May 1, 2020

The weather is warming up and summer is right around the corner. Cabin fever has definitely kicked in and we’re sure that you are feeling it too. With more and more states moving towards re-opening, we get closer each day to making the best decision for Netop and our campers this summer. Governor Mills of Maine held a press conference this week with valuable insights into potential plans for summer 2020. Our goal is singular: to make certain that campers and staff can have a safe camp experience while challenging themselves physically, mentally, spiritually and socially.

Will there be camp this summer? We still need additional information and guidelines from the state, CDC and American Camp Association. We know for certain that overnight camps are in phase 3 of Governor Mill’s plans to reopen the state of Maine, which is targeted to begin July 1st. Therefore, at a minimum, our season start date will be delayed. Our leadership team is working on a modified season plan (either 4 or 5 weeks, with two sessions) with safe practices in place to make sure that if we can run, we operate at the high standards that you expect from Netop.

When will an official decision be made about summer 2020? We sound like a broken record, but we remain optimistic for a modified season. We will notify you of our official decision by June 1st, at the latest. We hope to have more concrete information to you before that. We will likely be sending a lot more email communication to you over these next few weeks.

Session 1 is pushed back. Should I cancel my registration? We hope that you can continue to be patient with us and wait until we know for sure what the summer will look like. If camp runs, there will still be a Session 1 – it will just start later. We are also offering a “pay-what-you-can” arrangement for families who are experiencing significant financial hardship. Please contact us if this applies to you.

Ok, staying optimistic about camp running, when are camp forms due? Camp forms are posted in your CampBrain account and we are asking families to still continue submitting them by May 15, including health history, incidentals, camper information, etc. We recognize the physician form may take longer this year, since many routine appointments have been postponed. We will also be working on a special COVID-19 health form and will get that out to you if camp runs.

Can we still order Netop apparel? Our supplier (MCO) is taking orders. You can access the online catalog through the Camp Store link on our website.

This is a big year for Netop in many different ways and we thank you for your support and patience. Everyone has been so welcoming to Lisa and Tom already and we can’t wait to meet in person!

All the best,
Lisa, Tom and Steve