Mission Possible: The Pavilion Project Archives

Archive for the ‘Mission Possible: The Pavilion Project’ Category

Ready to Climb…Climb On!

Ben “Flapjack” Hershey

These words were heard consistently throughout cabin challenge and adventure times during the 2024 summer program season. In the past they could only be heard outside as 2-3 campers climbed the rock holds on the outside of the pavilion chimney. Thanks to generous donors, and climbing wall staff, these words were also heard inside on rainy days as more campers climbed more often thanks to the completion of the indoor climbing wall.

As one of the final remaining loose ends of Mission Possible: The Pavilion Project (2014) it was long past time to install the climbing wall. Designs, styles and colors were researched. Bids received from various companies and finally Eldorado arrived for a week of work back in April of 2024. (insert the time lapse videos?). The group of 3 guys worked diligently to erect the BBC indoor climbing wall complete with ? # of holds, 4 “panels” 2 auto belayers and mats for the bottom. Generous donors helped us purchase additional harnesses and climbing shoes. Bring on a summer of climbing!

Recruiting and training additional staff was a key to utilizing the indoor climbing wall. Ben “FlapJack” Hershey was coming back for a third summer of counseling and was asked to be one of the climbing wall managers for the summer. Managing includes teaching campers about the wall and the equipment we use to climb, keeping children (and staff!) safe, and helping campers to improve their climbing skills while encouraging their appreciation for the sport. He accepted the challenge and offers some reflections on his experience.

“Running the rock wall quickly became one of my favorite activities of each week, and something that I looked forward to doing. However, it was not just my mastery of a new activity that made the rock wall a highlight of the summer for me. Getting to witness the campers’ enjoyment of the new rock wall each week from my role was truly what made it stand out at camp for me.

In examining the core values of BBC, I find that the activity of climbing the indoor wall rests on each of these values in a unique manner. While the wall itself may be man-made, scaling it successfully and making the transition from easier to more difficult routes requires the boldness to step outside of your comfort zone. I believe that this boldness extends beyond the wall and is present in the challenge of living outdoors in nature at camp that campers take on for a week (or multiple weeks in some cases) and that staff take on for a summer. Those of us who have had that experience to any extent know how wonderful it can be, but it requires us to go beyond what we know to be comfortable and familiar to appreciate nature in that way. Similarly, climbing the wall is based on a principle of faith. When you begin climbing, you have to trust that your equipment, the ropes, and your belayer on the ground will keep you safe and will catch you if you fall. Though it may seem trivial, this exercise is analogous to trusting in God and His promise to carry us through every storm that enters our lives. The wall also embodies a certain sort of community. Climbers have to be able to work and communicate with their belayer (and vice versa) and to be able to accept the help of staff in making sure that their equipment is functional and safe, and it was not an uncommon occurrence this summer to watch campers who had already climbed the wall give advice and tips to their peers who had yet to reach the top. If you’ve ever climbed a rock wall, it is almost challenging for it not to be fun. There is nothing quite like the feeling of hearing cheers and encouragement from an audience of campers below, or the sense of accomplishment that you receive once you reach the final hold.

An added incentive of the rock wall for campers this summer was a reward of “cabin points” in the weekly Crazy Camp Cabin Competition for climbing to the top of the wall. One of my own campers this summer was determined to get to the top of the wall, despite never having done it before, to earn those points for our cabin. He didn’t make it all the way on his first attempt, and nearly resigned himself to the conclusion that it was too difficult of a challenge. But with some encouragement from myself and his cabin mates who were also participating, he gave it another shot. From the ground, the other campers and I tried to direct his attention to good handholds and footholds, all while encouraging him to take his time and trust in his abilities. After a few minutes, he found himself looking down at us from the top of the wall with a smile on his face, satisfied with the feat he had just accomplished. Throughout the rest of the week, he continued to talk about how his ascent of the wall would be one of his favorite moments from camp that year. The wall only adds to the wonderful camp experience at Bethany Birches that I have had the privilege to be a part of as a counselor for three summers and that campers come back year after year to enjoy. I am grateful that I was able to witness this new aspect of camp in the role that I did this summer, and I have no doubt that climbing will continue to bring camper smiles for many years to come.”

