The following guidelines can help Young Women leaders as they plan camp.

1.  Prepare spiritually.

Your own spiritual preparation will be a key to success at camp. Begin with these three steps:

• Pray to know what the Lord would have you do.
• Study the scriptures and handbooks.
• Counsel together and follow counsel from priesthood leaders.

2.  Counsel with priesthood leaders.

Receive guidance from priesthood leaders about:

• Goals and purpose of the camp.
• Budget guidelines.
• Safety.

Your priesthood leaders also assist by:

• Approving plans.
• Calling others to help. Priesthood leaders call and set apart a woman to serve as camp director and may call camp specialists as needed.
• Planning priesthood attendance and visits to camp.
• Presiding at camp. An adequate number of adult priesthood leaders should be at camp at all times.
• Approving expenditures for camp.

(See Young Women Camp Manual [2002], 86.)

3.  Decide your purpose for camp.

To help decide the purpose of camp, consider the following questions:

• What do we want to have happen in the lives of our young women as a result of camp?
• Will the experience at camp increase faith and testimony in Jesus Christ?

4.  Choose a camp theme (optional).

A camp theme should help accomplish your purpose and provide a central focus for camp. A theme could be chosen from one of the following:

• A passage of scripture.
• A statement from a prophet—for example, "Stay on the High Road" (from President Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, May 2004, 114).
• A phrase from a hymn—for example, "Glad of Heart" (from "Called to Serve," Hymns, no. 249).
• The annual Mutual theme.

Here is an example of selecting a theme from the scriptures: 

5.  Plan

With your purpose in mind, plan experiences and activities that will help young women learn and have fun.

As you plan, consider the following questions:

• What do your young women like to do?
• What do they need to learn?
• What can they learn at camp that they may not learn in another setting?

Consider a variety of experiences that will allow young women to:

• Serve each other.
• Learn self-reliance skills.
• Enjoy music, fun, and friends.
• Have quiet personal time.
• Share talents.
• Enjoy sports, games, hiking, and fitness.
• Practice religious behavior, such as prayer, scripture study, and journal writing.
• Have opportunities to lead.
• Share testimony.

Sample Agenda for a Day at Camp

A day at camp might look like this:

See the Camp Manual for certification and other helps.