Summer Conferences

The Children’s Program is available to all children registered for a conference. Children registered as vacationers can attend the program at a cost of $10 per day, but during the three family conferences just mentioned, children MUST be registered for the conference in order to attend the Children’s Program. Please be sure to include your children’s birth dates on side one of the registration form so that the Children’s Program staff can plan age appropriate activities well ahead of your conference.


Children’s Program Guidelines
Following are the guidelines under which the Children’s Program will operate, using good judgment and common sense in their application:

1. If a child is misbehaving during the time that Ferry Beach staff is in charge, we reserve the right to find the child’s parent(s) in their workshops and request they intercede immediately. If that on-the-spot action does not resolve the problem, we reserve the right to remove the child from the program and return him/her to the parents for the remainder of the day.
2. On the same day, the child, the parents and staff involved with the removal will meet to evaluate the child’s behavior and the plan for the child’s re-entrance into program activities the following day.
3. If the behavior persists the next day, Ferry Beach will ask parents to take charge of their child for the remainder of their stay.
4. We welcome any parent who has a high spirited child, or overly shy child to speak to us in advance to help us make the child’s experience a good one.

Parental Responsibility
Parents are completely responsible for their children under 18, except for the specific time they are enrolled in the Children/Youth Programs. Please be very careful when crossing the streets: all the roads are public and traffic along Route 9 moves very fast.

Special Needs Children
We recommend parents speak directly with the Executive Director or Program Coordinator prior to enrolling a special needs child in any conference activity. We will do our absolute best work with everyone, but depending on the level of need, Ferry Beach may or may not be able to accommodate the child.

Youth Programming
Ethics of Adults Working With Youth
Ferry Beach adheres to the “UUA Code of Ethics for Adults Working with Children and Youth” with the addition of the following statement:
“While we encourage counselors to get to know conferees individually, one-on-one conversations between counselors and youth will not be held in secluded locations. Youth Conference leaders and staff should be especially aware of behavior that constitutes harassment (which includes sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical contact that has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment.”

UUA Code of Ethics
“Adults and older youth who are in leadership roles are in a position of stewardship and play a key role in fostering the spiritual development of both individuals and the community. It is, therefore, especially important that those in leadership positions be well qualified to provide the special nurture, care, and support that will enable children and youth to develop a positive sense of self and a spirit of independence and responsibility. The relationship between young people and their leaders must be one of mutual respect if the positive potential of their relationship is to be realized.
“There are no more important areas of growth than those of self-worth and the development of a healthy identity as a sexual being. Adults play a key role in assisting children and youth in these areas of growth.Wisdom dictates that children, youth and adults suffer damaging effects when leaders become sexually involved with young persons in their care; therefore, leaders will refrain from engaging in sexual, seductive or erotic behavior with children and youth. Neither shall they sexually harass or engage in behavior with children or youth which constitutes verbal, emotional, or physical abuse.”

Vacationing at Ferry Beach
Ferry Beach is a perfect vacation spot for you, your family and friends. Beginning April 1, available rooms and campsites are open to vacationers who wish to vacation at Ferry Beach without participating in a conference. Please refer to our Registration Guidelines for more details. Feel free to spend your days on the beach, or use Ferry Beach as your base while you explore up and down the Maine coast. Meal plans are also available.

A Typical Week
Conferences
Six-day conferences begin with registration from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and end at lunch on the following Friday. Other conference registration days and times are announced above. On check-out day, all rooms must be vacated by 9:00 am to allow the cleaning crew to prepare for the next arrivals.