Monthly Archives: April 2012

Activities, Social Media

An Iceberg On The West Coast?

Last Friday people across Canada saw a photo of people climbing on an iceberg on the front page of the National Post. The iceberg is floating in the icy water close to St. John’s, Newfoundland… on the east coast of Canada.

Icebergs on opposite Canadian coasts!

Apparently this is a rare feat and takes great skill, the right gear, a lot of courage, and willingness to be VERY cold!

Well – we invite these guys to come to the WEST COAST of Canada and dare to scale OUR iceberg! Our water is a lot warmer and there will be many people ready to join them to reach the summit!

Yes – a giant iceberg will be floating at Qwanoes Beach ready for all brave campers and staff this summer!

We have tons of fun on our iceberg and look forward to seeing you there!

Follow Qwanoes On Twitter!

If you don’t want to miss any updates from Qwanoes, make sure that you follow us on Twitter! Because Twitter is simple and efficient (140 characters max. per post), we can share the latest on Qwanoes as it happens as well as some fun, encouragement and interaction.

Often our tweets have helpful links, and you can decide what you want to read or watch. Twitter is a great way to get the latest real time news and info, to connect with us and others, to share your questions and ideas, and to see valuable content you may not have otherwise seen.

Feel free to tweet us – we’d love to interact with you this way! If you want to communicate privately on Twitter, you can do it with a direct message (DM).

“Until you use it you will not understand the power of Twitter to provide a rich kaleidoscope of news, people, connections, content, videos and images in real time….”~ Jeff Bullas, Social Media Expert

Here's a quick peek at Qwanoes' Twitter page!

~ Written by Julie Bayley, Qwanoes’ Associate Program Director

 

 

Camp Staff, Summer Camp

What Makes A Week At Camp So Special?

In just 4 more days, Qwanoes is going to be gearing up a notch as we get ready for summer! A number of summer staff will arrive at Qwanoes to be part of “Advance Crew” and more will be arriving on a weekly basis as summer approaches. We are so excited to welcome all of them!

We love to welcome people to camp!

What Is Advance Crew?

From late April to the start of Staff Training, Advance Crew summer staff join with the year-round staff team to be involved in all aspects of preparing Qwanoes for the summer, running Qwanoes spring events and retreats, and working with pre-summer guest groups. Together this vital group of leaders will be part of laying the foundations for Qwanoes “Live It Up” summer 2012!

So Much More Than Just Fun & Games!

To many people, a week at summer camp may seem like it’s all fun and games.

Playing some All-Star Games!

That is definitely a big part of camp – playing games in the outdoors with friends, trying new activities, singing songs around the campfire, experiencing parties and concerts – but camp is so much more than that. Camp is a place where kids gain hope, feel true acceptance, and make life-changing decisions.

Check out what some Qwanoes campers have to say for themselves…

“I came here because of the skiing and wakeboarding and stuff…but I discovered so much more. I found hope! I discovered a vision for my life. It’s been amazing.”

“I could see that you REALLY love kids here!”

“This was the best week of my whole life. Can you be my counselors forever?”

“This camp has really changed my life. I’d like to thank everyone who made this happen, who made this camp happen.”

“I used to be worried about everything and then I came here. Here I’ve been myself. This week has been the best.”

Enjoying summer together at Qwanoes.

Experience camp for yourself this summer! Or do you know someone that would benefit from being at camp this summer? Click here for more info about summer and how to sign up!

~ Written by Julie Bayley, Qwanoes’ Associate Program Director

 

 

Adult Retreats, Leadership Training

Congratulations To Our Students!

Kaléo Program Grad

There’s a lot of excitement mixed with sadness at Qwanoes today as the Kaléo program for 2011/12 is coming to a close! Today is the last full day of the program and the graduation ceremony and banquet is happening tomorrow. It is a beautiful blue-sky day outside as parents and friends of the students are arriving. Take a quick peek into the last week of the program in the latest post – “Scaling the heights of truth” – on the Kaléo 2012 program blog. At Qwanoes, we’re very proud of our students and are very excited to see what’s ahead for each one! Time to celebrate!

Pausing for a group photo on a rock climbing adventure!

Women’s Retreat

Coming up in just two weeks is our Spring Women’s Retreat! Many are already signed up, but there’s still room for more. Women are invited to escape to the great outdoors and connect with God and others.

Krista Penner

Features include music and our guest speaker Krista Penner, Saturday morning workshops, excellent meals including a banquet, great free time options, activity options including the Challenge Course, an on-site hot tub, and even a special Chemainus Theatre option. Click here for full details on this weekend and to register.

In the words of someone coming to the retreat: “I am so excited to attend my second ladies retreat at the end of April! The 2011 Spring Retreat was soooo much fun!”

Challenge Course Workshop

The same weekend as the Women’s Retreat, we are going to be running our Challenge Course Workshop  – part of our pre-summer training series – for anyone at least age 17 (by the end of the year) that would love to serve in this dynamic high-adventure setting.

There's nothing quite like the SkyScraper!

Those attending will learn to lead rock-wall climbing and ropes course activities, while having lots of fun and making new friends.

It is truly rewarding to offer challenges to people of all ages that will build their self-confidence, communication, problem-solving, and team-work abilities. No previous experience is necessary! Please contact the Staffing Team if you’d like to take part.

~ Written by Julie Bayley, Qwanoes’ Associate Program Director

 

 

Events, Youth Retreats

Early Spring Happenings

What a fun week it has been here at Qwanoes!

Trying out the new Giant Connect 4 in Club Coco!

This past weekend, about 125 kids ages 8 to 11 were at our Spring Juniors Retreat. The weekend was filled with many highlights including…

• the introduction of Qwanoes’ brand-new Giant Connect 4

• a birthday celebration on Saturday at supper for our Music & Media Coordinator Russ Smith (a.k.a. The Squirrel)

See Stevie G bringing out birthday cake to Russ!

• challenge course, archery, skateboarding, ricochet,  an evening pool party & more activities and events

Getting ready to go in the Challenge Course on Saturday!

• hearing from our speaker for the weekend Paul Olson of Burnett Fellowship Church in Maple Ridge

• the “Unstoppable” theme and much more

It was great to have kids back at camp and we are filled with anticipation for what lies ahead this summer!

All ages are part of what’s happening at Qwanoes!

One day there were Junior-age kids at camp – the next day we held our annual Senior’s Luncheon. On Monday, we welcomed over 100 seniors representing 10 different churches from up and down the Island. Scott Bayley, Qwanoes’ Executive Director, spoke to the seniors as well as Lindsay Anderson, a pastor from Saanich Baptist Church. The seniors enjoyed music by a chorale from Parksville Baptist Church and a “superb” meal provided by Qwanoes’ food services team.

Now as we prepare to go into the Easter long weekend, we want to say Happy Easter to everyone!  After celebrating Easter, we look forward to next big event that will be happening at Qwanoes… the Kaléo program graduation!

~ Written by Julie Bayley, Qwanoes’ Associate Program Director