FAQs
Following receipt and acceptance of application and deposit, the camp will send enrollment confirmation by email. Applications are accepted on a “first come” basis until all spaces are filled. No application can be confirmed without receipt of the full deposit. The initial deposit of $500 is due upon application. 80% of this amount is refundable upon Written Cancellation prior to March 1 of the year attending.
The balance of the camp fee is due on or before May 3 for ALL sessions. You can check your balance on your Camp In Touch account by clicking the Camp In Touch Log In button from this website. Discounts are available for early-payment. Tuition is priced to cover laundry, linen rental (if desired), yearbook, special art supplies, and all other activity expenses. Camper families are requested to keep a credit card on file in case of a doctor visit. Soft drinks and snacks are not sold at camp (a treat is given to campers each day at the end of rest period as a part of the regular camp fee). Transportation (if being picked up from airport or riding the bus) and uniforms are additional expenses. A discount is given for two or more brothers attending Stewart the same year. No refund of the camp tuition is made except when recommended by the camp physician. In such a case, the camp will refund a pro rated amount.
Enrollment is limited to 275 boys per term. Stewart has a very high returning percentage of its campers. Application should generally be made in fall. The waiting list is compiled by date the completed application and deposit are received. Last minute cancellations do occur. A very honest appraisal of the situation will be given should your child be placed on the waiting list. Any special needs and desires for the camper should be put on the Camper Profile section on Camp In Touch prior to camp. The Camp Office reviews each camper with their respective counselors prior to campers’ arrival at camp and discusses the goals and desires of both the camper and parents. The Camp Directors must be advised on any key elements pertaining to the emotional or physical health of your camper. These can either be shared with the cabin counselor or kept confidential, but the Camp Directors need complete background knowledge of campers to help insure a rewarding camp experience for each and every camper.
When all spaces are filled, a wait list is started with names being added as written applications with deposits are received. No one is placed on the wait list without the deposit. Unaccepted applications will have the entire deposit refunded.
Deposits are 80% refundable until March 1 of the year registered to attend. Deposits are not refundable after that date, although a one-year courtesy carry-forward will be offered. Deposits are not transferable other than to immediate family.
Tuition fees are fully refundable until 30 days prior to the first day of the registered-for term. After that time, fees are not refundable except for medical reasons per written doctor’s orders.
Should the camp physician recommend withdrawal because of an injury or illness occurring during camp, one-half of the remaining pro-rated fees will be refunded.
In the event of a dismissal or withdrawal for homesickness, misconduct, inability to adjust to cabin life or any other reason, there is no refund.
There are no fee reductions for late arrival or early departure.
All fees are due and payable the first week of May of year attending.
Early-pay options during the year offer discounts for fees paid in full.
Campers at Stewart are placed in cabins according to their exact date of birth and term. Consideration is also given to size, development and grade in school. If you have a special request or suggestion, it is welcome BUT the camp cannot guarantee or promise any such special request. Camp must be able to focus on the overall success of all campers. Special cabin requests should be downplayed to your camper to avoid initial disappointment should it not be able to be granted. Stewart prides itself on having campers from several countries, many states and most areas of Texas. Camp Stewart reserves the right to limit the number of campers from any locality in order to maintain its diversified enrollment.
Campers having birthdays at camp are presented a birthday cake (decorated for them) during lunch while the camp sings a special “Happy Birthday” to them. The cake is large enough to share with their entire cabin, along with homemade ice cream. Parents wanting to host additional birthday celebrations (added cost) should call the camp office ahead of time to make arrangements.
Those campers who play a band instrument are requested to bring their instruments and be a part of the Stewart Sitting Band/Orchestra. Campers who play in the band receive special benefits.
A physical examination is required for all campers. This should be done by the family doctor shortly before camp. The Parent Authorization form must be signed and uploaded or faxed back to the number on the bottom of the form. Texas law requires a current health form be on file for each camper. You can do this by filling out the Health History form on the Forms and Documents section. These forms are all available on the Forms Section when you click the Camp In Touch Log In button from our website. Please fill out all required forms.
