CAMP VICTORY
Summary & Purpose
This policy is to aid in the protection of minors participating in programs at Camp Victory. Camp environments include overnight lodging, outdoor activities, waterfront access, and extended supervision responsibilities. This policy establishes enhanced standards for screening, supervision, movement, privacy, physical boundaries, abuse prevention, mandatory reporting, investigation procedures, and executive oversight.
These standards apply to all employees, volunteers, counselors, interns, and leaders serving at any Victory Life Church–sponsored camp or overnight event at the campgrounds. Compliance is mandatory. Failure to comply may result in immediate removal from camp responsibilities and permanent disqualification from serving with minors.
Definitions
- A MINOR is any person between the ages of 0 and 18. An 18-year-old still enrolled in high school is considered a minor under this policy.
- A CAMPER is any person between the ages of 0 and 18 who is enrolled to participate in the camp program. An 18-year-old still enrolled in high school and enrolled in the camp program is considered a camper under this policy.
- A COUNSELOR is a screened adult (18+) who has completed the required application, training, reference checks, and a national background check.
- A VOLUNTEER is a screened adult (18+) who has completed the required application, training, reference checks, and a national background check.
- An INTERN is a student assistant (minimum age 14) who has completed the application, interview, but has not been background-screened. Minor Interns are not considered screened adults and may not supervise campers for extended periods of time, nor may they replace required adult supervision.
- The CAMP PASTOR serves as the highest on-site authority.
- The CAMP NURSE serves as the designated medical authority during camp.
- A GROUP OF THREE OR MORE is the standard that all persons at camp should travel and participate in activities in a group of 3 or more people.
Cabin Supervision Standards
Cabins house up to sixteen campers. At least two screened adult counselors must be assigned to each cabin and remain physically present overnight. Adults do not rotate out at night except in a true emergency.
A true emergency is defined as an immediate medical crisis, safety threat, or directive from camp leadership requiring temporary departure. If one adult must leave temporarily, another screened adult should be assigned immediately.
Interns may assist and may sleep in cabins if assigned, but they may never replace the requirement of two screened adults. At no time may a single adult remain alone overnight in a cabin with campers.
Unobserved one-on-one interactions between adults and minors are prohibited at camp. Necessary conversations must occur in visible and interruptible settings with another adult present or within line of sight.
Movement and Property Boundaries
Individual campers may not move freely around the property. Movement should occur in groups of three or more. Campers may only enter their assigned cabin and must remain within clearly defined camp boundaries. Campers may not enter the cabin area of opposite genders.
No-go zones include wooded areas (except designated trails during scheduled trails activities), waterfront areas outside scheduled swim areas and times, maintenance buildings, roadways beyond marked boundaries, and staff-only areas. Boundaries will be clearly marked with signage or cones and displayed on an official camp map. Boundary orientation will be provided at the beginning of camp.
Violations may result in disciplinary action or dismissal from camp.
Youth Open Roam Supervision
- Youth open roam is structured freedom within clearly defined and supervised boundaries. Counselors will be stationed in designated zones forming a visible perimeter and must remain within line of sight of at least one other counselor.
- Campers must remain in groups of three. Cabins may not be used as social gathering areas during open roam. Campers may only briefly enter cabins during open roam with permission from a screened adult.
- Opposite-gender conversation is permitted only in approved areas. Students must remain visible, avoid physical contact, and remain compliant with group-of-three standards.
Cabin and Bathroom Privacy
- Only one person is permitted per bed.
- Only one person may use a shower stall or bathroom stall at a time.
- Campers and adults must enter and exit shower and toilet stalls clothed and change privately behind closed curtains or stalls.
- Adults may not shower while a single camper is alone in the restroom area.
- Photography and video recording are strictly prohibited in cabins, including bathrooms.
- Adults and minors may not be alone in bathroom areas with another person, as this would violate the group-of-three-or-more standard.
Waterfront Safety Protocol
Water activities occur only during scheduled swim times. The Camp Nurse serves as the medical lead and must be present at all scheduled swim times. At least two screened adults (may include the nurse) must be designated as water safety supervisors during swim times. They should actively maintain visual scanning of the water at all times. They should not engage in distracting activities.
- At least one adult assigned to the waterfront must hold current CPR certification.
- Interns may assist with perimeter observation but are not primary safety authorities.
- Headcounts must occur before, during, and after swim sessions.
- A written water emergency response procedure will be reviewed with staff before each camp session.
- No camper may access the waterfront outside of designated times.
- In the event of a water emergency, the camper must be removed from the water immediately, the nurse assumes medical authority, emergency services are contacted if necessary, and leadership is notified immediately. Executive leadership must be notified within one hour in serious cases.
Medical Response and Documentation
- All medications for minors must be signed in at check-in and administered only by the nurse or in the absence of the nurse, by a designated staff person.
- All medications for adults must be stored securely in the camp offices out of access of minors.
