Group Coordinator’s Handbook
Parent Information 30 Sept -2 Oct 2017 | Woodcroft College
Introduction What to know about SAYCO: the basics SAYCO is an annual overnight camp organised by the Uniting Church SA for young people who are currently in years 7-12. SAYCO features inspiring worship, activities, community time, workshops and night life, as well as time spent within their church group. SAYCO is a ‘mountain top event’ in the life of the Uniting Church SA. Like Moses on the mountain or the disciples at the Transfiguration, SAYCO is intended to provide a transformational experience. It does this by providing congregations with the opportunity to bless their young people with a high energy, fun and faith-transforming event which can open the door to further discipleship within the congregational context. Church groups will allocate campers into small groups of about five campers (usually similar age and same gender where possible). These small groups provide opportunities for building friendships and sharing conversations. Group members are encouraged to share in conversation and activities about topics related to the speaker’s sermons and the SAYCO theme. Church groups are responsible for their own meals and accommodation requirements, such as tents and marquees. Alternative accommodation areas are arranged through the SAYCO office. SAYCO is not an open community event. Only participants/volunteers with site access passes may enter the SAYCO sites (pedestrian access only) and young people must be signed out by an authorised person (parent/ guardian) if they are required to leave.
What SAYCO provides with group registration: • • • • •
A non-powered site allocation Worship services with a keynote speaker Activities, including SQUAD time and Night Life Small group time session notes and a small group leader’s guide Safety wrist bands and site passes for all attendees
What congregations provide: • • • • • •
Appropriate supervision of campers at all times Tents and camping gear as needed Cooking equipmentm, such as BBQs and camp stoves Site equipment, such as marquees, lighting, tables and chairs All meals, including morning tea, afternoon tea and supper Transportation to and from Woodcroft
Who is your main contact? Young people attend SAYCO as part of local church groups from locations across South Australia. Each group has a Group Coordinator who is responsible for organising the group to attend SAYCO. The Group Coordinator at your church (or school, etc) is the person who will be your main contact. They will provide you with a weblink which will take you to your group’s registration webpage.
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2017 Theme:
The theme for SAYCO 2017 is ‘Rebels’. As we hear in many biblical passages, particularly within the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus calls us to a radical, difficult life of discipleship that is countercultural to the predominant messages we hear from the world. Defying both the domineering Roman authority and the rigid control of the Jewish leaders, Jesus’ message is one of subversion and rebellion against the status quo. SAYCO 2017 is inspired by the words of Romans 12:2, challenging people to act against a world calling for them to confrom. Campers willb e encouraged to worship with their whole selves, transformed by the Holy Spirit and finding continued renewal in Christ. • • • •
How do we speak truth into a culture of post-truth? How do we share the good news in a media saturated with fake news? How do we stand distinct from our peers in school as followers of Christ, following a narrow path towards him? How do we learn what it looks like to be Christ-like in 2017?
We REBEL. Rebels. Don’t conform. Transform.
Table of Contents
SAYCO venue................................................4 SAYCO program............................................5 Events fees and group costs......................6 Registration .................................................7 Safety.............................................................10 Before SAYCO...............................................12 At SAYCO.......................................................13 Traffic Map....................................................14 3
SAYCO venue SAYCO 2017 is being held at Woodcroft College about 25km south of the centre of Adelaide. Woodcroft College has been the home of SAYCO for many years. The venue will have areas for Admin/Registration, First Aid with St John volunteers, the gym for worship, and the central oval for camping, eating and games. Traffic maps of the site are available on page 33.
Woodcroft College
Welcome Centre
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Short term parking
143 Bains Road, Morphett Vale
SAYCO program Saturday 10:30am Registrations 11:45pm Small group leaders meeting 12:30pm Session one (start of official program) 1:00pm-12:00am Groups beginning A-K shower in the portable showers 2:00pm Grand Final & Day Life 5:30pm Dinner 6:30pm Session two 8:00pm Small groups 9:00pm Night Life and supper 11:00pm Lights out Note: Daylight Savings overnight – clocks forward an hour
Welcome/Admin Room 43 Gym Portable showers Primary hall Own groups Gym Own groups Gym, classrooms or outside Own groups
Sunday 12:00am-12:00pm 8:00am 8:00am 9:00am 10:30am 11:30am 1:00pm 1:00pm-12:00am 2:00pm 3:30pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm 11:00pm
Groups beginning L-Z shower in the portable showers Breakfast SAYCO prayer meeting (optional, all invited) Session three (includes Communion) Small groups and morning tea Workshops Lunch Groups A-K shower in the portable showers SQUAD session Afternoon tea SQUAD Messy Games Free Time Dinner Session four Night Life feat. acoustic worship Supper Lights Out
Portable showers Own groups Oval Gym Gym, classrooms or outside Various rooms (see map) Own groups Portable showers Various Own groups Oval Own groups Own groups Gym Gym, classrooms or outside Own groups Own groups
Groups L-Z shower in the portable showers Breakfast + small groups SAYCO prayer meeting (optional, all invited) Pack up Session five Home time (end of official program – lunch optional for groups)
Portable showers Own groups Oval Own groups Gym Own groups
Monday 12:00am-12:00pm 8:00am 8:00am 9:00am 10:00am 12:00pm
*Program subject to change 5
Event fees and group costs This year, costs have been split into two categories: event fees and group costs.
