Big Bean's Instructions
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
ASSIMILATING NEW LISTS
Take family lists [registration summery] from front inside cover and make corrections to all of them: add new campers, cross out those not coming, etc.
Do the same with all kid lists [under 21's]
Take family lists and label one "family introductions", one "execudir's copy", two "wecomer's copy", one "nametags" one "popdir's pocket copy", one "momdir's pocket copy", one "master copy", one "adults", one "vespers",.
Take kid lists and label one "wagon wheel", one "master copy", two "morning program", one "teen beens", one "evening kids", one "vespers". - - - put any extra lists back in cover pocket
Find the momdir or popdir who has the directors' book, and place the "family introductions" family list and "wagon wheel" kid list into the empty page protector in the "sunday evening" section of the book. Also give the momdir and popdir their family list "pocket" copies.
Give "execudir's copy" of family list to exeudir.
Give the two "welcomer's" and one "nametags" copies of the family list to the head welcomer.
Place "master copy" of kid list into page 5, and "master copy" of family list into page 6
Place both "morning program" copies of the kid list into page 9.
Place "teen beens" copy of kid list into page 12.
Place "adult" copy of family list into page 16.
Place "evening kids" copy of kid list into page 23.
Place "vespers" copies of family and kid lists into page 26.
MASTER KID LIST
Turning to page 5, take out the master kid list and use a pink highlighter to draw a continuous line over the name and age of each girl, and a blue highlighter to draw a continuous line over the name and age of each boy.
In pencil, draw a line between babies and school kids [usually between ages 3 and 4],
In pencil, draw a line between school kids & preteens [between ages 10 and 11, but directors may choose to give preteens a choice of babysitting or school].
In ink, draw a line between twelve year olds and thirteen year olds.
In pencil, draw a line between older teens and younger teens [usually between 15 and 16] - it will depend partly on size of groups, teen group leaders, number of vespers sitters needed, number of evening kid group leaders needed, etc.
Cross out the names of any graduated 18&19 year olds who will definitely be choosing to be in adult groups, and pencil question marks beside those you're not sure of.
Meet with momdir and/or podir to discuss and confirm these divisions. If they are not available to do this yet, skip over the morning program and teen been sections and start on adult groups, [or help the mapsdir finish their job if not done yet since you will need your master map before too long]
Put master kid list back into page 5
MORNING PROGRAM
Turning to page 9, copy names and ages of babies and 11&12 yr olds onto the "preschool" 4x6 that can be found in the yellow folder [p.10]. place 4x6 back in folder.
With a marker on one of the kid lists, blank out all babies and all preteen sitters and teens [see the master kid list, page 5, for divisions] so that the only names showing are school age.
Highlight the school girls in pink and boys in blue
Label the other kid list "TEEN TABLE" and blank out all but teens with a marker.
In ink, fill out "matrix card" [in yellow folder] by writing how many girls of each age in "girls" column next to the age, and how many boys of each age in the "boys" column.
Package checklist, kid lists, matrix card, yellow&white 4x6s into yellow folder [already containing 1 laminated and 2 paper charts] to give to the morning program coordinator.
TEEN BEENS
Turning to page 12, find the kid list and, with a marker blank out all kids 12 and under, and the names of any graduated 18&19 year olds who will definitely be choosing to be in adult groups, so that only teens are showing, and draw a line between older & younger teens.
Highlight the girl teens in pink and boy teens in blue.
Ffrom the pouch [p.7] find blank "beans". On the front of a pink bean write the name and age of each teen girl, and just her age on the back of the bean. Do the same for the teen boys on the blue beans.
Put the "teen beens" into the pouch page 13, and any extra blank beans back in pouch page 7
ADULT GROUPS
Turning to page 16, find the family list and highlight all the adult women in pink and all the adult men in blue. Include any graduated 18&19 year olds who might want to be in an adult group.
From the pouch [p.7] find blank "beans". Copy the name of each woman onto a pink bean with ages of their children in the lower right corner. Do the same for the men on blue beans.
Put "adult beans" into the pouch page 18, and any extra blank beans back in pouch page 7
CABIN FOLDERS
___ find the group cabin assignment kit in the pouch page 7, and follow the directions inside. EVENING KID SORT
___ turning to page 23, find the kid list and, with a marker, blank out all babies, younger teens and graduated 18&19 year olds going into an adult group, so that only older teens and kids 12 and under are showing.
___ highlight the girls in pink and boys in blue
___ in ink, fill out "matrix card" [in blue folder] by writing how many girls of each age in "girls" column next to the age, and how many boys of each age in the "boys" column.
