Merry Christmas!

May you and your family all have a wonderful and safe Christmas tonight!

2013 Calendar

Looking for the perfect gift for your fellow Duffielder?  Want to make one more year-end donation to your favorite camp and retreat center?  Now you can do both at once! 

For just $20, you can get a 2013 wall calendar, complete with photographs of picturesque Camp Duffield.  All proceeds go to Duffield Inc.  Contact your local Duffield board member for more details, or send us an e-mail at campduffield@gmail.com to get your calendar before the new year!

Bowling Bash

Next week, is our third Bowling Bash!  Please let us know by Sunday Oct. 14 if you plan on attending so that we can make sure we have enough lanes for everyone to be able to jump in on the fun right away!

Sunday, October 21, 2012
2-4pm
At Tonawanda Bowling Center

574 Young Street

Tonawanda, NY 14150

$15 per ticket includes:

• 2 hours of bowling
• Shoe Rental
• Pizza
• Pop

Tickets now on sale!

Contact Duffield at 683-0523 or Tonawanda Bowling Center at 694-4120 for more information!

Work Day Saturday

We are closing the camp on Saturday, October 13th.  Please help us out!  Here's a list of jobs that we'll be working on:

1. Tree cutting and delivery
2. Wood splitting at Keeler
3. Wood stacking and delivery
4. Removal of concrete floor in maintenance building
5. Placement of stone in maintenance building
6. Clearing waterfront area
7. Erecting signage at waterfront
8. Removal and relocation of canoes, boats, etc.
9. Cover potholes
10. Remove tetherballs, nets
11. Close Janeway for winter
12. Prepare and serve lunch
13. Waterproof decks and benches
14. Replace roof on Cabin 2
15. Remove large tree from main gate area
16. Set power pole behind Betty Brown
17. Remove large marked tree by Keeler parking lot

Please let Chet know if you're planning on attending, so that he knows how much food to make for lunch.  Please e-mail Chet at Chetseymour@msn.com or call him at 716.662.5593 or try his cell at 716.863.7623.

Successful Retreats!

Thanks to all who came out for the Men's and Women's Retreats! A great time was had by all. The women were very appreciative to the men for stacking firewood at Janeway so that we could stay cozy with the wood stove.
Pictures of the women's retreat, can be found at https://plus.google.com/photos/108673574174366983425/albums/5797050762918344737

Pictures from the men's retreat will be coming soon.

Fall Men's retreat

The 3rd annual Men's retreat will be held at Camp Duffield from September 21st-23rd. The purpose of the retreat is to give all men an invitation to a weekend of fellowship, worship, and education to add Direction to their lives. Direction to more intimately walk with God, lead their families, and endure the struggles of life. The cost is $90 for the weekend. More information on the brochure.

Registration form available at campduffield.org/doc/2012MensFallRegistration.doc

For more information contact Robert Riehle (716) 912-0249 or Daniel Stahl (716) 655-3349, or dstahl1@roadrunner.com

Science Camp starts today

Science Camp begins today, and runs until the end of the week. For more details see campduffield.org/2012/science.htm

Betty Brown update

For those of you who contributed labor, money or materials you will be happy to know that the Betty Brown Lodge has been returned to service. The project involved replacing two large sections of floor, restoring the plumbing, removing the creature inhabited walls, painting inside and out and creating beds for the bedrooms. The building was put back into use for Lancaster Presbyterian male staff in June. The falling down chimney was also removed and a new front door was installed. We still need to block up the chimney hole and install wood burning stove for late Fall and early Spring rentals. The restoration provides five more beds to help us meet the space requirements for larger church groups.

Thanks to those who helped on the work day

We would like to thank those who spent last Saturday helping to improve Camp Duffield. The work day was a great success, and has gotten us ready for another summer of camps. View more pictures from the work day.

Brisket and Basket fundraiser on May 5th

Please join us for a brisket dinner, and a silent basket auction on Saturday May 5th, at Orchard Park Presbyterian Church. Doors open at 5, with dinner at 6. Cost is $25 a ticket, or $40 for a pair. For reservations call Megan at 716-676-5061.

“Meet the Camp” Open House on June 3rd

On Sunday June 3rd, 2012 from 1pm-5pm, Duffield Camp and Retreat Center in Delevan, NY will be holding a “Meet the Camp” Open House.

Come to Camp Duffield in on June 3rd between the hours of 1pm and 5pm to learn about a beautiful facility that provides a meaningful camping experience right here in Western NY!

The event will include tours of the facilities, information sessions, lunch and a bonfire.

Duffield Camp and Retreat Center is a 130 acre camping facility located in Delevan, New York. Duffield offers children’s camps in the summer and is available for rental groups year-round. Located at 11740 Worden Rd. Delevan, New York it is just a short drive south of Buffalo. Visit our website campduffield.org to view a map and get directions.

Contact Vanessa Patrone for more information by phone: (716)560-3769 or email: vanessa.patrone@gmail.com

March 18th Bowling Bash

Bowling Bash to benefit Camp Duffield on Sunday March 18th at the Tonawanda Bowling Center. $15 ticket includes two hours of bowling, shoe rental, and pizza and pop. Tickets on sale now. Contact Duffield at 716-683-0523 or Tonawanda Bowling Center at 716-694-4120.

For more details please see the flyer.

Painting at Duffield

Remember the questions in this Christmas carol?

Said the night wind to the little lamb,
Do you see what I see
Way up in the sky little lamb,
Do you see what I see?

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,
Do you hear what I hear
Ringing through the sky shepherd boy,
Do you hear what I hear?

Even a painter can run into the questions of this carol, as I discovered.

It was a beautiful Spring day, great for painting. I headed for Camp Duffield. When you look for a scene to paint, there has to be a spark, a reason for wanting to paint it in the first place. After looking around I saw possibilities in this location and got to work.

I particularly enjoyed designing this scene with the sum casting shadows on this road going up the hill and bending out of sight. I had to work quickly, remembering that the sun will keep moving. I was really having fun. That's a good sign. Then after about two hours I stopped. In painting you have to know when to stop.

It was time to step back and see how I was doing. Some parts you like and some could have been better. And then after you are packed up you may size up the painting again. It is then that the painting may say something to you that was far from your mind as you painted. That was the case with this water-color sketch. And that is what I want to share with you.

I saw the road curving up the hill and turning out of sight. And I heard the refrain of this carol, "Do you see what I see?" I looked again and I saw a message about my life. Your life and that of everyone is like that dirt road. No one can see what lies ahead around the bend. And the painting said, "But Jesus can. He came to guide your life now."

And then I looked again at the dirt road. I had been pleased with the effect of the shadows. But now as I took in the road, I heard the next refrain of the carol, "Do you heard what I hear?" I did more than examine how well or not I had put in the shadows. I heard Christ's irresistible invitation first heard by the brothers, Peter and Andrew. I was hearing the Great Invitation, "Come and walk with me and let me bring something new into your life."

There is of course a third refrain, "Do you know what I know?" And I was pleased to realize I have the assurance that I know the Gift of Christ! I was also thinking what a wonderful place to have such an encounter with Jesus. Many, many boys and girls who shared in our Church Camp at Duffield over the years, if asked, "Do you know what I know?" would emphatically answer, "Yes, I saw what you saw. I heard what you heard. I know what you know, and I heard it in our Church Camp at Camp Duffield."

- Dick and Anna Rettew