- All injuries must be evaluated by the nurse.
- Emergency services will be contacted when warranted, and parents will be notified following stabilization.
- All medical interactions and incidents shall be documented contemporaneously.
- Incident reports are required for:
- medical emergencies and all injuries beyond minor first aid
- disciplinary removals
- allegations
- boundary violations
- Reports must be submitted through the official camp documentation system.
Affection and Physical Boundaries
(All Campers Ages 0-18)
Appropriate forms of affection include high fives, fist bumps, brief side hugs initiated by the camper, pats on the shoulder, and verbal encouragement.
Prohibited behaviors include lengthy hugs (longer than three seconds), adult-initiated hugs, face-to-face hugs, kissing of any kind, lap sitting, touching below the shoulders (other than forearms and hands), wrestling, tickling, piggyback rides, massages, comments about a camper’s body or physical development, or any form of unwanted affection.
Grooming Behavior Awareness and Prevention
Grooming is a pattern of behavior used to build trust, create emotional dependency, and gradually lower a minor’s boundaries for the purpose of manipulation or exploitation. Grooming often appears subtle and may initially seem like kindness, mentorship, or special attention, especially toward a camper who is lonely, struggling in some way, or unpopular in the group.
Workers must remain alert to behaviors such as targeting a specific camper for unusual attention, attempting to isolate a minor, encouraging secrecy, giving individual gifts, allowing special privileges, testing physical boundaries, engaging in inappropriate physical contact, making comments about a minor’s body or maturity, or attempting private communication outside of approved channels. Any effort to move interactions into private settings or to separate a camper from normal supervision is a significant concern.
Grooming behaviors may occur between adults and minors or between minors. Any observed pattern of favoritism, secrecy, isolation, or boundary testing must be reported immediately to the Camp Pastor and documented, even if no formal allegation of abuse has been made.
Violation of physical boundary standards may result in immediate removal from camp pending review.
Abuse Definitions and Signs
Physical Abuse includes actions causing significant harm or risk of harm, such as hitting, shaking, burning, or choking. Neglect is the failure to provide a child with basic needs. Sexual Abuse includes any sexual activity involving a minor, including intentionally exposing a minor to sexually explicit media. Mental Abuse includes non-accidental mental or emotional injury or threatened injury to a child’s health or welfare. This means behaviors that cause or risk significant emotional harm, such as terrorizing, isolating, persistently rejecting, or psychologically manipulating a child, fall within the statutory definition of abuse and must be reported.
These definitions apply regardless of whether the alleged perpetrator is a parent, camper, counselor, volunteer, or third party.
Mandatory Reporting Requirement
Any employee or volunteer with a reasonable suspicion of abuse or neglect must immediately report to civil authorities. Employees and volunteers may contact the Camp Pastor for assistance in making the required report. Proof is not required; reasonable suspicion alone is sufficient. Reporting to camp leadership does not fulfill this legal obligation.
Oklahoma CPS: 1-800-522-3511
If a minor is in immediate danger, call 911.
No leader or employee may discourage reporting. Individuals who report in good faith are protected by law. Camp will provide report forms in an accessible location for all staff and volunteers. After contacting CPS, the worker must notify the Camp Pastor and complete the required camp written report. Executive leadership must be notified within one hour.
Internal Investigation and Insurance Notification
If abuse is suspected to have happened at Camp or by a camp worker, civil authorities will be notified immediately. The church and Camp support this investigation and will not interfere with the investigation.
Regardless of perceived innocence or guilt, employees under investigation will be suspended pending investigation and removed from Camp property. Volunteers will be removed from duties and removed from Camp property. The church reserves the right to remove any worker from serving with minors in the future, even if allegations are later unsubstantiated.
The Victory Life Church Legal Team must notify the ministry’s insurance carrier upon notice of suspected abuse or sexual misconduct occurring at the Camp or by a camp worker.
Authority and Escalation Structure
The Camp Pastor serves as the on-site authority during camp. Any serious incident, including allegations of abuse, sexual misconduct, severe injury requiring EMS, law enforcement involvement, counselor removal, or camper dismissal, must be escalated to an Executive Pastor within one hour.
If the Camp Pastor is the subject of an allegation, escalation must occur immediately to an Executive Pastor without delay.
Missing Camper Protocol
If a camper is unaccounted for, an immediate headcount must occur, and all student movement must stop. The Camp Pastor must be notified immediately. A coordinated search begins at once.
If a camper is not located within ten minutes, emergency services will be contacted and executive leadership notified.
Violation of Policy
Any worker aware of a violation of this policy must promptly notify the Camp Pastor or Executive Leadership. Leadership must take corrective action to ensure future compliance.
Revision of Policy
Victory Life Church leadership will regularly review this Camp Minor Protection Policy. When revisions are made, the updated version will be shared with camp volunteers and staff before the next camp season.