___ package checklist, kid list, matrix card, 3x5s, into blue folder to give to the teendir[s].
VESPERS SORT
___ turning to page 26, find the kid list and, with a marker, blank out all but the younger teens.
___ highlight the younger teen girls in pink and boys in blue.
___ find the family list and highlight the ages of all girls 12 and under in pink, and the ages of boys 12 and under in blue [use kid list if not sure of gender]
___ using the master map [page 2] as a guide, label & highlight only the cabins that house kids on the two purple maps [each camp unit has its color]. To avoid confusion for vespers coordinator, do not label or highlight cabins where no 12 or unders will be sleeping
___ on the family list, highlight parents' names in the same color as their cabins on the maps
___ find the index cards [in purple folder page 27]. Using a purple map, list the family names on the left of each card [take the pink card and list the names from all the pink cabins; take the green card and list all the names with green cabins, etc...]. Leave the right side of each card blank so the vespers coordinator can write babysitter names next to families.
___ package one purple map, checklist, kid list, family list, 3x5s into purple folder to give to the vespers babysitting coordinator.
___ slip other purple copy of map into its spot on refrigerator.
SATURDAY EVENING
GETTING EVERYONE STARTED ___ make sure the vespers sitting coordinator, got her folder so she can get started. ___ find the teen directors and have them appoint and oversee a few older teens who will take the evening kids folder and follow the instructions
ADULTS & TEENS
___ find quietest table to have cleared of everyone and everything, except the bean book, bean box, leader folder boxes, mom&popdir, teendirs, and yourself ...
___ when mom&popdir are ready to start, take out adult groups checklist [page15] and start following it ...
___ on the other side of the same table, when teendir[s] is ready, do the same with the 'teen been' checklist [page11] ... you [the big bean] are there to help all the directors keep to the process, following their checklists, while they make the decisions ... you need to be mindful simultaneously of this checklist as well as adult and teen checklists
___ assemble leader folders and envelopes for teendirs and directors as indicated on the adult and teen group checklists
BEDTIME __check in with the vespers sitting sorter, and the evening kids groups sorters ... if they're done, take their folders and 3x5s and put them back in the bean book.
___ pack bean book & boxes up and put them away safely in the "execudir's office"
SUNDAY POSTING
___ check with morning program coordinator to see if their yellow 4x6s are ready for posting [they will be taken off the fridge temporarily for the school meeting and then returned]
___ make sure the evening kids groups are done and posted.
___ check with the vespers sitting coordinator, who will probably not be done because she'll need to check with lots of moms, etc, but make sure she knows where to post her cards when she is done.
___ if the teen groups are done, make sure the teen been checklist is complete [groups copied onto 3x5s, etc] before posting the groups.
___ when you get the completed adult groups [hopefully around lunchtime], follow the rest of the adult group checklist and then post them.
AFTER SCHOOL MEETING
___ make sure the school coordinator has all the 3x5s in a safe place, and has returned the yellow 4x6s to the refrigerator.
___ before dinner, make sure chairs have been set up in rec hall for tonight's mini meetings.
___ put up big green poster
SUNDAY MINI MEETINGS
If this process is followed to the letter, any glitches [such as kids being left out of groups or both parents being unavailable for watching the kids] should be discovered ... however, some big beans/directors have found this to be too scripted ... feel free to read through the booklet and accept or reject what you want ... change the wording or just use the poster as a guide ... the booklet is at the very least useful for keeping the 3x5s organized.
___ put completed white 3x5s from evening kids folder [p24], adult groups pouch [p18], and teen been pouch [p13] into mini group booklet and follow the directions in the booklet
FRIDAY AFTERNOON
__before taking stuff off fridge, fill out shut down form and give to closing coordinator
__take everything but arrows off the fridge, take sticky-tac off 3x5s, 4x6s & map, and tuck those cards, etc into this bean book.
__take sticky-tac off of laminated adult and teen group cards and their beans, 'toss the beans', put laminated adult cards into page #19 of week #
__ bean book, and laminated teen cards into pouch, page #31 of week #
__ bean book take chore grid and white charts off of fridge FRIDAY AFTERNOON
__take everything off the fridge, take sticky-tac off 3x5s, 4x6s & map, [closing week] and tuck those cards, etc into this bean book.
__take sticky-tac off of arrows, laminated adult and teen group cards and their beans, 'toss the beans', tuck laminated cards and arrows into this book
MORNING PROGRAM COORDINATOR OVERVIEW
it's nice to get the kids groups sorted and posted by early sunday afternoon [so that mistakes can be noticed and corrected] and then there's much to do so you're ready to run the sunday afternoon meeting ... the meeting will take place immediately following the family introductions ... the adult sharing groups will gather briefly with their leaders at tables on the west end of the dining room, and then come over to the east end [where the craft shelves are], where you will have tables organized according to age/school group
SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY MORNING
__ON MATRIX CARD, pencil circles around numbers to make sensibly sized groups ... grouping older girls and boys separately usually works better than together because of the difference in interests. Grouping younger kids together can usually work fine.
