Retreats

The Camp St. Charles facilities are available for off-season use!

Available: Retreats are held from Late March through May and late August through Early November

Please contact the camp director regarding available dates.

The Camp St. Charles facilities have hosted Confirmation retreats, Days of Recollection, family reunions and many other religious and educational events. We use the general term “retreat” to cover all uses.

Sleeping Areas

Most of the sleeping areas at camp are in rustic cabins. Each cabin has a large area with about 25 beds, in bunk beds and a small cubicle area with 2 beds, bunked.

Meals

Meals are provided by our staff and are served family style in the mess hall.

We must have an accurate count of your group 2-3 weeks prior to your event so that meals can be planned.
Let us know if you have vegetarians or others with special dietary needs or restrictions.

Meeting space

The chapel, staff lounge and mess hall areas are used by groups for evening or small group meetings.

Campfires

A fire pit and fire wood are available for evening campfires, of course, an adult must ensure that the fire is completely out before leaving the area.

Challenge Course

For an additional fee, one of our specially trained facilitators can lead your group through the ropes course. We have 9 low ropes elements and an abundance of activities. This team building experience must be planned in advance and can be designed to meet the needs of your particular group. We also have a high ropes element, the Giant Swing. Large groups will require more than one facilitator for use of the challenge course.

$200/facilitator for use of the challenge course.

Pool

In warm weather (with much advanced notice) the pool is available. Certified lifeguards are required by state law. We can provide a certified lifeguard (with adequate notice and for an additional fee) or you can provide your own. We will need to discuss the pool rules and will require a copy of the certification for your lifeguard prior to pool use. Depending on the size of the groups, multiple lifeguards may be needed.

$200/ lifeguard

Dock

The dock is available for fishing and watching sunsets to all groups. However, it is the responsibility of the group leaders to ensure that all participants are safe. Swimming is not permitted in the river or the Charleston Creek. A lifeguard is required for use of the single-person boats, canoes and rowboats. As with the pool, a certified lifeguard must be present (see above). For a person to lifeguard at the dock, they must also have the Open Water Module of lifeguard training. Depending on the size of the groups, multiple lifeguards may be needed.

$200/ open water lifeguard

Schedule for Dock and Pool Use

There is a limit to the amount of time that lifeguards can legally and safely monitor the water. If your group provides the lifeguard, they will be required to meet the same expectations. Additionally, a single lifeguard can only monitor 25 swimmers at once. An additional adult watcher should be present to assist the lifeguard. For large groups, it may be necessary to rotate dock and pool time to meet these requirements.

Times for Dock and Pool Use:

9:00 -11:30 am
1:30 - 5:00 pm
7:00 - 8:00 pm

If your group needs to change this schedule for any reason, please contact camp to discuss the possible changes and they will be noted on your contract.

Description of Buildings and Grounds

The chapel is fully carpeted, with central heat and air conditioning, and contains a large screen TV and DVD/VCR. We ask that only adults operate the TV and VCR.

The mess hall will seat up to 200 people at sixteen large oak picnic tables. All meals are served here. The Hall is heated and there is a fireplace at one end for your use.

The staff lounge can be used for meetings or used as an "adults only" area during youth retreats, depending on the wishes of the group leader.

Cabins 1, 2 and 3 are heated and each sleep about 25 people each in bunk beds. Groups larger than 75 people may also use cabins 4 and 5 during warm weather only!

The bath house (also called the White house) is located behind cabins 1-3 and next to cabins 4 and 5. This heated bathroom area houses sinks, toilets in stalls and showers. The bath house is divided in two for co-ed use. Additional warm weather only shower stalls are attached to the white house bath house.

The infirmary (double wide trailer used for first aid during the summer) is heated and air conditioned and has five separate bedrooms, a small meeting area and two bathrooms with showers. This building is available upon special request.

The Arts and Crafts building can be used only with special arrangements. An additional fee is required and would vary depending on the type of projects requested by your group. We can accommodate small groups completing small ceramic projects during retreats.

The Camp grounds begin when you enter the gate. The property beyond the gate is private property. We ask that you do not walk or jog on Stella Maris Drive. You are welcome to jog or hike on the camp ground, inside the gate. Drive slowly (15 mph) as you enter, several children live nearby.

The sports fields are available to all groups. We provide soccer balls, footballs, basketballs, softball bats, balls and bases for your group. Inform the camp representative of any damaged equipment. The camp representative will be present during your event to assist you with equipment needs.

The Schedule

The fees listed above include the following:

Lodging in Cabins 1-3 (and infirmary if arranged)
3 meals on Saturday, 2 meals on Sunday
additional meals and nights of lodging can be added for a fee

The standard meal schedule
Breakfast — 8:00 am
Lunch — 12:00 pm
Dinner — 6:00 pm
**if a different schedule is needed, be sure to note those times on the contract and discuss the changes with our cook well in advance of the meal.

Meals are served family style (on platters at each table).
Large groups may be served buffet style.
Plates, napkins, silverware, condiments, etc will be provided
Coffee, hot water for tea and hot chocolate will be in the staff lounge each morning for your group

It is not an option for groups to do their own cooking while at Camp St Charles.

Fees for a complete weekend event:

Fees are based on the number of people in your group You can determine your total fee by referring to the cost per adult and cost per youth given below. The non-refundable $300 deposit referred to in the next section is part of this total and not an additional fee.
Children under the age of 6 are free
Chaperones and other adults must be included in your count
Adults (18+ years old) $75.00
Youth (7-17 years old) $70.00

Prices stated are for 2009-10 season and are subject to change.

Deposits

A deposit of $300.00 is required for a date to be reserved for your group. This deposit is nonrefundable. The only exception is if bad weather makes travel to camp unsafe. No reservation is complete until a signed contract and deposit are received by the camp.

Your Group's Responsibilities:

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PROVIDE US WITH AN ACCURATE NUMBER ATTENDING YOUR RETREAT TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO YOUR EVENT! We understand that it can be challenging to get people to commit to your event early, however, if your number of participants drops, your group will be expected to pay $10.00 for each cancellation above 5. This is to cover the cost of food purchased for those who canceled. For example, if you booked a retreat for 50 people and only 40 people attended, a fee of $50.00 would be charged because 10 people canceled ( 5 cancellations are free, the other 5 cost $10 each) "No fee would be charged for changes in number of participants made 2 weeks prior to the event."

Other Important Information to Note!

Your group will be provided with more detailed information upon indication of your interest in using the facilities.

Tours are encouraged! If you would like to have an event at camp, it is a great idea to schedule a tour and see the facilities.