Camp de Benneville Pines

Angelus Oaks, California

 
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The latest edition of the de Benneville Connection , our semi-annual newspaper
is now available. Pick up a paper copy at camp or download it Here!

Watch a 50 Year History Video - Click Here!
(Please enable sound on your computer)

Janet James, Camp Executive Director
About Camp de Bennevile Pines

Camp de Benneville Pines is a retreat and conference center located in the Barton Flats area of the San Bernardino National Forest, about 90 miles east of Los Angeles. At an elevation of 6,800 feet, the camp is surrounded by a forest of towering pines, cedars, and oaks. We are affiliated with the Pacific Southwest District of the Unitarian-Universalist Association and welcome people of all faiths who want to use our facility for programming compatible with our philosophy of respect for the interconnected web of life and for the worth and dignity of all human beings.

 

Our facilities include a beautiful heated swimming pool (open in season), a hot tub, children’s playground, an archery range, and opportunities for many outdoor sports in season including hiking, snowshoeing, sledding, as well as fishing and canoeing in nearby Jenks Lake. Our cabins are all equipped with modern bathrooms and hot showers, and offer comfortable sleeping quarters. Delicious meals are prepared by our talented kitchen staff and served in our main lodge.

We currently host youth and family camps, church weekend retreats, yoga camps, music camps, art and photography camps, performing arts camps for youths (through our affiliation with Camp Bravo), adult summer camps and many more. Contact us on 909-794-2928 or email us at uucamp@aol.com to find out if we are right for your next camp retreat or conference.

Snowshoe Hiking Near Camp

Working on Cabin 7

From the President's Desk - Taking Care of the Future

The summer season has come and gone, and with it the frenetic activity that kept most of our staff working to keep campers happy and to quickly give the cabins a once over and get them ready for the next group to arrive with scarcely a breather in between. Summers have been like that of late, a measure of the success we have enjoyed because of good marketing, excellent service delivery by our wonderful staff, great programming of summer youth and family camps by the PSWD staff and volunteers, and solid patronage by groups like Camp Bravo, who bring their own special talents to the mountain.

It is difficult sometimes when we are in the thick of intense activity and focused on immediate goals, as I have been this summer on a work-related project, to think about the long term and what comes next. Two recent events in my life, one personal, and one involving Camp de Benneville have helped to broaden my horizon and get me thinking about the long term future.

On September 4th, my first granddaughter, Wilhelmina, was born. There is nothing like the birth of a child to turn one's thoughts to the yet to come. What will her life be like like? What will her world be like? Will she know the joy and freedom to be found in unspoiled nature as I did in my youth? Have I done enough in my life to try to preserve nature as I found it? Is there more that I can yet do?

A second event, also joyful and prophetic, was the completion of the Water Works! capital campaign. In reaching and surpassing the financial goals of this campaign, together we all have ensured that Camp de Benneville has every chance of serving many future generations of children from this District and beyond. They too may be able to experience the beauty of the stars undimmed by city lights, the freshness of new snow and most of all pure mountain spring water well into the 22nd century! We have completed the detailed engineering plans for the project, have received several bids for the construction, and plan to break ground on the project very soon.

Although we are turning the utility replacement project over to professionals, there is still plenty of room for volunteers to help us get the Camp ready for winter. Our Fall Work Weekend will be October 28-30 and space is still available. It is an opportunity to trade sweat equity for room and board and the company of friends. Able bodied individuals from 11 to considerably older are invited to share their brawn and handyman talents on a variety of projects from raking to painting to putting away outdoor furniture for the winter. You must Register on line to participate, and space is limited!

If you had a good time at camp this summer, or even if you missed all the fun of PSWD Youth and Family Camps, don't worry - more fun is on the way. Just imagine all the fun of summer with the added possibility of snow! Sign up today for PSWD Junior High Winter Camp, Senior High Winter Camp or Elementary/Family Winter Camp.ant to treat your family to a week away from the scorching heat of the lowlands and !

This is Camp de Benneville Pines 50th Anniversary - but what about the next 50 years? The Camp de Benneville Board of Directors, led in this effort by former Board member Glenn Noreen, has developed a Strategic Plan document to help answer that question. The Strategic Plan can be viewed on line by Clicking Here.

For a look back at the history of Camp de Benneville Pines and to find out what current campers are saying about the camp, Click Here and view a nine minute video titled: 50 Years de Benneville Pines Camp".

You can view the names of those that have contributed to WATER WORKS! by clicking on the link to our WATER WORKS! Honor Roll. Please keep in mind that there may still be some names of recent doners that are not yet on this list.

Tom Thorward. President
Camp de Benneville Pines Board of Directors

UUdated 7/5/2011

Click on the YouTube button below to see a video showing "50 Years at Camp de Benneville Pines" filmed and produced by Susan Emshwiller.
Camp de Benneville Pines' page on Facebook YouTube PSWD UUA_Logo