Official Statement from Gateway Mission Center Presidency concerning Junior High and Senior High Camps for 2017
 
On Tuesday evening July 12th, the Mission Center council met where we (the Mission Center Presidency team) announced our determination for the Junior High and Senior High camps for 2017.  This was a significantly long process over the span of several months. We took into consideration survey results from a Mission Center survey we put in the field asking how people felt about combining camps with Brush Creek (the survey window was roughly three months). We'll publish a synopsis of those survey results in an upcoming newsletter. We looked at the number of registrations submitted from this year and looked at camper and staffing trends from prior years.  We considered the stewardship of our campgrounds and a host of other issues as well as open and candid conversation with a number of different individuals including our Apostle.  This was not a decision we took lightly. 
 
Our determination for 2017 is we have accepted an invitation extended by Brush Creek to combine Senior High camps at their campgrounds. Our Junior High camp will remain at Camp Woodland Hills.  After the summer camping season, we will reevaluate with some of (but not limited to) the following considerations for Senior High camp in the future. Would we like to continue taking our Senior High Camp to Brush Creek? Would we like to propose an alternate year experience with Brush Creek and invite them to Camp Woodland Hills in 2018? Are there enough Junior High campers moving up to Senior High in 2018 where we want to consider having camp solely at Camp Woodland Hills?
 
As many of you can appreciate, with any decision like this, there will be those who don't agree.  Admittedly, change is tough.  But rest assured, we will focus on the positives of this opportunity and look forward to what lies ahead.  Thank you for your continued support on behalf of the youth of the Gateway Mission Center.
 
Jamie Varvaro, Gateway USA Presidency
Matthew Britt, Gateway USA Presidency
Mary Hammond, Gateway USA Presidency