What a blessed year at Camp Ortoha! Unlike the last few years, which were heavily affected by fire threats, burn bans, and COVID restrictions, we celebrated a fantastic, uninterrupted two weeks of camp. We had an incredible turnout both weeks, and a full staff of dedicated, energetic, fun-loving servants.
Junior Week is Done! Senior Week Starts Tomorrow!
Junior Week Starts on Sunday!
Prepping for Camp
Getting Ready to Open Camp!
The 2023 camping season is nearly here! In order to get Camp Ortoha ready for its campers, though, a fair amount of work needs to be put into cleaning up the grounds and buildings. We’re inviting the community to pitch in and help out! Do you have a student looking to fulfill volunteer hours? Or do you simply LOVE Ortoha and want an excuse to go visit? We hope you’ll join us!
2022 Ortoha Youth Camp Summary
Junior Week Starts Today!
Hooray! After a tough couple of years (due to COVID and troublesome fire seasons), we are overjoyed that camp is back in session again! For 2022 (as mentioned in our previous post), we restructured the age groups for camp to reflect how things had been pre-1984, having a Junior week for grades 4-7 and Senior week for grades 8-12. We are also welcoming some wonderful new additions to the Ortoha staff team (see more info below!).
2022 Registration Form Now Available!
We are very excited to release our 2022 registration form and get things underway for our summer 2022 camping season.
New Camp Improvements!
The Year in Review and Planning Ahead
CAMP ORTOHA NEEDS YOU!
After a one-year hiatus - the first missed season in 75 years - Camp Ortoha is back! Well, sorta 😊. We will be offering a week of camp for high schoolers at 50% capacity (30 campers). This will take place the week of August 1-6 (Sunday afternoon-Friday afternoon). The working theme is: “Life is about Relationships” The idea is to help the campers see the importance of having a relationship with Jesus.
2021 Camp Update: Inviting High Schoolers Back!
Fresh Updates at Ortoha!
Hi all! It’s been a straaaaaange year, but somehow we are chugging right along and summer has just about come to its close. We wanted to send a quick update so you knew what we’ve been up to at Camp Ortoha over the past few months.
First off, we are happy to report that a wide variety of small family groups were able to rent out Ortoha for short summer get-aways. So although it was a big disappointment to miss out Ortoha Youth Camp, we’re thankful the space was still utilized and enjoyed.
Second, we are pleased to announce the Mess Hall and Kitchen will look a bit more spruced up the next time you visit. We’ve already completed Phase 1, which was putting down a fresh coat of paint in the Mess Hall. That will help seal the floor, and keeps things looking sharp. Many thanks to the volunteers who helped move the tables around and pushed the rollers during that project!
We’d like to invite you to be a part of Phase 2, though. We need volunteers to help with moving furniture and equipment in the Kitchen so we can paint the floor in there, as well. This project is tentatively slated for the second week in September (right around the corner!). If you are interested, please connect with Sandy Sutton: sjsutton@ncidata.com.
Know someone who might be available to help? Help us spread the word!
Speaking of the Kitchen: for your enjoyment, here are a handful of fun, artsy pictures of that dear old beloved space. It’s served to feed and nourish so many wonderful campers over so many decades! We hope you enjoy these, and have the opportunity to pitch in. Thank you!
Ortoha: 2020 Season Cancelled Due to COVID-19 Dilemmas
It is with heavy hearts that we must announce the closure of Camp Ortoha Youth Camp for 2020. This was a very tough and complicated decision. Please read our updates below for more details, but don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
About the Camp Closure:
The decision was extremely difficult. After all, the need for positive experiences, spiritual growth and “togetherness” for our youngsters is greater now more than ever before. However, compliance with state mandated sanitation and social distancing requirements posed insurmountable hurdles.
We appreciate the many prayers of our supporters, and we trust that this, too, is in God’s capable hands. His plan for our lives and for Camp Ortoha, after all, is bigger than we can see or understand. We’ll face these uncertain times with full trust in his power and control.
For any parents who have already sent in their registration form and deposit, you can expect a refund check by mail within the next couple of weeks. If you have any concerns, though, don’t hesitate to contact us.
The 75th Celebration - Postponed:
We are VERY excited to celebrate Camp Ortoha’s 75th year! But we’ll simply have to hold off one more year before doing so. In the meantime, we want to thank all those who worked with Rae Morris this past winter to locate priceless photos from decades gone by. We look forward to unveiling the fruits of her very hard work with you next summer. Trust us - it will be worth the wait!
Already Gearing Up for 2021!
Being so far into the season for 2020, the board already had many of the planning details for camp this summer set in place. Although we are hugely disappointed to miss out on the opportunity to spread the light of Jesus this year, we suddenly find ourselves incredibly prepared for 2021! We hope you will join us in penciling Camp Ortoha into your plans for next summer. Trust us, taking frequent breaks from serving campers is NOT going to become a habit! We cannot wait to open the gate and welcome new and returning campers next year. We’ll be coming back strong. Don’t miss it!
Got questions? We’d love to hear ‘em.
Sandy Sutton - Registration - sjsutton@ncidata.com
Brian Bowes - Pastoral Advisor - deacon@ncidata.com
How Has COVID-19 Affected Camp Planning for 2020?
Hi all!
Like many of you, the Ortoha Planning Board has been watching regional and national headlines, and wondering what this summer will be like for us all. We wanted to provide a few updates so you are aware of Ortoha’s current planning strategy and timeline.
