sorrento scenario - summer 2011 newsletter

Sorrento Centre • Box 99, Sorrento, BC, V0E 2W0 • (250) 675-2421 • fax: (250) 675-3032 • e-mail: [email protected] • on-line: www.sorrento-centre.bc.ca�

Sorrento CentreScenariothe

Spring 2011Reflections From the Director

Scenariothe

A Message from the Executive Director

Summer, 2011

A Newsletter for the Associates of Sorrento Centre

Dear Friends:

I’m really looking forward to the first week of July. Do you know why? It is because: I am going to “LEAP” with Phil Colvin and ten 15 & 16 year olds; and because:I am going to “Picture Nature” with Winnipeg photographer Sarah Crawley; and because: I am going to “Walk on Holy Ground” with trail blazer Phil McIntyre-Paul; and because:I am going to “Dance with God” and with story-teller Gertrud Mueller Nelson; and because: I am going to “Wrestle with Sacred Texts” with help from Rabbi Robert Daum; and because:I am going to enrol in the “Sorrento Singing School” with the musically gifted Ken Gray.

How much fun is that!!

We’ll worship and swim, and wrestle and dance, make pictures and friends and LEAP! We have just a few lodge rooms and cabanas left so if you haven’t made reservations yet, you better get a move on! They’re going quickly!

While you’re here taking any of these courses there are two experiences you shouldn’t miss. One is a tour of the Sorrento Centre farm. We normally organise tours at 1pm on Thursdays. The 8 acre farm is about 2kms west of the Centre, just off the Trans Canada. You’ll be sure to enjoy seeing where your fresh and naturally grown lettuce, peppers and potatoes are coming from.

The second delight is our new Art Studio. Located on the ground floor of the Red Barn, it was dry walled during Associates Week, painted last week and will be plumbed by the end of June. May everyone’s creativity flourish in this special place supported by you and by the Anglican Foundation!

Yours in faith,

Christopher LindExecutive Director

P.S. Don’t forget to pass on your $150 gift certificates. They’re designed for people who have never been to Sorrento Centre or who haven’t been in a long time (5 years or more). That’s a serious amount of money because this is a very serious offer. Sorrento Centre is the kind of place you need to experience to really appreciate, so don’t keep it a secret- pass it on!

Chris Lind


Sorrento Centre Summer 2011

Sorrento Centre NewsNew Policy on Pets at Sorrento CentreOver the past few years the number of requests from guests who want to bring their pets with them during their time at Sorrento Centre has been increasing. In the past we have had a strict “no pets on site” policy, and have suggested that guests travelling with pets house them in one of the local kennels. This has not been popular with many pet owners who are not comfortable with the idea of a kennel. The Board has heard the cases made by our guests to loosen the policy and has come up with a new system which they think will be agreeable to everyone.

Pets will now be allowed in the Casita apartments or in RVs or trailers. They will still not be permitted in the lodge buildings, cabanas or tent sites. As always, with the exception of service animals, pets are not permitted in the kitchen or dining room. Pets must be on a leash or in a carrier at all times when on Centre property, except while in their owner’s room, RV or trailer. Owners are responsible for the behaviour of their pets at all times and are financially responsible for any damages caused by their pets. If any animals are deemed to pose a risk to other guests their owners will be asked to remove them from the site immediately.

Since we have a limited number of pet friendly rooms or sites at the Centre we are asking that people who are travelling with pets inform us at the time of making their booking. There will be a daily fee of $10 per pet and a limit of two pets per room or site.

We hope that this new policy will help to preserve Sorrento Centre as the safe and welcoming place it has always been and that our spirit of inclusiveness will be strengthened.

We have a brand new tractor at Sorrento Centre! A big thank you goes out to everyone who gave of their time and talent for our Silent Auction as well as to all of those who bid on the services and items on offer. The money from the auction, private donations and government grants all helped put us over the top!

The tractor arrived in late March and has been an invaluable help to the grounds staff this spring as they readied the Farm for the new season.

Above: The tractor is delivered. Left to right: Farm manager Dave Wides, Board member Brian Laver, Executive Director Chris Lind and Johnathan Houweling of Avenue Equipment. Below: The tractor in action at the Farm.

