Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Quaker camp?
Where is Sierra Friends Camp?
How old are Sierra Friends Camp campers?
Who are the staff and how are they trained?
How rigorous are the backpacking trips? What if my child does not like to hike?
What equipment will my camper need?

What is a Quaker camp? First and foremost, a Quaker camp is rooted in Quaker values: equality, the existence of that of God in everyone, simplicity, commitment to service, and harmony with nature.  The central Quaker practice is Meeting for Worship, during which participants sit in silence and listen for the “still small voice” of God (as often referred to as “the Light”).  Another tenet of Quakerism is that decisions are made through a type of consensus building called Quaker Process.  At Sierra Friends Camp, the staff and counselors make decisions through Quaker Process, allowing all staff and counselors feel ownership of the way camp is run.  Essentially, these are the extent of formal Quaker practice at Sierra Friends Camp. 

For the most part, we only incorporate a religious education component at Sierra Friends Camp by teaching through example.  This involves:

• Living in accordance with Quaker values
• Approaching each other and our environment in a spirit of love
• Acknowledging the innate goodness in each camper and staff member and in the beauty that surrounds us 

This spirit guides the staff in decision making about how to run the camp, how to design activities that are fun and fulfilling, and how to carry out conflict resolutions in a supportive and respectful way.  At the heart of this spirit is the goal that all campers feel unconditionally accepted at camp in a way they may never have felt in other settings.

Sierra Friends Camp welcomes diverse non-Quaker youth and staff.  Quaker practice does not permit the defeat of some views by others, and instead prefers the integration of various points of view into a higher truth and understanding.  A type of universalism prevails in present-day Quakerism, an overarching awareness that there is more than one path to recognizing truth and understanding.  It is our intention that a diversity of races, cultures, heritages, and religions be celebrated as part of the camp experience.

Where is Sierra Friends Camp? Sierra Friends Camp is located on the property of Sierra Friends Center in Nevada City, California.  The property encompasses 230 acres of forested and developed land nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains. The facilities of the property include cabins, a dining hall, meetinghouse, playing fields, arts and crafts buildings, a creek, a nearby pond and walking trails.  Nearby attractions include the Tahoe National Forest and the Yuba River.  Sierra Friends Center is stewarded by the College Park Friends Educational Association.

How old are Sierra Friends Camp campers? We invite 9 through 14 year-olds to come to camp.

Who are the staff and how are they trained? All Sierra Friends Camp staff are at least 17 years old.  A large majority of the camp staff have some sort of a connection to Sierra Friends Center.  Many are former students of the Woolman Semester program, so they have knowledge of the area and community, as well as experience living and working within a Quaker program.  These Woolman students learn about building an intentional community and participate in an intensive wilderness experience during their semester.  Other Sierra Friends Camp staff members have come to us with experience from other Quaker camps, on the east and west coast of the U.S.  We love to hire counselors with various backgrounds, so as to have a diverse staff with diverse skills.  All the same, all camp staff must have experience working with kids and spending time in nature in order to be considered.  Also, we require all counselors to get certified in CPR and First Aid with the American Red Cross.  Furthermore, all camp staff go through one week of intensive training prior to camp.  This pre-camp week features many formal workshops in various subjects, such as low impact camping, trail safety, how to help homesick campers, and conflict resolution.

How rigorous are the backpacking trips? What if my child does not like to hike? We plan backpacking trips that are age-appropriate, fun and challenging group experiences.  We have all Sierra Friends Camp campers participate in backpacking trips because we believe that they are very powerful confidence and community building events.  We understand that this is the first backpacking experience for many children and so we plan accordingly and have discussions with the group about what it will be like.  The counselors who lead these trips have both experience and training in backpacking skills and trail safety.  We recommend that you discuss the idea of backpacking with your child so that they know that they will be going on a hiking trip and so that you can talk about any apprehensions they might have.

What equipment does my camper need? We will send your family a complete equipment list when you register your child. We do laundry halfway through the session, so each camper should pack enough clothes for one week of camp and should come prepared for a variety of weather conditions.  It is also important to pack several pairs of comfortable shoes, including a pair of sturdy hiking boots or trail sneakers.  For the hiking trips, each camper needs a frame backpack with a hip belt (either internal or external frame; not a day pack), mess kit, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad. These items are explained in depth on the equipment list.  SFC does have some camping gear to lend if the cost of acquiring these things is prohibitive.
 
In order to foster the spirit of joy through simple living, we do not allow campers to have radios, ipods, gameboys, cellphones or other electronic devices while at camp.