Summer Break Camp for Adults & Singing in the Pines

Hope Renewed

Thursday, August 7 to Monday, August 11, 2025

Deans: Barbara Shields and Cyndy Leigh

Keynote Facilitator: John Walsh

Director of Music & Worship:  Malcolm Hawkes

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite the darkness.”

Desmond Tutu  

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Embark on a transformative four-night/five-day retreat amidst the tranquil embrace of nature, led by distinguished speaker John Walsh, and facilitated by Rev. Dr. Tom Owen-Towle, Malcolm Hawkes, Chris Epting, and Bruce Herwig.

Is change wearing you down? Maybe you need a break. Attend Summer Break, a camp for adults. Lift your spirit and refresh your hope. Explore strategies for living in a changing world, sing your blues away at singalongs, and commune with Mother Nature at Camp de Benneville Pines in the San Bernardino Mountains. 

Mindfulness in Climate Change

Keynote speaker John Walsh addresses the impacts of climate change on our planet and government’s reluctance to respond. John asks, “What can we do to find a path to environmental awareness? How can we live mindfully green?”

At times it can seem like we are making little progress on environmental problems.  The EPA has been all but wiped out of existence. The current administration has removed all mention of climate change from the White House website. So often we wonder if we can make a meaningful difference to change the tide. The voices of John Muir, Rachel Carson, Annie Dillard, and other mindful writers ask us to respond to their environmental warnings.

In the late summer of 1990, John helped organize a conference entitled Spirit and Nature.  It was filmed by Bill Moyers and presented in 1991 on PBS. Later, in 2007, he was invited to join Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project.  Vice President Al Gore invited John, along with other of the nation’s environmental leaders to be trained as presenters of the message “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Following his talk, John will facilitate a discussion on the porch.

John Walsh holds three Masters degrees. He has served as the senior minister in a Baptist church and in the role of chaplain at Harvard, Princeton, and Berkley. John retired as the chaplain for the University of Redlands where he taught environmental ethics, religion and ethics, and human rights courses.

Singing in the Pines

 

This year we also welcome back Singing in the Pines where choir participants will spend a meaningful week making beautiful, energizing music together with the picturesque backdrop of the beautiful mountain scenery.

Choir director Malcolm Hawkes invites campers who love to sing to join the choir. All skill levels are welcome.

Share your love of singing with other campers. Those experienced in choir participation will learn new songs, phrasing, and interpretations. Consider the morning choir to learn more challenging works. Not sure if choir is for you? Attend the afternoon session to learn simple harmony and rhythms. Dedicated participants will commit to participating in morning and afternoon sessions.

Malcom Hawkes is a collegiate vocal instructor, pedagogue, and choral director who believes that community is powerful and knowledge should be shared. Choir joins people together to create something greater than they ever could alone.

Meet the Facilitators:

Find Power in Poetry

Unitarian Universalist minister Reverend Tom Owen-Towle presents “Exploring Sacred Poetry”. During daily interactive workshops, you will experience how the power of poetry can define your purpose.

Tom’s insights about relationships, life’s stages, and gratitude will help you face the challenges of daily life. Lessons on living a productive life inspires hope and purpose in later years.  His class includes prayer, singing, writing and conversation.

Rev. Dr. Tom Owen-Towle has served a lifetime in the Universalist Unitarian ministry. An inspired author, he has written more than 30 books. An enthusiastic song leader, he plays at local rest homes. Find him before dinner leading fellow campers in song on the lodge deck. He has been part of the beloved camp community for over 50 years. Learn more about Tom at https://tomo-t.com/.

Ignite the Writer Within:

Chris Epting returns to Camp to lead memoir writing workshops. He will give you tips for getting started and offer advice to make the story pop.

Chris’ latest book “Where One Hears the Rain” is an entertaining How-To manual for anyone wanting to write a personal story.  Attend Chris’ daily interactive workshop to apply methods that add depth to your personal memoirs.

Having partnered with dozens of notable personalities such as John Oates, the Doobie Brothers, and Phil Collen, to write their biographies, Chris’ experiences make him an amusing storyteller.

You will have the opportunity to begin writing your story, so bring a pen and notebook.