Our New Tractor!



Sorrento Centre News

2013 will mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of Sorrento Centre. When we think back to those days, we are reminded that Sorrento Centre was founded first and foremost as a centre for lay training. Bishop Jim Cruickshank, who was the first Director of the Centre, often singles out one lay person in particular, Lance Richardson, as an example of the volunteer spirit of Sorrento Centre in the early years and beyond.

Lance Richardson left his job with the Department of Highways, helped build the small Panabode cabin, then helped clear the land and lay the first logs for what became Nova Vita. Though there were many Sorrento youth who helped to complete it, Lance’s role was crucial. Thirty years later, through his foundation, he played a key role in paying off a mortgage on the same property. No other person, lay or ordained, has played such a significant role in giving “new life” to this building and we have not yet properly acknowledged this gift.

So, it is with thanksgiving to God that the Board of Directors has decided that the cedar log building where so much significant lay education has occurred, will now be known as the “Richardson Lodge”.

Richardson Lodge

“Retro” Washroom in Spes Bona Now Complete!The public washroom in Nova Vita was badly in need of renovation, and with the help of a donation from the staff and some hard work by dedicated Associates volunteers it now has a new lease on life! The old fixtures have been removed and replaced and the wallpaper stripped down and repapered in a decorative Victorian pattern. Ironically, to give the washroom an old-fashioned feel everything truly old was jettisoned in favour of brand new fixtures with a “retro” feel. Many thanks to Board member Brian Laver and other volunteers who “made the old new again!”

Below left is the washroom during its dismantling and below right is the finished product.

Renaming of Nova Vita



Sorrento Centre NewsNew Board MembersWe would like to announce the appointment of three new members to the Sorrento Centre Board of Directors. Please join us in welcoming Jeanette Scott of Powell River, BC, Joanne Neal of Edmonton, AB, and Fred Gailus of Squamish, BC. We give special thanks to outgoing Board Members Colin Millar, Mark Perrin and Peter Zimmer, who have now completed their six-year terms as board members. They have all given Sorrento Centre steadfast and conscientious service during their terms.

Sabbatical CentreA major new initiative at Sorrento Centre this year has been the creation of a sabbatical centre. This will run from September through May each year and is designed for writers, artists, clergy, academics and other professionals. They will occupy apartments, suites and cabanas

during this period. A special provision of the Centre will allow for graduate students to come and write their dissertations and theses here.

This year we have been piloting the program. In March we had our first sabbaticant stay in the Nova Vita suite. Dr. Gail Allan is the Ecumenical and Interfaith Officer for the United Church of Canada. In May our first graduate student arrived. Victoria Arrandale is a Junior Fellow at Massey College in the University of Toronto. She is writing the last chapter of her doctoral dissertation here in Occupational Health, and staying in a Cabana renovated to serve as our first “Dissertation Cottage”.

The Sabbatical Centre is a major new initiative. It lays the foundation for a community of reflective practice in fall, winter and spring. It also “lowers the drawbridge” to writers, artists, clergy, academics, graduate students and other professionals who may never have been here before. The Sabbatical Centre celebrates and supports the practice of Sabbath in a world where we are constantly asking each other to do more with less.The ’‘dissertation cottage” a.k.a Cabana #1

“Mexican Fiesta” FundraiserOn Saturday May 7th (a few days late for “Cinco de Mayo”) a group of Sorrento Centre Staff and volunteers led by Darlene Jabour put on a “Mexican Fiesta” dinner as a fundraiser for a local family whose home in Sorrento recently burned down. The dining room was transformed into a Mexican cantina and Mexican food was served. The event raised over $1000 for the family. Thanks to everyone who participated in the fiesta.

Below left, Associate volunteers David and Joy Thompson selling tickets and below right, the dining room transformed.



SYS Leadership ReportBy Melissa Green

The Leadership Team for the 2011 summer season is already a month into their time at Sorrento Centre. Melissa Green is back as the Summer Staff Coordinator, Dakota Tranter returning as the Day Camp Coordinator, and after a year away Cameron Gutjahr is back as the Children and Youth Program Coordinator! The preparations are under way and we’re all getting excited for the coming summer.