Thanks to the many people who helped make the rock wall a reality. Consider a visit to BBC to try out the indoor climbing wall for yourself!

20 Years Investing in People

Brandon “Tuna” Bergey and others

When Brandon was asked for a reflection for this article, he wrote: Twenty years is a long time. It is also a short time, when looking in the rearview mirror. It also happens to be my 20th anniversary as Executive Director at Bethany Birches! There are far too many experiences, moments, and relationships to comb through as I reflect on my service over the last two decades.

One thing that stuck out to me immediately, was the transformation I have experienced and witnessed. A while ago I started, and developed, a backcountry ski program. I am no longer the only coach, but sometimes I still get to take campers skiing (so fun!). Often campers new to the experience start with uncertainty, and a lack of confidence or maybe worse, overconfidence. When I am patient, and engaged, and responsive to their specific needs and concerns, many start to focus and improve. That’s when their God-given spirit starts to appear. They become excited and willing to challenge themselves. They start realizing how to learn the skills they need to succeed.

I have witnessed the same transformation over a long period of time within campers who become staff members and in some cases board members and supporters. One of those persons who is walking along that pathway, currently in the lifestage between staff member and supporter, is doing a pilgrimage and will then spend some time with a group of nuns she admires. She shared that camp played an important role in shaping her faith journey and grew her hunger to know Jesus. In a slightly different vein, the director of Camp Agape (a BBC-operated program for children with incarcerated parents), said that she often sees graduates of Camp Agape around town in restaurants and other shops. She sees them behind the counter, or in whichever job they hold, and she hears a similar message. They are thankful for their time at Camp and it is one of the keys that helped them envision a productive future, and helped them to now reliably hold a job.

The BBC board and staff put together a two-part book to honor Brandon at this year’s annual benefit auction (mark your calendar for September 27, 2025 to attend). There were some wonderful remarks from past staff sharing their memories and experiences working alongside him. Some highlighted funny times, others shared their appreciation of his leadership. One tribute highlights Brandon’s other-centered leadership. She writes “he looked straight to the inside skills and gifts within me, and past my timidity. Having someone respond to my strengths in this way, rather than bending to my weakness, caused me to start to open up into those strengths, into my truest self.” Another shares “I was extremely grateful for you opening BBC, your home, and your lives up to me while on the 2017 summer staff, when I needed rest and healing for the next chapter of life (parenting). Our Rivers was in the works while you were expecting Simon. Being in VT with you all was an experience outside of space and time. Kind of like a dream, with challenges and deep healing. I feel confident the Lord coordinated this opportunity for me and I am appreciative of your openness to facilitate.” From a slightly different perspective, a multi-year counselor writes “I have so many memories of Tuna jumping his dirt bike for the MI skit every week, late friday nights watching movies in Tuna and Cheeks living room, and ridiculous ways of pronouncing mundane words just to make things more interesting. Beyond the fun, silly, and even wild memories, I think the thing that comes to the surface quickly is his uncanny way to incorporate deep faith thoughts into almost any conversation.”

Among many accomplishments, Brandon has led Bethany Birches through a program revitalization, the replacement of it’s key building “the pavilion,” multiple program leadership transitions, the 2020 pandemic in which BBC summer camp was full with zero Covid-19 transmission, and during his tenure has worked with supporters to raise more than 6 million dollars.

Wood Boiler Update

The boiler has been running for a few months now and it can heat (we have burned 6 cords which is all we set aside for this winter)! These two video updates from Tuna demonstrate the latest. Summary: the boiler can heat the cabin in addition to the pavilion (if we burn lots of wood).

Two months later, test # 2. Not only can it heat multiple buildings, it doesn’t burn as much wood after some programming changes!

