Tag Archives: Christian Camps BC

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

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Events, Leadership Training

An Epic Battle

An extraordinary event happened last week in Pacific Woods Lodge! Find out more…

Pacific Woods Lodge A Battleground?!

Welcome to Pacific Woods Lodge!

Ever wondered what life is like living at Camp Qwanoes? Sometimes life is quite out of the ordinary! Last week, Pacific Woods Lodge was transformed into a battlefield, using couches as barriers and stairwells as tactical positions. Even the visiting professor from Briercrest College, teaching our students in the Kaléo program, got involved! See what happened in all the crazy photos on A Day In The Life At Camp Qwanoes.

LiftOff, Skiing & Snowboarding!

This past Friday and Saturday, Qwanoes partnered once again with churches on Vancouver Island for LiftOff… an adventure that included music, Qwanoes’ 2012 slideshow, a night game on the streets of Campbell River, skiing and snowboarding at Mt. Washington, and more! We invite you to take a look at the Live It Up 2012 Mini-Slideshow for yourself!

Be Trained As A Leader In Summer’s Most Exciting Place

Are you trying to figure out what to do this summer? Do you love the outdoors and all the high-energy activities that are part of camp? Do you want to learn, interact with others, reach out to kids, and be challenged to grow spiritually and personally?

The Counselor-In-Training (CIT) Program at Qwanoes is a high-quality, entry-level leadership training program that introduces high school students to living and sharing life like no other in Christ. You will develop skills in leadership and ministry that will be valuable for the rest of your life!

In the words of  a CIT graduate: “”I just have to say that CIT was the most amazing and life-changing experience of my entire life.”

Experience solid training, spiritual growth, lifelong friendships and great times! And what better setting to get this training than camp—summer’s most exciting place!

~ Written by Julie Bayley, Qwanoes Associate Program Director

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Very special guests visit Qwanoes!!

Juniors campers love Qwanoes!  “I’d rather spend one day at Qwanoes than a whole week at Disney World” said one of our 2010 Juniors campers.

Now that's an excited camper pumped for the viking night game!

There is nothing quite like seeing the face of a young camper light up when you announce that there will be a night game tonight!  Last night the campers came together in Q-Town and were rallied together by their team leaders and Greylock as it was time to jump into a late night adventure! What a night as campers scoured the camp on the hunt for tablets and the missing crown, all the while evading capture by the viking protectors. It was a night to remember, and memories that will last a lifetime!

Campers having fun with the NEW Battle Top Arena in Club Coco!

Right now it’s activity time at Qwanoes and campers are in the trees, down in the water and what do my ears hear? Oh it’s Club Coco of course!  I hear the sounds of campers yelling 1-2-3!! And the Battle Tops head into the arena for a battle to see which top will be left standing! I just asked Harry, Stuart,Ethan what they thought of the new game as they played with one of our Camp Grandpas, and they all said “AWESOME!!!”There are so many activities to do at Qwanoes… it’s a good thing camp is 6 nights and 7 days long!

We had a big surprise at Qwanoes the other day as some very special guests rolled into camp.  It was the African Children’s Choir!  We were so glad that they could make a special stop at camp.  We of course had to welcome them like we do all our campers! With fireworks and an arch of raised hands as they came off the bus!  Many of them had never seen a camp like Qwanoes before, so it was such a joy to see them playing soccer, enjoying a good game of dodge ball and checking out the waterfront.  At Tuck time they got into their special African dress and did an amazing performance for all our Juniors Campers right on the qrok deck! What a sight to see all these kids dancing, drumming and singing in their native African language.  All our campers were mesmerized and enjoyed Tuck time with a very unique and special show that was just for them!  Thanks African Children’s Choir for visiting on your way through!  I will never forget the little African boy by Club Coco singing “Oh, oh, oh on the island”!

Amongst all the excitement and fun at camp, there is some pretty awesome life changes that are happening in the lives of our campers! Yesterday we learnt  how Out Of This World God really is, but at the same time he still wants to have a personal relationship with us! Now that’s Out Of This World!

Two more days of Juniors Camp left, it’s going to be awesome! And then we will soon be welcoming Juniors Camp #2!

African Children's Choir makes a special stop at Qwanoes!

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A BIG thanks and Qwanoes OPEN HOUSE this Saturday!

A BIG thanks goes out to all those who were a part of our Family Work Weekend and Qwanoes Day of Prayer! Everywhere I look you can see the evidence of the hard working team who helped get Qwanoes even more ready for the summer.