The Leadership Team has just arrived back from Common Ground 2011, a Canadian Ecumenical Youth Ministry Forum where the team participated in worship, many workshops, and much networking with folks who share a passion for youth ministry. We came back with new and fresh ideas ready to tackle the summer days of programming!

Our Summer Youth Staff Team has been hired and we are anticipating the arrival of seventeen young people to join us at Sorrento Centre for the summer. They will live in community, build amazing friendships, and work hard in Children and Youth Programming, Housekeeping, Grounds and Maintenance, and the Kitchen. Please keep the SYS team in your prayers as they prepare to arrive for the summer and then venture into life at Sorrento Centre.

Our Children and Youth Program this year has us all excited! The program is ready and we’ve just finished trying out all the crafts and activities in anticipation for your arrival.

o Our Infant Program group (ages 0-4) will be exploring God through the many colours of the rainbow while engaging in activities that use many of our senses.

o The Children’s Program group (ages 5-13) will be exploring the Superhero within themselves as they venture into the lives of some of the Superheroes in the Bible. The week is filled with superpowers, crafts, games, stories, dramas, and lots of time outside.

o The Generation Next Program group (ages 14-18) will be asking themselves the five questions (who, what, where, when, why) in hopes to discover more about God and their personal relationship with God. This will be done through conversation, hands on activities, team building, and much laughter!

We hope to see you all this summer and share with you in programming, worship, and lots of fun and laughter.

Melissa Green, Cameron Gutjahr and Dakota Tranter

Young Sojourners WeekendForty-two young people joined us for the Young Sojourners Weekend, held just after the Associates’ Spring Work/Study Week. They worked on a variety of projects on-site and still had time for fun, friendship and fellowship! Here are some pictures from the weekend.


Sorrento Centre Summer Spring, 2011

By Dave Wides

Summer is once again making its way to Sorrento. Our spring has been cooler and wetter than average, but we are expecting a hot summer. The Sorrento Centre Farm is once again filled with a wide variety of crops in anticipation of the abundance to come.

There has been lots of activity on the farm this spring. We have hosted youth groups, led farm tours and are gearing up to begin our Sharing the Abundance Program within the Sorrento community. We have also created a new sitting area on the farm, hung a new farm gate, planted willow trees and installed a solar panel to power our electric fence.

Thanks to the addition of our new tractor we have been able to expand our growing field by about 40 percent this season. This will allow us to grow more of our traditional garden favorites, but also will allow us to add some new crops to our field. These include garlic, dry beans, asparagus, flowers, crops grown specifically for collecting the seed, rainbow colored corn and rye grain.

We are focused on crop diversity on the Sorrento Centre Farm because diversity ensures abundance. What I mean by this is that if one crop has a poor year, there are plenty of other crops that will have a good year. We are not relying too heavily on any single crop on our farm instead we plant many different crops and increase our potential for abundance.

This year we are growing a wide range of heirloom vegetables on the farm. This includes blue, pink, red and yellow potatoes- orange, pink and red slicing tomatoes, yellow pear tomatoes and orange cherry tomatoes- a huge range of lettuce types- white, brown, yellow, red and miniature peppers- purple, yellow and green beans. These are a few of the exciting and colorful crops we can expect this year at Sorrento Centre.

In addition to our vegetable crops we are expecting plenty of strawberries this year at Sorrento Centre. Our raspberry plants are lush and sending up lots of new shoots, which will provide a wealth of fruit for next year. We have planted a second row of thornless blackberries and our grapes survived the winter and are sending out new vines this spring.

As the Sorrento Centre Farm enters its second growing year, I am excited to share the good news that the farm is poised to have another year of abundance. Please join us on a farm tour during your next visit to the Centre and look for the fresh produce in our dining room.

I want to extend a special thank you to Ray Simpson and the participants in the Associates’ Spring Work/Study Week who held a special Rogation prayer service to bless the farm. Thank you all for your support. I look forward to seeing you on the farm!

Farmer Dave


Notes from the Sorrento Farm

sorrento scenario - summer 2011 newsletter

Spiritual

sorrento centre farm

sorrento centre box

sorrento centre summer

sorrento centre newsnew

sorrento centreover

sorrento centrehas

centre property

thatsorrento centre