2020 Cancellation Options

Having to cancel an entire summer of camp is something we’ve never experienced before, and we have done our best to think about different scenarios and questions that may come up and how to most equitably handle the rollover or refund of your camp tuition payments. 

We do not feel comfortable requiring any cancellation fee given that the pandemic has forced us to cancel the camp sessions you paid for, so all families are eligible to receive a full refund for your 2020 tuition payments. However, many of you recognize that our expenses for camp are incurred all year, not just during the few weeks your camper is with us during the summer. 

Like many other businesses, Gold Arrow Camp is facing serious financial losses as a result of cancelling our sessions due to this pandemic. Our business interruption insurance, which would cover us if camp were forced to close due to a fire or other natural disaster, does not cover us for closure due to a communicable disease. 

Many families have asked how you can help us continue our important work of hiring and training staff and providing campers, camp parents, and staff with communication, support, and resources throughout the year. Here are a few ways you can help:

• Make a voluntary donation (not tax-deductible) of any amount to help keep our year-round staff employed. Donations of any amount to help offset this year’s expenses will be greatly appreciated and can be made in conjunction with other options. Our expenses total approximately $500 per camper between September and May of each year.
• Opt to roll over your paid tuition or deposit from 2020, ensuring your camper’s participation in camp in 2021 and helping cover our expenses as we prepare for the summer of 2021.
• Register your camper to participate in GALA (Gold Arrow Leadership Academy), an opportunity for virtual GAC connection and growth offered June 29 – July 24. The program will provide mentorship, leadership, character development, and relationship-building opportunities for middle and high school-aged campers (separate programs designed for the different age groups) and will provide our year-round staff and a few of our summer staff with meaningful mentorship work with campers this summer. 

GALA groups will meet three times per week for four weeks. Groups and leaders will stay the same for the entire session, providing relationship-building opportunities both inside and outside the specific meeting times.

If you are interested in having your camper participate in GALA, please indicate your intent to register on the Cancellations Options form by June 1 so we can hire the appropriate number of counselors to mentor the groups. Campers who participate will get credit toward their banner or blanket for participating in GAC 2020, and will also receive a special camp t-shirt.

More information about GALA is available on our website:
GALAHS (9-12th grades)
GALAMS (6-8th grades)

Note: Based on responses to our survey from a month ago, most families were not interested in a virtual GAC program for younger campers. If we hear from at least 10 families (on your survey) that you are interested in having our staff lead a program for younger campers during the same time frame as our GALA programs, we will consider offering an additional program specifically designed for our younger campers. 

1) Regardless of your plans for 2021, you may make a voluntary donation of any portion of your 2020 tuition payments.

2) Roll over all 2020 tuition payments to 2021 to guarantee your child’s space in the same session and lock in 2020 tuition rates and discounts for next summer.

3) Roll over your $750 deposit and get a refund on the balance of your 2020 tuition payments to reserve your child’s space for next summer in the same session. You will be eligible for 2021 discounts.

4) Refund your entire tuition balance. You will be eligible to enroll for 2021 when open enrollment begins on September 16, 2020. We cannot guarantee that there will be space in your camper’s age group for 2021.

Regardless of the amount of tuition you opt to roll over to 2021, any payments applied to 2021 are refundable until September 15, 2020.

We are opening our 2021 summer enrollment only for families who roll over their deposit or tuition from 2020. Open enrollment for all other families (both returning and new families) will begin on September 16, 2020. Due to potential changes in our operations in response to COVID-19, we are currently limiting enrollment to 75% of our normal capacity. We hope to increase to full capacity as conditions change, but we anticipate larger than normal waiting lists for Summer 2021.

Tuition prices will be 3% higher for 2021. Yearly tuition increases, including 2021 and beyond, were planned long ago and result from unavoidable increases to our expenses, including adjustments for California’s minimum wage.

Please read through the cancellation options in this email and complete this Cancellation Options Form prior to June 1. We have anticipated several questions, and the answers to those can be found here. We appreciate your patience and support as our staff work to accommodate each family’s requests.

Within 2-4 weeks after we receive your completed Cancellation Options Form, we will process any refunds and/or have you complete a formal enrollment application for 2021 within the usual MyGACLogin system. *Completing the Cancellation Options Form indicates your requests. Completion of the forthcoming application will finalize your camper’s enrollment for summer, 2021.*

Cancelling our sessions was a difficult decision. We appreciate your supportive emails and calls over the past week, and we will do our best to support our campers, staff, and parents as together we navigate this crazy time. Please let us know if there are any questions you have or additional resources you would like us to provide. Reach out to us via phone (1-800-554-2267) or email.

Step 1

Please review the information noted above outlining your options for the tuition and any store or bus fees paid for your child’s summer 2020 session.  A current credit balance statement was emailed on May 19 to each family currently enrolled for 2020.  If you need your statement resent, please contact our office at mail@goldarrowcamp.com.

Step 2

Complete ONE Cancellation Options Form FOR EACH camper enrolled from your family no later than June 1, 2020.

Step 3

After we have received your completed form indicating which option you have selected, we will contact you within 2-4 weeks with next steps or a refund notification.  Thank you in advance for your patience as we process rollovers and refunds for over 1200 campers.