Parents are responsible for any medical and sickness expenses as well as dental and orthodontic expenses.
Any of these expenses incurred by our camper will be charged to your credit card on file. It will not be taken from the Canteen Account. For this reason, it is important to have a valid credit card on file for each family.
Parents are asked to provide the camp with photocopies of their medical insurance and prescription
cards in order to avoid unnecessary deductible and prescription expenses. These will be presented at time
of service.
Campers in full terms and the first two week terms (June A, July A) are to arrive on Opening Day of camp between 10 am and 1 pm (11 am-12 pm for June B and July B Two Week Terms). No camper may arrive prior to Opening Day without special permission from the director. There is a charge for early arrival. The camp offers several chartered buses on the opening days of the full and first two week terms (information about buses is available when you log in to Camp In Touch) which are accompanied by official camp personnel. There are no buses for B two week terms. Campers needing to fly are met at the San Antonio International Airport (SAT) by official camp personnel. Airport pick up and drop off charges are posted to the camper’s account. Flights should arrive in San Antonio between 10 am and 12 noon of Opening Day in order to be at Stewart by 2 pm, when cabin orientations begin. The Stewart camp experience begins on Opening Day so come dressed and ready for action! If you camper will be flying, please call or email for further information.
Each camper in the June, July and Two Week Terms is asked to have a good supply of Camp Stewart shirts and shorts (8-12 sets). Camp Stewart shirts (the white shirt with camp logo only, please) and shorts are worn all the time, with the exception of activities such as horseback which require long pants or special theme days. Laundry is sent out once a week (three times) during the June and July full terms (usually once for two week campers). If the camper sends out more than one bag of laundry each week, his Canteen account will be charged for the extra laundry. Visit www.campstewartcanteen.com to order camp clothing. Clothing should be ordered prior to camp and it will be shipped to you (except non-US campers). We recommend that campers living outside of the United States have their clothing held in the Canteen for pickup on Opening Day. Orders needing to be held can be placed on the website. Please mark ‘Hold At Camp’ upon checkout to have order held. All clothing and other articles, should arrive well marked with camper’s name. This is very important. The camp cannot assume responsibility for lost items. Along this same line, expensive or sentimental items have no place at camp. Do not send sentimental or valuable sports equipment or other items as they are always the ones lost or left in the rain. Also, please DO NOT SEND food, phones, ipads, cash, jewelry, knives, electronics, electronic games, ammunition, firearms or fireworks. If you have a question concerning this, please call the office.
If you need to ship your camper’s trunk to camp, it should be shipped at least one week in advance. It should be addressed with camper’s name c/o Camp Stewart for Boys, 612 FM 1340, Hunt, Texas 78024-3024.The best shipping methods are UPS and FedEx as they deliver directly to the camp. Campers coming by chartered bus may bring their trunks and duffel bags with them. Campers flying should check with the airlines in advance-most will accept camp trunks.
Stewart believes strongly in the benefits of camping, especially those derived from the longer terms, and strongly recommends the selection of one of the longer terms for your camper to get the maximum growth and advancement in learned skills, friendship, independence and self-reliance. Parents concerned about the length for ‘first time’ campers should not be. Campers adjust once and then it’s all fun and gains (games). In “Choosing the Right Camp”, author Dick Kennedy advocates the four week camp: “A camper should be away from home for enough time to progress through the natural development states: from homesickness to uncertainty to confidence and pride. Any time period shorter than two weeks allows him (her) simply to count the days until the experience is over.”
Camp Stewart has a special men’s organization called Triple S or Father/Son. This group has father/son meetings during the Spring and Fall at Stewart coordinating with mother/daughter weekends at Heart. There is also a Mother/Son Weekend in the spring. A portion of each SSS membership fee goes to help provide partial camper scholarships at Stewart and Heart. Mother and Son Camping weekend is held in the spring of each year. Moms and Grandmothers participate in many of the activities campers enjoy during the summer.