You can see the photo/video album of the project here: https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0f5n8hH4GTJMha

Wood burning our way toward net zero energy consumption

I have some great news about the pavilion project: we have no debt! Thanks to Bob’s walk and a very generous donor we were able to pay off the last $100,000 of debt this fall. That allows us to focus resources directly toward program again and also start working toward the miscellaneous parts of the pavilion project we decided to phase to save money and time during the initial construction. Those remaining parts include a climbing wall, air exchangers, kitchen equipment and a wood boiler. The wood boiler is our focus right now.

Why a wood boiler? It can provide zero-dollar and net-zero emissions heat! Here in Plymouth, VT winters are cold! We also have lots of trees on the property. One of our foresters estimates we could cut 70 cords per year at a sustainable rate (in other words, the forest grows that much new wood each year). We estimate we will use 15 to 20 cords total for fireside cooking, other camp fires and heat. If volunteers continue to cut wood as they have for many years we can provide all the fuel needed to heat the entire facility for almost zero dollars (we’ll have to buy diesel for the tractor and gas for the chainsaws of course).

Utilizing plumbers, engineers and the latest trends in the wood burning industry we have designed a central boiler system that will heat the pavilion, cabin and a third building of our choosing at about 85% efficiency. By comparison, many wood heating systems operate from 50-70% efficiency. Not only will this system be very efficient when it’s operating, the wood we’ll burn will take very little energy to process (from tree to fire will take only two handlings, very little transportation and fossil fuel). On top of that we will be able to gently harvest the trees in our forest that are dying or in poor health meaning we get to use the carbon stored in the tree just before it dies and that carbon gets released anyway. In short, our process for burning wood can be considered carbon-neutral or net zero.

If you can’t tell, I’m very excited about this (and totally geeking out… sorry if you’re bored). For those of you who are excited with me, please consider giving toward this project. Our estimated cost for the infrastructure including foundation, shed, underground pipes to pavilion, boiler etc., utilizing a lot of volunteers, is $50,000. It would cost additional to install in the cabin and a third building. Any donated materials make this number smaller of course. Heating the pavilion with wood will save us about $7000 per year assuming propane price of $1.60. As prices rise and/or we heat more spaces our savings will grow. That means a pay back on the system of less than 7 years.

Please consider making a gift toward this important project. At time of writing $10,717 has been given toward the project. You could make a one time gift, or, perhaps you would consider making a monthly contribution for a year or two years. If 55 people would give $30 per month for two years, the project would be paid for! Consider it one way you can help the environment and young people at the same time.

~ Brandon Bergey, Executive Director

Bob Walks For the Pavilion Project: Central Market and Pavi History

For the past few months of my Bethany Birches Camp (BBC) WALK, my footprints have trod 20-25 miles of sidewalks in the City of Lancaster, PA, population 59,000. I chose to walk in an environment different from the countryside, suburbia, and township parks I was familiar with. The walk concentrated on 110 acres of Downtown Lancaster 1/4^th mile N-S-E-W outward from City Square, the Center of Downtown Lancaster. The Square provides resources of banking, food service, a 297 room hotel, and perhaps the most known and visited icon, the Lancaster Central Market, tucked into the N.W. corner of The Square. This Square is surrounded by Queen, King, Duke, and Prince Streets, whose names bear the influence of Old English Royalty. This historical market established in 1889 is visited annually by thousands of locals and tourists, even though it is located in a small corner of The Square. The Central Market is the magnetic force which attracts so many people nationally and internationally, to mingle with friends and visitors, and taste the vendors’ best of food fare, including shoofly pies.

One day I stopped off at The Central Market on my WALK and visited with patrons seated at a table. In less than an hour’s time, three of us learned that each was a walker; one, along with her friend, had walked 5 miles together to the market, known to them as a common place of meeting, to strengthen their friendship, and the two of them learned about Bethany Birches Camp for Children in Vermont. We wished each other well in our individual WALKING lives. What a nice memory!

