© Mennonite Heritage Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
(Last
updated 24 March 2009
- Conference of Mennonites in Manitoba
-- Camps With Meaning
Retrieval numbers: Volume 743, 2600, 2601, 2837,
3968, 4219, 4308, 4939, 4940, 5358, 5420
Series Title: Camps With Meaning
Dates: 1949-2007
Extent: 82 cm of textual records
Historical note
There was considerable need to develop a summer
camp for the young people. At its 1948 sessions Conference of
Mennonites in Manitoba gave Ältester Wilhelm Enns the moral
support to organize a society that would facilitate the purchase of
Sunnyside Beach, a 150 acre lot along the Assiniboine River. A society
was organized on May 21, 1948 and three days later took possession of
the Beach which Enns named Mennonite Youth and Sunday School Park.
By the summer of 1949 the park had been renamed
Assiniboine Mennonite Mission Camp (AMMC) and was used for retreats,
camps, school festivities, and concerts. Financial support came from
camper fees, church member fees, offerings raised at concerts, special
offerings in congregations, contributions from individuals, women's
groups and youth groups.
In 1956 a commission made recommendations to the
Manitoba Conference to further develop the camp. It also suggested
planning for a minimum of two additional camps, one in the western and
one in the eastern part of the province. In April 1957 Conference of
Mennonites in Manitoba took over responsibility of the Assiniboine
Mennonite Mission Camp with a committee made up of Frank K. Isaac, A.A.
Teichroeb, Ernest Wiebe, William Loewen and Menno Klassen.
A site along Moose Lake appealed to a number of
business people from the Gretna-Altona-Plum Coulee area. They formed
the Moose Lake Fellowship and bought 37 lots along the shore. The
Conference of Mennonites in Manitoba was reluctant to build another
camp on a lakeshore site but voted in favour of the idea at it's
sessions in 1957. Initially the Moose Lake Fellowship took full
responsibility under the leadership of Menno Klassen of Gretna who was
also on the camp committee. They invested time, labour and money. The
Conference support was inconsistent.
In 1964 the Conference of Mennonites in Manitoba
approved the beginning of a 'second' camp at Lake Max and also took
administrative responsibility for Moose Lake as a 'third' camp. Camp
Koinonia, on Lake Max, was dedicated on Jun 20, 1971.
In 1968 the names of the camps changed from AMMC to
Camp Assiniboia, from Camp Lake Max to Camp Koinonia and from Moose
Lake to Moose Lake Mennonite Camp. A revised and more independent Camp
Committee structure freed the Education Committee in 1969 and in 1970
CMM approved the hiring of a full-time, year-round camp director.
The responsibility of all three camps and the
option of a fourth continued to cause conflict and tension among the
Conference of Mennonites in Manitoba members. Regional committees
worked in cooperation with the Development Committee and contributed to
the efficient functioning, maintenance and a sense of camp ownership.
Camp Assiniboia offered horsemanship, ropes course
and trampoline activity. Camp Koinonia emphasized intentional
wilderness camps, mountain biking and sport climbing. Camp Moose Lake
emphasized family programs. Archery, nature and swimming activities
were part of all camps. The major feature uniting all camps was a Bible
program.
Henry Enns director of Disabled People's
International and member of the Camp Committee helped integrate
disabled people into the regular camp programs. Conference of
Mennonites in Manitoba also committed to remove all attitudinal,
architectural and employments barriers. These efforts resulted in the
operation of numerous Canadian Association of Community Living camps
every summer.
By the late 1970s the camps went from an entirely
voluntary staff to salaried staff, and in 1977 counselors were
remunerated by their congregations.
As the years went by camp philosophy shifted away
from an effort to convert each child. Instead nurture and the
invitation to faith, role modeling, the Holy Spirit's working, prayer,
and aids like stories and symbols were considered important components
in the invitation to follow Christ.
Full time executive directors for the camping
ministry have been:
1976-1985 Terry Burkhalter
1986-1987 Monica Wiebe
1989-1991 Cliff Derksen
1991- Bob Wiebe
Scope and content note
This series contains minutes, correspondence,
reports and administrative records from all three camp committees.
These records would be of interest to anyone researching the history
and development of a church-based camping program in southern Manitoba
during the 1970s through the 1990s.
Index terms
Creators
- Conference of Mennonites in Manitoba -- Camps With Meaning
Adjunct descriptive data
Finding aids
Inventory file lists available.
Related material in this repository
Jacob J. Martens fonds (Volume 1680)
D.H. Loewen fonds (Volume 1730)
Menno Klassen fonds (Volume 2404)
Notes
Language
Material in English, some German.
Restrictions on access
There are no restrictions on access.
Inventory file list for Camps with Meaning records
Volume 743
Volume 2600
- Camp Assiniboia regional committee minutes. –
2001.
- Camp Koinonia regional committee meeting minutes.
– 2001.
- Camp Moose Lake regional committee meeting minutes.
– 2001.
- Camping ministry volunteer group meeting minutes.
– 2001.
- Camping facilities operations committee meeting
minutes. – 2001.
Volume 2601
- Camp Assiniboia Regional committee meeting minutes.
– 2002.
- Camp Koinonia Regional committee meeting minutes.
– 2002.
- Camp Moose Lake regional committee meeting minutes.
– 2002.
- Camps with Meaning facilities committee meeting
minutes. – 2002.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional committee minutes.
