Alumni Notes

If you've ever been to Tay Valley Bible Camp as a summer camper, weekend camper, willing hands worker, staff member or parent, we'd love to stay in touch! Do you have camp memories, funny stories, or important moments at Tay Valley that you'd like to share?

at (tayvalley@gmail.com), and we'll put them here on the web site! If you have a favorite camp photo, be sure to send it also.

Memories of Tay Valley Bible Camp...

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The summer 2002 was a blast! I'd like to share a story of one of the most memorable nights as a Junior staffer....

It was junior camp, and my friends Janessa, Meagen, and I had a plan. We were part of the teen staff, and we wanted to give the juniors a "great" night. Yep, you gessed it. We pranked 'em!

Early into the night, when the juniors had just gotten into their pjs in their cabins, we decided to pay them a "visit". We crept into the gym, and walked to the Gamesroom (the room under their cabin). To start off the night, we took an old broom handle, and tapped the bottom step (the steps we tapped were the ones that led up to their cabin). Then the second step, and the third. We made it sound as if someone was coming up the stairs. Then we stopped, the girls were screaming. *GOOD WORK SO FAR - we thought* After the steps, came chains. We dragged chains slowly up and down the Gamesroom floor. (I was even a bit creeped out by the sound). We continued making noises down in the Gamesroom, until the counselor of the girls hollered "Who's down there!?". We quickly shot out of the gym doors, trying to be quiet. And, we were off. MISSION COMPLETE... Little did we know, it wasn't over.

The week passed by, with lots of fun, and we thought we were off the hook. When friday night came, we were planning to "get" the boys. But, Jayne (Sr. staff who overheard us talking) said it wasn't a good idea (she was only making sure we were in our beds, for what was to happen to us). We were bummed. We really wanted to get the guys, but deciding to be good, we went to our cabin (the stone house). We tucked ourselves in, and we were what you could call it "semi-awake". When we heard noises downstairs... and on the porch... and in OUR CLOSET... we were scared for a few minutes, until we reflected back to earlier in the night, when we had pranked the juniors. So we yelled stuff to the noises. "We know you are just pranking us!!... We know it's not real!!!..." We also quoted bible verses. It was pretty funny. We were tempted to go out on the porch, but we didn't.. and GOOD thing. Because the next day, Jim told me about what they (Jim, Rob, and Tim) did, and said they had it set up that if we had've gone out on the porch, we would've been DRENCHED!!!!! Now I just can't wait 'till next year to get 'em back!!!!!!

  - Cheryl Gillmor,
Teen Camper and Junior Staffer/Dining Hall, 2002/03

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Going way back....

 
 
 

  - George Spaulding - Staff during 60's & early 70's

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I was a camper at Tay Valley from 1969 through the late 70's. I have many happy memories of camp! One of my most favourite memories of Tay Valley was when we (Teen Camp, late 70's) went on an overnight hike to Tay Falls. We crossed the Tay River and hiked 5 or so miles along an aged, overgrown logging road to an old farm where we would spend the night camping in the farmer's field. We cooked our evening meal around a campfire, sang and praised God, giving personal testimonies, etc., late into the night. We eventually settled into our sleeping bags under the stars, the boys at one end of the field, the girls on the other. Sometime in the night it started to rain and our leaders had us quickly move our gear to a barn where we slept (or tried to) in the hayloft - what fun for a bunch of city girls! It was around 4am that the roosters high up on the beams began to crow time and time again. It was a hoot!

  - Jayne Vandenberghe   Kitchen staff, 2001/05

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A Prayer For A Friend