Auction Is ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey! The big Camp Auction is coming soon! Saturday November 17th, 5:30 pm at the Woodbury church of Christ.

This is no garage sale or mere cookie bake. This fun evening has so much packed into a nicely wrapped pre-Christmas present. There's a terrific banquet prepared for us. I hear this year the theme is Wizard of Oz. I think Linda Gonzalez is re-living her high-school prom days as she goes all-out in achieving just the right atmosphere.

If the dining experience wasn't enough, there's the rich fellowship. We get to see people we might otherwise see only once or twice a year. Being there also gives you a special opportunity to hear how the camp is doing, what are the next big announcements, and putting your influences on the Board of Trustees. Each year five individuals are added to the Board as the three year term of five present Board members ends.

Then there's the auction itself. There's something for everyone, literally. If the top-notch assortment of goods and services isn't your thing, well at least come for the Butter Horn Crescent Rolls or Gene's Wisconsin Cheese. Or just to hear Gene tell it.

The list for this year's event isn't out (to my knowledge) so I can only remind you of what kinds of things have been offered in other years and suggest that more of the same will be available the 17th.

* The Quilt - "My favorite one so far." Dawn Eichers, speaking of
the 2007 Quilt.

* Framed Artwork and Photography - there's some awesome talent
represented.

* Sporting event tickets, and Sports Memorabilia.

* The Carved Moose (let's hope another is in the hunt.)

* A decked-out Potato Gun, with ammo.

* Hand made Scarves and other apparel.

* Themed baskets - like the Movie Night basket, or the Pamper Mom
basket.

* All kinds of baked goods, not the least of which Diane's Monkey
Bread.

* Jewelry, electronics, etc., etc.

Entertainment and Services too.

* The Tae Dinner for Six (or 8) put on by the Countryman family.

* The St Croix Boat Outing by the McHans.

* Donated Hours of Labor by the Urban Ministry Guys.

* Progressive Dinner Tour of Woodbury by Bicycle.

* Bicycle Tune ups.

I'm not saying all the stuff listed above will be there, most will; but I've only mentioned a hand full of items. Much more will be there. Some items will be auctioned silently. Others will get the Gene treatment. Gene Olsen is a real live auctioneer. Don't let the Packers jersey throw you off - he's a trained profession. This part of the auction is anything but silent - Fun Yes, quiet No!

I've always thought the auction is the like the crazy-campfire of FPYC Fund raising events. Paul's move from Barn cleaning to hosting thisevent was sheer brilliance. Come have some great fun with us. Thanks.

5:30 pm Saturday, November 17th at the Woodbury building.

Green Side Up

When it's time for an announcement at Camp, this odd phrase has the power to quiet the masses so the news gets out. So, it's the perfect name for the new FPYC Email Subscription service.

Get on our email distribution list and receive notice when news and announcements are posted to the Camp BLOG or when a new feature is added to the Camp web site.

We promise to email wisely and sparingly.

Stay in the loop: Sign up now!

Thanks!

Our hosting service provides this functionality. If at any time you would prefer not to receive emails from GreenSideUp, the link above or a link contained in every GreenSideUp email allows for Un-Subscribing from the email list.

2008: Packing the Sessions

What would camp be like if the session was packed with kids? I mean MAX'd OUT!
The singing would be awesome! It would be all that makes camp fun, just more
of it.

First off, how many is the MAX? Well, Let's say the camp hires an extra guy
counselor and an extra girl counselor, so five guys and five girls. If we draw
the line at 12 campers in each cabin than we'd full at 60 guys and 60 girls.
120 campers.

It's been a long time since we got even close to that, so why would we plan to
Max out in 2008?

Are you sitting down? Maybe lying down would be safer still. Here's the
crazy-campfire idea that someone on the Board of Trustees threw down: "For 2008
only, if an FPYC kid invites a new cabin-age camper to try a session at FPYC,
that first-time camper will receive one session of camp FREE." Yep, invite a
2008 newbie to Flaming Pine, and the Rookie gets the session for Free.

Yes, that includes the much coveted Senior Session, a two week gift. Sure,
they would still pay for canteen, craft stuff, and the bus ride if needed, but
hey hey! What a deal! What a great way to get new friends to try FPYC.

So, it's perfectly reasonable to expect that we WILL fill up the sessions,
starting with Senior Week. What happens when we reach 60 guys/60 girls? Umm,
we hit a [good] problem we've never had. We start a stand-by list or suggest
an alternate session. You may be wondering, (that voice screaming inside your
head), "How do I make sure me and my friends have a spot reserved at our
favorite session?"

Register early. You don't have to wait until SpiritFest when the 2008
Registration Forms are on hand. Download a Registration Form now from the web,
one for you and one for your never-been-to-camp homie. Fill them out and send
them in now, even today.

