The Bar Harbour Camp hosted a dessert night on Thursday, Sept. 22 at the campgrounds with approximately 40 fans and supporters of the camp.
A potluck was held earlier in the evening, followed by camp tours.
The annual event, which highlights some of the successes of the camp season and future projects for the following year, is also a platform to socialize and provide feedback and input for the camp.
Speaking about the projects at hand, Vice-President Kate Coutts said, “Our objectives include finishing the outside of our new bathroom building, roofing the staff quarters and kitchen, building a recreation shed and creating a low ropes course, among other things.”
Coutts added, “The great thing about camp is that it creates a safe space for kids of all ages, what keeps children coming back is our amazing staff, and their ability to use everything our camp has to offer.”
According to Coutts, although the camp does not currently have any concrete plans for fundraising, they have “big things in the works.”
After attending the camp as a camper and a lifeguard, Coutts has many fond memories, her fondest including camp-wide games and the friends she made for life.
“One of my favourite memories is playing a game called ‘mission impossible,’” recalled Coutts. “We played this game late at night in the dark and we had to get from a starting point to a finish line without getting hit with a flashlight.”
Coutts said, “I can remember crawling through the grass with my best friend, ducking and dodging the lights (while) silently laughing so we wouldn’t get caught. I loved this game so much that when I worked at camp I asked if I could join in instead of being one of the flashlights.”
According to Secretary Helen Reed, this year the camp had a lot of returning staff, which allowed for great continuity and brought experience and wisdom to the camp.
There were 194 campers this year over the four weeks of camp.
“We tried some new games, introduced board game sessions, Knockerball was amazing, and we improved our archery equipment,” Reed said. “Our canoeing program was optional for some camps and not for others. We feel that we offered a good mix of new experiences and some special ‘old’ activities.”
Members of the board in attendance were Chair Ryan Koehli (Stettler), Verna Rock (Stettler), Bailey Lassesen (Camrose), Allyssa Mossestad (Sedgewick), Treasurer Paulette Heer (Gadsby), Secretary of Board Helen Reed (Oyen) and Kerri Aucoin (Bashaw United Church), besides Vice President Kate Coutts (Forestburg).