risk from Covid infection. It is not clear yet whether vaccination will be required for 12-15-year-olds if that becomes possible before camp. We will let you know as soon as we have additional information.
We are required to collect documentation of vaccination from campers, as well as ensuring we have contact information in case of need for contact tracing after camp. We will need a photo/ scan of your vaccine card to be uploaded with registration or emailed to us, at least two weeks before camp. We are working on organizing this – please be patient with us as we are trying to plan very quickly in a short amount of time!
In addition, we will have expectations for safe practices at camp, based on California state guidelines for group events. We are still developing these plans and will share them when they are finalized, but they will include wearing masks at all or most group gatherings (such as path, rituals, and workshops), and may include some type of physical distancing with people not in your household. (For the purposes of Witchlets, each family group can define their own household, e.g. combining 2 families into one household.)
We are also working with the Woodlands and the kitchen staff to develop a safety plan for dining and kitchen work.
There is no policy we can develop that will completely eliminate all risk. This will be reflected in the updated camp waiver and we ask that you read it carefully.
Online Camp:
We would love for there to be an online Witchlets gathering at the same time for those who are not attending in person, and we’ve had a lot of requests for this. However, we (the Weavers) can’t organize it as well as in-person camp. Would you be willing to help out with an online Witchlets gathering? Yes! That’s wonderful! Please email us at info@witchlets.org and we will get you all connected to make it happen.
Registration
Registration will open on Saturday, May 29th. You will be able to find the link to register on the website, http://www.witchlets.org
Fees will be on a sliding scale:
Adults $650-300 Youth (age 5-25) $300-150 Children 0-4 Free Elder Adult (age 60+) $300-150
At registration, we will collect a $50 deposit per camper. Although our timeline is tighter than usual this year, you can still set up a payment plan.
If we have to cancel camp unexpectedly, all payments (including deposit) will be refunded to campers.
Scholarships are available: $100 off per adult and $50 per youth.
There will be several kitchen work trade positions available.
We understand the pandemic has caused financial hardship for many families. If you want to attend but cannot due to financial difficulties, please reach out to us and we will see if we have funds available to help.
If you registered last year and chose to roll over your deposit, you will be able to note that on your registration. If you rolled over your deposit and will NOT be attending this year, please contact Adissa (the Registrar) at info@witchlets.org, and she will give you a refund. If you cannot remember what you did with your deposit last year (we can all understand that!), please email Adissa at info@witchlets.org, and she will answer your question.
Story
This year we will be working with the tale of Inanna and the God of Wisdom. It’s the story of how Inanna tricked her father, Enki, into giving her the sacred knowledge that allowed civilization to flourish. Our Story Charrette is working on a final version of the story to share out with you soon!
Want to Help?
Would you like to help with a specific camp task? We would be grateful for help with specific tasks for camp such as organizing work shifts, setting up lights, organizing the raffle, MC-ing the talent show, and organizing workshops. Please contact us at info@witchlets.org if you might be interested or want to know more!
As we gather in the redwoods, we will be holding the entire community in our hearts and spirits, whether you are there in body or not, and we look forward to future years when we can welcome everyone back in person.
Blessings,
2021 Witchlets Weavers (Adissa, Alla, Feather, Jamie, Meg, Stas)
