Before dinner on the Friday, but after the buses (and hopefully everyone else) have arrived, the organisers should have a quick presentation for everyone, covering such topics as:
- Welcome to Rails Camp!
- Introducing the organisers and volunteers
- Code of Conduct
- Thank the sponsors
- Meal times
- Venue layout and facilities
- Venue emergency procedure
- Rough schedule (sessions, general meeting, show & tell)
While some sessions may be confirmed prior to the camp if you wish, generally there's plenty of room for people to put their hands up to present on whichever topics they like. These presentations usually run from late morning to late afternoon on both Saturday and Sunday, with breaks for both lunch and the Ruby Australia general meeting.
Whiteboards and/or butcher's paper are the best ways to capture people's sessions. It might also be useful to have a section on the board/paper for people to note topics they'd like to hear about (which may inspire others to put together a presentation).
A general meeting for Ruby Australia happens at each Rails Camp. Only one meeting is the 'Annual' General Meeting, because there are two camps each year.
They usually run for 90 to 120 minutes on the Sunday afternoon after lunch. A large space (to hold 50+ people) will be required for this - often this means it takes over the sessions space. You don't need to worry about organising an agenda or chairing the meeting - Ruby Australia will sort that out.
These meetings are open for all Ruby Australia members, which includes everyone attending the camp, but also others - so if you need to be across everyone who is on site, then it's best to discuss planning how to manage this with the committee.
Some camps have added in extra activities. This is certainly not something you must do, but if it takes your fancy, it's often very welcome! Previous activities have included:
- Group bush walk
- Ropes course
- Swimming pool (provided someone attending is a registered lifeguard)
- Slow-cooked BBQ dinner
- Post-camp lunch
On Sunday evening after dinner, attendees are given the opportunity to show off what they've worked on over the weekend. This should happen in the main event space - either the hacking room or the dining room (if they are separate places). A projector will be needed!
Once Show & Tell is over, then it's time for the organisers to make their final remarks. This should include topics like the following:
- Logistics for Monday morning departure
- Cleaning
- Bed Linen
- Bus times
- Everyone be out by x o'clock.
- Announcement for upcoming RubyConf AU (the conference team usually wants to spruik it)
- Announcement for upcoming Rails Camp (if it's clear where/when it'll be)
- Thanking all the people:
- Sponsors
- Ruby Australia
- Presenters
- Everyone who showed off something they built
- Everyone for attending