What is a Community Family Club?

Community Family Club is designed to give children a safe, fun place to grow and learn. Families meet once or twice a month in a school, library, temple, or community center to eat dinner and enjoy Camp Fire activities together. After sharing a meal together, youth and adults divide into age-appropriate activities.

This means you can spend a whole evening with your family and everyone gets to have fun doing an activity designed for them. Other weeks might include a field trip or an activity night. This multi-age family model strengthens both the family and the community by giving families a way to socialize and to enjoy time together with their children.

What does “family” mean?
Family can include youth and their guardians or parents, aunts/uncles, grandparents, siblings, neighbors -- any adult who is interested in mentoring a child. The goal is to include at least one adult family member or supporting adult from the community with every child who attends.

How often does the club meet?
The club meets on average once a month and participates in a field trip or special event once a month. However, the group can choose to meet more or less frequently. In addition, we recommend an informal activity night and a family take-home project each month as well.

Who organizes the clubs meetings and activities?
Camp Fire USA staff or volunteers will organize the events in the beginning. Eventually, someone from your community group will be trained to organize the club, however, the families run the club meetings. Each family member can help as much or as little as he/she prefers. For example, at one meeting a parent or adult mentor might do crafts with the elementary-age youth. Another person might lead the group in song. Another might handle the check-in table. Everyone has talent and an opportunity to use that talent to help the children in their club.

What other activities are offered?
Camp Fire USA provides opportunities for field trips or special events such as picnics, plays, camping, festivals, etc. The events are fun, and all clubs are encouraged to participate.

How do you find families for Community Family Club?
Community Family Clubs usually form from affiliates of faith communities, businesses, schools, and neighborhoods. Ask your friends and neighbors to form a club with you, or talk to your child’s child care center director, community center’s activity director or church’s youth minister about a club getting started there.

Questions?
If you are interested in learning more about joining or starting a Community Famiy Club, please complete and submit this online form or contact us at 206 461 8550, ext. 8919 or 800 451 CAMP.