Silver Maple Camp

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United States
Kingman, KS
Silver Maple Camp

Youth Camps | Family Camps | Teen Retreats
http://www.silvermaplecamp.com/ SMC offers camps for both the youth and whole family.

Mailing Address for registrations and donations:
700 North Sixth, Sterling, KS 67579

Silver Maple Camp exists to provide a camping experience where God is seen, His love is felt, and lives are transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. It is committed to strengthening the body of Christ by building up its campers in a Christ-like setting. Youth camps are for kids ages 9 to 18 with positions for college age and older to help on Staff. Family camp is designed for families of all ages with flexibility in the schedule that allows for each family's needs. In addition to camp sessions, SMC's facilities are available for hosting your personal events, from group retreats to family reunions and weddings. Our mission is to promote the ministry of the church by providing a camp setting that exalts Jesus Christ - a place where people can gather to exercise mind, spirit and body for personal growth through recreation, learning activities, fellowship, Bible study and the worship of our Lord Jesus Christ. From small groups to full congregation outings, SMC can support you in your desire to help your group grow closer to God.

10/30/2026

Teen Retreat is only a couple weeks away!

Cost: $70

This will begin at 7PM on Friday November 13th and end at 11AM on Sunday November 15th and is for those in grades 6-12.

Interested in being an Adult Sponsor? Contact Bruce Dimick

09/03/2026

What crafts do you remember making at Silver Maple?

Some probably went straight home to a refrigerator or bedroom wall, while others may still be tucked away in a box somewhere.

What were your favorites? Were there certain crafts that seemed to come back every year, or ones that were unique to a particular session or era?

If you still have something you made at camp, post a photo of it! And if you remember approximately what year or session it came from, even better.

We’d also love to hear from anyone who helped lead crafts over the years.

What did you make at Silver Maple?

08/31/2026

Let’s see how far back we can trace the Silver Maple camp T-shirt tradition!

When did camp shirts first become a thing? Were they always different every year or by session? Who designed them? And how many old ones are still hiding in closets and dresser drawers?

Post a photo of a Silver Maple camp shirt and tell us the approximate year and session if you know it.

50 points for posting a photo of a camp shirt.
100 points if it’s a selfie of you wearing it.
1,000 points if yours turns out to be the oldest shirt posted.

Unfortunately, the points are worth absolutely nothing.

We’d love to eventually compile photos of as many Silver Maple shirts as possible and build a visual history of them through the years.

So dig through those closets—who has an old Silver Maple shirt?

PS: IF we could reproduce any of these shirts, would you buy them?

08/31/2026

Registration is now open! https://campscui.active.com/orgs/SilverMapleCampInc?orglink=camps-registration

This is a great way to see your friends from camp and make new friends from other sessions!

Cost: $70

This will begin at 7PM on Friday November 13th and end at 11AM on Sunday November 15th and is for those in grades 6-12.

Interested in being an Adult Sponsor? Contact Bruce Dimick

08/27/2026

When I was a camper, we went twice a day and got a cup of Pepsi and a candy bar. Today, campers visit once a day and choose a drink and snack from the canteen building near the old mess hall.

But how far back does the canteen tradition go?

We’ve heard stories that campers once needed cash or a punch card to get their treats. Does anyone remember how that worked? Better yet — does anyone still have an old Silver Maple canteen punch card?

What do you remember?

- When do you first remember having canteen at camp?
What did you get, and how often?
- Did you use cash, tickets, punch cards, or was it included with camp?
- Where was the canteen located? Was it always on the west side of the lake?
- When did the current canteen building come into use?
- Any favorite canteen memories — or snacks you always looked forward to?

Even an approximate year and session helps us piece the story together.

What do you remember about canteen at Silver Maple?

08/24/2026

What activities do you remember from your years at Silver Maple?

We remember talent shows, scavenger hunts, noodle fights, softball, lake activities, and plenty of things that probably changed from session to session and decade to decade.

What were the activities you looked forward to every year? Were there games or traditions your session was known for? Did something only happen for a few years and then disappear?