Event fees SAYCO event fees cover the following: venue hire, administration costs, insurance, event management, guest speaker, worship band, site passes, materials provided for activities, program, tech, and many hours of fun and togetherness. Due to the move to online registration, it is necessary to have the SAYCO event fees paid online by parents and leaders. This year, it has been determined that SAYCO, as a religious service, does not require GST in the event fee.
Schedule of event fees payable at registration Registration type
Fee (no GST)*
Youth & Leaders Siblings (between 2-12 years old staying with a parent leader) Setup Crew, Leaders (less than four hours) & Visitors - staying under 4 hours
$65.00 $50.00 $0.00 (no charge)
Group Costs
With the move online, your Group Coordinator will now need to charge you separately for the costs of food, transport, and accomodation. Each group will have different group costs. Please speak to your Group Coordinator if you have any questions or concerns.
SAYCO Merchandise There will be SAYCO merchandise available for pre-order only during the registration process. Grey t-shirts are $30 and charcoal hoodies are $60. They come as pictured. Merchandise can only be pre-ordered when a camper or leader registers online before 7 September (this is before the registration closing date of 17 September). No extras will be available for purchase.
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Registrations 3. Registration of leaders and campers
After the pre-registration closes, a registration link that is unique to each group will be sent out. Leaders and parents of campers will use this link by clicking on the “register” button and choosing their role (eg, leader, camper, visitor, set-up crew, etc) Requirements: • Any device will operate with the new system. • All campers and junior leader registrations must be completed by a parent or legal guardian. This will then be confirmed in step 4. • Leaders will need their UC Ref ID to register. • All medical, dietary and other requirements will be entered here. • Every registration will require two emergency contacts of which one must not be attending the event. • Leaders and parents will need to pay the SAYCO Event Fee at this time. (Group Fees will be arranged separately.) Other notes: • Half-finished forms, unfortunately, cannot be saved. • A confirmation email will be sent to the address provided in registration. A form version of this email is what Group Coordinators will use to confirm the registration in the next step. • The closing date for registrations is 17 September. After this date, any new registrations will accrue a $10 admin fee to have Team SAYCO add them manually.
How registrations will work
Go to your unique registration page via the unique link sent to you after pre-registration. It will look something like this: https://events.sa.uca.org.au/sayco/sayco-2017#.WVCpD4 Parents will need to scroll down on the first screen to view the registration information and find the link to download the Parent Information booklet. After the information has been read, continue to scroll down to the blue Register to attend frame. Please note: the link ‘Reserve now’ takes the user to a part of the page which is lower down. It can also be reached by scrolling.
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Registrations - continued All minors must be registered by a parent or legal guardian. This will be confirmed in step 4. *Choose the number of people that are being registered for each ‘role’ (e.g. camper, leader, TEAM, etc) and click the Register to attend button.
Enter the details of Attendee 1. On the next page, fill in all of the medical and health information. Please ensure that any health or wellness issue which may impact on a camper or leader’s experience is mentioned e.g. low mobility, dietary needs. If these items are not listed, Team SAYCO may not be able to assist with them at camp. Use previous page and next buttons at the bottom of each page to navigate between sets of questions.
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Registrations - continued Please read and answer the photo permissions and privacy policy acceptance, as well as the terms and conditions.
On the next page are the registration summary and billing details. To see the full summary click on Show 22 responses. To edit, click on edit my details and use the previous page and next page buttons to navigate through the questions. After you have made the necessary changes, you will need to choose next page repeatedly to get back to the billing page. When you are ready to ‘check out’ press Confirm my place.
Confirmation of registrations
Your Group Coordinator has been asked to confirm that you, as the parent or legal guardian of a SAYCO camper were the same person who filled out the registration form online. The Group Coordinator will have a small form for you to sign. They will then bring that form to SAYCO.
