Being a part of Brandywine Summit Camp Meeting this season has been a joyful experience for many. The Quiet Day lead by Sarah McGovern, with Marie Maharty, RuthAnn James and Judy  Stang as the support  team, provided a breath of fresh air to the many who attended.   Taking time to ” be still” meant a lot as we scattered all over the grounds.  Out of the 19 attending, 5 were new to being on grounds.  All reveled in our “Pocket of Peace”.

Tuesday Women’s Bible Study is studying the book of Ruth.  Although she was a Moabite and not a Hebrew, she is recorded in the line of Jesus and rates a mention in the book of Hebrews.   She made things happen and brought glory to our God.

HOPE will be the name of Jesus we pray this Weds. at 7 P M in the Collins Building.  He is our hope and our glory.  Betty Purchase will be the prayer encourager this week.

Our IGNITE weekend is finally here.  The camp Young Adults have been planning this for almost a year and look forward to all the cottagers helping to host this event.

• Friday, the 15th at 7 P M we will have folk music with Simon James, in Hilltop Pavilion.  The pool will be open.

• Saturday, the 16th a Continental Breakfast will be available from 8 – 11  and activities will begin at  9 A M in the area around the Museum. There will be 2 possible times for participation : 9 A M and 10:15 A M.  Nora Nickels, of the Brandywine Conservencey and Longwood Gardens Staff will lead a Nature Walk over the camp.  The bike hikes will be lead by Simon James, Ian James and José Cruz. 

• Lunch will be  provided by the Auxiliary at the Hilltop Pavilion,  with the making of your own  Walking Tacos.

• Concerts will begin at 2:30 P M and will include a number of Praise Bands, a Comedian and keep an eye out for a juggler, maybe.

• 5 P M Supper will be a hot dog roast with all kinds of food brought as covered dishes by the cottagers.  

• The evening Praise will begin at 7 P M. Come for the joy if it. 

• Sunday at 11 A M we will Worship in the old open air Tabernacle.  Ezequiel Hernandez will be our Worship leader for the morning. 

• Take note: the Pool and Corner Store will be open off on during the weekend.

Cottagers are reminded to park near their cottages, because we want to use any available space for parking for others. Keep all Fire Lanes open. 

Special thanks go to all the cottagers who are  making this weekend come alive. 

Try to have lights lit in your cottages even if you can’t be here, as we Walk in the Light.

The old-fashioned Camp Meeting Week schedule and summer program is set! Click here to find the details of the schedule. The theme this year is “Walk in the Light”

Come out and enjoy an Autumn Work Day on:

September 25 and October 8 from 8:30am – 3:00pm.

• A light breakfast and lunch is provided for all volunteers.
• Indoor and outdoor projects are available for all age groups.
• A flexible schedule throughout the day to accommodate busy schedules.
• Work days are set aside to work on common tasks to improve our campgrounds (not our personal cottages.)

And also….

Do you have a favorite soup recipe?

We need volunteers to bring a pot of soup to share on our next “Fall Clean Up” day (September 25). Bring your pot of soup and receive a copy of “Is it Soup yet?” by Nina Sausman.

Our goal is to keep everyone safe while on the grounds and to protect the most vulnerable! We will continue to monitor and follow CDC guidelines. At this time, all programming will be planned for out of doors. Invited visitors should be kept to small groups.   

1. When on the grounds, please practice the following protocols;
2. Wear a mask when in the presence of others.
3. Practice social distancing.
4. Clean all touch surfaces after using the bathroom, laundry and pool with cleaning supplies provided.
5. Monitor the number of people in the pool area to 15 or less.
6. Limit food at gatherings to dishes safely prepared by you, your family pod or a licensed food establishment.

We appreciate the cooperation of all cottagers. Guidelines are continually changing as the statistics are updated and more people become vaccinated. We want to demonstrate a faithful witness to those in our community.

