The game plan, in these strange times, is to take baby steps.
That is why Camp Weetamoe (formally Camp Swansea) at the Stoico/FirstFed YMCA in Swansea had no interest, as summer camps in Massachusetts were allowed to open this week, in setting its capacity at the legal limit.
Based on its building size, Weetamoe could operate with a capacity of 377 campers. Instead, it’s self-imposed limit, for now, is 100. Better to have plenty of elbow room as staff gets used to operating with COVID-19 rules in place.
“To be comfortable we only wanted to do a hundred,” said camp director Ashley Keane. “We’re trying to make sure we have a solid ground before doing more. Maybe later in the summer we’ll have more. But we wanted to make sure we could handle everything with all the restrictions, and if there was a rain day, and all that kind of stuff.”
One of six South Coast YMCA summer camps (ages 4-12), Camp Weetamoe welcomed about 50 campers on Monday and Tuesday, its first two days of operation in 2020. Keane said those numbers are fine, that the week of July 4th is traditionally the slowest of the summer. Keane said the Weetamoe staff didn’t know what to expect because Weetamoe, as so many others are saying these days, is sailing in unchartered waters.
“There’s nothing to compare it to,” Keane said. “So we didn’t know if it was going to be everyone wanted their kids to come and be social. Or if people were going to be apprehensive and want to stay home.”
State rules mandate camper group sizes of no more than 12. Weetamoe is going with 10, plus counselors. Rules also require that groups stay together throughout the daily rotation through activities. Keane said she’s already seeing an upside to the stay-in-group approach: Children building strong relationships with their cohorts, the term for fellow campers in their group. “Yesterday (Monday) we had to do a rain day,” Keane said. “They were happily playing, very quiet. Everyone was just excited to be around people.”
Keane said Weetamoe may during the summer raise its capacity. It may be necessary to accommodate demand. “I think as the summer rocks and rolls, we’ll get more and more,” she said.
Unlike in previous years, when Fall River YMCA summer campers could choose to be bused to the 36-acre Swansea Y, this year Fall River campers do not have that option due to pandemic-related transportation challenges. Last year, the 85 to 90 Swansea-registered campers would be joined by around 200 Fall River campers for part of the day.
The Weetamoe staff was hired before state shutdown rules were put in place. All but the final training sessions were done virtually. Keane said staff members are excited, vigilant.
Masked are required in all cases indoors. Outdoors they may be removed with six-foot spacing. Counselors have backup masks handy. For pickup and drop-off, only the campers are allowed out of the vehicles.
“It’s definitely different from last year,” Keane said.
At the Fall River YMCA, director Ja’Nell Henry reported a smooth start to Camp Quequechan, which has set its capacity at 70 and had about 42 campers on hand into the middle of Week 1. She said campers are getting accustomed to wearing masks and social distancing. And to help compensate for the considerable lost classroom time for students this past spring, Camp Quequechan is putting a big emphasis on education … in an enjoyable way.
“The biggest issue for me has been the most efficient utilization of the space both inside and outside of the building,” Henry said in an email. “We have a full schedule of activities daily including swim, crafts, computer, videography, and paper engineering. Because students have spent so much time away from the classroom we have incorporated a great deal of academic enrichment into our program. Students participate in activities related to ELA, Math STEM, and history/geography.”
The Fall River Boys and Girls Club summer camp at Camp Welch in Assonet starts next week. Week 1 registration is complete and registration for Week 2 (July 13-17) runs through Thursday (July 2).
Somerset Recreation’s summer camp also begins July 6. This year it is based at O’Neill Field in the town’s south end.
Email Greg Sullivan at gsullivan@heraldnews.com. Follow him @GregSullivanHN.