Middle School Pre-Arrival INFO 2025

We are looking forward to hosting all of the middle schoolers at Camp Swamp this weekend. The theme is “Fantastic Forms”. We have a lot of fun activities planned with opportunities to play, eat, connect and build community.
GOOD TO KNOW – First things first, here’s some important things that would be good to know.
–DO NOT COME IF YOU OR CHILD HAS HAD A FEVER OR VOMITING WITHIN 72 HOURS PRIOR TO
CHECK-IN
-Medical personnel will be present on site on Saturday and Sunday. Medications will be turned in to the nurse on Friday.
–Dinner is NOT served on Friday night, so plan accordingly.
-If you will arrive late on Friday, September 12, please call 706-351-3092; gate closes at 10 pm.
-Retreat ends at 2p on Sunday, September 15 .
-What to Bring – Find helpful info here: https://campswamp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/WhatToBringCampSwampChecklist.pdf Note: this is for our 7 day summer camp so simply use as a guide to help you pack for the retreat weekend.
-Dinner/lunch ideas near camp: Chick-fil-A, Zaxby’s, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Burger King, Waffle
House, Dairy Queen, Subway, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Taco Bell, Long Horn Steakhouse, and
Holcombs BBQ are all right off the I-20 exit 130 (Lake Oconee Parkway)
Arriving for our weekend:
Our address for Professor Google and Siri is 1400 Maxeys Road, Union Point, Georgia. We have
check-in starting at 7 pm Friday evening. Come first to the Dining Hall when you arrive, and we
will give you instructions from there. You do not need to bring all your things inside the dining
hall when you check in.
We will not be sharing a meal together that night, so plan to eat before you arrive. We will have
snacks and drinks available for purchase Friday evening so bring some cash. As Steve always says, this is a soft
landing on Friday night. We know the chaos that comes with leaving on a Friday for weekend
plans, and we want you to view Friday evening as a time to come and exhale and relax. If you are arriving after 10 pm on Friday, please let us know so that we can keep the gate open.
Handling our phones this weekend:
We have such an incredible opportunity this weekend to connect with others, connect with God and connect with our own souls – that being said, we are having a PHONE-FREE weekend! If your Middle Schooler has a phone, we encourage it to be left at home with you, but if they need it for communication purposes before/after the retreat, we’ll have counselor collect phones Friday night before bed and keep them safe until he end of the retreat. There will be a Camp Swamp photographer that will take photos throughout the weekend.
Packing for our weekend:
The cabins are air-conditioned, but you may want to bring a box fan for the white noise some of us need when
sharing a space with other people. Bring a twin sheet set, blanket/quilt and pillow, or a sleeping
bag and pillow. There are no bathrooms in the cabins, so plan on a short walk to our bathhouse.
For those of you who are new to Camp Swamp, this is the place for your Middle Schooler to feel safe, no fuss and be who they are. They will be walking, playing, dancing, so wear comfortable shoes and clothes that you can move around in. The weather is forecasted to be mostly sunny with a high of 87 and low of 62. Remember water bottles as we will have access to water and nugget ice to keep us cool and hydrated.
DO NOT BRING:
-Any valuable items that your Middle Schooler is unwilling to lose.
-DO NOT bring knives, fireworks, vaping devices or any type of tobacco products. We will ask for you to come pick up your Teen/Middle Schooler immediately if they are found with any of these items.
-And please, do not bring chewing gum; let’s keep camp clean for years to come!
-What to Bring: https://campswamp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/WhatToBringCampSwampChecklist.pdf
Note: the packing list is for our weeklong summer camp. Use this as a guide and pack accordingly.
Playing for our weekend:
There are lots of ways for your Middle Schooler and their friends to connect and spend time together this weekend. We will have art supplies, jigsaw puzzles, board games, card games, table tennis, hula hoops, corn hole, four square, nine square, basketball hoops, and frisbees. Plus, we will have a time for Just Dance, one of our camp traditions, and bubble ball.
Eating for our weekend:
Scott has been working on our menu for this weekend. It will include some of the usual camp faorites and most importantly, be Middle School friends! We will have our “Snack Shack” canteen open at various times, Friday night and Saturday, for drinks and snacks. Plan on bringing cash for the Snack Shack goodies.
Praying for our weekend:
Join us in praying for your Middle Schoolers time during this retreat! Pray that they make wonderful memories, that they make connections with peers, laugh a lot and most importantly stay safe (no snakes or breaks) and come back home from the weekend refreshed.
If you need to reach anyone the day of the retreat, please contact Steve Gibson at 706-351-
3092.