May 14, 2020
Hello, AWESOME PEOPLE!
Difficult update. Like most other camps in Virginia, and after two months of extensive study, consultations, meetings, and prayer, we have decided that we must suspend all previously scheduled 2020 summer programs. This means we will not host any in-person summer staff training or camp programs for the 2020 summer and all previous records of agreement are void.
Thank you for sticking with us this far. Thank you for helping us to shoulder so much uncertainty these past two months.
YOU, the summer staff are learning this BEFORE registered camper families and before the general public. The public announcement will be May 20 via email, eNews, and video, so please DO NOT share this information until after May 20.
If you can, PLEASE join with all summer staff in a Zoom call on Monday, May 18 at 4:00pm (details and links emailed to you). This will be a time to answer questions, learn what’s possible for August, and be “together” a while to mourn and (hopefully) laugh a little.
Since March 17, we have navigated a flood of information. We have joined discussion forums, attended local and national Zoom calls, webinars, and workshops specifically about the impact of COVID-19 on Summer Camps. We have attempted, like all camps, to discern what might or might not be possible, all while deciphering the vague CDC guidelines, the new “Forward Virginia” guidelines and Phases, and the outline of the soon-to-be-released ACA/YMCA “Field Guide for Camps on Implementation of CDC Guidance.”
We have worked in solidarity with multiple other camps in the Church of the Brethren and in Virginia (faith-based camps and secular camps, resident camps and day camps). As of today, 38 of 44 regional camps we follow closely have announced suspension of summer programs.
We’ve also reviewed national and regional surveys showing low confidence and low commitment to sending children to residential summer camps. Even if Virginia moves quickly into Phase 3 by July, the extraordinary new protocols, procedures, and logistics necessary to operate programs SAFELY are beyond our scope and infrastructure.
Registered families will be informed on May 20, and they will have risk-free options: forwarding any payments toward 2021 pre-registration, donating all-or-part of their payments, or full refunds.
We ARE planning several free-or-donation-based creative self-guided program options for individuals and families, and we continue to pursue other creative ideas for maintaining our relationship with all our camper families and our summer staff. We will regularly update our social media, and we’ll continue the “Camp At Home” videos. We do NOT plan to attempt "virtual camp" programming. We believe the fun, faith-forming experience Camp Bethel offers – being outside, unplugged, in a loving, in-person Christ-centered community – is something we cannot replicate online.
If conditions improve in Virginia by August, including “Phase 3” or “4,” and if we are confident we can SAFELY do so, we are exploring a “Mission and Service Week” for interested adult staff August 2-7. The week will include volunteer work, leadership development, campfire worships, and will serve as an opportunity to come TOGETHER to have "high Christian communion of clean hearts and minds."
I encourage you to read this excellent article that wisely summarizes everything we've read and thought: "Unless we can ensure that each of us is safe at camp, we all have to stay home." https://www.thesummercampsociety.com/blog/2020/5/12/unless-we-can-ensure-that-each-of-us-is-safe-at-camp-we-all-have-to-stay-home?fbclid=IwAR3x4EGSjNzbqeRfKgSjK6Z8VLS2R3_uw7XiueY64vFKq1KvGugpl242QK0
When July turns to August, we will be working hard on Summer 2021 and we want you back in 2021! We’ll talk a little about this on Monday’s Zoom call.
Together, in Christ our hope,
Barry LeNoir, Camp Director
Jenna Stacy Mehalso, Program Coordinator
Mickey Nichols, Facilities Manager
Wes Shrader, Food Services Coordinator
Spencer Knox, 2020 Summer Program Coordinator
Kathleen Nettnin, 2020 Asst. Program Coordinator of Wellness
2020 staff recruitment video at https://youtu.be/eXs7KbvlF4c
Hello, AWESOME PEOPLE!
Difficult update. Like most other camps in Virginia, and after two months of extensive study, consultations, meetings, and prayer, we have decided that we must suspend all previously scheduled 2020 summer programs. This means we will not host any in-person summer staff training or camp programs for the 2020 summer and all previous records of agreement are void.
Thank you for sticking with us this far. Thank you for helping us to shoulder so much uncertainty these past two months.