Rationale behind why we’ve chosen these safety recommendations:

Christian Camping International 2021 Health and Medical Protocols 
Developed by: Elizabeth Purchase, RN. Cottage #26 Wendy Ziegler,  LPN. Cottage #16, Elizabeth Shrock, NP. Cottage #7

During the past 2 weeks all 3 of us attended webinars provided by CCI.  They were lead by Medical professions, lawyers and the 3rd one was lead by Camp Directors.    This is the major purveyor of health protocols for numerous years and also works with the American Camping Association.  Covid 19 has proven to be a challenge in the camping community.  The 2020 camping season was by in large cancelled across the country and this year the hope is that camps can recover to at least 60% capacity.  In some camps the Directors have been dealing with some people coming in from other states and not wanting to follow the host camp state regulations, also working with people who  believe Covid is a hoax.  
It is necessary to convey – “Camp is Safe, practices and procedures are in place”.

First:  all camp Boards must develop 2021 Protocols.  In order to do this the Board must decide:  are you a ” public accomadation” or a Bible Camp.Most of the decisions will be made with the direction of the State Health Dept. and State  Guidelines, as well as camp rules ( in our case ground/pool rules).   No negative wording.  Absolutes would include: face masks ( or duffs)  on everyone on grounds, everything only in out of doors,  social distancing,  small groups in pods. all public buildings would be on a rotating cleaning schedule every day.  Decide how often during the day buildings are cleaned.   Food distribution would be limited with separate protocols.

Board makes the decision whether only those who have been Vaccinated can be on grounds or not.  This also includes employees, both part time and full time.  Do they get tested periodically and who pays?  The fact that they must wear a face mask needs to be in the job descriptions.  There didn’t seem to be a question about face mask wearing.  
The State Health Dept needs to be alerted if someone comes down with Covid.  
Cleaning:     Clorox  1to10  in a spray bottle.  Less aerosols use.
Most camps are delaying decisions as much as they can. They are checking with State Health Depts for there recommendations. 
Food/Meals:   Anything prepackaged is OK.  No salad bars.   No Pot Luck.  If in the Dining Room there are many ways being worked on.  Suggestions; sit in family pods/cabins.  Food is brought from the kitchen by the staff, with gloves and masks on.  All food must be in sealed containers.Some can be in  family  bowls, but everything is thrown out afterward.  
Flexibility is the key word this year.  Different timing, Smaller groups, All camp event (like our Winter Social)  before the beginning of camp by video or Zoom.
Different states are making decisions on Vaccines,  what happens when someone leaves camp ( can they come back?) How to mitigate contractions.
Programs: Worship has been shortened with the possibility of video.  Only one program a day.
There were many other thoughts shared, but I believe this gives us a good point of reference for our 2021 Health Protocols.  They must be made public as soon as possible.  It looks like Covid 19 and additional mutants will be with us into the fall.  The mask  will continue to be us for awhile.  It helps to know we aren’t alone.  

Subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don’t miss out on any new videos! Here is the latest video with images from the 2020 Campmeeting Season. Are you in these pictures?

Campmeeting week 2020 looked a bit different than other years, with careful social distancing and mask-wearing, but the sentiments remain the same as all old-fashioned campmeeting weeks. This was a special time to gather and encourage one another in faith – this year the challenge was to Come Alive! in Christ.

The old-fashioned Camp Meeting Week schedule is set! Click here to find the details of the schedule. The theme this year is “Come Alive!”

Please continue to practice social distancing while at the camp meeting, including wearing masks, keeping 6′ space from those outside your family unity, wash or sanitize hands frequently. This will help protect all cottagers and allow everyone to feel safe when at the camp meeting. There are still many local and state restrictions in place that we need to be aware of and continue to follow.

Please ensure that the following items are in place to ensure your safety and that of other cottagers:

• a minimum 50 ft working water hose attached to the outside of your cottage
• your cottage number clearly identified on the front and back of your cottage
• a smoke detector installed inside your cottage—and check that battery!
• a fire extinguisher
• Copper ground rod for electric system