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Safety: Safe Church Safe Church SAYCO is an event of the Uniting Church SA and is committed to the Uniting Church Safe Church practices. Part of this commitment is to protect young people from any neglect or abuse (physical, sexual, spiritual or emotional). The SAYCO team affirms congregations and schools in their commitment to provide leaders who are able to exercise care and effectively minister to young people. Group Coordinators must ensure leaders are fully informed of their duty of care responsibilities. The Presbytery and Synod Office Screening Services facilitates the National Police History Check through the Australian Criminal Intelligence Services. The next step of the Screening and Authority Process after receiving a UC Ref ID is for your Church Council to approve the leaders.
Safe Church practices include our legal and moral responsibility to ensure the safety of everyone whilst in the care of the Uniting Church. We need to anticipate and avoid foreseeable harm and seek to minimise harm should it occur.
Group Coordinators will ensure leaders are fully informed of their Safe Church duty of care responsibilities. They have appointed someone going to SAYCO as their duty of care person.
Using social media at SAYCO:
The Uniting Church SA and SAYCO invites you to share comments and stories on social media. However, please be aware that once something is posted online, it can be read by others and may be available for many years to come. Please encourage your campers to exercise caution when posting on social media. SAYCO has the right to edit or delete any comments deemed inappropriate for its social media channels and its readers. Your Group Coordinator will define best practice for your group. In addtion, please ask your campers to ensure that: • they ask themselves, ‘If this communication were to be made known to the wider Uniting Church, would it be considered appropriate?’ Individuals need to be sensitive to the impact of the words and images used, and avoid the offence of miscommunications. • the Golden Rule is followed: “Write or say only what you would want others to publish about you in public.” • other SAYCO groups - and individuals not in your group - are not included (in photos, etc) except by express permission and knowledge of that group’s leaders. • comments about fellow campers, colleagues, volunteers, children or young adults, if published, would not cause hurt or embarrassment to others, risk claims of libel or harm the reputation of SAYCO, Uniting Church, children and young people. • nothing is printed, posted or published which infringes copyright, privacy or anti-discrimination legislation or regulations.
For any other Safe Church concerns, please talk to your Group Coordinator. 10
Safety: Insurance / Medical Insurance
There is some insurance cover in place regarding personal accident and injury and public liability. Please note that personal items and items on loan (including tents, marquees, BBQ/cooking equipment) are not covered under this policy. Please have everyone check with their personal insurers in regards to these items. Please also note that while there is some cover for transport in church-owned vehicles, privately owned vehicles remain the responsibility of the owner who should check with their insurer for any concerns.
Any specific queries or concerns should be directed to your Group Coordinator.
Security
Onsite there will be a small team of security volunteers will be available at SAYCO to assist with general security and traffic management needs. Security volunteers can be identified by: • a name tag with the words ‘SAYCO Security’ on it • a purple wrist band • a high visibility vest • a purple site pass lanyard In an emergency, security volunteers will give directions. These must be followed to ensure SAYCO is a safe environment.
Medical
St John Ambulance will be onsite for the entire program. Please be sure that your camper’s registration covers all medical needs, concerns that your camper has.
Medication
It is expected that young people at SAYCO will store and administer their own medication, unless other arrangements have been made. Group Coordinators have been asked to support them in finding an appropriate place to store their medication safely.
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Before SAYCO Offering Team SAYCO sees giving as an important part of being a Christian - giving regularly and generously is an act of worship, as well as a response to God’s love, generosity and sacrifice for us all. Half of the offering will go toward future SAYCO events and financial support for groups to attend SAYCO. The other half will be donated to a cause or organisation chosen by the young people at SAYCO. The young people will vote on which of cause or organisation they would to like to receive half of the offering.
What campers and leaders need to bring
• Clothing (including clothes that can get wet or stained; warm clothes for nights) • Hat, sunscreen • Waterproof jacket - it might rain! • Toiletries, towel • Sleeping bag, mattress, pillow • Bowl, plate, spoon, knife, fork, tea towel • Water bottle • Reusable cup for hot drinks (if needed) • Bible (if you have one) • Money for offering and Snack Central • Pen, notebook • Medication (if required) • Ball, frisbee, etc (optional) • Snacks. NO NUTS or NUT PRODUCTS (optional) TIP: make sure everything is clearly labelled so it can all go home with you! Valuables such as tablets and phones are brought at the individual’s own risk (see page 26). Large amounts of cash and highly valuable items should be left at home.
