Camp de Benneville Pines Celebrating 59 years serving UU Campers of all ages ConnectionSpring/Summer/Fall 2020 Your Unitarian Universalist Mountain Retreat revisit. the UU values nurtured at Camp. 2021 will mark Camp’s 60th And hopefully this issue will Camp’s Silver and Anniversary year, and this too is a remind you just how much you great reason to celebrate. Camp is value de Benneville Pines as an not only surviving, it is thriving! integral part in the lives of our Diamond Anniversary: Janet has recently admitted that youth and families. The institution had she not grown along with the of camp in the PSWD will thrive Celebrating 25 and 60 Years! business of camp, and had she not for many generations to come with Presented by The Board of Directors been integral to developing the the support and love of the district camper base, she is not sure how she membership and campers. Year 2020 opens a new decade very special reasons to celebrate! could just jump in and manage such Janet’s energy and passion for full of hope, opportunities for This year marks the 25th a busy schedule. Over the last 60 work seem limitless. She was change and celebration. At Camp anniversary of Janet James serving years, tens of thousands of campers recently asked what improvements we have a lot to be hopeful about, as camp’s fearless operations have traveled up Highway 38 to to Camp would she love to see new opportunities evolving, and manager and Executive Director— share this sacred space with family happen as part of her 25th year a strategic plan that will carry us and we mean fearless. It takes a lot and friends, both forward for the next 20 years. And, of determination to wear both hats old and new. Many we are excited to announce two for such a long period of time. It have contributed is rare when an organization can towards making the sustain its camp for 60 years, and steady changes to even more rare that a manager the camp a reality. PAID would live and work in a remote Improvements Non-profit Organization U.S. Postage Permit No. 2051 location for 25 years. The year such as building San Bernadino, CA Janet signed on to lead the charge Craig’s Cabin, she did so even though there were remodeling Homet a host of challenges. Camp had Lodge, building the serious financial problems and Ed Law Pavilion, a deteriorating infrastructure. paving the camp Literally, the camp’s then 34-year- road, replacing the old infrastructure was crumbling entire water line faster than it could be repaired. The system and erecting State had condemned the sewer a new water plant, the water system required tank. All of these temporary repairs weekly, and the changes are geared swimming pool heater blew up on toward making de Janet’s first day on the job! Only Benneville Pines someone with fierce determination safer and capable of would have taken this on and put the serving thousands heart and soul needed into turning of campers a year. it around. On Janet’s seventh day This Connection on the job, (July 7th, 1995), her marks the kick- husband, Bob, suffered a massive off of our 25/60 heart attack in camp, at midnight. celebration—and It took over three hours to get our our Silver and Daisy and Janet at Summer Camp help, and then a month in Loma Diamond Jubilee. Linda intensive care before he This newsletter is filled with love celebration. As you might imagine, was stable enough for a quadruple letters, remembrances and snippets each project addresses a specific bypass. It all seems so surreal of history to help us all feel the need at camp for which we currently now—those constant emergency joy and specialness of Camp. The lack funding. What better way to situations, facility and equipment lifelong effect that camp has on malfunctions and vendor strikes. families, friendships and our world honor and acknowledge Janet’s 25 With no money in reserves, Janet is profound. In this issue you’ll years of service then to help make put up her own credit card to pay read short pieces that will make one or all of these projects a reality? for food and propane deliveries. you smile, laugh out loud, pause Read more about these projects on Clearly this was a time in camp’s to remember some of your own page 18 and consider donating to Camp de Beneville Pines West 41750 Jenks Lake Road 92305 CA Oaks, Angelus Change Service Requested history that she would