__CHOOSE GROUP NAMES FOR ALL BUT TEENS [feels un-cool to them to be named like little kids]
__WRITE THE GROUP NAME of each group , along with ages and genders, on the top of a yellow 4x6 ... the preschool card will already be done - [if you gave that group a special name you can add it to the top] ... the teens will not have a yellow card
__WRITE THE GROUP NAME of each group on the back of a white 4x6 [not teens or preschool]
__WRITE THE GROUP NAMES of the groups, along with ages and genders, in the left-hand column of the 11"x17" chart
__ON THE YELLOW 4X6s, write the names [and age] of the kids that are in that group [in pencil so that corrections can be made during the meeting] and post into yellow pouches on refrigerator
__MAKE SIGNS AND/OR BANNERS ,,, you will need to have a sign or something for each table stating the name of the group and what ages and genders are included in that group ... so you might just want to make the banners you will be using in the mornings to lead the kids out after worship, and use those as your table signs for the meeting [you won't need banners for teens, but you will need a sign for that table] ... when you make them into banners, you will need sticks or poles, and may want to have a way of attaching a list of the kids in that group to the banner so the leaders can take attendance as they lead them out [you may want to wait until after the meeting when all corrections will have been made, and then laminate the list before attaching it so it will last the week] ... if what you make to go on top of the banners are fairly flat, dry [wet glue will squish out and make a mess] and within the parameters of 8 x11", you can have them laminated __COLLECT IDEAS ... make a list and/or collect some sample ideas of projects and activities that can be done with each age group so you can put them on the appropriate tables before the meeting
SUNDAY EARLY AFTERNOON
__SET A TABLE, on the east end of dining hall [end with craft shelves], for each age group, including one for teens and one for preschool [preschool table can actually be the picnic table in the western corner ...
the morning sitting coordinator should be there to lead the group who chooses preschool age] __ON EACH TABLE put an instruction card ___, the sign or banner___, cut the 11"x17" chart on dotted lines and put each strip on the table with its banner___, some activity and project ideas [and/or samples if you have them] appropriate for that age group___, several sharpened pencils and maybe some scrap paper or index cards___,
on the teen table, place the kid list labeled "teen table"___. __LAST MINUTE [while adult groups are meeting on the west end] take the 4x6s off the refrigerator and place them on the appropriate tables
__SOME PROGRAM COORDINATORS have found it helpful to find an adult with a voice that carries well to assist them in getting the groups attention [can't be momdir, popdir or teendirs because they will be elsewhere with the kids] MEETING The adults will be assembling with their leaders at tables on the west end of the dining hall immediately following family introductions. The leaders have instructions [see copy] give them five or ten minutes to introduce themselves
__REASSURE EVERYONE that this is not such a big deal ... first priority is to be responsible for the group of kids they are assigned to for the hour and a half on their day ... the second priority is to take this opportunity to connect with a group of other people's kids ... and finally, they might as well have some fun while they're at it
__HELP WITH IDEAS and supplies... the camp can purchase some reasonably priced supplies if given enough notice ... monday morning comes too soon for that ... keep in mind the weather, clean-up time, attention span
__ASK PARENTS to check that their kids' names are on the proper lists and to tell you if something needs correcting
__HAVE ADULTS GRAVITATE toward the tables with the age groups they would like to lead on one of the mornings
__ENCOURAGE ADULTS to gravitate away from crowded tables and toward empty ones
__WHEN IT LOOKS WELL BALANCED, have them sit down at the tables
__CHECK THAT EACH TABLE HAS [or appoint] someone to lead them in discussing what kind of well balanced experience they want to give this group of kids for the week, and in dividing themselves up into teaching days - ask them to take responsibility for getting at least one name to each day at their table, or letting you know quickly if they can't so you can get more people to their table before the meeting starts breaking up
__REMIND EVERYONE that they need to have more than one adult to go on hikes or whatever - the "two adult" safety rule
__HAVE EACH TABLE fill out their strip of the 11x17 chart with names of adults to each and every day of the week and activities and projects they might have in mind
__OFFER ASSISTANCE to anyone who needs more ideas AFTER MEETING
__COLLECT ALL STRIPS OF 11x17, making sure there are names of adults in every square, and reassemble onto yellow laminated "school chart" [you can use sticky tack, tape or rubber cement]
__ON THE 8 X11" CHART, fill in the information from the 11x17 chart, starting with the names of the groups along the row on the lines [like where it says 'preschool' and 'teens', and then the responsible adults, and then whatever you might want to say [if anything] about the activity up at the rec hall in the mornings [telling the kids what they have to look forward to]
__POST THE "SCHOOL CHART" on the refrigerator under the vespers map
__COLLECT YELLOW 4x6s and [after making any necessary corrections] copy the names of the kids in each group [as big and bold as will fit] onto the appropriate white 4x6 __RE-POST all the yellow 4x6s on the refrigerator
__IF THE BANNERS are not finished, you can attach the appropriate white 4x6 to the back so that the names show, and then laminate the whole thing ... if the banners are already laminated, you can laminate the white 4x6s and attach them to the banners or poles whatever way you think will work ... you want it to last the week
IN THE MORNINGS ON MONDAY MORNING, before you go up to worship, cut the monday strip off of your 8 x11 chart on the dotted line, and take that and the banners up to rec hall ...
