A photojournal of the Wooster Square neighborhood in New Haven, Connecticut. And, occasionally a photo of New Haven, of course, of course.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Norman B. Barr Camp, Geneva Lake, Williams Bay, Wisconsin

This is down at the waterfront at Norman B. Barr Camp.  The camp celebrated it's 100th anniversary in 2009!  It was founded by Rev. Norman B. Barr, pastor of then Olivet Church in Chicago.  The mission of the camp was, and still is, to provide a place for underpriviledged children to have a summer lake experience.
The pavilion by the lake.
From their website, "Over the years, the mission of NBBC became focused on the children’s programs as help for working women became less of an issue. A new children’s dormitory was built and later, new showers were added just for the children. Summer programs with a Christian theme continue to be offered and counselors are carefully selected. Religious services (Sunday services, Sunday school and weekly vespers) have been a tradition since Olivet Camp opened. Meanwhile, cottagers spend countless hours maintaining and improving the camp facilities and grounds. Several new structures have been added while others undergo repairs each year.

As a result of the dedication and effort of the volunteers over one hundred years, NBBC remains a vibrant and living memory of Rev. Norman B. Barr and his selfless mission in life devoted to the less fortunate, particularly children. An estimated 14,000 children have camped at NBBC since Rev. Barr established the camp in 1909. As he is quoted, “All the heaven and earth is right here. This camp should go on forever.”

I just spent a wonderful week with cousins at the camp.  Their father started coming when he was 3 months old and passed away three years ago at the age of 97. 

3 comments:

  1. Suzanne, my father-in-law served his first Lutheran parish in Williams Bay 35 years ago!
    Finally today the extreme hot/humid weather has left the Twin Cities! I have my EAGAN office window open right now!

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  2. What is not to love about Williams Bay Leif??? It's a wonderful place and so vibrant in the summer months. Glad to hear the heat has broken...it's headed our way on the east coast. I'm back home now.

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  3. This reminds me of a camp in northern New Hampshire that my family visited every summer for maybe 8 - 10 years. It also began with religious and social purposes, but now is secular.

    You are right. New Haven has its big Arts and Ideas festival and probably many simple evening events, too. I interpret "Hartford" broadly, as "places near enough that someone from Hartford goes here," and sometime I might sneak in a New Haven picture, but I haven't done so yet.

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