– 2003.
- Camp Koinonia Regional committee minutes. –
2003.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional committee minutes.
– 2003.
- Camp facilities committee minutes. – 2003.
- Camp operations minutes. – 2003.
Volume 2837
- Camp contact persons/slide script. – 1974.
- Assiniboine Mennonite Missions Camp programs,
schedules, staff meeting minutes, etc. – 1964.
Volume 3968
- Camp Task force and East Braintree committee minutes.
– 1980.
- Camp Regional committee minutes. – 1979-1980.
- Camp Task Force minutes and reports. – 1980.
- Camp Think Tank/East Braintree committee minutes and
reports. – 1979-1980.
Volume 4219
- Camp Koinonia committee and administrative records.
– 1966.
- Camp Koinonia committee and administrative records.
– 1967-1969.
- Camp Koinonia committee and administrative records.
– 1970.
- Camp Koinonia committee and administrative records.
– 1971.
- Camp Koinonia committee and administrative records.
– 1972.
- Camp Koinonia committee and administrative records.
– 1973.
- Camp Koinonia committee and administrative records.
– 1974.
Volume 4308
- Camp Committee minutes. – 1964-1965.
Volume 4939
- Camping Ministries Commission minutes. –
1998-1999.
- Operations (Camping Ministries) minutes. –
1999.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional Committee minutes.
– 1999.
- Camp Koinonia Regional Committee minutes. –
1999.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional Committee minutes.
– 1999.
Volume 4940
- Camping Ministries Volunteer Group. – 2000.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional. – 2000.
- Camp Koinonia Regional. – 2000.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional. – 2000.
- Camps With Meaning Operations meetings. –
2000.
Volume 5358
- Camp Program Committee. – 1980.
- Camping Ministries. – 1981.
- Camping Ministries. – 1982.
- Camping Ministries. – 1983.
- Camping Ministries. – 1984.
- Camping Ministries. – 1985.
- Camping Ministries. – 1986.
- Camping Ministries. – 1987.
- Camping Ministries. – 1988.
- Camping Ministries. – 1989.
- Camping Ministries. – 1992.
- Camping Ministries. – 1993.
- Camping Ministries. – 1994.
- Camping Ministries. – 1995.
- Camping Ministries. – 1996.
- Camping Ministries. – 1997.
- Camping Ministries. – 1998.
- Camping Ministries. – 1999.
- Camp Operations Committee. – 1982.
- Camp Operations Committee. – 1984.
- Camp Operations Committee. – 1985.
- Camp Operations Committee. – 1987.
- Camp Operations Committee. – 1988.
- Camp Operations Committee. – 1989.
- Camp Operations Committee. – 1994.
- Camp Operations Committee. – 1999.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional. – 1980.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional. – 1981.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional. – 1982.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional. – 1983.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional. – 1984.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional. – 1985.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional. – 1986.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional. – 1987.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional. – 1988.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional. – 1989.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional. – 1993.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional. – 1994.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional. – 1995.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional. – 1996.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional. – 1997.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional. – 1998.
- Camp Assiniboia Regional. – 1999.
- Camp Koinonia Regional. – 1980.
- Camp Koinonia Regional. – 1981.
- Camp Koinonia Regional. – 1982.
- Camp Koinonia Regional. – 1983.
- Camp Koinonia Regional. – 1984.
- Camp Koinonia Regional. – 1985.
- Camp Koinonia Regional. – 1986.
- Camp Koinonia Regional. – 1987.
- Camp Koinonia Regional. – 1988.
- Camp Koinonia Regional. – 1989.
- Camp Koinonia Regional. – 1993.
- Camp Koinonia Regional. – 1994.
- Camp Koinonia Regional. – 1995.
- Camp Koinonia Regional. – 1996.
- Camp Koinonia Regional. – 1997.
- Camp Koinonia Regional. – 1998.
- Camp Koinonia Regional. – 1999.
- Camp Koinonia Fundraising. – 1998-1999.
- Camp Koinonia Fundraising. – 1998-1999.
- Camp Koinonia Golf Tournament. – 1999.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional. – 1980.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional. – 1981.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional. – 1982.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional. – 1983.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional. – 1984.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional. – 1985.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional. – 1986.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional. – 1987.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional. – 1988.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional. – 1989.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional. – 1993.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional. – 1994.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional. – 1995.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional. – 1996.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional. – 1997.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional. – 1998.
- Camp Moose Lake Regional. – 1999.
- Camp Assiniboia, Camp Koinonia, Camp Moose Lake.
– 1990.
- Camp Assiniboia, Camp Koinonia, Camp Moose Lake.
– 1991.
- Camp Assiniboia, Camp Koinonia, Camp Moose Lake.
– 1992.
Volume 5366
- Camp Review Committee Report. – 1993.
- Operations Committee Meeting. – 1993.
- Operations Committee Meeting. – 1995.
- Operations Committee Meeting. – 1996.
- Operations Committee Meeting. – 1997.
- Operations Committee Meeting. – 1998.
Volume 5420
- Camp Koinonia kitchen and lodge project. – 1997-1998.
- Camp Koinonia kitchen and lodge project. – 1997-1998.
- Camp Koinonia Gold Tournament. -- 2000-2004.