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BCH Summer 2024 Newsletter

Aug 23, 2024


And That's A Wrap: Summer Camp 2024

Camp 2024 at a glance


This summer, we welcomed more than 200 campers and families from all around New England and beyond to BCH across 4 sessions of overnight camp and 1 session of family camp. We had 13 junior counselors, 10 core counselors, 6 fabulous members of the camp leadership team, and 7 volunteer visiting chaplains who, alongside our amazing camper community, made this summer all that it was.

The 2024 camp community came from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, North Carolina, Syria, Mexico, Jamaica, Ukraine, and Uganda. It continues to be such a gift to have campers, staff, and families from around the region and around the globe call this place home for a little while.


Thanks to the generosity of the BCH community, we awarded more than $50,000 in camperships this summer and received more than $1,500 worth of in-kind donations to the camp program. We're so grateful for the ongoing support of this community near and far and continue to rely on it in all that we do here at BCH. If you would like to help financially support the ministry of BCH, you can give today, either one-time or recurring, using this secure online giving platform

Thank you to everyone who helped make this summer a success- to our partner Dioceses in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Western Massachusetts, to parishes who sent us campers and who sponsored those campers to attend, to the incredible team of volunteers who worked behind the scenes to provide weekend chaperoning, endless snacks, and consistent support for the summer camp team, and to each and every family who entrusted their child to us. We're so grateful to you all and look forward to continuing to build and strengthen the camp community here at BCH with you!

Mark your Calendars- Fall & Winter 2024

Becoming an Episcopal Outdoorswoman - October 5, 2024


If you've ever been curious about expanding your outdoors skillset, or are looking to deepen the wilderness practices you already love, this is a day program for you. Facilitated by Episcopal women, come and spend the day connecting with creation and learning, together, valuable skills in an environment of cooperation and Christian community.


Schedule:

8:30-9- Arrival/Gather

9:15-11:30- Morning workshop time

    Option 1: Mushroom ID

    Option 2: Archery followed by Outdoor Adventures

11:00-11:30- Fire building- all participants

11:30-1:00pm- Camp Cooking & Lunch

1:00-1:30- Free time

1:30-3:30- Afternoon workshop time

   Option 1: Orienteering

   Option 2: Kumihimo Friendship Bracelets then 1 hour of Free Time

3:45-4:30- Closing worship

4:30-5- Goodbyes

Workshop Descriptions:


Mushroom ID: Learn how to identify some common edible mushrooms (and some common poisonous ones!) with a brief introduction, followed by a foraging walk. Finish by making a spore print, digging deep into mushroom guides, and observing and celebrating our finds. Led by Canon Tina Pickering and Linden Rayton.


Archery: Explore the sport of archery. This classic outdoor pursuit is challenging, meditative and satisfying! Learn the basics on our equipment and practice your aim on the BCH targets. Led by the Rev. Spencer Hatcher.


Being Safe And Happy On Outdoor Adventures: Preparing for outdoor excursions can be daunting in a world full of gear options and influencer opinions. Learn tried and true techniques to keep you safe and happy on excursions of all lengths, from town trails to backpacking trips. Led by the Rev. Louise Howlett.

Fire-building and Campfire Cooking: Building fires is an essential part of outdoor survival. Learn how to build a successful fire, then get truly outdoorsy and use your fire to cook some delicious campfire food. Led by Sarah Loy.


Orienteering: Get familiar with cardinal directions and the many ways a compass can help you navigate. Then practice your skills traversing the woods to complete the BCH orienteering course. This workshop will take participants on uneven and challenging off-trail terrain. Led by Linden Rayton.


Kumihimo Friendship Bracelets: Creating art while in nature is a beautiful and deeply human way to enjoy the outdoors. Learn how to make a Kumihimo friendship bracelet, a Japanese braided fiber art that was used to make accessories for samurai armor, kimonos, book bindings and more. Led by the Rev. Kate Harmon Siberine.


*This program is designed for womxn who are 18 and up.


Becoming An Episcopal Outdoorswoman is coordinated by NH Episcopalian and environmental educator Linden Rayton. As the owner and educator of Living Water Nature Programs, LLC, she works to bring people of all ages into deeper relationship with the natural world, through exploration, education and reflection.

