Talk of ending the Saugerties Council of Church’s Vacation Bible School might be premature, say a number of council members.
The council consists of representatives of all the Saugerties churches. They have been running a vacation bible school each year for 61 years.
At its most popular point, more than 180 local kids attended the one-week program. Last year 47 kids took part,
Council treasurer Margaret Todd told Saugerties village officials at a recent meeting that it might be time to wrap the program up.
“We were supposed to have a council meeting this week to talk about the matter,” said Joan Robinson, representative for the Saugerties United Methodist Church. “But we had to cancel it because of the heat.”
The meeting will be rescheduled to when it’s a bit cooler.
The school itself will take place this year from 9 a.m. to noon from June 24 to 28 at the Atonement Lutheran Church.
Robinson talked fondly of the school, saying how most of the kids are dropped off by their grandparents. For many of the kids, “they’ve had not formal religious training” until now.
Each day, the students have a music program and a bible story, and then do crafts and have a small snack. At the end of the week, the students put on a musical program for their parents and grandparents.
“We are taking the program one year at a time,” Robinso said, “and are waiting to see what our enrollment is.”
Bible-school students will parade through the village on July 27 at 7 p.m. if it’s cooler, said Robinson. “Last year we had to cancel the parade because it was too hot.”
The Saugerties police will lead off the parade, which will travel along Main, Market and Lafayette streets and Washington Avenue.
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