News from Camp de Benneville Pines

By Janet James, Camp de Benneville Pines Executive Director
Hello from a smoky mountain top as I sit in my office pounding out this newsletter to you. We all could use some good news, so in this newsletter, we're focusing on the fantabulous summer we had full of creative Zoom camps! Our volunteer summer camp deans realized that the pandemic would impact our traditional camping season, and they jumped into gear to create a virtual camp experience for so many campers.

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My deep thanks to employees Marianne Shuster, Laura Chamberlin, Geoff Anderla, and Marianne Swift-Gifford for heading boldly into Zoom Camp territory. From all of the staff up on the mountain top, we send sincere "thank yous" to the deans and workshop leaders who were key to planning and facilitating the virtual youth and adult camps. Please take a moment to read about the success of adult camps from the deans! Their words will help you see how great these camps were and just how much the participants enjoyed staying creatively connected in our new "normal" .

Summer camps were exceedingly popular, and we want you to continue to enjoy the experience of outstanding virtual camps. Keep an eye out for fall and winter virtual camp adventures. These workshops will be shorter than summer camps and will provide a great way for campers to connect with Camp and one another from home. Virtual camps will be designed for adult campers as well as youth and families. Stand by for details to roll out soon. We hope to offer lecture groups, discussion groups, activities, and games. Please consider attending and connecting; and please raise a hand and volunteer to lead a virtual workshop or activity.  We want to hear from you! Just like our wonderful in person camps, our virtual camps will be volunteer-driven for the most part, and your help and support to make them meaningful and fun is definitely appreciated.  See below if you want to be a presenter.
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I can't log off without telling you that our Daisy Doodle has finally returned to Camp to visit lead cook Ed Bagdon. She has been in Redlands during the evacuation enjoying barking at the neighbors' dogs. With Ed, she patrols the camp many times a day. She loves visiting our front gate where our new banner and sign are hanging to thank the firefighters who saved our camp. Lori Haahr, head of housekeeping, made the sign and placed it there. And Daisy put her paw of approval on it!

Keep the spirit of de Benneville Pines and yoUUr faith alive in your heart. 
Donate to the Camp de Benneville Pines Emergency Fund.