Once every five years each camp that belongs to the American Camping Association (ACA) must undergo a grueling seven-hour inspection in which a team of two qualified people look over every facet of your operation. They view all of your facilities, watch your program in operation, check your equipment, and study the age, experience, and qualifications of each staff member. Then you are questioned over a series of 261 items, and you are rated on each item. At the end of the seven-hour visitation, your score is compiled, and you eventually bet your final rating. You must achieve a certain minimal score in order to earn the ACA accreditation.

Camp Timberlane was notified one year in advance of the impending visitation this summer, and from that moment on, Sharon, Randy Wynn, Joe Shneider, and myself spent hundreds of hours compiling folders and gathering information together in order to be able to answer each item and to show the inspection team arrived in order to dress up camp; and on Tuesday, July 27, we underwent this most important visitation.

The visitors were from two of the finest camps in the country, Camp Manitowish and Camp Wabeekah. As they began to look over the grounds and study the immense program structure that we have available, plus the many new innovations such as our brand new electrical system, radio station, ceramics, gymnastics program, and all the other areas we work in, they stopped us for a moment and told us they had never seen a program of this caliber for 140 boys. Out of a series of 261 items, the only criticism was on two items that were very minor. As a result we received probably the highest rating ever given to a camp our size.