This follows various phone and in?person conversations with Peter Weidhorn and Rabbi Allan Smith and is our latest attempt to resolve how the camps ought to address the participation of youngsters who do not come from congregations in good standing with the UAHC. We have come to realize that such youngsters fall into one of four different categories as described below:
- Campers whose families are affiliated with congregations that go on suspension.
- Campers from congregations that are not affiliated with any congregational movement.
- Campers from congregations affiliated with a movement other than the UAHC.
- Campers from families that are not affiliated with any congregation at all.
Before describing how each category might be addressed, we do note that the camps could lose substantial revenue ? ? up to 15% ? ? if we prohibit youngsters from these various categories from camp altogether. We also acknowledge Rabbi Smith's contention that families, in making a decision about where to send younger children to camp, do not make such decisions based on the prospect of attending that camp only for a year or two but rather for several years, well into the youngsters' adolescence.
We also recognize that once agreement is reached on this proposal, either "as is" or "as modified," it will be essential that every camp director and the staffs under those directors' supervision fully understand and comply with the protocol.
1. Campers from UAHC congregations that go on suspension. Those who are registered for a camp session following the initiation of a suspension between September 1 and March 15 will be allowed to attend camp the following summer, but on or before March 15 their parents will be advised that unless their congregation is in good standing PRIOR TO the following September 1 applications for camp for the following summer will not be available to them until after October 15. In instances of congregations suspended after March 15 but prior to September 15, returning campers will be allowed to register for camp as of September 15 for the following summer. Notice will be sent to all families of such returning campers from suspended congregations, no later than March 15, that unless their congregation is in good standing PRIOR TO the following September 15, applications will not be sent on September 15 but at least one month later (thereby potentially jeopardizing their ability to re?enroll).
2. Campers from congregations unaffiliated with any movement. Such youngsters are welcome to enroll in a UAHC camp for an initial year following the published deadline for enrollment of children from UAHC affiliated families. In order for those campers to return on a UAHC affiliated congregation returning camper basis for second and subsequent years, the appropriate regional office must receive a bona fide application for affiliation approved by the region by August 15 of the summer in which the youngster is attending camp so that there will be ample time to process the application at the New Congregations Committee meeting, attendant upon the UAHC Board meeting that fall. Assuming that the regional director receives such a bona fide application by August 15, then that "returning" camper can be sent an application at the same time as all other returning campers and, as well, be charged at the same rate as UAHC affiliated families when submitting the application early that fall. We make this proposal cognizant of the fact that when an affiliation application is indeed bona fide there is an overwhelming likelihood that the application will be acted upon positively by the New Congregations Committee and the UAHC Board. All non?affiliated UAHC member children can reapply effective the March 15thopen enrollment date.
3. Campers whose families belong to congregations affiliated with movements other than the UAHC. Initially such youngsters are welcome to enroll in our camps following the deadline for children from UAHC affiliated families. Since we believe the number of such youngsters to be relatively few and, as a courtesy to our "sister movements," it is our inclination to permit them to reenroll for subsequent summers using the same fall schedule as that which obtains for campers from UAHC affiliated families. On the other hand, the renewal fee structure must consistently be higher than that which is obtained for youngsters from UAHC affiliated families.
4. Campers from families not affiliated with any congregation. Once again, these campers are welcome to enroll following the deadline for UAHC affiliated families. Prior to reenrolling during the priority period such youngsters, their families need to produce evidence that they have joined a congregation affiliated either with the UAHC or some other major Jewish denomination and depending upon whether that affiliation is with the UAHC or some other group the camper will be charged the appropriate fee (cf. Item 3 above). If the camp director is persuaded that congregational affiliation is not possible either due to the family living in an area where no congregation exists or for other compelling reasons, then the camper will be allowed to reenroll at the same time as if he or she were a member of a UAHC congregation in good standing. All "not affiliated with any congregation" children can reapply effective the March 15thopen enrollment date.
In all four categories, except where noted to the contrary (e.g., see items 2 and 4), the camper will be assessed a surcharge not to exceed the greater of $100 per week, a maximum of $500 per camper per season or $750 per family per season.
This policy specifically excludes campers returning as CIT's.