|
Does the
cost of this camp appear to be really
expensive to you?
As a
college student, newly married young adult, or just
someone who doesn't have a lot of financial
resources, I know how your thoughts could cause you
to wonder if this trip is really a possibility for
you. Money is tight for me too. To be honest, as I
began working on this trip, the same thought crossed
my mind that may have crossed yours: "Isn't this a
little expensive for a week of church camp?"
So I
started exploring. Hopefully my explorations in the
area of cost will help you see what I saw.
Actual trip
expenses:
One of
the first things I looked up was the actual cost for
a Boundary Waters wilderness trip for the length of
time we would be going. I put Google to work and
found a few websites offering outfitting for this
sort of trip (because chances are, most of us don't
already have the gear needed to make the trip).
Here's what I found:
There
are many others that can be found
here.
But you should get the idea, many of them are
already way above what the camp charges. And THAT
just includes the gear. Here are some other expenses
that your registration fee includes:
-
Food
(the kind that you can use for a week without
coolers or refrigeration)
-
Travel expenses. It's 715 miles to the Boundary
Waters area. If you factor in $2.20 / gallon for
gas at a generous rate of 14 mpg (since there
will be several people traveling), we're talking
an additional $224 for the gas roundtrip alone!
-
Food
during the trip to Minnesota from Indiana (it's
a 12 1/2 hour drive).
-
Permits to gain entry into Boundary Waters.
Although most outfitting packages include these,
I didn't read into the packages enough to
discover which outfitters included permits and
which did not.
-
Insurance. If something happens to you on this
trip, are you covered? The camp covers you with
their insurance, both during the trip to and
from Minnesota and while you're in the back
woods.
-
Other camping gear. Though we encourage you to
bring your own backpack and hiking gear, we have
some extra gear that we may be able to lend you
should you be unable to come up with your hiking
gear.
It's
from my estimation that these extra expenses alone
will cost the group somewhere close to $600 in
addition to their outfitting fees. Divide that up by
a full group of 9 people and that tacks on a little
over $65 per person.
If you
choose River Point as an outfitter (since it's the
cheapest I've found) and try this trip by yourself
with some college buddies, it would still cost you
over $400 per person to make the trip! Already,
going with our group this Summer is cheaper
than if you'd ever try to do this trip on your own!
I was shocked when I discovered this. The other
thing is, the rates go up over time. Nobody lowers
rates from summer to summer. They always go up.
You'll never have the opportunity to do this trip
for this low of a cost anywhere else--ever!
Scholarships
available:
As if
that wasn't all there was to tell you, there's more!
Camp Shipshewana offers several different
scholarship opportunities to campers who really want
to go on a trip, but are struggling to find the
funding to go. That's right, the camp helps you pay
the registration too!
First,
you might check with your church. Often times
Brethren churches will offer 50% of the camp cost if
you pay the other half. That cuts the cost of
registration down to $181.
If you
need more funding, you can also apply for assistance
with the difference. Simply contact
the Camp office for information (phone: 260-768-4519).
Remember, if you register by the end of April,
you'll receive a 10% discount too!
By the
way, the camp isn't making much of a profit on this
trip (if any) so you can have the best experience!
Cost isn't a
factor anymore:
The
bottom line is, if you really want to do this
trip--ever--now is the time to do it! You can't make
this trip for any less cost than what is available
to you now. It's a simple fact. With scholarships
available, discounts available, and the camp
offering spiritual formation on top of this amazing
opportunity, you can't go wrong!
Tell
your friends, make this a trip of a lifetime, and
register now! I'll see you in the backwoods!
Sam Shultz
Sr. Pastor
Bryan First Brethren
Church
Bryan, OH
<<Back |