Posted on: Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Maui camp director gave false data, Scouts say
By Christie Wilson
Advertiser Neighbor Island Editor
WAILUKU, Maui — The director of a summer camp that closed last week has yet to contact parents who are seeking refunds worth thousands of dollars.
The Aloha Adventure Camps was closed Wednesday by the Girl Scout Council of Hawai'i when it was learned that the outfit did not have the insurance required to use the council's Camp Pi'iholo in Upcountry Maui.
Hawai'i Girl Scouts Chief Executive Officer Gail Mukaihata Hannemann said yesterday that camp director Llew Lazarus submitted false insurance documents, and that a check of records from the three previous summers he used Camp Pi'iholo indicate some of those insurance records also may be false.
Aloha Adventure Camps was offering five one-week sessions from June 29 through Aug. 3 at a cost of $1,150 per week, plus airfare. After campers and counselors at the photography and surfing camps complained that Lazarus was behaving inappropriately and that they were concerned about safety, Lazarus ordered the group of 36 youths to leave July 6, even though some had paid for more weeks.
A camp counselor and a parent filed separate police reports last week complaining about Lazarus, but police officials say none of the allegations involve criminal wrongdoing.
When the complaints surfaced, Hannemann visited the camp and ordered Lazarus to close his operation.
Lazarus told the Advertiser July 6 that the trouble grew out of a misunderstanding, but once the camp closed, no one involved in the situation has been able to contact him.
The state's Child Welfare Services took into custody 16 youths from the Mainland and Australia who were temporarily stranded by Wednesday's camp closing, and officials also were attempting to notify 80 families who had signed up for later sessions.
Colette Watanabe of the Office of Consumer Protection on Maui said yesterday she received more than 20 calls from parents seeking help in getting refunds. Those who used credit cards have a better shot of getting their money back, she said, but many paid the camp fees months ago, and credit card companies usually limit the time in which customers can make a claim.
Another problem is that some youths who were planning to travel to Maui for the camp have nonrefundable airline tickets.
Hawai'i does not regulate youth camps. A number of states, including Colorado, Maine and Indiana, require licensing. In order to get a license in Michigan, for example, a criminal history check is required for camp staff, and an assessment is done of camp facilities, activities, health and food services, and policies and procedures. Licenses must be renewed every two years.
Hannemann said there was still "a lot of confusion" surrounding Aloha Adventure Camps. As a result of the problems, she said, the Girl Scouts will be reviewing its policy on third-party rentals of its three camps, the one on Maui, Camp Paumalu near Sunset Beach on O'ahu, and Camp Kilohana at Waiki'i on the Big Island.
Aloha Adventure Camps was accredited by the American Camping Association in 2000, and that organization also is looking into the complaints.
Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 244-4880.
