Q: What kind of medical care is available to campers?

A: A Licensed Nurse Practitioner is in residence at our fully stocked infirmary. Periodically, we also have doctors in residence. We are 7 miles from a major hospital.

Q: What forms of payment do you accept?

A: We accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express as well as personal checks, money orders and cash.

Q: What is the camper to counselor ratio?

A: Glen Arden's overall ratio is 3:1. Each cabin consists of 4-6 campers and 1 counselor who is 19 years of age or older. Our staff is also augmented by older, more experienced, non-cabin counselors, including teachers, activity professionals, and medical staff.

Q: What is a typical day like at Glen Arden?
Click here for a link to our Daily Schedule

Q: What should my daughter pack?
Click here if you would like to see a packing list for Glen Arden

Q: Why is the packing list so short?

A: The clothing on the packing list is a quantity deemed necessary for one week at camp. Laundry is sorted and washed on a weekly basis here at camp, so the quantities on the packing list are sufficient for the entire camp session.

Q: What are the camp uniforms?

A: We wear our "blues" to dinner each night and our "whites" on Sundays. The "blues" consist of navy blue shorts and a navy blue shirt with a collar. The "whites" should be white shorts and a white shirt with a collar. We wear our ties under our collars when wearing our uniforms. Campers staying for 3 or 4 week sessions generally need 4 pairs of blues and 2 pairs of whites. You can find navy and white shirts with collars at most outfitters, including L.L. Bean and REI. It is also helpful to look in the boy's section of stores like The GAP and Wal-Mart.

Q: What is the significance of the Clan tie?

A: On the first night of camp, each new camper is assigned to either the Red or the Blue Clan. She receives a tie made from the plaid of her Clan. The plaid varies from year to year, but the camper keeps her tie for life. Many Glen Arden mothers pass on their clan ties to their daughters. The ties are worn with the navy blue uniforms to dinner in the dining hall and with the white uniforms on Sundays. The ties are very important to Glen Arden girls and we keep them in special places in our cubbies when we are not wearing them. In the winter, many girls hang them in their rooms as a reminder of their better selves.

Q: Can my daughter receive care packages?

A: No. Glen Arden has a no-package policy due to limited space in the cabins. We will return any packages upon arrival at camp. Please feel free to write letters, as campers look forward to mail call each day.

Q: Can my daughter receive phone calls, emails, or faxes?

A: No. We do not allow campers to use the phone, computer, or fax machine except in extreme cases designated by the camp director. Please be assured that the office staff is available to handle all emergencies and to answer your questions and concerns during your daughter's stay at camp. We find that access to technology is a distraction for the campers and detracts from their experience at camp. Letters to your daughter are the best method of contact and will be delivered daily.

Q: What are Sundays like at Glen Arden?

A: There is a very special quality to Sundays at Glen Arden. We dress in our whites and attend Sunday School in the Green Cathedral. The Green Cathedral is one of the most sacred and beautiful spots at camp and provides a quiet place of wonder for the whole camp family to worship. Sunday School consists of hymns sung by the Counselor Choir and a homily given by Casey. There are Bible readings from the Old Testament and readings that pertain to our spiritual life at camp and in the "real world." In the afternoons we have at camp-wide clan event and in the evening we dress in our whites again and go back to the Green Cathedral for a vespers service. This is a service created by the campers for the campers and a different unit of campers is responsible each Sunday. In this way, the campers are allowed to put their own hearts and thoughts into the rituals of Sunday services.

Q: What if my daughter is Catholic?

A: At the request of parents, Catholic campers will be taken to Mass in Hendersonville early on Sunday mornings. The campers dress in their whites for Mass and are accompanied by Catholic counselors. They will return to camp in time for breakfast and the camp-wide Sunday School.

Q: What is the progression system?

A: Glen Arden has a progression system that allows girls to challenge themselves and advance through an activity at their own rate. We have five levels, beginning with "Clanswoman" and ending with "Tender of the Flame." A "Tender of the Flame" must be able to teach the activity in which she has received her "Tender." After a camper has achieved the same progression level in six different activities, she will receive a badge at Closing Banquet on the last night of camp.

Q: What if my daughter wants to ride horses?

A: All campers who want to take riding take a riding test immediately upon arrival to Glen Arden. Based on this test, they will be placed in the appropriate level riding class. We have a lower riding ring for beginners and an upper riding ring for the more advanced riders. We also offer trail rides for all riders. In addition, campers may participate in the "Horsemasters" program which allows them to adopt a horse that they will care for throughout the summer. Truly ambitious horse lovers often also become "Barn Rats" and wake up early to feed and bring in the horses. At the end of the July session, we have a camp-wide horse show where girls of all levels compete for ribbons and awards. Campers have the chance to ride, at the very least, three times a week.

Q: Where do trips out of camp go?

A: Girls at Glen Arden are given the chance to go on many types of trips off the camp property. We backpack in Pisgah, take overnight trail rides to Biltmore Estate, rock climb in Linville Gorge, and canoe and kayak down the many whitewater rivers in Western North Carolina. Each trip is limited to the skill levels and numbers that the trip leaders deem appropriate. Trips are supervised by qualified staff members in that area of expertise. Our trip leaders are often girls who have grown up at Glen Arden and are familiar with the area. We are proud of our mountaineering, riding, climbing and water activities. Girls are given the chance to experience the adventure and beauty of the mountains in a safe and nurturing environment. In addition to trips off of camp property, we have many breathtaking camping spots on camp property and almost every camper spends at least one night out under the stars with her cabin-mates.

Q: Does my daughter need to sign up for activities before camp starts?

A: No. The first days of camp are designated for sampling the activities and getting to know the counselors who will be teaching them. Activities are chosen after this sampling period.

Q: Are there age limits on any activities?

A: Yes. Age limits for Photography, Woodworking, and Woodcarving vary, based on the safety factors in these activities.

Q: Do the girls have any contact with Camp Arrowhead or Falling Creek, the boys' camps nearby?

A: Yes. For each session except for Tajar Time, a one day festival is planned for the girls to gather with one of these camps. In June, the boys come to Glen Arden for a Mardi Gras parade, dinner, and dance. In July, we go to Arrowhead for a carnival called Wild West Day. Games and entertainment are set up in the stables and dinner and a dance follows. Both festival days are well planned and supervised and are intended to foster a spirit of fun and camaraderie between the camps.

If you have any questions that are not answered here, please contact us at (828) 692-8362 or tajarden@aol.com.