Sure - this is worth getting excited about! Pack your Session!

by: Kent Davidson

Be Careful Little Feet Where You Go...

Be careful little feet where you go...

The directors at camp are putting their foot down (in a manner of speaking). What’s got them stomping? Feet injuries. Campers are coming to FPYC thinking that flip flops are going to be the only shoe they’ll need. Going to play multi-ball soccer – “Going for my flip flops”. Time for the Hike – “Time to grab my flip flops”. Working in the kitchen – “Flip flops work for me”.

Sorry! No! Wrong! Open-toed shoes cannot be worn in the Kitchen area. That’s the law of the land in Minnesota. For sports and the hike – flip flops just don’t get the job done. Kids are getting their feet hurt and it’s slowing them down and effecting the camp sessions. Not to mention the icky job the camp nurse gets. I’ll spare you the details – not a pretty picture.

Here’s where the rubber meets the road, open-toed shoes can only be worn to and from swim period, and to and from the shower house. That’s it. This applies to all campers no matter how big or little your feet. Come prepared to enjoy camp fully – bring the shoes you’ll need to keep up.

Ephesians 6:15

A Boy Scout's Account

Recently the camp received a really cool letter and thought you'd enjoy it too:

I came across your web site a little while ago and I was very interested
because my two brothers and I went and helped build this camp from the 1950 '
to 1961 for me. I joined the Navy in April 1962.

The camp was our Boy Scout Camp Troop 170 Camp Flaming Pines on Mirror Lake,
our head Scoutmaster was Bill and his brother Ed Souder. The Rovick's (the
founder of Edina Realty) were in our troop and they had Bill and Ed Souder as
some the first agents of Edina Realty. One worked in town selling real estate
and the other was with us. We went to camping season ever year like this.

a.. 2 weeks woodcutting to cut as season until winter then we sold it door to door in the Twin Cities.

b.. 2 weeks construction building roads, blasting stumps, making and pouring concrete, building buildings which were all done with scout labor.

c.. 2 weeks regular camp for merit badges, carving totem poles, etc.

d.. 2 weeks building our canoe base (a smaller version of the old log lodge close to the lake) on Lac La Croix on Canadian side of the Dawson Portage.

e.. 4 week canoe trip in the Quetico Provincial Park. Then back home to school again in the fall.

I would like to know more about the present camp and your fund raising efforts.

I read you most recent newsletter about the log lodge by the lake. I guess the one that we built in the 50's did not last.

If you have a fund raising dinner down here I would love to go to one and hear more about how you are bringing children to Christ. I am involved in Fishersofmenclub.org and some other local fund raisers to bring Christ to kids down here.

If there is a way to put me on your newsletter mailing list I would appreciate it.

Warmest regards,

Bill Dobbins, ABR, CRS, e-PRO, GRI, NHSS
Edina Realty
The Dobbins Group

FPYC Cookbook Fund Raiser

Help camp and get ideas for dinner with this newly published cookbook.

Some of these recipes have been like "ancient Chinese secrets" since the camp began 30+ years ago. Cooks and cook's Helpers have a hand in this kitchen resource. The recipes, 150 of them, have been family-sized for home use.

a.. Banana Nut Bread
b.. Chicken Tortilla Hot Dish
c.. Hamburger Stroganoff
d.. Oatmeal Cake and Topping
e.. Turkey Noodle Casserole
f.. Chocolate Buttermilk sheet cake
g.. and many, many more

In addition to tasty dishes, this book has many stories and yarns about being a cook, back in the day. Some are really funny, some offer little known historical insights, all of them remind us of how much love has gone, and goes into putting good food on the table for campers big and small.

$30.00 Each

All proceeds to support FPYC. Payment reserves your copy.

Contact Dale Ogren or Barb
Waletzko.

OR order Online at: Flaming Pine Favorites

Camp Reunion - Awesome!!!

The 2007 FPYC reunion was wonderful. It was so good to come together for thei event. Thanks to Mandy Okeson for making it all happen. Thansk to God for there even being a reason to get together.

This photo of the sunrise coming up over the lodge was a good metaphor, I think, of the camp breaking into a new day.

I recall Jesus saying, "I am making everythin new." This is perhaps a little tiny particle of how Jesus is making everything new. Certainly Jesus had an eternal perspective when he said, this but I am sure that the process has, in some way, already begun.

Camp Baptism

Baptisms at camp NEVER get old. It is possible that I have personally witnessed 50 baptisms at camp in my time spent there. They are all special.

Bapstism is a foreshadow of things to come. It is ripe with meaning and symbolism. It is a beautiful cleansing, a bold declaration, a promise for the future.

Camp Reunion

It is upon - the Flaming Pine Youth Camp Reunion.

