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GPCA site visit, shared live board

TBE Walkthrough

Texas Baptist Encampment, "Palacios by the Sea." Scouting it as a home for GPCA's three camps.

Everything on this page is shared and live. Each person gives their own 1 to 5 scores; the board shows your score, everyone's scores, and a group average that updates as people tap. Anyone can add extra questions or score criteria below, and every item has its own notes.

The one question

"Is this facility a good site for our group, and can it handle the complexity of how we run camp?"

Donnie's frame for the visit. Cost is already settled and documented, and it is cheaper than any camp the group has been to recently. Do not spend visit time on cost. Chandra's goal: score everything 1 to 5 so any camp can be compared apples to apples.

Ask these on site

Check each one off as it gets answered, and put the answer in that item's notes. Missing something? Add your own question at the bottom of this list.

Score sheet

Chandra's categories. 1 is terrible, 5 is perfection. Tap your own score; the caption shows everyone's. Notes are for counts, data, and comments. Add your own criteria at the bottom.

Alto Frio lesson. Last month the pool and the river sat at opposite ends of camp and it forced a re-zoned activity rotation. Get the TBE walk times now, in August, not next July. Pool is at the north end here. Dining Hall and Tabernacle are in the southwest corner. Waterfront is the southeast corner.

Final score

The group number is the average of each criterion's average, so every criterion counts equally no matter how many people scored it. Each person's line is the average of the scores they gave.

-/ 5 group score

No scores yet.

Suggested walking route

  1. Camp Office and Main Field. Meet staff, grab any printed info, ask your list as you go.
  2. Dining Hall and Tabernacle (southwest corner). Cafeteria capacity and kitchen questions. Tabernacle seats, stage, AV, AC.
  3. South lodges: Galveston, Guadalupe, Bayview Motel, plus Roberts Conference. Bed and bathroom counts start here.
  4. Waterfront Field, boat dock, piers, Amphitheater, courts. Ask the lifeguard and bacteria questions standing right there.
  5. East lodges and pool: Gulf Coast North and South, Prayer Garden, Swimming Pool. Pool condition, fencing, capacity.
  6. Center and west: Colorado Lodge, San Felipe Lodge, RV parking. Finish bed tallies.
  7. North Campus: Seascape Motel, Thibodeaux Conference, Mission Home. Ask whether these are actually available to us. Then time the walk back south end to end.

Photo shot list

Photos are for Marty and Jason, and for the apples-to-apples file when other camps get visited.

Already answered. Do not burn visit time on these.

Donnie marked all of these answered in the documents. Quick recall of what the packet says:

Cost per person, billing, deadlines, minimums

Well documented already, and cheaper than any recent camp. Reservation is confirmed by signed contract plus deposit. Final payment ahead of or during camp week. Camper minimums and penalties are in the contract. Negotiate contract terms early, never in the last weeks before camp.

Dates, start time, counselor training, checkout

Dates are answered in the thread. Leaders, rec teams, and bands arrive no earlier than 5:00 pm the day before campers unless arranged, and TBE needs a 2 hour gap after the prior group leaves. On departure day: pack, load, and clean before the final service, then everyone is out by 10:30 am.

Dress code

Modest dress enforced by us. No 2-piece swimsuits, halter tops, bare midriffs, short shorts, low-rise pants, or offensive graphics. Shirts and dresses need sleeves. Cover-ups walking to water. Full closed shoes are required at the waterfront.

Separation from other groups

Under 500 guests the contract is non-exclusive and TBE may book other groups the same week, but lodges and conference facilities are not shared except in special circumstances. Exclusive use requires 500+ and a $7,000 deposit, and never includes the North Campus buildings.

Other rules worth remembering
  • No fireworks, firearms, paintball, airsoft, pets, skateboards, rollerblades, or electric scooters
  • Golf carts must be rented from TBE
  • No duct tape or masking tape anywhere. Gaffer tape is sold at the office
  • No haze or fog machines in worship
  • Outdoor music off by 10:00 pm. Night swim and snack shack end by 10:00 pm (snack shack no later than 10:30)
  • Curfew by midnight. Campers never leave campus. Visitors must be reported ahead of time
  • Meds: stored and given only by the Camp Health Officer, original containers, in ziploc bags with name and church. Kids never self-carry except life-threatening needs with written approval
  • Daily cabin cleaning, trash to the road each morning. TBE staff never enters camper rooms
  • No clear plastic sheeting for rec games (kills grass), no mudpits, avoid food-based games, hose campers off before they go inside

Campus map

Main entrance is on the west side off First St. The bay wraps the east and south edges.

Texas Baptist Encampment campus map. Entrance west off First Street. Seascape Motel, Thibodeaux Conference, and Mission Home across the north. Swimming pool north center. San Felipe, Colorado, Gulf Coast North and South lodges mid campus. Galveston, Guadalupe, Bayview Motel, Roberts Conference south east. Dining Hall and Tabernacle southwest. Waterfront Field, boat dock, amphitheater, ballfield along the south and east bay edge.

Comments

General discussion. Anything that does not belong under one item.