Chris Epting: Ten years ago, Janet read an article by Chris and contacted him to be a Summer Break keynote speaker. Since then, he has become a camp favorite as a speaker, writing coach, and workshop leader. A graduate of Emerson college, Chris worked in advertising. Later he became a columnist for the Los Angeles Times and a Journalist for the Huffington Post. Now he writes about topics he loves, baseball, music, travel, and history. Learn more about Chris at www.chrisepting.com.

Milky Way and Meteors: Shooting the Night Sky With Confidence

Bruce Herwig, an award-winning artist and astrophotography enthusiast, will present his extraordinary images of the heavens and share tips and tricks for photographing the stars.

Bruce is a passionate astrophotographer who captures the majesty of the night sky, from shimmering star trails to the elusive glow of the Milky Way. During this evening program, you will learn about astrophotography and see his award-winning images. His photographs reflect both technical precision and a deep sense of awe for the universe above.

For the photographer enthusiast, Bruce will explain equipment and best camera settings to use and offer a list of inexpensive apps for planning night-sky outings and visualizing shots.

In January of 2023 Bruce had open heart surgery. The event gave him a new perspective on life, “. . . a deepened sense of gratitude and appreciation of the beauty that one gains knowing that they are living on borrowed time.”  Photography was part of his recovery program. Learn more about Bruce at bruceherwig.com

Check back soon for more programming and updates as they become available!

 

Pricing Information

Camp de Benneville Pines has moved to a self-selecting sliding fee scale. Level 1 is our minimum cost, Level 2 is what it takes for us to meet our needs and Level 3 helps to offset costs and supports camper scholarships for those in need of support to get to camp.

Camper Type	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3
Camper age 19+	$600	$625	$650

 

Add On:
Singing in the Pines	$75

Pricing includes lodging, all meals, activities, and supplies. A $75 per person non-refundable deposit is required to confirm registration. Full balance due one week before the start of camp. No refunds will be allowed after check-in begins on the first day of camp. Electronic invoices will be sent out periodically, allowing partial or full payment, until payment is completely paid.

Accommodations:

Camp de Benneville Pines welcomes you to a peaceful night’s rest in one of seven sleeping cabins. The cabins are scattered throughout our beautiful property, surrounded by forest, and walking distance from all camp activities and other buildings. Each cabin is distinctively decorated with a mountain theme. All offer rustic comfort. It’s camp! Rooms are basically where one sleeps and rests.

Cabins host between three and nine sleeping rooms and have two or three communal bathrooms. Standard accommodation includes twin bunk beds, and there are optional cabin upgrades for cabins with kitchens and living room areas, as well as rooms with double beds, or a combination of the two. Cabin upgrades are limited so register early.

Experience the joy of togetherness in our cozy cabin retreats, where each “family” is provided a private room to create their own haven of relaxation. For individual adventurers or friends journeying together, our cabins offer a harmonious blend of community and basic comfort, accommodating 2-4 guests per room. We understand the value of companionship, so we invite you to personalize your stay by requesting roommates during the registration process or asking friends and family to join you.  Of course, camp is a great place to meet and make new friends so don’t be timid about coming alone.  You will be assigned a compatible roommate. Camp strives to make your experience comfortable, and all participants at adult camp are assigned to a bottom bed unless a top bunk is requested.

Explore our accommodations by selecting About > Facilities > Lodging on the navigation bar above.

Options:

Standard Accommodation: included in Camper pricing

Craig’s Cabin*: $60 additional fee per adult

Cabin 6*: $40 additional fee per adult, twin beds only

Double Bed Room*: $25/person, 2 people required

*Cabin upgrades are limited and are subject to availability. A refund will be processed after cabin assignments have been completed for any upgrade fees paid that cannot be accommodated.

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To make camp affordable, you can even make payments!

COVID UPDATE:  Camp no longer requires proof of vaccination at check-in, however, you will be required to show a negative Rapid Test result upon arrival before mingling with other campers. More details to follow closer to the event. Click here to read the updated policy in full.

Contact Information:

Facilities or General Camp: Contact Janet James, Executive Director, director@uucamp.org, 909-435-6298

Registration: Contact Angela Andiorio, Camp Registrar, registrar@uucamp.org, 909-654-4769

Camp de Benneville Pines may sometimes need to make the difficult decision to cancel camp due to a variety of factors including but not limited to the following: severe weather conditions, road closures, Covid and other contagious outbreaks, camp volunteer and site staff shortages, and/or other emergencies. Should the camp have to cancel, refunds will be issued.