• Camp Wightman — Retreat & Event Facility Use Agreement

    Enter the name of your group or organization.
  • Arrival Date*
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    2 digit month, 2 digit day, 4 digit year
  • Departure Date*
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    2 digit month, 2 digit day, 4 digit year
  • Format: (000) 000-0000.
  • Is your group requesting waterfront use? (seasonal)*
  • Does your event include guests under 18 years of age?*
  • TERMS & CONDITIONS

    By paying the deposit or signing below, the Group Leader and their organization agree to the following terms on behalf of all group members.

    1. Damages & Cleaning — The group agrees to pay all replacement or repair costs for damages, breakage, loss, vandalism, or defacing caused by any group member. Camp Wightman reserves the right to charge a $100 cleaning fee per facility for excessive cleaning.

    2. Restore to Original State — All buildings must be returned to their original condition on departure. Moved furniture, tables, or materials must be reset to their original position.

    3. Counts & Guaranteed Minimum — The Guaranteed Minimum equals 80% of the estimated count at signing and is the smallest number the group may be billed for. Counts may be adjusted downward to the Guaranteed Minimum, in writing and without penalty, until 14 days before arrival. The Final Count is due 7 days before arrival and becomes the billed number for housing and meals. Decreases after that deadline — including no-shows — do not reduce the bill. Increases are accommodated as housing and kitchen capacity allow.

    4. Housing Allocation — Housing is assigned based on group size. Camp Wightman will not assign more buildings than a group's size requires, and reserves the right to adjust building assignments accordingly.

    5. Lake & Water Safety — All group members must be informed of lake drowning dangers before arrival. No children are permitted near the lake without direct adult supervision at all times.

    6. Waterfront Use — All waterfront use (swimming, boating, baptisms) is governed by the Camp Wightman Waterfront Use Policy and must be reserved at least 14 days in advance. Lifeguard scheduling is based on availability and cannot be guaranteed; a waterfront reservation is confirmed only in writing.

    7. Activities — The waterfront (docks, kayaks, SUPs, canoes), archery, and all other Camp activities are off-limits without prior written approval from Camp Wightman.

    8. First Aid — The Group Leader is responsible for all first aid supplies. In any emergency: call 911 first, then notify Camp Wightman at 860-941-1380.

    9. Participant Records — The Group Leader must maintain access to participant names, emergency contacts, key medical information, and signed permission to treat minors (if applicable).

    10. Emergency Vehicle — All groups must designate one vehicle for emergency use.

    11. Parking — All vehicles must park in the main lot. No parking in front of the dining hall except to unload.

    12. Prohibited Items — No drugs, alcohol, or pets on Camp property. Camp Wightman is a smoke-free campus (no tobacco anywhere on-site). Firearms and explosives are strictly prohibited.

    13. Youth Supervision — One adult is required for every ten youth under age 18 throughout the stay. Stricter supervision ratios apply at the waterfront per the Waterfront Use Policy.

    14. Camp Vehicles & Speed — All Camp vehicles are off-limits to guests. The speed limit on Camp property is 5 mph at all times.

    15. Quiet Hours — Outside quiet hours are 11:00 PM – 7:00 AM.

    16. Group Leader Responsibility — The signer assumes full responsibility for ensuring all group members know and follow Camp rules. The Group Leader is accountable for the group's behavior.

    17. Deposit & Confirmation — A non-refundable deposit of $300 and this signed agreement are required to reserve dates; a date is not held until both are received. The deposit is credited toward the final bill. If the deposit and signed agreement are not returned within 15 days of issue, the reservation is released.

    18. Hold Harmless — The group's organization agrees to hold harmless Camp Wightman and all employees and volunteers from any claims arising from the group's use of Camp facilities.

    19. Insurance — Camp Wightman does not provide accident insurance. Groups must carry their own insurance and provide a certificate naming Camp Wightman as additional insured.

    20. Shared Dates — Camp Wightman may schedule additional groups on the same dates unless the group exceeds 100 participants.

    21. Meal Times — Breakfast: 8:30 AM | Lunch: 12:30 PM | Dinner: 5:30 PM

    22. Check-In / Check-Out — Check-in is after 2:00 PM. Check-out is by 2:00 PM. Call 860-941-1380 upon arrival and again when departing.

    23. Bedding — Retreat Centers: fitted sheet provided only. Cabins: no linens provided. Guests must bring all other bedding, pillows, and towels.

