Reserving dates

Camp reservations for the Retreat Centers are handled two different ways. For the time period between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend, groups that have previously rented a Retreat Center are first given a chance to rent the same facility again. These groups are sent a Reservation Request form asking for a list of preferred dates for the next rental year, which we filled out and sent back.

Washington State Parks analyzes all the requests and chooses one of the preferred dates for each of the groups. Each group gets a Reservation Application back with the chosen date and the amount due for deposit. Paying the deposit confirms the reservation. If a group does not rent the facility, it loses its seniority rights for making early reservation dates.

For reservations outside the Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend (which does not apply to Orcas Summer Camp), reservations for a Retreat Center are taken at most one year in advance of the requested date on a first-come, first-served basis.

Orcas Summer Camp started in 2001 and held camp in September for the first five years. It has been holding camp the first weekend of August since 2006, and we believe it is one of the most senior groups that are renting Camp Moran.

Rental rates

Camp Moran has two different rental rates: an overnight rate and a day use rate. Only the overnight rate applies to Orcas Summer Camp, and for 2022 the rate is $13.51 per person per night. A 10.3% sales tax is added to that. Thus the fee for each camper is $44.70 for a three night stay.

Camp Moran has a maximum capacity of 148 campers, and minimum requirement of 70. If less than 70 campers come to Orcas Summer Camp, we still need to pay as if 70 overnight campers attended. If we have less than 70 campers, we cannot make up the difference with day use campers; the requirement is a minimum of 70 overnight campers.

The volunteer kitchen crew produces three meals each day and the dessert served during the break at the evening dance. Breakfast is served at 8:30 AM, lunch at 12:30PM, and dinner at 6:30 PM. As campers know, these times are approximate.

Food Safety

We take food safety seriously. One or more campers should have an active food handlers permit and be watchful for food handling issues. The kitchen is stocked with disposable gloves which everyone must use. Food surfaces are sanitized regularly and cooking equipment run through the kitchen sanitizer after every use.

Kitchen volunteers

When campers arrive, there are sign up sheets for each meal, 10 volunteers each. We ask that kitchen volunteers show up 2 hours before breakfast or lunch is served, and 3 hours before dinner is served. The kitchen commander assigns tasks to the volunteers and is responsible for orchestrating the meal preparation.

Dish Pit volunteers

Some of the volunteers for a meal will work in the dish pit, the dish and pot cleaning section. They are responsible for cleaning and then sanitizing the cooking equipment after it has been used by the cooking crew.

Kitchen commander

The kitchen commander is responsible for assigning preparation and cooking tasks for each meal to the available volunteers. Duties include:

• Must have a food handlers permit
• Responsible for assessing a volunteer’s skill level and assigning appropriate tasks
• Planning the sequence of the meal’s tasks so the meal preparation is completed in time

In Practice

Meal preparation is not a sequential process, one meal after another, throughout the weekend. Items for the next meal (or two!) are prepared in advance and stored in containers for later use. This makes assigning each meal to an individual kitchen commander difficult, because advance preparation of future meals is essential to keep the kitchen process moving smoothly.

Orcas Summer Camp is an affordable weekend camp that allows families to attend a camp together. To keep costs low, there is no staff, either musical talent or kitchen staff.

It is a “Do-It-Together” camp where everyone participates whether through music, calling, dancing, arts & crafts, daytime workshops, or assisting with preparing meals.