70 Years (Plus a Peek at the 75th!)

By Michael Brown, President

This year marks our 70th anniversary. It’s always fun to look back at the wonderful traditions, incredible people, and exceptional experiences that have played an important part in countless lives over the decades since that first, simple summer camp season in 1955. We hope you can join us at one (or more!) of our many programs throughout the year as we celebrate this milestone. 

The winter months are a great reminder of just how much things have evolved since those early days. Far from an “off season” at the A/U Ranches, we saw a steady stream of community-building activities, from our Bible Study program to a full-capacity Christmas Camp. 

And winter has always been busy for DiscoveryBound (DB). The DB National Leadership Council’s All Class Retreat in January was an inspiring celebration of graduating teens’ achievements over four years as well as an important time for the NLC classes to strengthen their connections with each other. It also allowed us to play host to directors from all six Christian Science camps and share the fruits of this impactful program. 

DB Outreach brought together teens, families, and adults in several successful events this winter. These included mountain weekends in Massachusetts and Colorado for individuals of every age, teen getaways, 20s/30s gatherings, a sell-out adult program at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, and ongoing virtual watercolor classes, book clubs, and online gaming for kids. The final retreat for our DB Compass 2024-2025 group in Colorado Springs yielded proof of the positive effect of long-term, intentional programming on teens’ practice of Christian Science. 

Back at the A/U Ranches, the 100 Elk Outdoor Center continued its work of “revealing the possibilities within” during the fall and spring for schools seeking outdoor education, leadership learning, and teambuilding for their students. 

The Next Five Years

Similar to the way our programs are designed to encourage participants to embrace their unlimited possibilities, we believe that this age calls us to be and do more. In fact, Adventure Unlimited is positioning for remarkable growth. The five-year scope of our strategic plan, Adventure Unlimited 2030, takes us to our 75th anniversary. We are laser-focused on preparing to launch into the next 75 years, serving the cause of Christian Science and reaching even more people with life-changing spiritual growth through joyful adventures in new and exciting ways, all year long. 

Part of this strategy centers around being the best partner we can to other organizations within and alongside the Christian Science community. There’s much agreement among these entities that serving this community takes all of us. So to help facilitate this increasingly open partnership, we’ve made a few changes, including the board of trustees shifting my title from Executive Director to President, which you may have already noticed in this article’s byline. This change is intended to represent the importance of our mission and the forward-looking nature of our plans. I am excited to embrace this expanded role.

We are also doubling down on our commitment to bring fantastic experiences to participants of all ages. We’ll be investing in our facilities at the A/U Ranches to make them more user-friendly for adults and youth campers alike. And we’re introducing more opportunities for adults to unite together throughout the year, virtually and in person, to find meaningful connections around areas of common interest. We also want to make sure that you – our alumni – wherever you are in your practice, as well as participants who are new to Christian Science, all feel welcome and embraced in our community. 

It’s an exciting time at Adventure Unlimited, and we are so grateful for you and your partnership. We can’t wait to see you soon!