Becoming an Episcopal Outdoorswoman Workshop Leaders Left to Right: Linden Rayton, Sarah Loy, The Rev. Louise Howlett, The Rev. Spencer Hatcher, Canon Tina Pickering, The Rev. Kate Harmon Siberine

Register for Becoming an Episcopal Outdoorswoman

BCH Hearts and Hands Fall Work Weekend- November 2-3, 2024


The Spring Hearts and Hands Work Weekend team (pictured right) helped us get the campus ready for Spring and summer by clearing the Blue Trail (all 2 miles of it!), landscaping around Shaw Lodge, St. Marks, & St. Johns, painting and cleaning the Arts & Crafts building, spreading new sand at the Waterfront, and planting the BCH garden. We're incredibly grateful for our faithful team of volunteers. If you missed the fun this past Spring, mark your calendars for November when we'll gather to do it again!


Join us for a weekend of work (and play!) as we complete various projects around BCH. Bring yourself, your family & friends, your church, or your youth group to BCH for the day on Saturday, 2 November or stay over to Sunday, 3 November and help us prep the camp for Fall & Winter. All ages, stages, and abilities welcome.


*All ages welcome but those under 18 are expected to be supervised by a parent or guardian.

Register for Fall Work Weekend!

Blue Christmas Retreat-

December 21-22, 2024


The Holiday season doesn't always feel like a time of joy and celebration, whether because of the loss of a loved one, a general sense of heaviness that comes with the holidays, or a weariness about the hurts happening around the world. We invite you to come together with others on the longest night of the year here at BCH. In community, prayer, reflection, and conversation, gather with others in this time away. Come exactly as you are.


Registration Opens Soon! Keep an eye on our website and our social media for updates

For more information about all upcoming programs at BCH, visit our website

Conference Group Spotlight: Creating Friendships for Peace

This summer, alongside BCH summer camp programs, we welcomed Creating Friendships for Peace to campus for a bit over two weeks. CFP is a volunteer, grassroots organization that brings together teenagers from divided communities in order to build relationships that have the potential to transform both the individuals and the communities themselves. CFP has active programs rooted in Cyprus and The Middle East.


This summer, 10 young women- five Hebrew-speaking and five Arab-speaking- came to stay as part of their program, on site at BCH, along with their US-Based Executive Director, Middle East Based coordinator, and a rotating crew of dedicated volunteer chaperones. While they were here, they participated in restorative justice practices, conversations and workshops on the anatomy of conflict, alongside trips to Boston, the New Hampshire State Capitol, Stepping Stones Farm, and the Cornucopia Project. They also had down time to kayak and paddle board on Otter Lake, join the BCH campers for free swim, and spend time in arts & crafts.

After their weeks on campus at BCH, the girls, in pairs, moved to stay with host families for their final week in New Hampshire. Once they return home to Israel, they will continue the dialogue as the young women move towards graduating the program in October and join the CFP alumni program where they continue to commit to work towards peace-building.


It's our hope that the relationship between Creating Friendships for Peace and BCH continues to build in the years to come.

A picture's worth a thousand words:

Summer at BCH


This Summer, alongside BCH overnight youth camp and family camp, we've represented Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers at General Convention and we've hosted camps and non-profit groups from all over New England and beyond. We kicked off our summer with The Diocese of Massachusetts' Deans and Bishops retreat, then welcomed Joni & Friends for our 18th year in partnership, Zebra Crossing's Betsy's Camp for families impacted by CLOVES syndrome, Casting for Recovery, a wellness fly-fishing retreat for women living with Breast Cancer, Touchstone Farm's Pony Camp, Creating Friendships for Peace, St. Stephen's B-SAFE youth program, and we officially close out our summer programming with the New England Santa Society's Santa Camp


If you want to host your own event at BCH, give us a call or e-mail info@bchcenter.org to get started planning your time away today. Tag us in your group's social media posts (Facebook: @BCHCenter Instagram: @bch_camp)! We love to see all the ways guest groups build community in this space.

Two Joni & Friends volunteers posing at New England Family Retreat 1

BCH Executive Director with Bishop Doug Fisher of the Diocese of Western Mass at the ECCC booth at General Convention

BCH Summer Camp team final group photo before goodbyes at the end of Summer Camp Season 2024

We continue to rely on the generosity of our BCH community. If you would like to participate in the mission and ministry of The Barbara C. Harris Center by donating to our Operating Fund either as a one-time gift, or as a recurring donation, please click the button below. Thank you for your support and your partnership.

Give to the BCH Operating Fund Today!

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www.bchcenter.org

Barbara C. Harris Episcopal Camp & Conference Center
(603) 547-3400