Georgia and Florida…

Honey Creek, Diocese of Georgia, was opened in the 1950’s , and is located on 95 pine-wooded acres, that are bordered by a deep-water tidal waterway, and that over look the Georgia marsh land.

I arrived just after the summer camp season had ended, but an another youth program, that means as much as summer camp to me, Happening, a renewal retreat for people in high-school, was going on.

The Chapel of Our Savior at Honey Creek… like most Episcopal Camps, Honey Creek has a chapel built on property, and on my travels the last two summers, I have found at least five centers that have an Active Parish that uses the chapel, the Church of Our Savior is the parish.

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Camp Weed and The Cerveny Conference Center, Diocese of Florida, on 500 acres of north Florida forested land. Located right in the center of the diocese.

It is one of our oldest Episcopal camp ministries, with the summer program starting back in 1924!  It has since moved locations, now settled in its 7th spot, which opened in the early 1980’s.  And the name come from the third bishop of Florida, Rt. Rev. Edwin Garner Weed.

In 1995, Mandi’s Chapel was built at the center. A most beautiful sanctuary that is used for Weddings, Happenings, Cursillos, and Summer Camp.

And wanted to tell y’all about the latest building, the Youth Pavilion built in 2006.  Used by the summer program, but also used as the host site, of the Diocese of Florida’s, composed of 77 congregations, Diocesan Convention!

***Side ECCC history note — After Rev. Jack Andersen, founding Executive Director of ECCC retired, the office moved to Camp Weed, where I started as the first ECCC intern in 2006.

Bill’s Trip to General Convention

Off to General Convention in Anaheim, California.  For those of you who do not know, General Convention is the main governing body of the Episcopal Church, it is a time of legislation, committees but also a time of worship and fellowship, not unlike a summer camp

The ECCC Booth

One of the highlights for the booth for me was the map of the 104 camps and conference centers across the nation, and people could put pins in, where they were from.

ECCC Booth Visitor of the Week

That’s right the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, stopped by the booth and I got to tell him about Camps and Retreat Ministry and about our centers.  Quick funny story, my friend Patrick, had told me right before the Archbishop was coming and to get ready, but when he said that, he said ABC is around the corner.  So in my head I thought ABC News with a camera crew was coming and I was totally nervous, then when I saw it was the Archbishop, I was relieved, because it was way easier to talk to him

Camping Ministries Resolution B003 – was approved unanimously by the Education Committee and passed overwhelmingly in both the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops.  This help set “Camping Ministries” as one of its priorities for the Episcopal Church for the next three years.

2009 Hero of Camping Ministry – ECCC hosted a reception honoring Bishop Tom Shaw of Massachusetts.  The event was well attended and well received, and it resulted in a story in Episcopal Life Daily

Part of the presentation was given by Tom, a counselor from Camp Stevens (Diocese of Los Angeles and San Diego; and Sam, a Deputy and staff member from Barbara C. Harris Camp (Diocese of Massachusetts).  Both represented their camps well.

Tom and Sam, West Coast and East Coast Unite

Next time on the Episcopal Traveler Blog, I am back on the road, this time Delaware…

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

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.

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…

Visit in Chicago…

Well today I had Lunch with Sue Cromer, who is the Diocese of Chicago’s Camp Director, and also the Diocesan Youth Coordinator among other hats. Camp Chicago is a unique program in the Episcopal Church because they rent out a facility for a few weeks in the summer as apposed to owning the site. And they are not alone, 14 other dioceses do the same.

We had a great lunch and chat over a Chicago Deep Dish pizza, pizza being my favorite meal for those who don’t know me.

Also, while in Chicago I met up with Jennifer Carroll, who was part of my youth group growing up. We try and see each other at least once a year, and usually get to do it twice when home in Texas for Christmas. It was awesome to see her as well.

But alas, the Road is calling, and I am off to my next camp, Waycross Camp and Conference Center just south of Indianapolis.

Toddhall Retreat and Confernce Center – Center #1

The Toddhall visit was a great first stop, where I was welcomed by John Forister, Assistant Director and Wendy Parker, Acting Director. It is a center with a interesting start, it was bulit by its Founder Charles Todd, Jr. and is one of the only centers in ECCC that is owned by a parish, St. George’s in Belleville instead of the diocese.

It has an amazing Chapel of St. Cecelia, with pipe organ.

and a Wandering Labyrinth, a prayer meditation walk.

Toddhall has many differnent sized lodging bulidings and meeting spaces to be flexible with groups. Check out their website www.toddhallrc.org to see what I mean. And it is less than 30 minutes from St. Louis, but has the feel of a place apart.

That is it for right now, and I am headed off Chicago…..