Monthly Archives: March 2012

Social Media, Youth Retreats

A Taste Of Summer

As summer is getting closer we’re enjoying more hours of sunlight in each day, it’s getting warmer, the scent of spring-time is in the air, the birds are chirping, trees are budding, and flowers are appearing… Spring is officially here! Pretty soon we’ll be having newborn fawns appearing again around Qwanoes – a rare but beautiful sight!

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

 

 

Leadership Training, Summer Camp

Summer Camp In Canada – Part Of Our Country’s DNA

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

 

 

 

Events, Youth Retreats

Do you know how many days until summer at Qwanoes??

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

 

 

 

Camp Staff, Summer Camp

Share Life Like No Other This Summer!

Are you 15 or turning 15 this year? Have you looked forward for years to when you will be old enough to serve on staff at Qwanoes?

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.

 

 

Q-Town & Music

All-Night Video Shoot

The secret’s out! Q-Town was pumping out some tunes in an all-nighter this week!

One year it was a road trip to Alberta, the next year Stevie-G and Russ were in a race to Qwanoes from Vancouver – and this year the LIVE IT UP music video is yet another big surprise! There is so much to tell you, but what should I share first?? Well I was so curious about the tunes coming out of Q-Town in the middle of the night that I went out there myself to check it all out. I thought that maybe the Squirrel was missing summer so much that he was sleep-walking out at Q-Town, but he wasn’t :)…

Russ and Quixotic in Q-Town at the video shoot for the new "LIVE IT UP" music video.

The first thing I saw was the Quixotic band jammin’ away, and they sounded awesome! Russ Smith (aka the Squirrel) had this to say: “We’re at it again putting our new song LIVE IT UP on the big screen! This year it’s going to be an all-night video shoot and jam session! We are going the extra mile for our campers so the video is spectacular! So far it’s looking really good and we are just getting started!”

It was so cool to see all the lights and smoke and… ok I better stop there to leave some things a surprise! One thing for sure is that the new LIVE IT UP music video is going to be awesome! If you haven’t heard the theme song yet, you can listen to it online and see some sights and sounds of summer too. I love the start the best!

Click on the picture to see full update!

We look forward to welcoming thousands of kids to camp this summer and an email went out this week to give the invitation to as many people as possible! You can use this email invitation as a great way to invite your friends to camp. It is easy to share by “liking” it on Facebook, tweeting it to your friends, or emailing it. You’ll also find quick, fun links on this email to the LIVE IT UP full-length and mini slideshows, plus the new AT LAST I’M HOME music video.

Looking forward to when Q-Town is filled with all of you once again!!

~ Written by Jay Kennedy, Qwanoes’ Assistant Director.