In an effort to \u201cDo No Harm\u201d in the\nmidst of a pandemic, Camping and Retreat Ministries across the Greater\nNorthwest Area have made the difficult decision to close their camp sites to\nany programmed camping for the summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There were several factors that went into making this decision\nand Camp and Retreat Directors sought input from a variety of sources,\nincluding the guidance of Bishop Elaine JW Stanovsky and the Greater Northwest\nArea\u2019s \u201cReimagining Life Together\u201d document.
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\n\u201cReading all of these signs, we have come to the conclusion that the journey\nforward is going to require a bit of a detour,\u201d said Rev. Todd Bartlett,\ndirector of Camp and Retreat Ministries in the Oregon-Idaho Conference. \u201cIn\ncooperation with each of the site directors, I have made the decision to cancel\nall our programs at each of our sites through the end of August.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith all the factors, known and still unknown about COVID-19, we\nknow that we must first and foremost do no harm. We no longer feel confident we\ncan ensure this will be the case for our summer campers and guests,\u201d said Alan\nRogstad, director of Camping and Retreat Ministries for the Pacific Northwest\nConference. \u201cThis has of course been a very difficult decision. We feel a great\nsense of loss. However, we feel it is necessary for the health and safety of\nall who come through the gates of our camps.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This has meant some of the summer staff in both the Oregon-Idaho\nConference and the Pacific Northwest Conference will not be working. And it\nwill also mean a significant loss in revenue for the year as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the Alaska Conference, where businesses are re-opening at a\nmuch faster rate due to a smaller number of known COVID-19 cases, an abundance\nof caution is still being followed by their two camps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At Eagle River Camp outside of Juneau, they will remain closed for\nthe summer and will focus on some improvement projects around the site:\ncreating a new program office and storage building and expanding the playing\nfield with some new safety features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe’re treating this as a time to focus on some projects (big and\nsmall) around the camp, so we can be back better than ever next year,\u201d said\nJake Carpenter, a member of the Eagle River UM Camp program committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Birchwood Camp in the Alaska Conference remains closed at least\nthrough the end of June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Closures in the Oregon-Idaho Conference mean that Latgawa,\nSawtooth and Wallowa Lake camps will not be operating this year. Suttle Lake is\nawaiting word from area school districts on whether their site will be used\nthis fall for outdoor school events. Camp Magruder is providing a food ministry\nfor members of their community and The Alton L. Collins Retreat Center is\ncurrently operating as an isolation shelter in partnership with Clackamas County\nthrough July 5, Bartlett reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rogstad said Indianola, Lazy F, Ocean Park, and Twinlow Camps in\nthe PNW will all be closed for the summer camping season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs we navigate through this time, please know that we are\nactively looking at alternative ways to bring the joy and message of camp to as\nmany as possible this summer,\u201d Rogstad said. \u201cWhile it cannot replace the\nexperience of being at camp, we are working to provide on-line resources such\nas virtual campfires, crafts, games, and other resources to help re-create the\ncamp experience at home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both Bartlett and Rogstad said their decisions were reached after\nconsultation with organizations such as The United Methodist Camp and Retreat\nMinistries Association, American Camp Association, state and local health\nagencies and the governing boards for each conferences\u2019 camping and retreat\nministries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThrough all of this I know that the uncharted road ahead is\nfilled with adventure,\u201d Bartlett said. \u201cThis adventure will ask of us to be at\nour best in creating ways of living out our mission that provides experiences\nof community, creation, and the Spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In an effort to \u201cDo No Harm\u201d in the midst of a pandemic, Camping and Retreat Ministries across the Greater Northwest Area have made the difficult decision to close their camp sites to any programmed camping for the summer. There were several factors that went into making this decision and Camp and Retreat Directors sought […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":21080,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,89,64,17,16],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-21079","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-alaska-conference","8":"category-covid-19","9":"category-news","10":"category-oregon-idaho-conference","11":"category-pacific-northwest-conference"},"yoast_head":"\n