My last entry was August 11th – Camp Chicago, about two-thirds through with my 2011 summer face to face trip.

From there I had an excellent adventure driving back toward Texas via:

• Toddhall Retreat Center – Columbia, IL (outside St. Louis)
• St. Columba Conference & Retreat Center – Diocese of West Tennessee
• Camp Bratton-Green at Duncan Gray Center – Diocese of Mississippi
• Camp Hardtner – Diocese of Western Louisiana
• Camp Capers – Diocese of West Texas

… then a trip to the East Coast:

• Camp Bishopswood – Diocese of Maine
• Barbara C. Harris Center – Diocese of Massachusetts (located in New Hampshire)
• Virginia Theological Seminary
• Quick stop by Camp Wright – Diocese of Easton (Maryland)
• Quick visit with Program Director of Summer Camps – Diocese of Southwest Florida

For the next few days I will blog about the centers and anecdotes of my visits

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And I can think of no better way to starting a final chapter, then with a flash back!

In June 2008, a young man named Bill and his car ‘Sunshine’, had their first official stop, Toddhall Retreat Center, a center in southern Illinois, not to far from St. Louis, Missouri.

Three unique facts :

- It’s chapel is a converted music room from the original owner of the house Charlie Todd, with its own pipe organ.

- It is owned by a parish, not a diocese, like a lot of ECCC sites.

- Has a great best practice to share – paper recycling for the center and guests to use, that is a fundraiser!

Young Bill in 2008, then Current Bill in 2011 with Toddhall Director, Jim Moeller.

Next visits – Back to Summer Heat!

And made it to CAMP CHICAGO right at lunch, before the campers arrived.  (And for those who have worked at camp or camp registration, you know the fun last minutes of getting ready!)  I was introduced at the staff meeting, then kids started arriving early afternoon.

Great Practice – Blog/Website

Now the reason I said different location is because the camp they had been using for a majority of their last 17 years, closed down.  So they just moved the program!  And with a veteran staff and energetic newcomers, the move went well.

A few highlights from my visit:

Above is the direct faith formation part of the summer session under the tree, with the staff Spiritual Director, lay person along with the chaplain, ordained person.  Then photo of outside Eucharist.  I say direct because all of camp is faith formation, from meal times, to cabin devotions, to canteen time!

Next activity I want to highlight is one I got to participate in, a classic one if you will… Dodgeball!

*There is no written or online history, but I would say semi-realistically, with the invention of elementary gym class and summer camps,  dodgeball was defined.

Every camp has their variations, Camp Chicago being no different.  Their twist, a single bowling pin on each side, that if the opposite team knocks down the pin, it is automatic game over.  So while dodging, some of the team have to protect the pin.

They also have a developed Leader In Training (L.I.T.) program that has components counselor training, along with service projects and is for rising 11th  & 12th graders.  (This summer’s LIT theme, Harry Potter-esque with four houses).

Your parting shot… Jamie, Program Director, Me and Nate, Program Staff-Archery aka fire tenders and cooks for camp-out night.  Foil pack dinners.

This summer I got to visit 2 of the 18 Episcopal dioceses that rent facilities for the summer for their overnight camps.

First Stop – Camp Webb – Diocese of Milwaukee, where I made it for staff training.

A brief history of Camp Webb.  It is the diocesan camping program that started in the 1960′s on their own property.  In 2008 the diocese decided to close the property after looking at and processing all the options.

Now the diocese continues the Camp Webb program at a rented camp, and on their third summer!

Not only it is it excellent that the ministry is going on, but it is awesome that they are doing it at a Lutheran camp (Lutherdale), which are denominational partners, aka “Call to Common Mission.”  Not a merger, and being in full communion means both churches retain their autonomy and structures but agree to work together for joint mission and witness in the world.

Here is a picture of both staff’s doing some getting know you games.

Camp Webb Staff bowling with Bill, all are now members of the ECCC Bowling Society!

Entering in a best of the camps sunset competitions

Best Practice – Summer Staff welcome video.

And I got to stop by both on the summer tour!

Nashotah House was founded in 1842, before Wisconsin was a state! It is in the wilderness, but only 45 minutes outside of Milwaukee and is one of our 11 current Episcopal Seminaries.

Bell Tower - 1884

Along with being a historic seminary, it is also very modern with Distance Education Programs (a hybrid of some residential time on campus & distance learning) and they are building retreat meeting space connected to the Dining Hall (Refectory)!

Being their on campus, which has lake access, felt very much to me, like camp.  I can see why many of my friends went there from Camp Crucis.

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Now south to Racine, Wisconsin on coast of Lake Michigan and on to Racine College.  It was an Episcopal College from 1852 to 1887 for upperclassmen, and into the 1930′s for youth.  And when I say college, that is not like our universities today, more like boarding school, and that had younger students.