2020 Staffing
Not to be deterred, the board has plowed ahead to engage staff members. We currently have a few positions still open - if you would like to be involved, or know someone who would be a great fit, please contact us! (Visit our Registration Page if you’re looking for 2020 camp dates.) However, we’re excited to share the names of those individuals who have already committed to serving our campers this year.
High School Week
Director - Chad Francis
Speakers - Pastor Dan Hues (Zion Lutheran Church, Portland, OR) & Jeremy Best
Craft Director - Melody Hues
Cook - Casey Oberg
Grade School Week
Director - Dylan Roy
Speakers - position still available
Craft Director - position still available
Cook - Casey Oberg
Middle School
Director - Alex Mueser
Speakers - position still available
Craft Director - position still available
Cook - Meghan Carranza
As many of you already know, Brian Bowes is still on the Ortoha Planning Board serving as the Pastoral Advisor and Marketing/Outreach Chair. He has been working very closely with all three 2020 weekly directors and each has his full support! We’ve excited to see how God chooses to work through these wonderful leaders!
Decision Time!
Like you, the planning board has had to operate by hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. We know it is very possible that state-wide mandates could interfere with our ability to run camp this year. After all, the physical health and well-being of our community members is our top priority, and we won’t do anything to put that in jeopardy. However, as you know very well, new information continues to change legislative and healthcare guidance on a near-weekly basis. The board will therefore make a final decision about whether or not camp will operate this summer in early June. We will be sure to post another update on our website when that decision has been made.
A Reminder to Pray
In the meantime, we ask that you please pray for camp, as well as our state and federal leaders. We hope our leaders will be guided with wisdom, and that God’s will be done in all things, and especially with Camp Ortoha.
Interested?
Remember, we’d LOVE to hear from you if you’d like to be a part of Ortoha 2020, or even 2021! It’s never too early to start planning.
Wishing everyone a safe, peace-filled weekend. May God be our Source of comfort and joy in all circumstances!
2020 Ortoha Youth Camp Dates!
We are very excited to release the summer camp dates for 2020! Please mark your calendars, don’t hesitate to send in your Registration Form, and help us spread the word.
2020 Dates
We’ve updated the Registration page of our website to include both the 2020 dates, and the Registration Form you’ll need to sign your child up. Let us know if you have any questions!
High School Week: July 19th - July 24th
Grade School Week: July 26th - July 30th
Middle School Week: August 2nd - August 6th
Send in your Registration Form today
The updated Registration Form is now available for download via our website. Simply print off a copy, fill out one form per camper, and mail the form(s) in with a $25 deposit.
The second page of the form is informational to help answer questions about what to pack, what to expect, as well as pick-up and drop-off times. We recommend keeping it handy after you mail in your form, but you can always visit our website or reach out to us directly with questions.
Help us spread the word
We work hard to connect with camper parents and supporters so they have the opportunity to register early and quality for the Early Polar Bear Special ($85!). However, we know one of the best methods for getting the news out about Ortoha’s amazing camper experience is via word-of-mouth. We hope you’ll consider mentioning Camp Ortoha to those who might be interested, and reminding other camper parents to register early this year.
A BIG ‘thank you’ to all who helped with the photo project!
So many of you responded to our request for help this winter by submitting photos of your camp experience from years gone by. Rae Morris is busy putting these photographic gems to good use, and we’re excited to share the finished product with you at Mission Fest Sunday this year. In the meantime, though, we wanted to extend our heartfelt thanks for your cooperation, time, and energy.
Cheers to a great 2020 camp season ahead!
A Gift For Brian (That You Can Help With!)
As you may have already heard, Camp Ortoha is celebrating its 75 anniversary this coming summer (HURRAY!). A team of Ortoha supporters has already started planning the Mission Fest Sunday program and they have some wonderful surprises in store for you! However, there is one aspect of the celebration we need your help with.
Did you know that Director Brian Bowes has almost zero photos of the Three decades he’s served as director at camp?
It makes sense, because he’s always been so busy leading the campers and making everyone feel welcome. Therefore, we’re taking this celebration as an opportunity to bless him with a one-of-a-kind Ortoha photo book.
You can help by sending us your camp photos
For this project, we need all sorts of photos from every generation. We’re starting from scratch, though, and really need your help. Would you be willing to look through your photo collection to see what you have? It’ll be a wonderful walk down memory lane, we promise!
Here’s how you can submit photos:
Rae Morris is heading up this project so all pictures and/or ideas can be sent directly to her.
If your photos are already electronic, simply upload them to this public folder via Shutterfly.
You don’t need Shutterfly credentials to view the album, but you will need to log in, or create an account to upload your own files. It’s a quick process, though!
If you have physical copies, pop your original pictures in the mail to her with a clearly printed return address. She can scan your pictures on a high resolution scanner and return them via mail to you when she’s done.
If you want to get in touch, here is her contact information:
Cell: (509) 322-4949
Land line: (509)485-2347
Act now!
We’re getting an extra head start in announcing this project, but time is of the essence! It takes time to create a photo book so the sooner we start the better. Also, we know that many of you will be visiting family over the holidays and might have easier access to those old, beloved photos. Please take the opportunity to help us bless Brian with this project. It will just take a few minutes of your time!
Tell Your Friends
We all have a handful of old camp buddies we still keep in contact with. It might be a small group, but it’s a special one. Please take a moment to share this page with those you are still in contact with. Brian has done so much to bless our campers over the last 30 years. Please help us spread the word so we can collectively bless him in return!
Thank you!
Check out these awesome blasts from the past!