If you can, include the approximate year and session. We’d especially love to hear about activities from the earlier decades that may have been forgotten.

What did you do for fun at Silver Maple?

08/20/2026

Early Session had a late night scare with weather this year-2026!
So thankful for the STORM SHELTER!

08/20/2026

If you were a camper at Silver Maple, who do you remember as your counselor?

Tag them if they’re on Facebook, and include the year or approximate years and session if you remember.

If you were a counselor yourself, tell us what years and sessions you served and who you remember counseling with.

Even approximate dates are helpful. We’re hoping to build a better record of the many counselors who helped make camp what it was.

So…who was your counselor? Let's see if we can list any counselor who was ever at camp!

08/18/2026

For our next Silver Maple history post, we want to document the changing history of the lake.

The lake has always been one of the centerpieces of camp, but what campers could do there, and what the shoreline looked like, changed quite a bit over the years.

We would love your help putting dates and names to some of these memories:

• The island: When was it first developed for use by campers? What was it used for over the years? Some of us remember singing or devotionals out there — sometimes what felt like the middle of the night.

• At some point, the old wood-timber retaining wall around the lake and island was replaced with the concrete wall that exists today. When did that project happen? Were there other major changes to the island at the same time?

• The swing: Where exactly was it, what years was it there, and does anyone have a photograph of it?

• The floating dock: When was it added? How long was it there? And how many of you remember playing King of the Dock?

• The inflatable alligator: Does anyone else remember the big floating alligator? Our recollection is that it may have lasted only a year or so before the lake trampoline arrived. Who remembers what year that was?

• The lake trampoline: When was it first added, and what other floating toys or water equipment came and went over the years?

We are also trying to understand the history of fishing at Silver Maple.

Many early campers remember fishing in the big lake. At some point, however, the lake was leased to a fish hatchery and campers could no longer fish there. A smaller fishing pond was later established.

Do you remember:

• When fishing in the big lake stopped?
• Who operated the fish hatchery or how that arrangement began?
• When the smaller fishing pond was built?
• Whether there were years when campers had to go offsite to fish?
• What kinds of fish people caught in the early years?

And, of course, we would love to document:

• Swimming areas and docks
• Diving boards
• Lifeguards
• Baptisms in the lake
• Fishing traditions
• Waterfront rules that changed over the years

Please include an approximate year or decade whenever you can. Even “it was there when I came in 1984” or “the concrete wall was already there by 1995” helps us build a timeline.

And keep the old photos coming. We would especially love to find pictures of the island before the concrete wall, the tire swing, floating dock, inflatable alligator, fishing, or the early waterfront.

Help us piece together the history of the lake — and somebody out there has to have a picture of that swing!

08/16/2026

For our next piece of Silver Maple history, we want to learn more about the old chapel on the hill.

Many generations of campers remember that little building, but we have surprisingly little documented about its history.

Can you help us answer some of these questions?

• When was the chapel built?
• Who built it? We assume much of the work was probably done by volunteers and supporting congregations, but we would love to identify the people involved.
• When was it demolished or removed?
• Were there major repairs, additions, or changes made to it over the years?
• The chapel was filled with an assortment of old, mismatched church pews. Does anyone remember where those pews came from? Were they donated by particular congregations?

And, of course, what do you remember happening there?

Classes, devotionals, singing, late-night talks, baptisms, weddings, pranks, important decisions, or just the sound and feel of everyone packed into those old pews—we would like to preserve those memories too.

If you have an old photograph of the chapel, especially one that might help us date changes to the building, please post it in the comments and tell us approximately when it was taken.

When possible, please include an approximate year or decade with your answer. Even “early 1970s” or “I remember it being there in 1965” can help us establish a timeline.

The buildings at Silver Maple have changed a great deal over the years, but places like the old chapel were part of the camp experience for generations. Help us get its story written down before those details are lost.

Address

4817 SE 100 Street
Kingman, KS
67068

Website

http://www.silvermaplecamp.com/

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