Don: Please make this a sticky!

This will be an in depth reference on hosting an MICDC event. These are not hard and fast rules but recommendations in order to aid the host by providing detailed information based on a proven metric. Some of the information will be specific to “spring” only events based on the timeframes necessary to complete certain things.

Six Months before the event:
If the host has not chosen a time and location, this would be the time to request information from the group. Historically, the spring event has worked well at the beginning of June. I recommend creating a thread at the beginning of January. Make sure to set a hard date on when recommendations should be submitted.

If you have chosen the group route, you should have a solid date locked on that fits with “most” peoples schedule. Please keep in mind that you cannot please everyone. A good date for the event should be based on feedback from the group.

Location selection:
The group should have been able to provide a decent list of suitable choices. It should now be up to the camp host to determine if these locations will be able to accommodate the needs of the group. The location should have a campground within close proximity of the selected lake. The camp needs to have electrical hook ups at a minimum. It is also nice to select a camp with a dump station and a restroom facility with shower access. The lake should have a boat launch able to facilitate the launching of boats that group members have. Rustic launches are not an option. Hard top launches with docks should be the standard.

Utilize the internet to investigate different locations. Most campgrounds have websites and all of them have telephone numbers. I always make it a habit to call the campground to ensure that they will be able to accommodate our needs. Although it is not necessary, it is always a good idea to try and select a campground with an available shelter. We should get in the habit of always renting a shelter if one is available to us.

Locking on the site location:
Once a site has been selected, I call the campground personally. I introduce myself as the camp host and explain the event we are going to have. Most of them are very interested to hear about crappie dot com and are enthusiastic to help in any way possible. Ask them if it would be possible to set aside a block of campsites in order to allow the group to be as close as possible. Most of them will set aside a number of sites for a specific duration. Some of them will provide a group confirmation number. Others will simply advise you to tell the campers to mention MICDC and they will fit them in the sites accordingly.

Finalizing the location:
At approximately the four month mark, I recommend submitting a thread entitled “20XX spring camp information”. In this thread you should provide the prospective dates of the camp, the location of the camp, the website information for the campground, the telephone number of the campground, and any specific information pertaining to reservations. Members will utilize this thread to post information about the sites they have reserved. Keep in mind that State campgrounds do not usually allow for group camping sites to be set aside. This thread is important so that everyone can post their locations and others can view the detailed campground maps and make site reservations according to other camper’s locations.