Gathering up in the morning to start our day in prayer.

Saturday was a very BIG day as more than 225 people gathered at our fireside to start off the day in prayer. Normally when you sit at the fireside everyone faces towards the centre, but not this time! We all gathered in a circle and looked out at other parts of Qwanoes and visualized all our campers around camp. We lifted up prayers on everything we were looking at and visualizing, from campers on the blob, playing in the carpetball hut, lining up for a meal, heading over to Q-Town, to running of those buses! What a great way to get focused for the day and why we are all here!

Lots of painting happened during the day!

From there teams poured out all over Qwanoes to tackle many, MANY projects in getting ready for the summer! To name just a few… staining of the new Huckleberry Hideout bathroom, doubling the size of our carpetball hut, clearing the weeds around the stairs to the beach, adding another row to our fireside, painting tables, creating the summer kitchen, weeding the volleyball court, cleaning chairs & windows, spreading wood chips in the challenge course, cleaning cabins, cleaning buses, and the list could go on and on! As you can imagine everyone was exhausted by the end, but it was a fabulous day of serving the Lord together at Qwanoes!

Praying at one of the Sky Ridge Cabins.

We ended the day right back at the fireside in prayer just as we started, rejoicing in all that was accomplished! We then walked around Qwanoes praying at different areas together about what God is going to do this summer. The day wasn’t over yet! Next was a delicious dinner, family games, a great fireside with S’mores and finally ending our night with video highlights of our day in Q-Town! Thank you to all those who came out and joined the team!

Come and see for yourself! This Saturday is the annual Qwanoes OPEN HOUSE! Grab you sunscreen & bathing suit and come on down to the Qwanoes beach! The whole waterfront is ready for you, from rocket rides to the giant slide! Or head into the forest and challenge a friend to a race down the “Screamer!” There is so much to do from the skateboard park, sports court, archery, climbing tower and more! We will even have a special OPEN HOUSE Q-Town just for you. There is no cost to the whole day, so come be our guest and join us for lunch and dinner too! All you need to do is let us know you are coming. Go online and get all the details, including transportation options for those on the mainland.

Experience Qwanoes Beach for yourself! Come be our guest!

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Family work weekend here we come!

We had a great weekend here at Qwanoes during our Staff Leadership Orientation time. There was a time of team building, looking at the heart of Qwanoes and of course, great leadership training. We can’t wait to have all the staff and our campers here soon!

Family Work Weekend is coming up this week and we will have just over 200 people here on the grounds helping prepare Qwanoes for our campers and at the same time having some fun as a family! We still have some spots left! If you are interested please check out the website for details and give Qwanoes a call to let us know you would like to come.  This event is FREE, we would love to have you here a part of it all! Not only will there be a great time of serving, but you’ll experience fun games, firesides, tasty food, quality family time and more!

Can’t make it to the Family Work Weekend? Then come on over as our guest to the Qwanoes Open House on June 12th! This event is FREE! Just give us a call to let us know you are coming and if you are needing a ride from the ferry terminal. Bus transportation is on us and we will be meeting both the 7:45 am and 10:15 am sailings to Duke Point. Check out our website for all the details! Come try our activities, meet our staff, experience a special opening Q-Town and hear some of our new songs! It’s time to experience Qwanoes for yourself!

Ever wonder what the inside of the Qwanoes Blob looks like? Now you know!
Saturn being pulled by our head lifeguard!

We are getting ready for all our campers! From the entrance sign to the waterfront, we are getting everything ready for another great summer season! I was just down at the waterfront today and the Aqua Park is almost all set up! We have staff down there right now working really hard to make sure everything is ready to go. Check back soon to see pictures of our brand NEW Castaway Castle, coming soon to Qwanoes beach!

Took a walk over to Huckleberry Hideout and as you can see the NEW bathroom is looking great! You Huckleberry Hideout girls are going to absolutely love this bathroom!

Huckleberry Hideout NEW Bathroom coming along great!

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It’s not too late to save! HST is coming this Friday.

We had a great time visiting Richmond Baptist and North Valley Baptist last Sunday! Everyone was so welcoming and excited to hear about all the things happening at Qwanoes and how they can get plugged in.  I’d like to send a shout out to Pastor Jeff from Richmond for taking me out to lunch! This Friday we will be at BC Christian Acadamy, come by and say hello!

Summer Camp Vancouver Island Kids Camp
NEW - Brochure and Poster in the mail!

