Email SOTOs or jpeg photos to: JamiC@RoyalFamilyKIDS.org

Or send photos on CDs to:

Royal Family KIDS ATTN: Jami Carmichael 3000 W. MacArthur Blvd., Suite 412 Santa Ana, CA 92704

Our Values: Treat People Royally Make Moments Matter Keep Moving Forward

Basic Guidelines for

Royal Family KIDS Photographers & Scribes

Photographers

Scribes

Tips for Scribes

If possible, make gathering and writing stories your only duty at Camp or Club.

Spend time walking around casually “reporting,” being careful not to interfere with special time between child and Counselor or Mentor (their time together is most important!)

Set up convenient times for Staff to meet with you. At camp it is helpful if Directors announce those times to Staff. (For example, “Our Camp Scribe will be in the break room from 2-4 and 9-11 p.m., so if you have a story you’d like to share, please find him or her then.”)

Good SOTOs are sometimes just simple comments children make that give us insight into their RFK experience.

Be Objective

Remember to use standard journalist’s objectivity. Avoid making judgments, subjective opinions, and drawing your own conclusions that might alter the story. Stay Connected

It is helpful for Scribe and Staff to stay in touch. The best SOTOs often come at the end of the week, at the Camp de-briefing, or even later when Staff have had time enough for stories to emerge. For Clubs, there will be stories unfolding through the school year. Sometimes it takes time for events to “sink in.”

Once the stories are written… ...email them to the national office so they don’t need to be retyped. See back page for address information. Be sure to include the Scribe’s name and Camp number and the name/title/location of the person who was interviewed. Don’t worry if grammar isn’t perfect; editors can fix that.

Additional examples can be found at www.RoyalFamilyKIDS.org under “Royal Community” and “Lives Changed.” If you receive our newsletter, The Royal Page, you’ve likely read some great stories we’ve received. (If you don’t get The Royal Page but would like to, go to the home page of the website and select E-News Sign-Up. The Royal Page is currently published three times a year.)

A LITERAL WALK OF FAITH

Two weeks before Camp I began to suddenly

experience tremendous pain in my left shin. The

advice I received from my doctor was to “stay off of

it.” As a teacher going into the last week of school,

that was impossible! My biggest concern was that I

was to be a counselor in less than two weeks. We

walk a lot at our Camp, and you need to be ready to be

on your feet all week! Many people prayed, especially as a subsequent

doctor’s visit confirmed that I had torn the tendon in

that leg. I began taking medication to reduce the

swelling and pain, but by the Wednesday before

Camp, I was still limping. Our directors and friends

continued to pray and believe that God would heal me

in time for me to go to Camp. On Sunday, when it was time to go, the swelling

and pain had started to decrease. By Wednesday of

Camp, I was even running with no pain! God was

faithful to answer my prayers just when I needed it. Dianna Blair, Counselor Scribe Name Camp #55

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“We Love Photos!” Our photographers have a great job—giving the children tangible reminders of RFK! For some children, their photo albums are precious and, potentially, contain the best memories of them growing up. The RFK national office uses photos throughout the year in The Royal Page, the RFK calendar, brochures, and on our website, www.RoyalFamilyKIDS.org. These photos help people who aren't able to see firsthand what RFK is all about and appreciate the difference this experience makes in the life of a foster child. In addition, Camps may use them in a slide presentation to show foster parents some of the highlights of Camp or Club. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind when submitting photos to the national office:

Take photographs that don't clearly show the children's faces. While close-ups are great for personal purposes, there is a need to protect the children’s identities by not publishing clear face photos. Filtering the faces is an option but, unfortunately, those photos aren't as impactful. Please keep this in mind when determining which photos to send in. (If faces do need to be filtered, our artists will do so. Please leave the photos untouched.)

The best photos we receive show activities the children are doing. Take shots from a side view of "bonding” times, having fun at the Tea Party, opening birthday gifts, swimming, etc. These events portray the unique nature of Royal Family KIDS. Avoid full-body photos of kids in bathing suits.

If a photo has a special significance, include a brief description along with that photo. Photos shown here are examples of what can be used. They portray a sense of what Camp or Club is like while protecting children’s identities and modesty.

Note regarding the background— Please be mindful of visual distractions in the background, particularly with indoor pictures, which can detract from the subject—the children!

Once Camp and Club photographs are taken…

...send in a maximum of 20 digital photos in jpg format, preferably electronically attached to email messages. Be sure to include photographer’s name and the Camp number for recognition. See back page for address information. Photographers whose photos are selected for the calendar (must be submitted by the October 15 deadline) receive gift awards to purchase RFK merchandise. Photos are also published in brochures and on the website.

“We Love Stories!” An RFK “Scribe” collects Stories Of The One (SOTOs) which give children and Staff the opportunity to share how Royal Family KIDS has impacted them. These experiences can be life-changing in many different ways—and it’s wonderful when those miracles are shared! The Camp or Club Scribe interviews children, Counselors, Mentors, photographers, social workers, Camp nurses, Grandmas and Grandpas, etc., about their special Camp or Club memories. These stories are used in RFK publications because they give vivid pictures of real experiences while at Camp or Club. In addition to RFK’s national office using these stories, local Camps and Clubs may use SOTOs to inspire volunteers to become involved with Royal Family KIDS. Some stories are inspirational, some humorous and some sad. Some stories may be heard on the first day, some

throughout the week and, often, the most touching ones are shared at the end of the week. An adult may want to share something that touched his or her own life through a child. Perhaps a former

camper is now an RFK volunteer who wants to share his or her own special story. It’s best when SOTOs incorporate specific details—age, personality (quiet or loud, etc.), looks (sparkling eyes or unkempt), a little of the child’s background or previous behavior—to bring the story to life and show contrast to changed behavior.

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