... after worship the momdir and popdir will call you up to the front of the room ... follow the instructions on the back of the monday strip
ON TUESDAY MORNING, cut the tuesday strip off of your 8 x11 chart on the dotted line, and take that and banners up to rec hall ... follow the instructions on the back of the tuesday strip ON WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY MORNINGS, cut the strip off of your 8 x11 chart on the dotted line, and take that and banners up to rec hall ... follow the instructions on the back of the strip AT LUNCHTIME, or before,
you may want to collect the banners and put them safely away PRESCHOOL during morning program, there will be at least one adult and the 11& 12 year olds to watch the babies - the adults will only be doing one day, but the preteens will be there every day
- if there are not enough of you, notify the coordinator - if there are a lot of you, check to see if there are tables without enough and see who might be willing to switch to those age groups discuss what day each person at the table prefers ... write at least one name to each day on the chart at your table plan how to set up the corner nursery - there are rubber mats, white plastic fence, and maybe a rug
... you can see what toys there may be - balls, etc ... think of ways to make it fun and educational for the preteens [babysitter training] if there are not enough of you, notify the coordinator
- if there are a lot of you, check to see if there are tables without enough and see who might be willing to switch to those age groups discuss what day each person at the table prefers and help each other with ideas of what to do with this age group, keeping in mind the weather, clean-up time, attention span, repetition write at least one name to each day on the chart at your table,[you'll need to have more than one adult to go on hikes or whatever
- the "two adult" safety rule] and any projects they have in mind for their day if any of you need help with ideas, the program coordinator is here to help if there are not enough of you, notify the coordinator
TEENS if there are not enough of you, notify the coordinator
... they may only want to go to one lecture and need something to do during the other, and some may opt out of both, and need supervision ... likewise, don't plan the best ideas for those days
... you may want one adult for those days, and three or four for special activities on one or two of the days if there are not enough of you, notify the coordinator -
SCHOOL MEETING INSTRUCTIONS
immediately following the family introductions, gather together all your group members at a table on the west side [side closest to parking] of the dining hall introduce everyone to each other and let them know that you will have time to talk more about your sharing group later in the day go over your chore schedule briefly [especially if you have kitchen duty for sunday dinner, because that takes place before your evening mini-meeting] keep your group quiet while the morning program coordinator is trying to talk, help them decide what days they may want to avoid teaching [if it's your groups kitchen day, you may be needed in the kitchen during recap time - check schedule on back for must see lectures] ask your members, if they have school-age children, to go check that the names are on the lists at the appropriate tables, and spelled correctly [if not correct, they should notify the school coordinator] - they should then go to the table of the age group of th
SCHO POSTING CARDS ATTENDANCE CARDS LAMINATED POSTING CHART - FOLDED 11X17 CHART TO CUT FOR EACH TABLE CHART FOR EACH MORNING MONDAY - starting with the oldest kids group [not teens] so the younger kids can see what's coming, call the teacher[s] for that group to come up to the front with you - give them the banner and have them read off the kids' names from on the banner and lead them out of the rec hall TUESDAY - you can start with the youngest because they know what's coming call the teacher[s] for that group to come up to the front with you - give them the banner and have them read off the kids' names that are on the banner and lead them out of the rec hall ... WEDNESDAY - by wednesday the kids' individual names probably don't need to be read because the kids know which group banner to follow ... you can give out the banners before the dirs call you up to the front ... introduce each teacher and have them lead their kids out of the rec hall THURSDAY - give out the banners before the dirs call you up to the front ... introduce each teacher and have them lead their kids out of the rec hall FRIDAY -give out the banners before the dirs call you up to the front ... introduce each teacher and have them lead their kids out of the rec hall ...
