This is an excerpt from Canadian Camping magazine from February 1953:
Camping Standards in Ontario
R.K.Cleaverdon, Director, Camp Kandalore; Chairman: Standards Committee, Ontario Camping Association
Camp directors across Canada will be watching with interest Ontario’s proposed developments in the field of camp standards.
At the October executive meeting of the Ontario Camping Association a sub-committee was set up to investigate recent progress in the implementation of the standards of the American Camping Association by Michigan and California. In both of these states a system has been set up to appraise member camps through questionnaire and inspection, and if the camp meets the standards laid down, t is “accredited” and permitted to advertise this fact. A number of problems have been met and solved; we in Canada are fortunate in having the experience of our neighbours across the border to guide us in a similar venture. As the result of this stury, the sub-committee made recommendations to the executive of the Ontario Camping Association, which were revised and approved.
These recommendations are:
(a) The Ontario Camping Association approves in principle the adopting of a system for accrediting camps as soon as possible.
(b) That camps will be accredited if they meet the Minimum Standards of the Association. These standards are to be drawn up with the present standards as a basis, are to be correlated with the safety provisions of the Ontario Government (see Canadian Camping, December, 1952), and submitted to the membership at the Annual Meeting in February, 1953, for approval. The Standards Committee plans no major additions or deletions from the present standards which were formulated after a great deal of study, and have been approved by all the major camping groups in Ontario.
(c) That the Standards Committee draw up an administrative procedure for accrediting camps, to be circulated to camp directors by mail in February, and presented for approval at the Annual Meeting.
It now seems likely that Ontario camp directors will have in their hands full information about the accrediting system before leaving for camp this summer. This will include a copy of the revised standards, a questionnaire upon the completion of which will be based the first accrediting, and details of the procedure. Applications will be accepted in September and October of 1953, and camps which become accredited will be able to make use of this fact in their promotion for the 1954 season. This system will give directors an opportunity during the coming summer to make any improvements necessary to meet the standards, and to seek the advice of the Standards Committee should any interpretation be necessary. Camp directors with any views on the subject, or suggestions about procedure, are requested to present their ideas to the Standards Committee, Ontario Camping Association, 236 Avenue Road, Toronto.