WE ARE STILL ENROLLING!

At this time of year it’s not uncommon for families to assume they’ve missed the Friendly Pines boat. Families wait for a variety of factors to fall into place before they can finalize their summer plans, and sometimes, in the interim, camp gets missed. We want you to know that it’s not too late to enroll. If we have space available, we will take campers a couple days before the arrival date.

And you needn’t feel overwhelmed. Yes, Session One starts on June 16, but registering for camp is an easy process. With all of our forms online, you can be registered and have all of the information you need in a matter of minutes. Your camper will need to get a physical, but now many pharmacies and grocery stores offer sports physicals. If your child has had a recent physical, this will do. All you need to do is provide us with documentation and/or a doctor’s approval. Not a worry. As far as supplies go, a sleeping bag and some play clothes are all a camper needs. We provide just about everything else, so you shouldn’t need to spend a lot of money buying stuff for camp. You probably already have it.

Remember, when in doubt, call us. We’re happy to walk you through the process.

You still have time. It bears repeating one more time. WE ARE STILL ENROLLING!

Friendly Pines Camp has added a few exciting new items to its list of shirts and hats. All of it can now be purchased in our online Camp Store. Friendly Pines has partnered with LFA/Westwind to offer you a more convenient shopping experience and a wider selection of articles. Below are some facts about the new Camp Store.

1. In an effort to keep everything affordable, Friendly Pines has declined to take any residual from the sale of these articles.
2. The Camp Store can be accessed through our website. Click here.
3. Shipping will be $7.95 no matter how much you order.
4. We won’t be inventorying and selling items at the camp any longer.
5. An exception! If you wish to buy a MegaPak (the large forest green duffle bags with the Friendly Pines logo), you will need to order that from Friendly Pines Camp.

Friendly Pines Camp is opening up two one-week sessions. These sessions are embedded in the two-week session (June 16-29), just as the Trailseeker sessions are embedded in the two week Session Three. Below are some facts about the new “Pioneer Sessions”

1. Pioneer A and B are designed for younger (6-10) and first-time campers.

2. The program is the same as that offered to two-week campers only for less time.

3. Pioneer campers will live in cabins with other one week campers. We won’t mingle two and one week campers for living purposes though everyone does activities, dines, and attends camp wide activities together.

4. The tuition is an INTRODUCTORY $1050 for the week.

5. You can enroll online or download an application from our website.

6. Space in each Pioneer Session is limited.

If you have any questions, please call Kevin at 888-281-CAMP (2267)

Everyone is invited to the Round Up at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort. We’ll be gathering in the Dorado Room in the NEW Palomino Ballroom at 7 PM on Tuesday, April 30. Along with some delicious refreshments we’ll spend the first 30-45 minutes addressing the questions and concerns typical of both first-time parents and prospective parents. Afterward we’ll show off a new slide show. Give away some items. And raffle off A FREE WEEK OF CAMP. We hope you’ll join us. This is a low pressure gathering. It’s a chance to learn more about the program and history of Friendly Pines Camp and the unique benefits of a summer camp experience. You can also meet some of the key members of the Friendly Pines Camp staff as well as camp families from your area. The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is at 7575 E. Princess Drive in Scottsdale. Please join us and bring all of your friends.

Title: Sleepaway Camp Information Night
Location: The Play Factory in the Desert Ridge Market Place
Link out: Click here
Description: The Play Factory will be hosting an informational gathering to help answer questions about sending a child to summer camp. Kevin Nissen, Director, will be on hand to answer questions and give advice on choosing a camp. Open to all. All who attend will have the opportunity to enter a raffle  to win a free WEEK AT FRIENDLY PINES CAMP.
Start Time: 4:00 PM
Date: 2013-04-08

Title: Tucson Round Up
Location: Windmill Suites at St Philip’s Plaza
Description: The event begins at 7 PM. The first 30-45 minutes will be dedicated to new families and prospective families. It’s a chance to answer questions that first time families will have. At around 7:30, we’ll show our new slide show and give away all kinds of goodies, including a FREE WEEK AT CAMP.
Start Time: 07:00
Date: 2013-04-01

Our annual Open House has been a widely popular event.  The last few years upwards of 200 people have driven to Prescott to attend.  Not only can you learn about Friendly Pines and tour the facility, but you can also enjoy wagon rides, toast marshmallows, ride the zip line, draw for prizes and more.

Friendly Pines Camp will be attending two camp fairs in the Phoenix area as well as in the Las Vegas area.  Camp fairs are opportunities to visit lots of camps in one location.  Come by and say “hello”!

Raising AZ Kids Annual Camp Fair

In an effort to make camp more “budget-friendly”, Friendly Pines Camp is now offering a payment plan. It’s pretty simple really. It requires that you pay the $500 deposit ($300 for Trailseekers), your payments will be equally divided between the month you enroll and June. You will not be charged interest or any other fees. Below we’ve created a chart showing how much payments would be if you enrolled one camper for one of the three sessions during the next few months.

Enroll in November with $500 deposit: $227 per month for 7 months.

Enroll in December with a $500 deposit: $265 per month for 6 months.

Enroll in January with a $500 deposit: $318 per month for 5 months.

Enroll in February with a $500 deposit: $397.50 per month for 4 months.

You, of course, can make a larger deposit to reduce your monthly payments. If you use the payment plan you will not be eligible for any of the seasonal discounts or the cash payment discount. You will be eligible, however, for sibling discounts and multi-sessions discounts. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-888-281-CAMP (2267).

If you’ve been following Friendly Pines at all, you probably noticed that Session Three is now two-weeks long (15-days to be precise). Why the change? Well, it’s pretty simple, actually. Schools across the state are beginning the academic year earlier and earlier. Tucson schools, for example, started on August 2. Given that Session Three ended on August 1, the boys and girls from one of the state’s largest school districts were unable to attend the 18-day session. We also have learned over the years that lots of families like to take a final summer vacation before the kids go back to school. As a result, even if their children started school closer to mid-August, a camp session that ran too far into July or even slipped into August presented some problems. As we don’t see the trend changing anytime soon, we decided that it was time for us to shorten Session Three.