Were you visiting MPC, or did you serve there this summer? Nice pics

I was Senior Section Director (13-15 year olds) for Boys Camp I (1st two weeks of August). I spent most of July at Camp Gitchigomee (Anglican). While there I visited Round Lake twice, since it is nearby.

Thats Mike Minor, Matt Mills, You, emily cain, and whats the girl in the green shirts name? I forget even though she used to live or possibly still does in my aunty frans basement! Anyways it'll be awesome to go to leaderscamp for 1 more year.

That's Kara Levenick and you're right about where she lived (lives?) The other girl is Erin.

At the end of my time there this year, MPC's Exec Director, Jeff Friesen, drove me in a boat to the landing and he expressed how happy he was with the Four-Month (paid) Staff from Thunder Bay area (or Lakehead University) and with Kara and IV staff worker Paul Morrison for encouraging them to sign up. Then he told me how MPC had been hesitant to recruit campers or staff from Thunder Bay, feeling sensitive to the needs of the Christian camps in the area (Dorion Bible Camp being the one he mentioned, obviously since I was there for so long).

Now, not that long ago, I suppose I would not have tried *actively* to oppose such recruiting, but, especially since our staff numbers had dropped at that point necessitating turning away the many campers who were applying, I would have hoped that they would continue to be hesitant and would not *actively* encourage recruit "our" staff. As well, I was actively trying to persuade people to consider Dorion, including some who felt they had some beefs and reasons not to return. (They did return.) Hypothetically, at that point if someone considering MPC were to me ask for reasons to stay around here and not go there, I'd have given them some. (But people don't tend to make such decisions that way.)

But, as it is, I told Jeff that they *should* make themselves more known around here, but present themselves as the *different* (from DBC etc., that is) kind of camp they are and appeal to those interested in *that* kind of camp , especially among Inter-Varsity students (including Frontline). It is the same org'n, after all, with a similar mindset. Some will be interested; others will not.

Without commenting on other camps, here are some features of MPC worth noting in my view:

(I will do something similar for Camp Gitchigomee on our webpage as well.)

1) It is a wilderness camp emphasizing canoe tripping skills. (The main site does have electricity, phone & plumbing,

but off-site canoe trips are an integral part of the program.)

2) Appreciation and care for God's creation are emphasized (evidenced by recycling and raising pigs).

3) MPC has a broad Evangelical spiritual outlook (including active members of "mainline" churches) and a gentle, relational approach to sharing Christ's good news. Most Bible exploration is done in smaller groups, not lecture format.

4) Diversity is valued. Alternative meals are offered for vegetarians. The staff handbook discourages (for eg.) "dissing" one another's taste in music etc.

5) Most programs are "segregated" by gender, ie there are Boys Camps and Girls Camps. During Boys Camp the women are Operations (Maintenance & Kitchen) Staff and vice versa. Thus staff are not "stuck" in one role all summer (unless, I believe, that's what they prefer).

6) However, the leadership actively discourages any attitude of one gender (or its camp) being superior to the other. And FWIW in my time there so far, I heard only a tiny bit of that (from young, inexperienced staff). Concern for the just treatment of all people and avoidance of stereotypes is definitely a part of the MPC camp culture.

7) Many (most?) of the staff are university students, enhancing the diversity of interests and level of discussion.

8) The LIT (Leaders in Training) programs (separate genders, 16,17 year olds) are a month-long, intense spiritually, socially and, um, canoeingly (but this year's involved a beginner and he was helped and improved greatly). They are an integral part of raising up staff each year and changing young lives forever.

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So if this appeals to you, you might check out Manitoba Pioneer's website.

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PS From what I hear, Dorion Bible Camp has begun to recover somewhat in terms of staff recruitment, in part by drawing on some staff from S. Ont. Presumably, those staff live near Christian camps who, if they wanted to be petty, could complain that "their" staff were being "stolen". The new reality -- and maybe it's not new, just enhanced due to the WWW -- is that staff can be called or led by God to serve anywhere.