Two Finished Chapels

One thing that you find at Episcopal camps and centers are Chapels, spaces that are set aside, for quiet reflective time or loud joyous gatherings of camp communities.  The are both buildings and outside chapels at all of our centers.  Last summer I went to two centers that were in the process of building of Chapels and thought I would fill everyone in on their completions!!!

Grace Point – St. Paul’s Chapel – First Picture, August 9, 2008 – Second Picture June 18, 2009

Valle Crucis Conference Center – St. Anthony’s Chapel – First Picture – August 10, 2008 – Second Picture June 21, 2009

To the North Carolina Mountians, we go

The trip has now taken me to one of the newest Episcopal Centers, Lake Logan Episcopal Center and new home to summer program Camp Henry, located in the Diocese of Western North Carolina.  The site was a former Executive Retreat Center of a major paper company, and became part of the diocese in the early 2000’s.

Above is the photo of the swimming area in Lake Logan and the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains surrounding the lake.

Most of the time on this trip, I make it the centers I am visiting during the week when a summer camp is going on or a retreat/conference group is meeting.  This stop was a Diocesan Picnic and separately organized yet joined in the picnic was a 50th Anniversary of Camp Henry.  Parishes from all over the diocese came to a big potluck, with lake activities available to all!! (Saturday was also the first week of camp, so needless to say the center and summer staff were busy this day )

Also, tucked away on Lake Logan is a place they call Sit ‘n Whittle Village, consisting of a main Lodge and six log mountain cabins moved from the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.  I got to stay in the cabin in the first picture, very nice and next to a brook to fall asleep to.

“Back to the Mountian”

Back to the Tennessee…

Stop #1 -  Dubose Conference Center in Monteagle, TN.  The property, like some other Episcopal centers, started out as a school, back in 1872, it was a varity of instituions. Its final version after World War I,  was DuBose Memorial Church Training School, “to train mature men with professional and business experience for the rural ministry”.  The school closed down and in 1956 was bought by then the one Diocese of Tennessee.  Now is a fully operational Conference and Retreat Center.

Above is Claiborne Hall – Built in the 1920’s, is now one of the main lodging areas of the center.

Camp Gailor-Maxon is the name of the summer camp program at Dubose, and they have a rich history going back to 1936.  One of the neat things they have a the center is a wall dedicated to group shots of youth/summer gatherings.

Stop #2 – St. Mary’s Sewanee – A Center for Spiritual Development in Sewanee, TN.  Located on 230 acres of the Cumberland Plateau, with a peaceful bluff overlook.

Also originally a school, St. Mary’s Preparatory School for Girls—which closed at the end of the 1967-1968, it was run by an order of nuns, The Community of St. Mary (CSM), it is an Episcopal order (yes there are Episcopal Nuns!) that orginated from 1865.  The center is one of the ECCC centers that is non-diocesean, although they have members of the Sewanee School of Theology and Diocese of Tennessee on their Board of Directors.

St. Mary’s Sewanee is now focused on being a Center for Spiritual Development, and hosts a wealth of there own Programs.

Stop #3 – Sewanee University of the South and School for Theology

2,000 miles into the trip…

Hey everyone, I am 2,000 miles, 13 days, and 6 states  into the trip, and am at the 6th stop, Camp McDowell, the Camp and Conference Center in the Diocese of Alabama.  The camp part opened on site in 1948 and like many of the current camps and conference centers, it has added the conference (adult retreat) space.  And much, much more…

And let me take a step back to explain the terrain, they are on 1100+ acres, that they have acquired over the years, of forests, canyons and have a Clear Creek as the call it, a mini-river, that runs through property.  Below is a picture of the swinging bridge, and me on the swinging bridge.

And when I speak of the much more, to put in scale, they have 1300 campers for a summer season, which is excellent!  The other major components of Camp McDowell, are the Conference Center, which hosts ~375 groups a year, and Environmental Center, which host children for outdoor education programs during the school year.  And one of their programs, I hope to go to in the future is their Alabama Folk School – making the lost arts of past times.  Please look at there website about all their programs, they explain it way better than I could.

Above are pictures of the recently finished Chapel of St. Francis, and will let the pictures do the talking…

And wanted to share a cute directional/landmark picture with everyone.

Next Stop, back to Tennessee – a camp and conference center, a retreat center, then a seminary

Next Stop, Memphis, Tennessee

The fifth stop of the face to face journey, was St. Columba Episcopal Center is a 148 acre conference and retreat center located 20 minutes right outside of Memphis, Tennessee.  Opening in the late 1970’s with one of there main lodges & kitchen/dining hall built in 1981.

St. Francis Outdoor Chapel

There is a 5 acre lake on property, and they do have a 50 yard slip in slide; and a mud pond play area for recreation for their Episcopal Day Camp during the summer.

And also wanted to show everyone another cool aspect of there center, the day campers have the activity of creek walking getting inner city and suburban city children more into nature at the site.

Next Blog, Alabama here I come…

On a Bluff, no lie, in Arkansas

I had finally made it to my first day of summer camp, this summer, this time at it was at Camp Mitchell Camp and Retreat Center located about 75 minutes from Little Rock, Arkansas.  It is on over 600 forested acres running along the south brow of Petit Jean Mountain with  breathtaking views of scenic Ada Valley and the Arkansas River. It was established at this location in 1946 although summer programming started in the diocese in the 1930’s.

One thing in common with our Episcopal Centers is Chapels…Dedicated in 1955, this is an open air chapel that is built on the bluff and hopefully these pictures will do justice. and remember this is a summer camp, so pardon the BCP and paper on the floor…

The last picture I want to show and talk about to everyone is Camp Mitchell’s Enviromental Stewardship.  not only to the compost foot from meals and have a small garden, but they also just completed a major contruction project.  In short they build a Geothermal Heated & Cooled Cabin – Seibert Family Cabin, that was built with enviromentally sound procdures and supplies.  And not only is it enviromental it is also cost effective, the electricity bill for the cabin for May, was $42!!