Expectations of SAYCO campers
In order for everyone to be safe and have fun at SAYCO, youth and leaders are expected to follow certain guidelines. Group Coordinators have been asked to communicate the following points to all youth and leaders: • To create a safe community at SAYCO, young people need parental permission and a parent or leader to be with them before they can leave the site. They will also need to sign out at the Welcome Centre. • SAYCO is a no smoking, no alcohol and no drug event. • SAYCO team wants everyone to enjoy themselves at the event – this means participating and ensuring that the feelings, values and property of others are respected at all times. • SAYCO team aims to make SAYCO a fun, safe place for all involved; please follow the directions of all SAYCO team members (identifiable by purple lanyards). All SAYCO attendees are asked to remember to be ambassadors for Jesus through their words and actions.
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At SAYCO Getting To Camp
Your group may have arranged for transport to and from camp. Please double check with your Group Coordinator. Pre & Post Event Entry to Woodcroft College is from the end of Farnsworth Drive (or via the Shopping Centre Access laneway). Please observe signs and follow directions given by the traffic personnel and helpers.
Offering
During Worship, SAYCO provides the opportunity to give in the form of an offering. Campers are encouraged to help decide where the money will go. Please encourage your child to come to camp with ideas about who will benefit from the offering collected.
Photography
SAYCO is recorded through visual images for historical and promotional purposes. These may be used through various forms of electronic media or print material. During registration you will be able to notify event organisers if you do not want your child to be featured in any promotional/historical material.
Lost property
Any ‘found’ property should be handed in at the Welcome Centre. If property has been lost, youth should go to the Welcome Centre and fill out the appropriate form (stating what was lost, when, where and who to contact if found). On collection, valuable items will need to be signed out. Every year a large collection of lost property finds its way back to the SAYCO Event Office. Unclaimed items will be donated to charity or discarded after 27 November 2017.
Showers and toilets
Three male and three female showers can be found in the change rooms in the school gym; these showers can be accessed at any hour. The toilets in this area can also be accessed at any hour. There will also be access to toilets near JS9 (see map on page 15 for details). Portable showers will be available on a rotating schedule (see program for details, page 6.)
Snack Central
Snack Central, a snack and merchandise shop, will be open for certain hours during SAYCO and will be located in Classroom 19 (refer to the SAYCO site map page 15). Please take careful notice of the opening times listed on the Snack Central window.
Lights out
All youth must respect the ‘lights out’ times on the program. Leaders are asked to keep youth quiet so as to not to disturb others.
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Visiting your camper Visiting your camper
If you are required to visit camp at any point over the weekend, please ensure you discuss this need with your Group Coordinator. Questions or concerns Your Group Coordinator should always be the first point of contact for all questions and concerns. If required they will refer you to the SAYCO Event Office or another individual. The visitors process below is focused on making SAYCO a safe place for youth by ensuring all in attendance are authorised to be on-site. SAYCO is not an open community event. Arrival Before being allowed on-site during the SAYCO program, all visitors must sign in. The Admin Team, situated at the Welcome Centre, will assist with the sign in process. Visitors will need to identify themselves (with photo ID, such as a driver’s licence) and state the group with which they are associated. A visitor pass will be allocated to each visitor and must be worn at all times while at the event. All visitors must be escorted by an adult leader of their group AT ALL TIMES. The maximum time a visitor may spend on-site is 4 hours. The site pass must be given back to the Welcome Centre when signing out at the Welcome Centre and departing the SAYCO site. Departure All visitors will need to leave via the Welcome Centre to sign out and return their visitor’s site pass. Visiting hours at SAYCO Saturday: Program commences at 1:00pm with Session 1. All visitors must leave the site by the end of the program at 10:30pm. Sunday: Program commences at 8:00am with breakfast. All visitors must leave the site by the end of the program at 10:30pm. Monday: Program commences at 10:00am. All visitors must return their site pass by the end of the program, which concludes at 1pm. Parents During the program, parents who wish to enter the site will need to register as a visitor, following the process above. Note: Parents dropping off their young people before SAYCO starts, or collecting them after SAYCO, finishes do not require a visitor’s site pass.
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Our Vision A radical generation of lifelong Christians fired up to join God’s work in the world. Our Mission Statement To provide a camp of excellence, uniting local youth ministries to radically transform their communities. Our Core Values • Encouragement • Healthy Relationships • Servant Leadership • Prayer and the Scriptures Our Aims • To provide a temporary community of faith • To celebrate and grow disciples and leaders • To provide an age appropriate activity-based program • Provide opportunity to ask questions and explore faith
SAYCO is a smoke, drug and alcohol free event.