not like to special experiences, and embrace de Benneville’s legacy. Page 2 - Connection 2020 Camp de Benneville Pines Calendar of Events 2020 January July (continued) 12/27 - 1/1 Senior High Winter Youth Camp 12 - 18 UU Junior High Summer Youth Camp 2 - 5 Camp available for lease: (909) 794-2928 See ad on Page 9 10 - 12 Camp available for lease: (909) 794-2928 19 - 25 UU Senior High Summer Youth Camp 16 - 20 SCA See ad on Page 9 24 - 26 Cub Scouts Pack 5 7/26 - 8/1 UU Family Summer Camp 1/31 - 2/2 Camp available for lease: (909) 794-2928 See ad on Page 11 February August 2 - 6 Turning the Tide, Social Justice Camp 7 - 9 Riverside Pioneer Princesses (Craig’s Cabin) See ad on Page 17 Remainder of Camp available for lease: (909) 794-2928 8 - 12 Summer Break Camp for Adults 15 -17 UU Elementary/Family Winter Camp See ad on Page 13 17 -19 LREDA (Craig’s Cabin) 8 - 12 Choir Camp: Singing in the Pines 21 - 23 Long House of the Orange Skies/OCLC See ad on Page 13 2/28 - 3/1 Neighborhood / Long Beach UU Family Retreat 14 - 19 Summer Arts Program for Adults: Art Groove! March See ad on Page 15 6 - 8 Folk Music Retreat (Craig’s and Cabin 6) 21 - 23 Camp TransSpectrum for Adults Remainder of Camp available for lease: (909) 794-2928 See ad on Page 17 13 - 15 Girl Scouts of Marina Service Unit 28 - 30 Neighborhood UU Family Retreat 19 -22 High Altitude Gaming Retreat September 20 - 22 Chalice UU Women’s Retreat 4 - 7 Young Adult Camp 27 - 29 Rainbow Family Camp #1 See ad on Page 17 See ad on Page 7 11- 13 Yoga Retreat April See ad on Page 19 3 - 5 San Dieguito UU Family Retreat 14 - 17 El Rancho Camp Bravo 9 - 12 Private Party (Craig’s Cabin and Cabin 7) 18 - 20 Santa Monica UU Family Retreat Remainder of Camp available for lease: (909) 794-2928 25 - 27 ACA 12-Step Retreat 17 - 19 UU Men’s Fellowship Spring Renewal See ad on Page 21 See ad on Page 5 October 20 - 22 Spring Volunteer Work Camp (Mon-Wed) 2 - 4 Channel Island Cluster/ Monte Vista UU See ad on Page 14 Family Retreat 24 - 26 Camp Recovery 12-Step Retreat 5 - 8 Homeschool Autumn Rendezvous See ad on Page 21 30 Pathways Academy See ad on Page 22 9 - 11 Orange Coast/ Tapestry/ Laguna UU May Family Retreat 1 - 3 UU Women’s Spring Retreat 16 - 18 LA Valley Cluster UU Family Retreat See ad on Page 5 23 - 25 PineCon Retreat 8 - 10 Camp Transcend Family Retreat See ad on Page 19 See ad on Page 11 15 - 17 Rainbow Family Camp #2 29 -11/1 Daughters of Diana Family Retreat See ad on Page 7 November 18 - 21 Wildroot Homeschool Group 6 - 8 Music in the Mountains Folk Music Retreat 22 - 25 Bravo Camper Reunion See ad on Page 15 29 - 31 San Diego/ Chalice UU Family Retreat 9 -11 Fall Volunteer Work Camp (Mon -Wed) Tentative June See ad on Page 14 5 - 7 Pacific Unitarian Church Family Retreat 13 - 15 Fullerton UU/Alianza Family Retreat 10 - 14 Camp available for lease: (909) 794-2928 20 - 22 Camp available for lease: (909) 794-2928 14 - 20 Camp Bravo Theatre Arts Camp Week 1 26 - 29 Thanksgiving Family Celebration 21 - 27 Camp Bravo Theatre Arts Camp Week 2 See ad on Page 22 28 - 7/4 Camp Bravo Theatre Arts Camp Week 3 December See ad on Page 19 4 - 6 Winter Art Retreat for Adults July (Craig’s and Cabin 6) 5 - 11 UU Elementary School Summer Youth Camp Remainder of Camp available for lease: (909) 794-2928 See ad on Page 8 11 - 13 Camp available for lease: (909) 794-2928 5 - 11 UU Counselor-in-Training Program 18 - 20 Camp available for lease: (909) 794-2928 See ad on Page 8 27 - 1/1 UU Senior High Winter Youth Camp Camp is available for lease mid-week during the school year. For information about leasing camp, contact Janet James, Executive Director, at [email protected] or (909) 794-2928 Connection 2020 - Page 3 Life with a Great Purpose By Revs. Carolyn and Tom Owen-Towle, camp supporters Fifty-one years is a long time to and wooed her. and continues to be. Every camper sorely needed, and by assuring have visited de Benneville Pines, This year, 2020, we celebrate Janet knows that tall, beautiful, smiling that we want her to continue as de our UU camp in Angelus Oaks. James during her 25th anniversary, Janet will appear to greet, welcome, Benneville’s Executive Director for It gives one a ‘long’ perspective. as the truly outstanding Executive warmly direct and bring us together as long as possible. We came here in late ’68 with our Director of this camp that she is.