Summer Appearance & Dress Code for all Staff

Doe River Gorge has adopted (with relevant changes) the outlined dress code of the local Carter County School System, as well as Ballad Health (a local health care provider). These guidelines identify the dress code that is expected in the community in which we serve. We have used these standards to adopt the dress code for DRG. These guidelines are not intended to reflect a person’s spirituality, or to pass judgment on anyone’s personal taste or preference.

Please read our dress code policy keeping in mind that you are here to represent Doe River Gorge in our community. We are not here to impress people by keeping up with the current fads, and offense rarely is taken at a conservative appearance. By maintaining the adopted dress codes, we will consistently present to our community an acceptable impression of Doe River Gorge Ministries.

It is essential that you take pride in your personal appearance and maintain good hygiene habits at all times. Participants are required to observe and practice good taste in dress and appearance, emphasizing a conservative, wholesome, clean-cut style. The following dress code is not meant to be legalistic, but is designed to remove potential stumbling blocks (Matthew 18:6-7), to create an acceptable community image, and to enhance unity and working relationships.

Daily Expectations

GENERAL APPEARANCE

Our general daily appearance includes being dressed in a casual manner that is clean and neat, as well as maintaining personal hygiene. Examples include: showering, shaving, using deodorant, brushing teeth, well-groomed hair, keeping nails trimmed, etc. A sloppy, unkempt appearance is not acceptable. Proper attire will vary throughout the day, depending on the activities being done or who is present on the property.

CLOTHING

 Proper daily attire is: casual shorts, jeans, pants, skirts and/or dresses, and shirts.
 The minimum length for shorts (including athletic shorts) is where your fingertips come to when your hands are at your side
 Leggings and jeggings must have mid-thigh length, loose-fitting shorts over them. The following is considered inappropriate:
 Revealing fabrics or styles
 Excessively tight, short, or baggy clothing
 Clothing which does not cover the person’s underwear.
 Shirts or pants with inappropriate tears or holes
 Clothing that bears vulgar remarks and/or pictures promoting: tobacco products, alcohol, drug related items, sexual connotations, acts of violence, or secular bands.
 Tank tops with straps smaller than three inches.
 Clothing that reveals the midriff.
 Jeans/shorts that are excessively frayed, torn, or patched

FOOTWEAR

 Shoes should be clean and in good repair – no tattered or worn out shoes should be worn outside of high adventure activities
 Flip flops and other essentially barefoot sandals are not acceptable except at the lakefront
 Sandals are acceptable for general/daily attire only if they securely attach to your feet and have a backstrap.

HATS/HEADWEAR

 All hats and headwear (including Buffs and headbands) must be clean and free of any inappropriate advertising or connotations. Hat logos must be approved.

HAIR

 Hair should be clean and well-groomed.

Length

 Men: Provided it is neatly groomed, hair for male employees may extend to the bottom of the earlobe on the side, extend to the bottom of a regular shirt collar in the back, and to above the top of the eyebrows in the front. Hair may not be tucked or pinned to hide length.
 Women: Long hair may be required to be pulled back behind the shoulders for health or safety reasons.

Extreme Hairstyles

 The following extreme hairstyles are not permitted. Unnatural hair colors including drastic variations in hair color, partially shaved head, a pattern shaved into the hair, slanted or extreme variations in hair length from side to side, extreme asymmetrical haircuts, any hairstyle that impairs vision, or any hairstyle that detracts from the image that Doe River Gorge wishes to portray to the public.

FACIAL HAIR

 Staff must be CLEAN-SHAVEN on Arrival and Departure Days, plus Day Quest Saturdays, and any other days that are deemed necessary by the schedule.

Facial Hair

 Participants who arrive at Doe River Gorge with fully developed and neatly trimmed facial hair may be allowed to keep these features, provided they are trimmed daily. A shaggy beard is not acceptable. Beards must be trimmed to a maximum of 5/8 inches.
 Goatees are permitted if they are well groomed and are not more than 5/8 of an inch
 Mustaches may not extend past the corner of the mouth or below the line of the upper lip and must be trimmed daily.

Sideburns

 Sideburns should follow the natural contour of the face and should not extend below the bottom of the earlobe.

TATOOS

 Tattoos must be covered by clothing or makeup on Arrival and Departure Days, plus Day Quest Saturdays.

