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“Camp is where you unload the sad and fill up on the happy,” said one camper who has now returned to Camp Francis as a teen volunteer. Camp Francis is a unique healing experience for grieving children ages 6 to 12 and is held annually at Camp Rotary. Camp Rotary hosts more than 800 children each year though various community organizations such as 4-H, camps for children of incarcerated parents, children in foster homes, and those that have lost a loved one, to name a few. Access to camp provides children with an excellent educational experience and for many may be the only positive experience they have that summer. The idea for Camp Rotary began soon after the Rotarians started the Club of Great Falls in 1917. The Rotary Club and the US Forest Service chose a 4.5 acre site in the Lewis and Clark Forest, five miles south of Monarch. This has become the oldest continuous special use permit with the U.S. Forest Service. Initial Camp facilities were the Main Lodge, with a large kitchen and meeting room and outhouse bathroom facilities. Eight small cabins, each sleeping ten to twelve campers, were built off-site and moved to Camp Rotary in the 1950's. The camp had a 20 by 80 foot wooden swimming pool, constructed in 1930 and updated in 1950 with a filter and chlorine system, but was filled in when health regulations could not be met in the late 1970’s. Since initial construction of Camp Rotary, many upgrades have taken place, and more are in the works. A 500 square foot covered, open air pavilion was completed in 2005 with over 900 hours volunteered by Rotarians. More recently, with the help of the Malmstrom AFB Red Horse Squadron a new sewer and septic system was installed in preparation for the construction of a new Bath House. During the summer of 2008, the foundation and plumbing was installed for the new Bath House with construction projected to be completed the summer of 2009. Additionally, the Bath House will be fully handicap accessible. As a result of an internal club planning process and survey results from users of the camp, the Rotary Club of Great Falls is embarking on a long -range strategic plan for continued improvements at the Camp. Future projects include rehabilitating the lodge, updating sleeping cabins, and adding outdoor recreation areas. Each year, Rotary Club members participate in a work parties to do necessary maintenance and improvements to the camp facilities. Camp users also donate their time and energy each spring to clean the cabins and prepare for the camping season. A minimal per camper fee for non-profit organizations is charged, allowing groups with small budgets to provide affordable camping experiences. Income from camp users is not adequate to cover normal expenses for operation and maintenance. Rotary Club members donate the remaining required cost of camp operations. To aid in the upkeep, maintenance and improvement of the camp, the Rotary Club conducts an annual fundraiser concert, The Harvest Howl. To date, Harvest Howl has raised over $100,000 for the camp. Camp Rotary has fulfilled the intended 1920 dream and continues to be a retreat, a joy and source of future memories for hundreds of children. The Rotary Club of Great Falls is proud to sponsor this worthwhile camp to benefit children in North Central Montana. |