6-decade tradition coming to an end
‘Probably our last year for Vacation Bible School,’ church council official says
The annual Vacation Bible School run by the Saugerties Council of Churches appears to be coming to an end after more than six decades.
“This is probably our last year for Vacation Bible School,” council Treasurer Margaret Todd said at Monday’s Village Board meeting.
Todd said enrollment has been declining for several years. The 61-year-old program peaked at 185 children but last year had only 47, she said.
“We found that the recreation program here in Saugerties ... has so many kids because parents need day care for their kids during the summer months,” she said.
“It use to be [that] every four years, it would go from church to church,” Todd said. “It would go from the Methodist church, Catholic church, the Reformed church, the Lutheran church, and now we’re down to two churches that will host it.”
This year’s Vacation Bible
School is to be held July 24 to 28, from 9 a.m. to noon each day, at the Atonement Lutheran Church, 100 Market
St. There is no cost for the families of participating students.
The Village Board on Monday approved the council’s annual Vacation Bible School parade, in which students and teachers participate. The parade to
be held starting at 7 p.m. July 27.
The parade will start ay the Atonement Lutheran Church, then proceed to Main Street , Washington Avenue, Lafayette Street and back to Market Street.
Todd said about 50 volunteers
work to plan the weeklong summer program.
“I start working this in January and don’t get done with it until August,” she said. “We have teachers for children [4 years old] to sixth grade,” she said. “We have teachers every
grade, and there’s a lot of young folks who come primarily from the Flatbush Reformed Church to volunteer . ... They’re teachers’ aides. They help with snacks, they help with crafts and anything they’re asked to do.”