It was similar level of education to Ivy league schools of the east, with the motto Vigeat Radix “May the Root Thrive”.

And it has to be said, very buildings were very Harry Potter-esque [which is based on England architecture].  There they had two houses you were put in once you arrived – Badger or Clarkson.

So why am I mentioning this place that closed down?  Cause after it closed, it changed to a Sister of Mary Convent, and in 1985 it came back to the Episcopal Church as The DeKoven Center!

The DeKoven Center, named after Father DeKoven, main dean at the college, is a mostly adult-used retreat center and with an inside heated pool, a gym and meeting spaces, that sees a lot of community use.  Also have many weddings on a green campus with seven well maintained gardens.

My apologies, that I have not written in a while.  But I am back, and am in full force, expect blogs every Monday and Thursday for the rest of the summer.

Earlier this summer, I was at an event called “EYE” pronounced E… Y…. E…. which stands for Episcopal Youth Event.  It is the gathering of youth in the Episcopal Church, that occurs every 3 years.

And this year was the 11th event!!!

Great article that covers the event

History Note:

EYE was officially suggested in 1982.  The year of the summer hits: Blade Runner, Tron, and E.T. also saw an outstanding resolution in support of our church’s youth, at General Convention in New Orleans.

“Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That this 67th General Convention direct the Executive Council … to support an international youth ministry event at least every three years at a place and date to be determined, so that the energy of the youth of the Episcopal Church can continue to be utilized in active ministry as members of this part of the Body of Christ; …”

Well said.

EYE 2011 – St. Paul, Minnesota

With over 700 youth, 300+ adults and 50 bishops, representing 70 dioceses, a most joyous and spirit filled time was had.

Three highlights of my time (there are more, but too many to put in one blog…)

Meet Charles Shipp, Director of Youth and Family Ministry at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Atlanta, Georgia.  He and I were the 2 Residental Care Team for 250 youth & adults in one dorm!  And it worked well, I must say.

There was a mini-reunion of folks I traveled with last summer on a pilgrimage in the Holyland in Israel & Palestine.  Sponsored by Kanuga, an ECCC center in western North Carolina and Province 4 Youth Ministries.

And last but not least, I wanted to share about a workshop.  Happening also known in some areas as Teens Encounter Christ, is a youth led and run weekend renewal retreat, which are at parishes or some are held at camps! The youth lead this workshop where 15+ dioceses were represented.

Going back 24 hours, what brought these guys to the Grand Canyon state?  Bill, staff of ECCC, and Van, Executive Director of Waycross Episcopal Center (Indiana) and ECCC Board Member, headed to AZ for an ECCC Board Meeting at Chapel Rock.

Little did they know, a chain reaction had been started…

Fast-forward to Jan 2009, ECCC has their Annual Conference of camp and center directors/staff, at Duncan M. Gray Conference Center, Mississippi.  Bill and Van were taking Tim and PJ (Sheldon Calvary Camp, OH) and Dave (Chapel Rock, AZ) to the airport, but had time before flights, so… to the lanes.

And a society was born.

ECCC Bowling Society – 2011 Guidelines

How to Join:

1. Bowl with a current summer or year-round staff member of an Episcopal camp, program or center.  Or bowl with an ECCC staff member.

2. Take a group picture and/or get the score sheet and send to ECCC Bowling Society members, Bill or Van.

3. While at the lanes, we highly encourage sharing high fives, fist bumps and dances when you get a strike

Then you get a bowling ID card!

Membership reaches 100+

Thanks to bowling over the past couple years, there have been 25 gatherings, and now have 100+ members, in 50+ dioceses in 35 states!

And there have been three bowling trips this Face to Face,

Kansas with Melodie Woerman, Diocese of Kansas Episcopal Communicator.

Minnesota with Sheila Foster, Youth and Children’s Minister at St. John’s in the Wilderness, Diocese of Minnesota.

Wisconsin, Camp Webb Summer Staff, Diocese of Milwaukee. (more about them later)

All are welcome to join.

-Bill and Van

p.s. for those wondering this blog is exactly 300 words long, a perfect blog. (a little bowling humor)

In the Diocese of Minnesota, this August will be the Episcopal Youth Music Camp (EYMC) located at Camp Heartland, an hour and half north of the twin cities, Minneapolis/St.Paul.

EYMC started, or has its roots in a choir camps in the 60′s  and this program started in summer 2001.

It is for 3rd – 12th graders, all skill levels and musicians in the diocese of Minnesota are most welcome to go.  And Faith Formation is God is at the center of the entire day.  “We begin with Chapel in the morning and close with Camp Fire/Chapel at night.  God is at the center of our music rehearsals, arts & crafts, field games, swimming pool activities, evening activities, meals and all that we do for fun.  God is present.”

Major variety of program:

• Choral training, sight reading, and music theory
• Hand Bells
• Instruments: Band & Orchestra
• Recorders & Key Board Instruction
• Choreography & Drama

Great Practice – Staff Video welcoming people to camp and informing youth and parents about what it about!!!