    24. Cancellation — Written notice required (executivedirector@campwightman.org or 860-941-1380, confirmed in writing). Charges by date notice is received: 31+ days before arrival = deposit only | 15–30 days = 25% of contracted price | 8–14 days = 50% | 7 or fewer days = 75%. Contracted price is based on the Guaranteed Minimum. Rebooking grace: 50% of cancellation fees paid may be applied to a rebooked stay within 12 months (one time; deposit waived on the rebooked date). Postponements under 31 days are treated as cancellations and rebooked under this provision.

    25. Restricted Areas — All buildings not specifically reserved by your group are off-limits.

    26. Changes in Writing — All counts, adjustments, cancellations, and postponements must be submitted in writing by the designated contact person. The date written notice is received determines which terms apply. Camp Wightman confirms every change in writing.

    Please note, it is our privilege to serve you. Our policy is that hospitality is always included — no tipping or gratuities please.
  • WATERFRONT USE — This section applies because your group is requesting waterfront use.
  • Requested waterfront date
     - -
    2 digit month, 2 digit day, 4 digit year
  • Requested start time
  • Requested end time
  • Activities requested
  • Is your group an ABCCONN congregation?
  • WATERFRONT USE POLICY

    FEES

    1. Swimming — $125/hour, includes 2 certified lifeguards. 2-hour minimum. Billed in whole-hour increments.

    2. Additional lifeguards (required by group size or activity) — $60/hour per guard.

    3. Boating add-on (kayaks, rowboats, paddleboards) — $500 minimum, including equipment set-up/take-down and a dedicated watercraft guard for up to 2 hours; additional boating hours $75/hour.

    4. Baptism / religious ceremony — $150 flat for up to 1 hour, includes 1 lifeguard. ABCCONN congregations receive a 50% discount ($75).

    5. Advance reservation — Reserve at least 14 days in advance. Lifeguard scheduling is based on availability and cannot be guaranteed; a reservation is confirmed only when Camp Wightman confirms in writing.

    LIFEGUARD STAFFING

    6. Guard ratios — A minimum of 2 Camp Wightman lifeguards (Red Cross certified with Waterfront module + CPR) are on duty whenever the waterfront is open. 1-25 swimmers in the water: 2 guards | 26-40: 3 guards | 41-55: 4 guards | Maximum capacity: 55 swimmers at one time. Groups may rotate swimmers in shifts.

    7. Hourly safety break — At the top of each hour all swimmers exit for 10-15 minutes while group leaders run a headcount and buddy check. With base staffing (2 guards), continuous sessions may not exceed 2 hours; longer reservations require a third guard or a 1-hour closure.

    SWIMMING RULES

    8. Designated area only — Swimming only in the designated, buoyed swim area, only during reserved hours, only with lifeguards on duty. Swimming at any other time or place, including wading or after-hours swimming, ends the group's waterfront privileges for the remainder of the stay.

    9. Buddy system — All minors use the buddy system. Non-swimmers and weak swimmers stay in the shallow area; leaders identify them to lifeguards before entry. Lifeguards may swim-check and restrict any swimmer.

    10. Water safety — No diving (feet-first entry only). No glass, alcohol, or smoking on the waterfront. No one with an open wound or vomiting or diarrhea within 48 hours may enter the water. Three whistle blasts means clear the water immediately.

    BOATING RULES

    11. Watercraft guard required — Boating requires a dedicated watercraft guard in addition to swim lifeguards. Run simultaneously with an added guard, or stagger: the swim area closes while boating runs.

    12. Life jackets and launching — A properly fitted, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket is mandatory for every boater, every time, regardless of age or ability. Camp staff assign and launch all watercraft; guests never self-launch. Stay in the boating area, in sight of the guard. No capsizing games, standing in rowboats, or swimming from watercraft.

    GROUP SUPERVISION OF MINORS

    13. Adult watcher ratios — Lifeguards provide water surveillance and rescue; they do not replace your supervision of your own participants. Adult chaperones (18+) must be at the waterfront, actively watching and not on phones, at these ACA-based minimums: age 5 and under, 1 adult per 6 | ages 6-8, 1 per 8 | ages 9-14, 1 per 10 | ages 15-17, 1 per 12. Minimum 2 adults present whenever any minor is at the waterfront.

    14. Rosters and headcounts — Group leaders maintain an accurate roster and run headcounts at every safety break and at session end. Lifeguards will not open, and may close, the water if required adult supervision is not present and engaged.

