We Love Summer!

Kids enjoying Qwanoes Beach in the summer!

At Qwanoes, we are in support of a school calendar that includes a traditional, full-length summer break. We believe so strongly in what happens in the summer when kids come to camp that we want to do everything we can to protect the summer break. Our hope is that as many kids as possible would be able to attend camp in the summer, the best time of year for kids and families to be enjoying the great outdoors of B.C.!

A Shorter Summer Vacation?

Last month, the B.C. government introduced Bill 36 (“School Amendment Act, 2012”). If Bill 36 goes through, it will eliminate mandatory school calendars in B.C. School districts may choose to have a more “balanced” schedule than what they have now.

But “balanced” unfortunately means a shorter summer vacation! Year-round schooling has the potential to change summer camp as we know it in B.C. For more information on this and what you could do to help, please see What’s This All About?

A Very Worthwhile Day In Victoria

Scott (Qwanoes’ Executive Director) and I went to Victoria on Monday to try to find out more about the thinking behind Bill 36, plus to share our concerns about year-round schooling. We had good meetings with the Director of Legislation for the Ministry of Education and with the Deputy Minister of Education.

Scott with the MLA's

Then we were sitting on the front steps of the B.C. Parliament Buildings when suddenly we realized we were surrounded by all the MLA’s of B.C. It was just the two of us, some photographers, and the MLA’s who had come out for a group picture. Scott and I took this unexpected opportunity to have a very good conversation with Doug Routley (MLA for Nanaimo-North Cowichan) about the implications of Bill 36.

Have You Seen “Leave Summer Alone” Yet?!

Meanwhile this past weekend Russ (a.k.a. The Squirrel) wrote a brand-new short song “Leave Summer Alone” on behalf of kids who love summer the way it is! Then a quick video shoot took place and a video was made for this new song.

Watch the video then share it with everyone! Facebook, Twitter, email, whatever way you want to… please help spread the word! #LeaveSummerAlone

~ Written by Julie Bayley, Qwanoes’ Associate Program Director

Summer '11 CIT's with leader Andrew MacDonald (top right wearing hat)

Qwanoes is alive with activity as we are getting closer and closer to summer! This weekend, we’re holding our first-ever LIT Pre-Summer Training Weekend led by Andrew MacDonald, Qwanoes’ CIT, LIT & Kaléo Program Leader. All incoming LIT’s for summer 2012 have been invited to come for a weekend of reconnecting with each other, diving into God’s Word, stretching their leadership abilities, and preparing for the summer ahead. Saturday will even include venturing out to the Horne Lake caves at Qualicum Beach to do some caving together!

Also on Saturday, Qwanoes will be running a Music Team Workshop led by Russ Smith, our Music and Media Coordinator. In addition to all the training happening, a camp board meeting and summer work weekend will be going on. This all means that summer is coming quickly at this point!

Young Adults Invited!

Wish you could still be a camper at Qwanoes but you’re over 18? Are you wanting to connect with other young adults and with God? In just one week, from May 11 to 13, Qwanoes and Ethos are partnering together to offer a retreat specifically for young adults! If you’re wondering what Ethos is, it is a ministry to the young adults of Metro Vancouver that meets every Sunday night at Coquitlam Alliance Church.

It doesn’t matter where you’re from… all young adults are invited to take part in this retreat! The theme is “Under The Sun” and our speaker is Chris Throness, the pastor of Ethos Young Adults, who has been involved in speaking to students and young adults all over Western Canada, United States, and in Israel.

For more details, to register, and to take a look at past young adult retreats at Qwanoes, please see Young Adult Retreat. We look forward to welcoming you to Qwanoes!

~ Written by Julie Bayley, Qwanoes’ Associate Program Director

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

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

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

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

Spring Juniors Retreat Is Here!

Having fun together at Qwanoes!

Here at Qwanoes tonight, we can’t wait to welcome about 125 campers to our Juniors Retreat! Along with the staff already at camp, leaders are coming from all over and all of our students in the Kaléo program will be involved in running the retreat! Whether campers are coming for the very first time, or have been to a retreat or camp in the summer before, we are so excited that they will be part of this action-packed weekend.

Everything’s ready to go from the rooms, the food, activities, events, music, and everything else that makes a visit to Qwanoes so special. It may not be summer yet, but we look forward to experiencing a small taste of summer together this weekend!

Qwanoes On Facebook

The new cover photo on Qwanoes' official Facebook page!

If you haven’t done so already, we’d like to invite everyone on Facebook to ‘like’ Camp Qwanoes’ official Facebook page. Here you’ll find frequent updates including inspiring content, thoughts and follow-up, fun stuff, questions, and the latest happenings at Qwanoes. Looking forward to you joining us and the – as of today – over 1,900 others on our official page!!

The new cover photo on the Staff-Alumni account!

Qwanoes also has a Staff-Alumni Facebook account that is meant for people who are or have previously been Qwanoes staff members in any capacity. If you are staff-alumni, you can receive updates specifically relevant to you here, but we’d also love for you to be part of the official Qwanoes Facebook page that includes campers and everyone.

Thanks to everyone who has joined us on Facebook so far!

~ Written by Julie Bayley, Qwanoes’ Associate Program Director

Summer at Qwanoes can be a soapy experience! Especially when on BIG BLUE!

