I am excited to announce the first ever Birchmobile!
With a big thanks to board member Chad Yoder and Bergey’s for the donation on the truck, Alvin Landis and Landis Graphics on the design and supporter Rich Landis for bringing the truck to camp. I present the Birchmobile. It will be used for camper transportation, errands and other camp business and as a moving advertisement. May it live long and deliver many campers and staff safely!
Hope to see you at camp soon,
Brandon “Tuna” Bergey
#BBCTshirtday is going to happen every Monday from now through Feb 8. As we get ready for winter and summer camps in 2016 we want to hear from you on social media. So next Monday get your BBC tshirt on and take a picture of yourself somewhere fun, or even better, you AND your friends, and post on Facebook. Tuesday morning, we will select our favorite one and mail you a FREE 50th anniversary t shirt. Just like the ones in this pic.
Don’t forget to use the hashtag #BBCTshirtDay and tag Bethany Birches Camp to get in the running.
Good luck!
Tuna
Greetings Friends.
It’s that time of year again! In just two short months we will be ice skating on the basketball court and drying our boots by the fire after flying down the tubing run! Full speed ahead. Its Winter Camp season! 
During Winter Camp we pack a full week of Bethany Birches into just one weekend. Campers will get to reconnect with their friends from the summer, hang out with some returning counselors, and sleep in the heated Staff Cabin! Campers also participate in a variety of Snow Camp specific events, including: Tubing, Sledding, Broomball, Snow Painting, Cardboard Sled Races, Firesides, Night Tubing, and the New Pavilion!
Winter Camp Weekends are:
Lynx: February 13-16 (Grades 4-7)
Polar Bear: Feb 19-21 (Grades 7-9)
Bobcat: Feb 26-28 (Grades 3-6)
Connect: Mar 25-27 (Grades 8-11)
If you would like more information check out bethanybirches.org/winter-camps or call the camp at (802)-672-5220 
We hope to see you there!
Brandon “Tuna” Bergey and Dan “Chick” Laubach
Executive Director and Program Director
Greetings friends. Today is a day some know as #givingtuesday. We gave thanks
(Thanksgiving) Thursday and got some good deals (Black Friday and Cyber Monday), and today is a chance to give to others. If you’re in the giving mood, help get a kid to camp this winter and upcoming summer.
If you’re not in the giving mood, I hope this video lifts your spirits.
Brandon “Tuna:” Bergey
p.s. here’s a little more about #givingtuesday: www.givingtuesday.org
I was preparing a document today… it’s a Pavilion Project Campaign finance and construction update. You’ll see it soon in the fall newsletter. And I got to thinking about the real purpose of the building and project. You see, during the course of the project I became overwhelmed at times and forgot why we were doing this. I lost perspective among the many details and decisions.
We originally set out to do this project to enhance and further BBC’s mission. The new building makes camp easier to run, makes camp more fun on rainy days (and we get a lot of those!) and of course, expands non-summer programming opportunities. This is where our mission begins to shine. A camper who is here multiple times each year typically develops their faith much more quickly and seriously. On top of those things, it makes the state happy. Let’s just say they were very unhappy with the old building (especially the “commercial” kitchen).
One thing that was evident this summer: it was a huge boost in summer operations. I found that staff seemed to have an easier time planning and running activities and storing and retrieving supplies. I think this gave them extra energy for making camp the best they could for campers. And the kitchen… the kitchen staff and volunteers worked so much faster… they could stage a whole day’s work and take breaks in the afternoon and get out at a reasonable hour. That just wasn’t possible in the old kitchen.
I overheard our new Program Director, Dan Laubach, talking about the benefits of the new pavilion when giving a tour recently… “It’s great even on rainy days. I can have dodge ball over there, cards out on that porch, 9 square here, arts and crafts on that porch and there’s still room for people to walk from place to place!” I think this highlights the point I’m trying to make about the new building being just want the camp needed to boost operational efficiency and to make camp as good as it can be for the many campers who utilize it. This is saying nothing of the rental opportunities and partnerships that are starting to crop up. More on those topics another time.
Here’s to hoping you don’t get lost along the way during your next overwhelming season in life. If you do, step back and try to remember why you’re doing what you’re doing.
Tuna
This past weekend was grrreat. Teens and staff at camp playing games, learning and growing together. Hard to beat. We raked some leaves and piled them high. Part of the reward for doing the work was jumping in them! Here’s a video we made doing just that.
Fresh homemade doughnuts hot out of the oven. Fresh, fair-trade, high-grade coffee to go with them. Nippy fall air. Sipping fresh pressed apple cider made from VT apples out of your 50th anniversary mug club mug. People bustling about, excited for the auction to start, 170 of them, prepared to do what they can to support the camp and Vermont’s young people. This is the stage upon which the 50th anniversary celebration and annual auction played out. It was a wonderful time. We’re going to write a more full report but wanted to post this just to let you know that more than $50,000 was given. Hooray for all of you who made it happen! More to come when we get all the money counted and details hammered out.
Tuna
It’s true. BBC is 50 years old! The first summer of camping was 1965. Wasn’t long after that and winter camp was added to the mix. Then facility rentals for weddings and other program groups and activities. We haven’t looked back since. We’re celebrating and honoring the past on the weekend of September 25-27. The full schedule is here. Won’t you come and join the fun?
Speaking of fun, the big day is Saturday September 26. The day kicks off with a pancake breakfast. The breakfast is for those staying on site. You can rent your camping shelter here. The shelter is $50 for the weekend and meals are covered on Saturday.
After the breakfast is the Annual Benefit Auction. And then an afternoon of fun! Here’s the schedule:
I do hope you’ll join us for all or at least part of the day. There will be 50th merch and all sorts of goodies.
Happy Birthday BBC!
Tuna
This week has been stressful! We had an electrical inspection on Monday (passed). Building inspection on Tuesday (allowed access to a couple areas). We are still needing a visit from the health department. And, on top of that, staff are showing up. In fact, summer staff orientation starts on Saturday!
In the building lots of progress has happened. Wall finishes are going on. Fire alarm has been completed. The kitchen is almost entirely set up (and is now being clean). Final grading and seeding has happened everywhere. Porch railings are being installed. The boiler is supposed to come on line Friday.
And yet, there is still lots to do. Some lighting fixtures have to be installed and there is plenty of finish carpentry to do. And of course after that, the upstairs has to be finished, chimney installed, big garage doors and wood boiler installed, climbing wall built and some other things. But, we are headed toward completion on phase 1 and that feels good.
Check out the latest photos.
It’s been a busy week at BBC! The work didn’t take a Memorial Day Holiday – instead Dale Snader of Dale’s Homes led a group from Taftsville Mennonite Chapel to rake and seed the property. Grass is already starting to grow. Another electrical crew from PA arrived to make sure we have lights, electric and meet the fire codes. Thanks to Harold Bergey, Will Bergey, Robert Frederick and Andy Bird for giving their time! Larry Derstine, Ken Hershey and Roy Snell volunteered alongside the crew of Jenne Construction to keep going on the finishing touches including putting doors in the mudroom! Vermont Protective Coatings sealed the kitchen floor and Joanne, Scott and others kept the painting process moving. Martin Excavating was here smoothing out the East Side Bank and dumping stone around the pavilion. The most exciting part of the week – putting the bell in it’s new home!!
Check out the latest photos.