This was just a 24 hour stop, next visit, Tennessee.

A Familiar Highway to the Camp in Oklahoma

Third stop was on a familiar road, highway 377.  The center – St. Crispin’s Camp and Conference Center founded in 1960’s In the Diocese of Oklahoma. (the reason I say familiar, is because the camp I grew up in and started ministry in was in Granbury, Texas of highway 377, 240 miles away.  The two state routes connect, small world indeed)

Located on 400 acres of property, it includes two lakes, Upper Lake and Lower Lake (the upper is higher in elevation and fills the lower, via a dam)  As you can see this is where the summer youth canoe.

In the end of 2007, St. Crispin’s finished a two year construction project, which included demolition of an existing lodge, to build the new one.  The new conference center has 22 motel-style rooms with two beds and private bath.  They also built 5 conference room spaces, one with a kitchen (including full refrigerator, stove, oven and ice machine).   In the picture notice how the new part connects to the old part (near my car), they blend in well, I think.

Summer Camp Cabin Zero

The Summer Camp facilities are a stone’s or frisbee’s throw from the Conference Center, and summer lodging is set up in a cirlce like a few camps I have seen.  But what I haven’t seen so far is a cabin with the number “zero”.  They actually build the cabin zero after all the others and the place in the circle just made sense to number zero.  Most unique.

I also got to hang out with the summer staff in training and played the fun game of “Catch Phrase”, if you have not played it I recommend for big group settings.

Home on the Range — Texas

Stop number 2 on the trip was Bishop Quarterman Conference Center, home to Camp Quarterman.  Located in Amarillo, Texas in the Diocese of Northwest Texas.

Texas is my home state and while I grew up in Dallas, and went to College in Galveston (near Houston), Texas is Texas, and was a breath of fresh air coming home, I am not sure if that happens when other people return to their home states, but for Texans I think it is always true.

I arrived just in time to put some stuff in the room and then head out to dinner, and being in Texas I had a Ribeye Steak Most of my visits there are meals on site, because of camp or a retreat group up, but this time, the on site staff were getting ready for camp, and no retreat groups were booked so we went out.

Bishop Quarterman is in Cattle Country, and the ??? acre property was donated back in 19??.  And they say everything is bigger in Texas, the neighbor ranch is 17 miles by 20 miles (yes I said miles) The Ranch House pictured was the originally structure when the land was donated and now converted to a Retreat House.

One unique item on the property, is they have a labyrinth, a meditation prayer walk that retreat guests and summer campers can use.  More and more of the ECCC centers are building labyrinth, bu t this is a unique way with the bricks directly in the ground.

And last but not least, wanted to show the dinner bell inside their Dining Hall.  True Texas.

First Stop – Land of Enchanment

My first stop was Bishop Stoney Camp and Conference Center home of summer camp program Camp Stoney.  One of the highest in elevations at 7533 ft above sea level!

Located outside the city limits of Santa Fe, New Mexico is the 240 acre property of high desert and forest, and even included on the land is part of the original Santa Fe Trail.

Part of the reason of this trip is to collect things that centers do well, either small or big, program or maintaince or kitchen, etc. and share with other camps and centers.

Here is what I found…

Using the Sun’s unlimited free resource — Their pool has Solar Panels which run the pool machinery (pumps and filters) during the season the pool is open.

Thinking Smarter, not Harder — one problem many center directors run into, is their water tanks run empty.  This happens more than one would think, especially if a toilet is running all night or a pipe burst for a number of reasons.  Camp Stoney has installed a “JUMBO” tank gauge, that is reversed so when the tank is low the red marker is at the top.

And last but not least, one program related item I found was the Camp Stoney’s summer staff passion and variety of graces before meals( one per large paper sheet), that contain the usual Johnny Apple Seed grace, to a grace to the tune of “We Will Rock You”

On the last morning I was there, we did the Morning Prayer from the BCP, and the staff did a laying on of hands prayer and Fr. Daniel did a blessing anointing me with oil, for the journey I was about to embark on.  I am very grateful and humbled for that.

Next entry… Going back Home, Texas…

On the Road Again…Episcopal Traveler Style

Hello Everyone,

My name is Bill Slocumb, and I am the Associate Director for Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers (aka ECCC, aka E-triple-C)

Last summer I did a 10 week summer trip visiting 23 camps/centers of the Episcopal Tradtion, mostly in the Mid-West and New England.  This summer I am On the Road Again, as the song goes.  Visiting 28 camps/centers in the South, South East, and Mid-Atlantic.  Here is the planned out journey.

What is the Episcopal Church you might ask…

The Episcopal Church is a Christian denomination that branched off of the Church of England, that branched of the Roman Catholic Church. A great resource to learn What is the Episcopal Church About? is The Episcopal Church website (click on the phrase for more info)

What is the Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers you also might ask…

ECCC, Inc. is an Association of 103 Camps, Retreat Centers and Conference Centers in 84 Episcopal Dioceses in 47 states.  We also have a few international camps/centers in the Episcopal Church’s Province IX.  ECCC is a resource/help desk for all camps/centers and host and Annual Conference for Continuing Education and Networking with other centers.  Read more about on the website www.episcopalccc.org

And Finally you may ask, What is this “Episcopal Traveler Blog” about…

It is the comical yet informative story of Bill Slocumb’s trip across America and what he is finding in the Episcopal Camp/Retreat Ministry. Stay Tuned for my first visit….

-Bill

Bill, Standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona