Summer Days are Camping Days (Page 1)

Presbyterian Church Archives

Photo Gallery No 10 :

"Summer Days are Camping Days"

Our Summer Gallery takes a look back at some of the ever popular annual Christmas and Easter Camps and Summer Conferences organised by the Young Men's and Young Women's Bible Class Unions throughout New Zealand.

"Here it is that new friendships are made and old renewed, where happy hours are spent in the fellowship of the sports field, the dining-hall, and the sleeping tent, and where the challenge of the Cross of Christ is presented in the Study Circles and in meetings."

We would value your comments and feedback : pcanzarchives@knoxcollege.ac.nz

Presbyterian Church Archives Research Centre Home Page

Donald Cochrane
Curator of Photographs

1 December 2007

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	Members of the St Paul's Christchurch Young Men's Bible Class on a horse drawn coach on their way to a Christmas camp at Glentui, c.1897-98.
Much quicker but probably far less fun, Young Women's Bible Class members off to an Easter Camp, c. late 1950's.
	The method of transport for most who attended the Summer Youth Conference at Greymouth, Dec 1959 to Jan 1960. Delegates view festively decorated Locomotive AB755 [such decoration being a feature of special West Coast trains] ready to depart for Otira on the first leg of the journey homeward bound.
A number of delegates to the Gisborne Summer Conference in January 1964 chose to fly on a National Airways Corporation DC3.
	Proudly sporting team colours, the St Paul's Christchurch and St John's Wellington Young Men's Bible Class Rugby Teams, taken during a combined Bible Class Union Camp at Titahi Bay, 1901
Over 65 years later, members of the Christchurch District combined Young Men's Bible Classes play a game of rugby at Reese Memorial Camp, Dunsandel. Reese Camp was named after Tom Reese, a leader of the original St. Paul's Christchurch Bible Class, who helped to form the Bible Class Union in 1902. A regular attender and promoter of camps thereafter, he gifted money after his death to purchase the Reese Camp grounds.
	Young Men's Bible Class members displaying teamwork and mutual trust as they toss up then catch a team member falling back down onto a blanket.
A 'walk the balancing pole' exercise while piggy-backing appears to have gone slightly wrong, taken during a team gymnastics exercise at the combined Young Men's and Young Women's Bible Class Easter Camp sports day in the Darfield School grounds, Easter 1964.
	The very overcrowded Girls dorm taken during a Young Women's Bible Class camp at Gore, Jan 1915.
A more orderly dorm room, this time taken during the Christchurch District Young Women's Bible Class Easter camp at Dunsandel in April 1958; the accomodation being provided at the local School.
	Huddled up in tartan rugs, members of the St Paul's Christchurch Young Men's Bible Class at their camp, "Paheha Pah", at Wainoni, Easter 1901. Not to be outdone, the visting St John's members set up their rival camp alongside themed "Chinatown", complete with Chinese paper lanterns. This spirit of friendly competition continued to be a feature of all Bible Class camps. Tom Reese mentioned above is sitting holding a pipe and wearing a lighter coloured rug, slightly to the right of the Cross
Campers at an early Young Men's Bible Class Camp queuing with their enamel mugs and plates at the cook tent, c.1903-10. A 1903 magazine article descibes the meals cooked at such a 'tent village' with 200 campers and visitors sitting down in relays in a large marquee tent for a well cooked dinner. "Too much praise cannot be given to the cook for his untiring efforts. Day and night his range was glowing, and never once did he fail us."
	An onerous task made more bearable when everyone helps out; members of St Paul's Invercargill Young Men's & Young Women's Bible Classes peeling potatoes during a camp at Bluff, 1948
Easter Campers at Reese Memorial Camp Dunsandel preparing a cooked meal under primitive conditions in the very basically appointed cookhouse, c.1964.

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