YOU, the summer staff are learning this BEFORE registered camper families and before the general public. The public announcement will be May 20 via email, eNews, and video, so please DO NOT share this information until after May 20.
If you can, PLEASE join with all summer staff in a Zoom call on Monday, May 18 at 4:00pm (details and links emailed to you). This will be a time to answer questions, learn what’s possible for August, and be “together” a while to mourn and (hopefully) laugh a little.
Since March 17, we have navigated a flood of information. We have joined discussion forums, attended local and national Zoom calls, webinars, and workshops specifically about the impact of COVID-19 on Summer Camps. We have attempted, like all camps, to discern what might or might not be possible, all while deciphering the vague CDC guidelines, the new “Forward Virginia” guidelines and Phases, and the outline of the soon-to-be-released ACA/YMCA “Field Guide for Camps on Implementation of CDC Guidance.”
We have worked in solidarity with multiple other camps in the Church of the Brethren and in Virginia (faith-based camps and secular camps, resident camps and day camps). As of today, 38 of 44 regional camps we follow closely have announced suspension of summer programs.
We’ve also reviewed national and regional surveys showing low confidence and low commitment to sending children to residential summer camps. Even if Virginia moves quickly into Phase 3 by July, the extraordinary new protocols, procedures, and logistics necessary to operate programs SAFELY are beyond our scope and infrastructure.
Registered families will be informed on May 20, and they will have risk-free options: forwarding any payments toward 2021 pre-registration, donating all-or-part of their payments, or full refunds.
We ARE planning several free-or-donation-based creative self-guided program options for individuals and families, and we continue to pursue other creative ideas for maintaining our relationship with all our camper families and our summer staff. We will regularly update our social media, and we’ll continue the “Camp At Home” videos. We do NOT plan to attempt "virtual camp" programming. We believe the fun, faith-forming experience Camp Bethel offers – being outside, unplugged, in a loving, in-person Christ-centered community – is something we cannot replicate online.
If conditions improve in Virginia by August, including “Phase 3” or “4,” and if we are confident we can SAFELY do so, we are exploring a “Mission and Service Week” for interested adult staff August 2-7. The week will include volunteer work, leadership development, campfire worships, and will serve as an opportunity to come TOGETHER to have "high Christian communion of clean hearts and minds."
I encourage you to read this excellent article that wisely summarizes everything we've read and thought: "Unless we can ensure that each of us is safe at camp, we all have to stay home." https://www.thesummercampsociety.com/blog/2020/5/12/unless-we-can-ensure-that-each-of-us-is-safe-at-camp-we-all-have-to-stay-home?fbclid=IwAR3x4EGSjNzbqeRfKgSjK6Z8VLS2R3_uw7XiueY64vFKq1KvGugpl242QK0
When July turns to August, we will be working hard on Summer 2021 and we want you back in 2021! We’ll talk a little about this on Monday’s Zoom call.
Together, in Christ our hope,
Barry LeNoir, Camp Director
Jenna Stacy Mehalso, Program Coordinator
Mickey Nichols, Facilities Manager
Wes Shrader, Food Services Coordinator
Spencer Knox, 2020 Summer Program Coordinator
Kathleen Nettnin, 2020 Asst. Program Coordinator of Wellness
2020 staff recruitment video at https://youtu.be/eXs7KbvlF4c
Sr Counselors, Adventure Counselors, Jr Counselors
$284/week, 6 or 7 weeks; add'l $25/wk each returning year. Training: May 25-June 5, 2020. Paid Weeks: June 7-July 18-or-25. Add'l paid work available July 26-Aug 15. 
Day Camp Coord, Pool Coord, Health Coord, High Ropes Coords (2), Digital Media Coord, Music Coord, Crafts Coord
$284/week, 7-10 weeks. Training: May 19-June 5, 2020. Paid Weeks Vary: May 25-July 25. Add'l paid work available July 26-Aug 15. |
$60 per day x 4, 5 or 6 days per week for 7 to 12 weeks.
Kitchen: May 25-July 24, plus July 26-Aug. 15. Grounds: June 1-July 25, plus optional July 27-Aug 15. 
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