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Camp Mini-Yo-We

Named after	Bible verse John 4:14
Formation	January 28, 1947
Legal status	Non-profit organization
Headquarters	Port Sydney, Ontario, Canada
Leader	Rich Birch
Key people	Rich Birch (Executive director), Ethan Clark (Lead director, summer programs), Jez Bell (Lead director, outdoor center), Jon Welch (Shared services director).
Website	www.miniyowe.com
Formerly called	The Fountain of Living Waters

Camp Mini-Yo-We is a Christian camping and retreat center founded on January 28, 1947 and located in the district of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada. The name Mini-Yo-We means “spring” or “fountain of living water” in the Dakota Sioux language. The Camp provides outdoor programs for young people from 5 to 18 years old. Camp Mini-Yo-We focuses on leadership development and spiritual growth of young boys and girls. Rich Birch, a long time ministry leader, is the camp Executive director.

History

Camp Mini-Yo-We has more than 70 years of history. Sunday school teachers and superintendents from various Brethren churches in Toronto wanted a place for children where to escape from the city, experience nature and religious teachings. The first camps were held in 1946 using rented facilities from the Fair Havens Bible Conference in Beaverton, Ontario.

Originally, the Camp was named The Fountain of Living Waters after the Bible verse John 4:14. Its success prompted the committee to seek for land for a permanent summer camp. In 1946, the Brethren Assemblies purchased a property on Mary Lake in Muskoka. On January 28, 1947, the organization was officially incorporated and its name changed to Camp Mini-Yo-We.

In 1947, Camp Mini-Yo-We required boys to come in July whereas girls would come in August. This gender separation camp would continue until 1992 when “parallel camping” was introduced. Over 10 years, many construction initiatives at South Camp included the first aid centre (1949), lodge (1951), staff house (1956), gatehouse (1958), and waterfront (1960). By 1960, the Camp was organizing programs for more than 750 children each summer.

The District of Muskoka in Huntsville, Ontario, awarded a prize to Camp Mini-Yo-We in recognition to its exceptional partnership and leadership in providing a camp experience to children.

Programs

Camp Mini-Yo-We operates six programs at four camp sites organized around gender and age groups: Girls Camp (South Camp, 10 to 15), Discovery Camp (Chemawa, 5 to 9), Boys Camp (Edgewoods, 10 to 15), Youth Camp (Northwoods, 14 to 18), Leadership Camps (14-17) and Day Camps (5-12). A Camp site includes a lodge and is made of a section of cabins. For example, the Leadership program aims to teach teenagers how to handle house chores, survival skills and what a role model is. Campers engage in communal, sports and recreational activities, games, instructional periods, and Bible studies. Camp Mini-Yo-We can accommodate at most 400 campers per week and focuses on their physical, mental and spiritual development.

See also

• Camping (recreational activity)
• Outdoor education
• Prayer camps

Further reading

• Paris, Leslie (2008). Children's Nature: The rise of the American summer camp. New York: New York University Press. ISBN 978-0-81476-750-4. OCLC 816496752.

Category:Scouting events Category:Summer camps in Canada Category:Buildings and structures in Ontario Category:Organizations established in 1947 Category:1947 establishments in Ontario