Summer Camp 2020 Suspended
Dear Wanakee Family –
I write today with news that I never expected to write. After two months of learning, prayer, and contingency planning, Wanakee’s Board of Directors has made the difficult decision to suspend our 2020 summer camp program.
Senior High 2019 gathered at the campfire
Every summer since 1962, Wanakee has provided life-changing opportunities for personal, social, and spiritual growth. While our community is a global one, and our mission is realized beyond our in-person summer camp program, gathering on Lake Pemigewasset is at the core of who we are. Losing that for this summer is painful.
An incredible amount of research, thought, and care went into this decision. In the Board’s unanimous vote, three core rationales stood out:
Safety – if we opened for summer 2020, could we meet the high standard of safety we hold ourselves to? While summer camp as we know it involves some risks, our industry knows how to manage those risks. Rigorous training for lifeguards, bug spray and daily checks for ticks, for example. We cannot confidently mitigate the risks associated with COVID-19 in the next 3 months – too much is still unknown.
Experience – even if we could open, and if group gatherings are permitted, would the experience resemble the summer camp you know and love? Could we sing together? Could we play carpet ball? 9-square? Gaga? What about holding hands in prayer at the end of a joy-filled day? Sharing a canoe, or a rope on the climbing wall?
Inclusion – the available guidance from public health authorities calls for camps to exclude campers who are immunocompromised, campers who are cared for by grandparents or live in a home with older individuals, and campers outside your local community (to name a few examples). Wanakee’s mission calls us to serve “all God’s people.” Excluding certain campers so that others might join together is counter to who we are called to be.
This outcome is sure to raise many questions for campers, families, and community members. One of the most concrete concerns is about refunds. The short answer is that all payments made for summer 2020 may be refunded in full, rolled over to summer 2021, or offered as a donation to Wanakee (partially or in full). We will reach out to registered campers about these options. This is a new process for us, and will take a few weeks to work through – thank you in advance for your patience.
Other common questions are answered in our FAQ available at www.wanakee.org/FAQ. I also invite you to view the video about this announcement on our Facebook or YouTube pages.
Jumping silhouettes at Inspiration Point
The decision to suspend summer camp programs was made in collaboration with our partners in ministry across the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church, and with the support of the Bishop and Conference leadership. The Camp and Retreat Ministry Executive Board, comprised of equal members from all CRM sites, has worked diligently and collaboratively to resource and support each other as we considered changing guidelines in our unique contexts. While the decision to suspend summer programming was made by each site, the CRM Board and Conference leadership support this very difficult decision, made to ensure the safety of campers, staff, volunteers, and communities across the Conference.
Suspending camp will have serious financial consequences for Wanakee. We are so grateful for those who have already donated to Wanakee and helped to ensure that our mission will live on through and beyond this time. You can give now, or learn about NH Gives 2020 and matching opportunities at www.wanakee.org/give.
Whatever your relationship to Wanakee, there is a feeling of loss. We feel it too - Wanakee is a vital part of all our lives, and we never imagined we would see a summer without camp. We hope you will join us again for summer 2021. Our confidence that we will rise and thrive together remains strong. We will stay in touch, and are already planning new ways to realize our mission, virtually, through this summer and beyond. Stay tuned for more information by mid-June.
We love this community, and cannot wait to welcome you home to Wanakee again soon.
Grace and Peace,
James B. Tresner, Executive Director, on behalf of Wanakee’s Board of Directors