Board Report: Naomi Mast Moyer

Above: Winter Family Fun Day was great, well.. FUN!

My vision for BBC includes this sacred space being a place for all children to become their potential through building healthy relationships with other children that are culturally different from themselves, developing a deeper relationship with their Creator, and recognizing possibilities in themselves that remain untapped.  Bethany Birches Camp has been a place where children are safe to observe and explore nature, develop their spirituality, and become their potential.  It has also been a place for young adults to develop their leadership skills, healthy relationship with others, and deepen their relationship with God.  These are principals that I hope we will continue to uphold going forward.

As a board we recognize that the facility needs to provide space for this to occur.  We want camp to be a place for children to relate to nature and develop healthy relationships with others and their Divine Creator.  The last several years the board has been looking at what a reasonable amount of dry space is for indoor activities in the summer and winter. We are grappling with how to insure children spend as much time outdoors as possible while recognizing the need for larger group space in inclement weather. We continue to use Robert Buchan’s architectural expertise to assist us in the practical aspects of these ideas.  As a board we continue to ask what impact will changing facility have on the financial future of the camp?  Historically, as an organization, we remained solvent by having minimal overhead.  We continue to look at facility and the direction of the camp in regard to financial sustainability with continued focus on children growing toward wholeness.

Lynx snow-campers displaying one of their tracks - part of an excercise in considering what or who we follow

We are also looking at policies that will drive how program and camp should function now and in the future.  In the near future we will have access to cell service on “the hill”.  This will impact the ability of children to use technology and, how staff will monitor its use.  Like other institutions we need to remain thoughtful about the use of technology.

I continue to volunteer as a board member because of my strong belief that when children and youth are provided an environment that supports their potential they will develop into healthy adults.

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