Our NEW full-length Qwanoes brochure is in the mail and will be in your hands shortly! Inside the brochure you will find our new “Out Of This World” poster and maybe even a photo of  YOU or someone you remember from camp! It contains all our summer camp programs and more!

We would like to help you avoid the new HST tax and save 7% on your camp registration fees.

IMPORTANT NEWS: As you are aware, the BC Government is introducing the HST (harmonized sales tax) effective July 1, 2010.

If you sign up for camp no later than April 30, 2010, and pay the registration fee in full, you only need to pay the GST of 5%…and this will save you 7% of tax! BUT HERE’S THE KEY…the full payment must be received no later than April 30.

For additional information regarding HST please see our HST info page.

As always, we’re glad to answer any questions you might have. Of course, you can always register anytime on our website: http://www.qwanoes.ca/register

Yes – it’s almost time to put the boats in the water, turn up the sound in Q-Town and bake 800 cookies for our first summer mugup. New adventures, new friends, and new discoveries every day…we can’t wait! Summer Staff Advance Crew starts tomorrow and that means we will now have summer staff at camp getting ready for the return of all our campers!

Coming up soon!

Women’s Retreat – April 30 to May 2
Young Adults Retreat: May 14 – 16
Family Retreat: May 21-24

Summer Kids Camp Vancouver Island summer camp
Qwanoes NEW brochure and poster on the way to your house!

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A weekend of celebration!

It was our Kaléo graduation this past weekend and 28 students celebrated with friends, family, staff and our local church community! It all started on Friday night with the students heading to Victoria for a special last time together and parents having a reception at our Qwanoes Guest House. Many parents came from all over Canada – I actually spoke with a couple who came all the way from New Brunswick by train!

The next morning we celebrated together with three students being baptized right on Qwanoes beach! Yes, the water was cold, but it sure made for a very special and memorable way for these three students to remember their time at Kaléo.

Kaleo Graduation 2010

In the afternoon we all packed into Club Coco for the graduation ceremony.  Scott Bayley (Qwanoes Executive Director) and Merrill Dyck (Vice president at Briercrest College & Seminary) shared a few words of the impact and change that has happened in the students as well as how much they were appreciated  by the local churches. Jeremy Derksen did a fantastic job delivering the Valedictorian speech as he took us on a journey of what it was like to be a part of Kaleo 7.

Kaleo Graduation banquet

The day ended with a fabulous celebration banquet in the dining hall where everyone enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by the Qwanoes kitchen staff… the desserts were everyones favorite!

If you are interested in Kaleo or know someone who might be, you can always visit us online!  There are still a few spots left for next years Kaleo program!

Qwanoes may be coming to a church near you! Last Sunday, we spread out to three different churches ( Dunbar, Sooke and Squammish Baptist)  and had a great time sharing the exciting things happening at Qwanoes. This week we will be at Campbell River Christian school, North Valley Baptist and Richmond Baptist church.  Come by and say hello to us!

Coming up soon!
Advance Crew for Summer Staff – starts April 28
Women’s Retreat – April 30 to May 2
Young Adults Retreat: May 14 – 16
Family Retreat: May 21-24

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Kicking into high gear at Qwanoes!

There are so many exciting things happening at Qwanoes right now in preparation for summer! Advance Crew is only 14 days away and very soon there will be summer staff members here on the grounds getting ready for all our campers!

New rock going up on Pacific Woods Lodge right now!

New for summer 2010! As you can see from the picture, the Pacific Woods Lodge rock is going on the columns and it will all be ready for when you get here!

There’s a brand-new bathroom for Huckleberry Hideout! We just staked out the site for the new bathroom for our Huckleberry Hideout girls cabin village, and the building is going to be great!

Music video road trip to Calgary and back!

BREAKING NEWS! Stevie-G and Russ “the squirrel” are on a road trip right now to Calgary and back! They are shooting a music video for our “Out Of This World” summer 2010 theme song, which is all part of celebrating 15 years of Q-Town music!

Tents on the Sky Deck Tent put up today!

Our Sky Deck tents were just put up and we will soon be rolling out the tables and chairs!  There is so much activity going on right now and we can’t wait to have all our campers back enjoying a meal under the Sky Deck tents very soon.

Coming up soon!
Kaléo Grad coming up on April 17th
Advance Crew for Summer Staff – starts April 28
Women’s Retreat – April 30 to May 2
Young Adults Retreat: May 14 – 16