    WEATHER, SEASON AND REFUNDS

    15. Weather closures — Thunder or lightning closes the waterfront immediately; it stays closed until 30 minutes after the last occurrence (Red Cross and National Weather Service standard). Staff may close the waterfront at any time for any condition they judge unsafe; that decision is final.

    16. Refunds — Waterfront fees are non-refundable for day-of cancellations or weather closures; lifeguards are scheduled and paid on your reservation. Groups may cancel up to 48 hours in advance for a full refund or credit. Where scheduling allows, we will try in good faith to shift a weather-closed session within the same visit.

    17. Seasonal operation — The waterfront operates seasonally. Once docks are pulled and the waterfront is shut down for the season, no waterfront use of any kind is permitted. Baptisms may be accommodated out of season at the sole discretion of camp staff.

    18. Baptisms — One certified lifeguard required, provided by Camp; no other swimming or boating during the ceremony; candidate and officiant(s) only, one candidate at a time, waist depth maximum.

    AUTHORITY AND WAIVERS

    19. Staff authority — All participants, adults and minors, follow all instructions of Camp Wightman staff and lifeguards at all times. Camp Wightman may remove any individual or close the waterfront to a group for violations, without refund.

    20. Waivers — Every waterfront participant, or parent or guardian for minors, must have a signed Camp Wightman activity waiver on file before entering the water. Insurance requirements per the Facility Use Agreement apply.
  • YOUTH GROUPS — This section applies because your event includes guests under 18.

    We love hosting youth groups, and we want to be clear about how it works. Camp Wightman provides the facility: housing, meeting spaces, food service, maintained grounds, and, when reserved, certified lifeguards at the waterfront. We do not provide supervision, program staff, or medical staff. Your young people are your responsibility, fully, around the clock, from arrival to departure. By bringing minors to camp, your group agrees to everything in this section.
  • YOUTH GROUP POLICY

    SUPERVISION — YOUR ADULTS, AT ALL TIMES

    1. Ratio — Minimum 1 adult (age 18+) per 10 youth throughout the stay: day, night, mealtimes, free time, and in housing. More adults are always welcome; stricter ratios apply at the waterfront per the Waterfront Use Policy.

    2. Never one adult alone — Minimum two adults present with any group of minors, anywhere on campus, at all times, including overnight in each housing building used by youth.

    3. Youth protection — Your organization certifies that its chaperones are screened per its own child-safety policy, and follows safe practices on-site: no adult alone with a single unrelated minor in a private space.

    HEALTH, MEDICAL AND EMERGENCY INFORMATION — YOU BRING IT

    4. Permission slips — Signed permission slips and emergency contact information for every minor must be in your group leader's possession on-site, not back at the church office. Include health insurance information, allergies, and medical conditions.

    5. Medications and allergies — All medications for minors are held and administered by your designated adult per your organization's policy. Tell our kitchen about food allergies with your final count, 7 days before arrival.

    WATERFRONT AND ACTIVITIES

    6. Lifeguards do not supervise your group — Camp lifeguards provide water surveillance and rescue only; they never replace your supervision. The Waterfront Use Policy governs all swimming and boating, including its adult-watcher ratios and buddy system.

    7. Off-limits without approval — The waterfront outside reserved hours, watercraft, archery, and all camp program equipment require prior written approval and camp staffing. Swimming outside guarded, reserved hours is grounds for ending waterfront privileges.

    8. Adult supervision at the waterfront — Chaperones (18+) must be at the waterfront, actively watching and not on phones, at these ACA-based minimums: age 5 and under, 1 adult per 6 | ages 6-8, 1 per 8 | ages 9-14, 1 per 10 | ages 15-17, 1 per 12. Minimum 2 adults present whenever any minor is at the waterfront. Group leaders run headcounts at every safety break and at session end. Lifeguards will not open, and may close, the water if required adult supervision is not present and engaged.

    PAPERWORK — DUE BEFORE ARRIVAL

    9. Signed Facility Use Agreement plus $300 deposit
    10. Signed activity waivers, with parent or guardian signature for minors
    11. Waterfront Use Policy acknowledgment, if using the waterfront
    12. Certificate of insurance naming Camp Wightman as additional insured
    13. Final count plus allergies, 7 days before arrival
    14. Roster of youth and chaperones, carried on-site by the group leader

    THE BOTTOM LINE — We make the space safe, beautiful, and ready. You bring the adults, the paperwork, and the supervision. Groups that cannot meet the ratios or paperwork requirements will not be able to check in, and groups that fail to supervise their youth on-site may be asked to leave without refund.
  • INSURANCE AND SIGNATURE
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