Camp is a time to get away from the pressures of daily life and unplug. Cell phones, computers, tablets, airpods and electronic games are not allowed at Stewart. Campers may bring portable AM/FM radios with earphones for rest period. Campers bringing unacceptable items will be shipped home and the shipping cost posted to the Canteen account.
Visits to campers by parents and immediate family are limited to Opening and Final Days. Friends or relatives with prospective campers who are interested in seeing Stewart ‘in action’ are requested to call 830-238-4670 for an appointment to tour. Such visits are welcome as an opportunity to show Stewart in action! Guided tours will be given. Stewart is very conscious of the security of the campers and camp property and all visitors during camp are to be properly registered at the office, identified as visitors and escorted while on camp. Please do not ever drive into camp without checking in to the office.
Feel free to call the camp office (830-238-4670) for a report or to give us any information on your camper. CALLS TO CAMPERS ARE ONLY ON AN EMERGENCY BASIS AS THEY WILL DISRUPT YOUR CAMPER’S ADJUSTMENT AND CAMP ROUTINE. If you deem a call absolutely necessary, calls to campers should be requested with the understanding that they will be scheduled for a mutually convenient time. To set up a call appointment, call the camp office and they will schedule a time for your camper to come to the office to receive your call. Again, this is NOT recommended. During camp, there are no incoming calls after 6:30 pm, when the phones are switched to an answering service which will contact the Director on Duty in case of any emergency. Emails, however are welcome and encouraged! Please look under the Camp Stamps Section when you log in to Camp In Touch from our website. It will give you instructions on how to buy Camp Stamps which is how you will email your camper. They can even write you back! You just attach another page to your email and they will receive a sheet that they will write back to you on. We send it to your email and you will receive a PDF “letter” back. It is great!
Packages at camp are limited to gift bags purchased from our Canteen before the camper’s term begins. You can order these in several increments on www.campstewartcanteen.com. No mailed packages or packages from home are allowed and will not be delivered. There is only one exception. ‘Christmas at the South Pole’ will be celebrated June 25 and July 25 and most parents bring Christmas stocking stuffer gifts. If your camper will be here on these dates, please bring their Christmas gift on opening day of your camper’s term. Please also mark your camper’s name and cabin name on this package and all letters. Packages are limited to one per week of term with Christmas counting as one gift. Any packages ordered over this limit will not be delivered. All gift bags must be purchased before the beginning of the camper’s term.
Stewart wants parents to share in the camping experience! Not only can you email your camper as much as you like with our Camp Stamps program, they can write you back and have their response uploaded and emailed back to you! Blogs with camp life updates are also written under the News Section on Camp In Touch throughout the term. There are daily photos there for you to view as well. Photos remain up for some time after camp is over and you may download or purchase the photos if you like. Stewart also uses an app called Campanion which is a great way to send your emails, look at photos and has a facial recognition feature, too. Download the app from the App Store before the term begins!
Closing Day Information may change, so please watch for emails about closing day information. Here are the instructions about what to do upon arrival on Closing Day:
You will go straight to your camper’s cabin, pack up, gather trunks, equipment, art projects, etc. then head to the office area to pick up cabin photos and award packets. You will also be able to view and purchase camper portraits and sign up for next summer.
Camp Stewart has certain arbitrary rules concerning personal appearance of both campers and staff, including short, off-the-collar haircuts. Earrings are not permitted (i.e., on any part of the body). Complete cooperation is expected. All campers/staff members wear special Stewart clothing.
Camp Stewart is a member of Camp Association for Mutual Progress, Association of Independent Camps, American Camping Association, Camp Rifle Association, Texas State Chamber of Commerce, United States Chamber of Commerce, Kerr Area Chamber of Commerce, West Kerr County Chamber, American Horse Show Association, United States Modern Pentathlon Association, Texas Hunter-Jumper Association; headquarters, National Camping Advisory Council.