This is going to be fabulous.

Hope to see you there.

Tour De Togo 2007

Tour de Togo 2007

Before Lance and Greg came along, we were going great distances for FPYC. This is our 17th year! Now you can too! And here's why. In fact, here's the top ten reasons to join the Tour de Togo.

10. Find friends who can recite the entire script of The Princess Bride.

9. Prove that all things are possible thru Him who strengthens.

8. See Brothers and Sisters in Christ in a whole new sweaty way.

7. Create your own signature color of Gatorade energy drink.

6. Leave a gear-laden support vehicle in the dust.

5. Because biking 200 miles in 2 ½ days makes a good 'weak end'.

4. Where else will you hear Pizza and Bicycle Bingo in the same breath?

3. Make your teen appreciate when they get to use the car.

2. See how easy it is to win The Lost Lamb Award. "Left, no Right!"

1. Three-day, Guilt-free, Carbo-loading, Calorie-fest!

Register On-line now, it's not too late! CLICK HERE

Young Peace

A child's peace in an aging body
Is beauty unfolding in grace;












After deadlines and obligations have worn;
After storms and losses have raged;
After the violence of fears
And oceans of tears
Take their toll in what we call age;

After drooping and sagging sets in;
After creaking and catching begins;
After the body of aches
And limbs full of shakes
Send wrinkles all over the skin;

If anything remains in the soul;
If anything fills the Hole;
If there's meaning in old bones
And slow flesh that groans
It's peace that does not grow old.

Story Yourself

Almost every story ever known was lived but once and forgotten forever. Most stories are never recorded, never retold. Most stories are not thought of for one single moment after they were lived.

Stories are the social memory of a family, a group, a nation. Stories are meant to be lived once, but told many times. Stories can be entertaining, but to degrade a story to entertainment is to miss the meaning stories bring to our lives. We are our stories.

There is no meaning to our lives without a story to fill the flesh. If we forget our stories, we forget ourselves. When our story is forgotten, or worse, when a story is forced on us and we accept it, we have failed to fulfill the one goal in life we were meant to accomplish - to be human.

Without stories of healing, we will be sick. Without stories of redemption, we will be lost. Without stories of love, we will be meaningless. Without stories of forgiveness, we will be unreconciled. Without stories of faith, we will be hopeless. Without stories of courage, we will exist in fear.

We must nurture our stories and find a way to tell, write, paint, and dance their meaning so we do not forget whatever it was that was important enough to live in the first place.

We must story our greatest moments. We must story our greatest humiliations. We must story all that matters. We must gather this memory and pass it on to generations who have yet to remember anything. Our stories are our greatest gift to give. They are our truth.

Play

You can learn more about a person in a few minutes of play than you can learn about that person from a life time of work.

People should play. Children know this inherently. They enjoy playing, they learn best while playing, and they develop healthy relationships and leadership skills while playing. It is one of the best things a child can do.

It is also one of the best things adults can do. Hey grown ups, let's play!!!

Be Like A Child

Children are born innocant and pure. It is nothing short of miraculous to witness the beautiful honesty and willingness of a child. Their faith and trust is so precious. Wouldn't it be nice to bottle it up in our youth and then release it as needed in our adult life?

But we can't. Sometimes it seems like growing up is this relentless process of losing our innocence. We gain experience, get crushed by the cruelty of the world, perhaps hand out some cruelty of or own - we become less of a person.

The thing about innocence is that once it is gone, it cannot be regained.

Or can it?

When Jesus died and was raised, He began a redemption process that is in effect to this day. A great reversal is in motion. Although our bodies have limited and diminishing strength, something special and regenerative is happening in our spirits. In our spirits we are actually growing young.

Boys just want to have fun

Boys like to have adventures. They like to take risks and figure things out by doing. Camp is great place for boys.

What is more adventurous than lakes and forests and critters?

We'd be fools to think that the things that lit up a boy's imagination 50 years ago are any different today. Boys will try so hard to tell us something that has always been true, but is novel and must be spoke in their voices. We must be there to listen.

An unheard boy is a danger to the world. We must listen to boys. A heard boy is a blessing to the world. It is our choice what will happen with boys.

The Bid is...

Jill Tarnowski, caught in the bidding craze, inadvertantly bids on half the cheese in Wisconsin.

Loyalty. Seriously, she's never going to eat all that cheese. Way to go Jill.

Magic Bartch

Magic Johnson worked wonders on the basketball court. He could do anything with the basketball.

Well, Flaming Pine Youth Camp has its own magic man. Our care taker, Don Bartch, manages the camp ground and loves to drive large equipment.

Need it fixed? Don's your man. Need to know where something is? Ask Don. Need something made out of plastic? Yep, Don can do it.