Summer camp is quickly approaching for thousands of kids across Vancouver Island and the Greater Vancouver area!

Things come and go in our Canadian history and culture, but it seems that summer camp for kids will be with us forever. This summer like many summers before, thousands of children and youth across this country will leave the everyday behind, pack their bags and discover a life-changing adventure at a Christian summer camp! We have the privilege here at Qwanoes to be one of those camps.

Qwanoes provides a great opportunity for kids to take a step back from the pressures of this world, and step into a world of discovery, adventure and pure raw fun! Beyond that campers will experience so much more and leave changed!

From caring counselors and warm campfires to awesome activities and new friendships, summer just isn’t summer without a week at summer camp. In the safe and wonder-filled setting of Qwanoes, kids find acceptance, they grow in confidence, learn new skills, gain an understanding of others, experience teamwork, and enjoy the pure joy of fun in the outdoors with new friends.

Thank you to all our past and new campers for making Qwanoes so special. We can’t wait to see you this summer! Or for some lucky campers – in just one week as the Spring Juniors retreat is quickly approaching. It’s not too late to register and come by yourself or bring a friend!

Kaléo Program

Students hanging out at Mystic Beach on the camping/backpacking trip!

The students just returned from a 3-day backpacking/camping trip at Mystic Beach on the Juan De Fuca Trailhead right here on Vancouver Island. Lots of stories of cooking meals on the beach, doing team building initiatives, and sharing around the campfire. Sounded like an awesome trip from all the stories I heard!

It’s hard to believe that it’s only three weeks away until graduation. It seems like just yesterday when our students arrived at camp, and were wide-eyed and ready for an 8-month long adventure. While we are going to miss our students, we are excited about the growth that has taken place and the strong foundation that has been laid for wherever next is for them. Now, saying that… it’s not over yet! There is still lots more time left. The students will be taking a

There are many adventures in the Kaléo program and this is just one of the beautiful locations!

course next week titled “Christian Worldview” and helping run the Juniors Retreat. Following that they will be going real rock climbing, and doing a day of kayaking and a closing trip at a forest retreat! Imagine living at Qwanoes in an 8-month leadership program designed for college students! To learn more about the Kaléo program please visit us online.

~ Written by Jay Kennedy, Qwanoes’ Assistant Director

Campers having fun on the Superslide at the Qwanoes Aqua Park!

This past weekend Qwanoes staff headed off to multiple locations to spread the word about summer 2012! First we were in Surrey where the apologetics Canada conference was happening, and then off to three churches in one day on the Sunday. It was great to get out and see so many past staff and campers. We also met many future campers, students and staff! I attended Northwest Langley church myself where I showed our new “At last I’m home” video. Even though the weather hasn’t completed turned yet, I can’t help but feel warmed up by all the summer fun I see in our videos. If you would like us to make a trip to a school, church, event or gathering near you, please be sure to call Camp Qwanoes and ask for Ken Bayley, Director of public relations. In fact, Ken Bayley was just at another school in Campbell River today, so we definitely go to schools too! Just give us a call today! We would love to hear from you. You can also email ken@qwanoes.ca

Did you check your calendar? Today is 108 DAYS TO SUMMER” day! Oh yeah – we can’t wait – it is going to be SO MUCH FUN!

But here’s even better news…you do not have to wait 108 days to get a taste of summer. Why? Because our Juniors Retreat is only two weekends away! It all happens March 30 to April 1 at Qwanoes.

Campers working together to get to the top of the elevator in the Qwanoes challenge course! Just one of many Juniors retreat activities!

This is a great opportunity to step out of the everyday and step into a weekend filled with friends and adventure. Campers will enjoy tons of our activities…like the SkyScraper, Screamer, Breathtaker, skate park, archery, and LOTS more. Russ and the band will be leading us in Q-Town, Stevie-G and crew are planning some crazy All Star Games, and of course there is always great food and plenty of it!

So if you’ve been thinking that 108 days seems much too long – well – you’re right! It IS much too long! But 16 days is much better – and we’d sure love to welcome you here in just a couple more weekends. JUNIORS RETREAT IS March 30 to April 1!

Come on your own or come with a friend – either way we’re looking forward to welcoming you and creating an extra special weekend.

You can check it all out here and register anytime – we still have space available.

~ Written by Jay Kennedy, Qwanoes’ Assistant Director

You’re invited to join the team!

Qwanoes invites those who are 15 (or who will be 15 by Dec. 31, 2012) to apply for one special week of  Operations Support Crew and serve in a vital food services role (dishwashing, dining room set- up, etc). Leaders will offer you spiritual discipleship and there will be opportunities to assist in the camp program.

Reach for more this summer!

If you’re coming on staff as a 15 year-old, you will be part of the first weekend of Staff Training in late June. During this weekend, you’ll learn more about the heart of Qwanoes and what it means to be part of the staff team. You can choose the week in the summer you’d like to join us on staff except for Youth Camp (note that some weeks may fill so please apply soon). See Staff Opportunity For 15 Year-Olds for more info.

Whether you’ve been a camper before or not, see what camp ministry is all about and enjoy the friendship and support of other staff! You’ll be encouraged and challenged to grow closer to God and as the leader God has called you to be. Discover more about living and sharing life like no other this summer and put your faith into action!

~ Written by Julie Bayley, Qwanoes’ Associate Program Director.