Our District Camp for All Ages

DEBENNEVILLE PINES CAMP:

A mountain retreat owned by the congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Pacific South West District (PSWD) since 1961 and managed by a volunteer board of directors, de Benneville Pines (www.uucamp.org) maintains and operates a 17-acre recreational facility. Societies and other groups may lease all or a part of the premises. Individuals may register for any of the camp-sponsored events held throughout the year, especially on holiday weekends. Self-contained retreat cabins with kitchen and living room are available for small groups, such as board retreats. 

Located at 6,800 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains, de Benneville is about a two-hour drive from Los Angeles. Open all year, it offers snow camps as well as summer camps. A variety of programs cater to such groups as families, singles, adults, youth, and children. There is a swimming pool available in the summer and a hot tub year round. Cabins are heated, and a main lodge serves as dining hall, meeting room, theater, and dance facility. A new retreat cabin, with its own kitchen and meeting room, can be rented separately. 

We hold a wide range of weekend and week long programs for youth, young adults and families at the Camp. It is also a great place for congregations to hold all-church camps; a number of congregations hold such camps either alone or with other congregations each year. There are also a wide range of adult weekends on personal growth, political issues, and spiritual exploration. 

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Youth Camps

The Pacific South West District (PSWD) sponsors six youth camps each year at Camp de Benneville Pines, our beautiful UU mountain retreat center in the San Bernardino Mountains. There are three winter and three summer youth camps, and we welcome campers in elementary, middle, and high school. 

We also run a very successful counselor-in-training program for youth aged 15+ during the summer week-long elementary camp. 

Camp isn't just a week - it's a lifetime.

Mission statement for the PSWD YoUUth Camps:

Our YoUUth Camps mission is to create an evolving, diverse community that encourages the exploration of Unitarian Universalist values through events and programming that enrich mind, body and soul. Our hope is that our youth will leave camp transformed and empowered to change the world.

We will achieve this through:

Spirituality and Worship

• Exploration of different spiritual practices
• Empowering youth led and planned worship
• Including UU values in all camp programming
• Using music to express spiritual values
• Create quality worship
• Spirituality infused throughout the camp, not just during worship

Transformational Education

• Teach our UU traditions, history, and methods for articulating our faith (UU Factoids!!!)
• Profound experiences (e.g. brown eyes/ blue eyes)
• Practice UU values

Community and Leadership

• Actively pursuing the participation of diverse groups at camp (e.g. interfaith/ intercultural)
• Amply train those in leadership roles
• Nurture future leaders and new campers
• Foster connections with UU congregations
• Appropriate community
• Teach that social justice begins with how we treat one another
• Teach campers of all ages how to articulate their faith

Events and Programming

• Provide engaging music, art, multicultural festivals which ushers in diversity to our community
• Programming grounded in UU values
• Offer a variety for all involvement levels (i.e. progressive) beginner -> advanced)
• Stress the ethic of participation

Social Action and Outreach

• Accessible camp (handicapped, economic, and transportation)
• Anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and multi-cultural programs
• Opportunities at camp (service projects), sign ups for down the hill projects and organizations
• Guest speakers to bring in professional/experienced knowledge