My intentional WALK experience Downtown found me reviewing 50+ years of footprints at Bethany Birches Camp located on 100 acres tucked into a small mountain top beside Lynds Hill Road in Plymouth, Vermont. It was begun in 1965. BBC is by now experiencing an adolescence of growing and developing an exciting camp program which is meeting the needs of a growing number of children, youth, and families, many of whom lack a significant church family life. The establishment of BBC was not influenced by Old English Royalty but by newly immigrated residents, a married couple from Pennsylvania who invested in land. Their hope was to establish a camp which would help youth and children develop a relationship with God. The Camp “square” is the Pavilion (PAVI) which contains the main support services of the camp and from which many activities flow. The PAVI is not surrounded by streets influenced by banking and commercial influences, but by trees, mountains, and open skies. It provides a view of mountain ranges for a distance of 4 to 5 miles (quite unthinkable for market-goers gazing anywhere within 1/4^th mile of Lancaster city square). Rainy weather, though not necessarily welcome, is managed well since the open side of the PAVI can be quickly enclosed with solidly constructed curtains and storm doors; so most activities can continue rain or shine. From the PAVI, a road extends into the woodland which leads to five cabins for girls on one side, and five cabins for boys on the other. Each cabin bears the name of a bird, not inspired by Old English Royalty, but by the fact that the “ten birds” are at home in the mountain top. The camp is blessed with resources such as; a caring Christian Director and Administration, trained counselors, pastor, swimming pool, nature trails, Bible and nature classes, and most importantly, the prayers and support of committed board members as well as many financial supporters.

Central Market in Downtown Lancaster, PA, has a 125 year history of providing experiences for people who can satisfy their food tastes, along with meeting new people, and renewing older and lasting friendships. They return year after year to experience more of the same.

BBC in Plymouth, VT., has a 52 year history of providing an experience for children and youth to have safe and secure camping activities with new and former friends, and to become acquainted with God who loves them. And yes, they return year after year for more of the same. Can you imagine my smile as I tell you my wife Anna Mae and I are planning to spend a week at Bethany Birches Camp this summer?

~ Bob Weaver

Bob Walks: Tree Houses, A Pine tree and Dementia

My wife Anna Mae and I recently completed a driving trip from Pennsylvania to South Dakota. We visited our empty-nest daughter Jenelle Miller (a former BBC camper and years later, counselor) and her husband Craig. This trip allowed me opportunity to exercise “out-of-the-box” activity recently encouraged by my health care specialists for management of my mild dementia. It is hoped that this type of activity will help my mind to “connect the dots” of my life’s everyday experiences so I can feel better connected. The challenge of this new dementia-dimension of my life has contributed considerably to my decision to begin my BBC WALK.

During this 13-day trip, my footprint was left on the roadsides of the 8 states we traveled through. In our 2,688-mile round trip travels, I noticed the ability, particularly in the Prairie States, to sight single objects at increasing distances away from the eye. In the final leg of our trip west we were approaching the SW corner boundary of Craig and Jenelle’s farm and we noticed an 80-90 year old scotch pine tree in the distance. Days later, this corner tree was sighted 2 miles away as I walked westward on the county road. The tree can also be sighted 3 miles away from east to west. It has marked the Miller farm for four generations, a “connecting dot” for all their family that they are nearing home. This is experienced by all as change and renewal.

There exists another stalwart tree located in the BBC community. It is known as the tree house which provides shade for flowers, a perch for the birds, and a resting, out-of-the-ordinary place for campers to which counselors take them for an evening fireside and night sleepover away from the hustle and bustle of daytime camp activities. The tree house is built at a height where campers can look down on the flowers, and across at the birds; a “connecting dot” for both campers and their environment.

When Anna Mae and I visited the tree house years ago, we wanted to linger for some time. Just imagine a camp cabin of Warblers and their counselor flocking to the tree house/Nest . . . (new name?) for a sleepover! This BBC “point of interest” provides one of many opportunities for children to be introduced to Jesus, a super “coming home”.

– Bob

Visit the fundraising page for Bob’s walk to support BBC.

Finishing The Pavilion One Step At A Time

This past summer a camp supporter, Yogi, noted that the kitchen was not near complete. He asked me what one of the next steps was to finish it. A week later, a friend of his and camp supporter, Mark, asked him what else was needed at camp on the pavilion project. Yogi told him quite simply, a stainless steel table. This wasn’t just any table, as you’ll see in the photos below. It took design and special manufacturing and would be expensive! The table was envisioned especially to help with the famous BBC fire side cooking. This table is the backbone of the crate packing and storage process.