BODY PIERCINGS

Earrings

 Men: Earrings for males are not permitted. Males who have ear piercings must fill those piercings with a clear or skin-tone insert. This includes gauges.
 Women: Earrings, if worn, are limited to two studs in each ear. All other piercings must be filled with a clear or skin-tone insert.

Body Jewelry

 All other jewelry such as tongue and eyebrow rings and piercings, nose piercings, or nose bullrings, must be filled with a clear or skin-tone insert. Ear gauges must be modified with clear or skin-tone inserts.

JEWLERY

Necklaces

 One necklace is allowed at a time and can only be worn during casual dress.

Rings

 Hand jewelry and rings are limited to two and must be small, with no more than one per hand, not wider than the finger’s width and without dangling ornaments. During some activities, rings may not be worn for safety reasons.

Watches

 One watch may be worn if it does not have the capability of accessing the internet

MAKEUP AND PERFUME

 Makeup and perfume should be used moderately. When makeup is used, it should be conservative and in good taste. Perfume should be limited.
 Cosmetics should be used sparingly, avoiding shocking colors and patterns (blue, pink, purple, black eye shadow).

NAILS

Fingernails and toenails should be kept clean and trimmed. Nail polish, if worn, should be a conservative color and be unchipped. Decals, charms, airbrushing, etc., are not permitted. When working in food service positions, participants may be prohibited from wearing fingernail polish or artificial nails due to health code restrictions.

Lakefront Attire

 Men: Men are only allowed to go shirtless at the lake. Conservative swim trunks must be worn.
 Women: A conservative bathing suit that covers the midriff and cleavage must be worn at the lake or on the river. For more details, please refer to the letter from the ladies of the office that you received in your packing list.

Staff Uniform

The DRG uniform must be worn on Arrival Day, Departure Day, and Day Quest, plus any other day deemed necessary by supervisors. The uniform consists of a DRG staff shirt, khaki-colored pants/shorts/skirts, and appropriate footwear. The purpose of the uniform is to present the Doe River
Gorge staff in a professional manner to parents, guests, and visitors.

The staff uniform consists of:

 A DRG staff shirt:
o Acceptable uniform shirts: A 2017 green DRG t-shirt, 2018 maroon DRG t-shirt, 2018 blue DRG t-shirt, or 2019 grey DRG shirt. Polos are not considered uniform.
o You may wear your shirt tucked or untucked depending on your body type and what you feel looks best on you. Shirts should not be excessively long so as to look like a night shirt.
o Only white t-shirts may be worn under your uniform.
 Lanyard worn around your neck with your nametag hanging from the clip
 Khaki-colored shorts or long pants (optional skirt for women)
o Minimum length for shorts is where your fingertips come to when your hands are at your side
o No bulky side pockets or wrinkled-look type fabric is permitted; not skin-tight.
 A black or brown belt (if you tuck your shirt in)
 Footwear:
o Clean, closed-toed tennis shoes worn with white or black socks
o Clean, closed-toed hiking boots worn with white or black socks
o Sandals that securely attach to your feet and have a backstrap. Some positions may not allow sandals due to safety reasons.

Optional additions to uniform include:

 Hats
o Hats may be worn if they are clean, plain non-logo, or have a Doe River Gorge logo.
o Hats must be worn so that the bill faces forward, reaches the middle of the forehead and is parallel to the ground.
 Headbands (for women only)
o Headbands that help you maintain a professional appearance are permitted
 Sunglasses
o Sunglass frames must be a neutral color and are only for practical use outside, and not worn as a fashion statement

The following are not permitted to be part of the uniform:
 Open-style buffs and sweatbands are not permitted
 Necklaces are not permitted with the uniform

Please note the following regarding the Doe River Gorge Staff uniform:

1. The DRG uniform needs to be clean, stain-free and wrinkle-free. (Some suggestions to remove wrinkles: use a portable steamer, use an iron, hang it by a hot shower, or toss it in a clothes dryer with a few ice cubes.)
2. All tattoos must be fully covered by clothing or makeup.

We want to be a team that presents ourselves in a professional manner. Each staff member will be ensuring that you are presenting yourself appropriately to campers, parents, and guests. Please respect anyone who approaches you and asks you to adhere to the dress code.