And a preview for next blog – ECCC Bowling Society members Bill Slocumb and Sheila Foster, Camp Chair

On June 5-11, at Camp Wood, a YMCA camp in the Flint Hills of Kansas, 200+ campers came together for MegaCamp, a combined session summer camp.  In the previous summers, there had been three (3) weeks of camp, but this year decided  to combine and have individual program, schedule, and activities for grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 all at the same time

And a great practice, a promo video on youtube – Camp Wood 2010 – for youth and adults to see.  Here is a link to the 2010 one.

***Kansas, diocese in 1864, Western Kansas, missionary district in 1901, official diocese in 1970.

Bethany Place – Topeka, Kansas

For the visit, I arrived after the camp session and went to Topeka, home of the Diocese of Kansas offices.

and below is the place I spent the night.  These building were personal homes of Episcopal leadership now converted to offices and Kansas School for Ministry.

Both are on the property know as Bethany Place, a 20 acre tract, offered in 1860 for “The Episcopal Female Seminary of Topeka”.  And seminary as in a school for girls (young ladies).

In 1928 the school closed down, and some of the property was sold for Topeka Highschool circa 1931.  But the high school has a perpendicular gothic bell tower, so looks like a parish

Also on the original Bethany tract, is Grace Episcopal Cathedral, which started out as mission 1857, pre-Kansas statehood; designated as cathedral in 1879; Built then finished in 1917; major fire in 1975; rebuilt and completed in 1978.

and like a few of our cathedrals, is right down the road from the state capital.  So much for seperation of church and state   A beautiful Gothic structure inside and outside, that I totally recommend visiting.

This was visit number two for me (first visit blog entry) and I made it there for 8th and 9th grade camp!

First Night – Worship

I arrived Wednesday just in time to meet with directors, the cookout dinner then evening worship, starting as late as possible so at the end just the candles illuminating the service.  Great music lead by 4  sometimes 5 guitars and drum.  Father Charles Blizzard, Camp Capers Alumni, was chaplain for the week.

First Activity – Kickball

Some say the ‘Origin of Kickball’ was in the 1920′s as a way to teach rules of baseball/softball to youth.   I say when ever summer camps opened, Kickball started or was not far behind. It is a combo of baseball/softball, with some soccer & dodgeball in the mix. It was an outstanding day to play with blue skies, two teams, a water cooler, and a ball to kick.  End Score: -12-12.

Second Activity – Summer Camp Future Planning

Mike Roberts, Co-Director, showed me the map of camp and some future planning.  Right now, the summer camp is directly next to the retreat center, a frisbee’s throw away.  (Which is good for some reasons, like shorter walk to dining hall, nurse, etc.)  and could be better if located somewhere else on the camp.

Keep on the look out for reports from this project, and don’t you like how the map is anchored by Books of Common Prayer?

Second Night – Talent Show

Excellent hosts and show, a lot of singing. Then myself and the centers co-directors were welcomed and honored to be in the final skit.  Ask me about it in person.

Last Morning – Departing

Aaron Mooney, Summer Camp Director, Bill, Joanne Roberts and Mike Roberts (Newly hired co-directors and summer director).  Will miss my new friends, but will get to see some of them at Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) in Minnesota!

For the true start of the seven week ‘Face to Face’ trip, I went to All Saints Camp and Conference Center in the Diocese of Dallas, my old diocese.  And this center is one of our newest.  It was a former Lutheran camp purchased in the early 2000′s and had its first summer camp in 2006.

One thing that never gets old, is the change-up! Switching the speed-limit sign as people drive up to camp   Great practice.

Two other key things I wanted to highlight:

1. Solid lake waterfront – they have a nice dock set up, and water trampoline, and access to Lake Texoma (38th largest lake in U.S.).  And fyi  the center is located less than two hours from Dallas, Texas and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

2. JOLT – Environmental Program – The JOLT Program for students in the 1st – 12th grades. The most common is the 3-Day Eco-Adventure, “a residential environmental stewardship program designed to give students an extended opportunity to take a journey and explore the natural wonders of Lake Texoma.”

… And you can’t have a can’t have a Texas two-step dance without a second step

Just 350 miles to the west is Diocese of Northwest Texas’ center, Quarterman Ranch!

This was my second visit, I stopped here in 2009, Home on the Range.  This time I got to meet the summer staff and camp was in its first session.

Happy Camp   Is a camp for inner-city youth that for some of them, this is their first time at camp outside the city, and has been a ministry camp since the early 2000′s.  And the plan is to expand to two separate weeks next summer!

And my parting picture, inbetween the camps, I made a short pilgrimage, to Turkey, TX.

Looking for bowling lanes, did not find any, but found some rich Texas and U.S. history, it was home of Bob Wills, King of the Western Swing.