To make a long story short, Mark mentioned the mini project to one of his friends Wil. Together they paid for the table and got the project under way. Today, during Lynx Winter Camp, the good folks over at Steiger Supply North dropped the table off and helped to set it in place. Campers even pitched in to peel off the annoying protective tape.

For me, this web of people making this small project happen in cooperation and team work is a vision of the community of God.

Brandon “Tuna” Bergey

High School Seniors Start the New Year Serving

Just when you thought pavilion progress was over…2017 started off with pavilion door painting! A group of 8 Seniors (+ 2 adults) from Dock Mennonite Academy spent Jan 3 – 8 doing a lot of painting. The interior doors of the pavilion are clean and colorful thanks to their service.

Painting doors wasn’t their only accomplishment. The group of seniors prepared the mudroom to hang/stack/organize winter gear including skates and skis. Others in the group spent time repainting the floor and walls of the cabin basement. Now the basement of the cabin matches the new bathrooms upstairs. Both are shiny, clean and fresh! The group rounded out their week with various odds and end jobs and finished the week having some fun on the tube run and ice rink!

Why would a group of 8 seniors from PA come to BBC to paint, clean, sand and scrub? Dock Mennonite Academy requires each senior to participate in senior experience week. Seniors have the option to job shadow a professional in a field they have interest in or spend the week serving. We are thankful this group chose to spend the week helping at BBC.

The next time you’re in the cabin basement as a renter or snow camper or the next time you walk through the pavilion door as a parent, renter, camper, staff or volunteer you might be thankful for their work also!

We’re hoping to see some of them in the future while camp program is in session. In fact we hope the same for you! 2017 has opportunity for folks of all ages to experience BBC (including freshly painted doors). Check out summer and winter options. Hope to see you on the hill soon!

Basement floor – before and after

Fall Newsletter: What’s up with the Pavilion Project?

We are fortunate to be operating completely out of the new pavilion! We gained occupancy to the entire building June 2016. We had partial occupancy June 2015. We are focused on finishing this project! That includes finishing moving in, some additional fundraising and completion of a few items.

Moving in is the easy part! Total cash needs to finish the project and pay down outstanding debt is $249,500. $116,000 of this is debt on which we are paying interest. We are working to get rid of this debt (you could make a contribution now… or buy a session of camp for your child for Christmas)! The remaining $133,500 is to finish aspects of the project. Those aspects include kitchen equipment, climbing wall/high ropes, wood boiler, finishes (paint, sealing floor etc). Find the detailed list and estimated costs at the bottom of this post.

To date we have spent a little over $1,800,000 on the building including the loans referenced above, some in-kind gifts of materials and almost 7,000 volunteer hours. We expect to complete the project and all its components as time and money allow. We expect to finish paying down debt by end of calendar year 2017. And we expect many great uses of the building from now on! The building has served campers for two summer camp seasons and this winter will be the second winter camp season hosted in the new building. There have been 5 weddings and many other group uses already in the short time the building has existed. If you would like to give to help finish this project, PLEASE let me know.

Brandon “Tuna” Bergey,

Executive Director

brandon @ bethanybirches.org

Spring Work Day

Summer programming starts in a month! We want to have occupancy to the pavilion by the end of the month. Can you help?!

Join us on Saturday May 28th from 9am – 3pm for Spring Work Day! Jobs will include (but not limited to)
.Painting the upstairs of the pavilion
.Turning the pavilion from a construction zone to summer camp zone
.Putting away/Cleaning up winter camp equipment
.Preparing Shelter Sites for Summer
.Preparing grounds for summer camp

We’ll have jobs for all skill levels and lunch for everyone, too!
Russell “OWO” Pejouey will be on site to cook a delicious lunch.

Lodging is available here at Bethany Birches for anyone who wants to come from a distance or make a weekend of it!

Email amber at bethanybirches.org to let us know you can help or respond on the BBC Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/568154376678577/