Just wrote this as a draft due to my disatisfaction with "Boating Fun Camp" which my son started today. It is supposed to be a week long camp from 1-4 each day for kids 8-11 to learn the fundamentals of canoeing and kayaking. It cost $220 for the 5 sessions.
I'd love some comments/feedback on whether I should send this or not... I am so angry right now I can't see straight!
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Att: Mary Green
Dear Ms. Green:
I have just returned home after picking up my son, Hunter, from “Boating Fun Camp” at Hopkinton State Park. I took him home a half hour earlier than the 4PM end time because he was just sitting in a cramped, darkened room in a folding chair watching a Harry Potter movie.
I must tell you that I was more than a little disappointed that he spent his afternoon doing nothing associated with boating.
When I dropped him off before class at 1PM the instructor, Heidi, said they’d most likely stay indoors and play some games because it was raining and cold out, but if the weather improved they’d have an opportunity to go out on the water. I asked about the swim-test I was told all campers needed to pass; I had expressed concern at registration whether he’d be able to pass. I didn’t want to pay for a week of classes that my son would be ineligible to participate in. She said due to the weather they weren’t going to conduct swim tests that day, but if he failed the swim test he’d still be able to participate—they’d just keep a closer eye on him.
At 1:40PM I dropped back by the boat house to bring a rain jacket for my son. Though I saw three sailboats out on the water, my son and what looked like 8 or 9 other campers were sitting in the darkened boathouse watching a Harry Potter movie. Your welcome letter says, “We will not put the kids on the water in extreme weather including thunder and lightning storms. However, if it is drizzling or a bit cool, we are going out. Camp staff is trained to manage around the weather with land instructional programs and games to keep the children busy, engaged and learning.” I don’t see how parking children in front of a Harry Potter movie keeps them engaged and/or learning. I expected that during inclement weather they would have some supervised activities focusing on boat safety and learning about kayaking and canoeing. Even a boating-related video would have been acceptable in this vein.
At 2PM, with two hours remaining in the class, it stopped raining and the sun broke through the clouds. The temperature rose from 64 degrees at drop off to 71 degrees. I figured the kids would have a chance to get out on the water after all. I returned to the boathouse early, at 3:30, expecting to see the kids out on the water receiving instruction. I opened the door to the boathouse and poked my head in and could not believe the children were still inside, in the dark, watching a movie. I sat down outside to wait for pick-up time…but a couple minutes later my son came out early to tell me he was tired and bored and wanted to know if we could go home now. I expected the instructor to come outside to speak with me, but she did not. Apparently it was okay for him to just leave without her ensuring that I was still even outside. I definitely wanted to speak with her because I was not happy that they had never been taken out on the water. I saw her come out the bay doors a little while later with another camper, yawning sleepily. I called her over to ask why the kids did not get taken out.
Heidi told me the campers were all given the opportunity to go out after rules were explained to them, but only 4 or so kids in my son’s age group opted to go out. It was my understanding that if the weather was safe for boating…the kids would go out. But apparently this decision was left up to an eight year old. My son told me that as he heard it, only the sailing students (older kids) were asked if they’d like to go out on the water, and that it was too cold and rainy to go out.
I asked Heidi if the kids were offered a second opportunity to go out on the water—especially after the weather improved considerably. But they were not. In fact, sitting in a darkened boat house watching a movie, none of them were even aware that the sun had come out. My son started to cry at this point and was very upset that he did not get to do what he came to camp to do—get out in a boat. Heidi seemed to want to put all the onus on the campers who decided not to boat. I, on the other hand, expect camp counselors to show some leadership and direction to the children and not give them the option of sitting in front of a television set. Two hours of sunshine seemed to me ample time to get the kids out and teach them a few basic strokes, even if it was only for 45 minutes. It seems to me that it was easier for the counselors to let the movie baby sit the children. My son told me that he asked several times if they could go out an kayak now, but he said he was ignored.
In addition to feeling my son did not get what I paid for during today’s session, I do not feel comfortable having my son return for classes. To me, the counselor’s lack of initiative makes me feel that my son is unsafe under their supervision. The fact that they were willing to relax rules involving the swim test also makes me feel that safety measures are not being followed.
Based on the fact that my son received neither boating instruction or an opportunity to boat during his first session and was merely parked in front of a movie, and because of my safety concerns due to the lax swim test policy and the perceived laziness of the head teacher, I am seeking a refund of the camp tuition.
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