Why Mt Tremper Outdoor Ministries at Camp Herrlich is a Family Business

I would greatly appreciate your taking a few minutes to read this very long missive. #campchangeslives @campherrlich #campherrlich https://www.instagram.com/campherrlich/

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We seem, at times, to go out of our way to explain why Mt. Tremper Outdoor Ministries, Inc. is not a family business…that it isn’t about the Haar family or any of the other Family’s that are involved…and I think this is incorrect.

 I believe that we should embrace the label of MTOM as a ‘Family Business’…it’s who we are; it’s what we are in the deepest sense of the words. To those who might need to know who and what MTOM is today, this is my explanation:

 Harold Haar had a dream. As founder of Mt. Tremper Outdoor Ministries, he believed in the value of teaching children about themselves and others in an atmosphere of caring and love, of fun and freedom, of morality and Christianity, of acceptance and kindness. He shared this idea with his family and his close friends. They believed in his idea…that by bringing children close to nature in a camp setting, and by adding together children of different socio-economic backgrounds along with counselors and program leaders from all walks of life and from around the world, that the children would learn from modeled, positive behavior. They would learn about themselves: that they are valuable, creative, fun-loving people, capable of sharing their innermost feelings, their ideas, and their dreams. They would learn about other children: that they all love to laugh, to sing, to play, and to grow despite the differences in the color of their skin, the way they speak, or where they live. And that they would learn about the world: that people can all get along together, that we all want love and to be accepted and that it really is a small world.

 Harold’s vision created MTOM, first in the guise of Mt. Tremper Lutheran Camp and then in the form of Camp Wilbur Herrlich– his heart gave it out to the world to become whatever it would, just as a parent prepares their child by giving him or her all of their knowledge, beliefs and gifts and then sends them out into the world. And a wonderful thing happened. The Norris family joined Harold’s family right from the beginning, along with the Morecraft family and the Van Derzee family and then more and more families joined the mission.

In 1979, MTOM brought its mission to Camp Herrlich, a camp that had been established long ago by the Inner Mission Society to serve children. MTOM brought a new energy to Camp Herrlich through the people who worked here and played here, basing their activities on the foundation of Harold’s beliefs, and attracting other people who believed in the same things…that by living their lives based on strong values and principles, they could bring change to the world…that they could make a difference in the world…one child at a time.

 People came to Camp Herrlich: with their church youth group for a retreat weekend, with their school class to study environmental education, with their scout troop to do a community project, with their women’s group to relax and re-energize their spirit, with their men’s group to learn a better way to make choices in life, with their boys or girls club to discover summer camping in the woods and fields and lake, in their school leadership program that encourages them to find their inner strengths, and in their after-school program that requires that children are well behaved and respectful of each other.

 And their lives were changed…because the minute they stepped onto the grounds of Camp Herrlich or into a CWH program they were accepted as family… they were introduced to other individuals and treated with respect…they were expected to treat others as they wanted to be treated…they were measured by what they put out to the world…and they received kindness and love in return.

 And for many of the hundreds of people who have been touched by the Camp Herrlich family spirit of love and grace, their lives have been forever changed…..

 So, the staff and the board and the community of Camp Herrlich followers and workers are a family. It is not to be denied – it ought be embraced…because the foundation of values and beliefs that sent the camp out into the world to touch the lives of children is alive and flourishing today because of the hundreds of people who have willingly joined this family…to offer their gifts of time, talent and treasure to the many children and families that the Camp serves.

And when the Camp seems threatened, it is no wonder that the next generation of the Haar family and the Norris family and other families are sitting at the Board table working to preserve the mission of MTOM, with a third generation offering up their support underneath us all. Do we need to apologize for our number? I don’t think so at all.

 Look at the rest of the people who are sitting at the table with us, and working beside us. Our friends, our neighbors, our former campers, our co-workers, their children, their friends, their neighbors, and so many new faces of people who have joined this mission because it serves their dreams, their goals, and their beliefs. MTOM is not about the people at the table, it is only about what we can do together to make a difference in the lives of children and to improve the condition of the greater, global world that we are all a part of and to which we have the ultimate responsibility. - Patti Haar (1/24/2004)

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Today: Currently we are also fund raising to finish paying for the construction of our new retreat and learning center (pictured above) and the furnishings we need for it. We are about $200,000 short on the construction side and still need about $21,000 for the furnishings. We have a mortgage to cover the construction, but are looking to pay off early to avoid both interest and financing charges coming from our general fund. You can donate on our website here or directly on our Facebook Page. The camp is a 501-C3 nonprofit organization – and all donations are tax deductible.

You can learn about us by Searching for the "Camp Herrlich Documentary" on YouTube or from the camp’s website.  You can also follow us on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

Any help you and your colleagues can provide would be greatly appreciated. Please don’t hesitate to contact me privately if you have any questions.