Presbytery of Coastal Carolina – Summer Program at Camp Monroe
Training Week 1 – June 4th
Well it is the beginning of our summer camping season, my first with the Presbytery. I’m not starting out as a counselor nor a program director but as camp director for Kirkwood and Monroe. I guess I’m starting at the top and going to work my way down. I’ve been a college administrator and researcher and retired twice in the last five years. It looks like I will retire from this job at the end of August. This is really the hardest job I’ve ever had but the most rewarding.
Enough about me! One thing I’ve learned in all my years of management and research is to succeed you have to hire the right people for the right jobs. This year we have done just that. Three great program directors – Lyndsey, Kate and Michael – are all experienced, having served as past Program Directors and/or Counselors at Camp Monroe. They have been working since early spring on program and processes that will make this year’s camping program successful. For a change this year, the Program Directors have played an instrumental role in hiring fifteen Counselors. The Counselors are the backbone of the Camp Monroe program. All will go through an extensive training program which culminates in a Commissioning Service with Outdoor Ministries (ODM) Committee members on June 12th. All of these counselors are 18 or older and most if not all are currently enrolled in college. I prayed this year for help and God is good!! Robert Allen, a former Monroe Camp Director is working with me to insure I don’t go astray. He loves the camp and I love the paperwork that goes with it so we are a perfect team. In addition to all the above staff, we’ve hired lifeguards, kitchen staff and maintenance personnel.
The camp looks great this year!! Jon Stricklin, our Camp Monroe Site Manager, with assistance from Robert Allen, has worked to bring the camp back to its glory days – actually even better. One additional cabin has been winterized and Hafer Hall – where we eat – has undergone some significant renovations. People from the surrounding community and ODM members have participated in several work days during the past spring and this has made a big difference in the camp’s appearance and functionality.
Over 300 campers have signed up so far but we’d like to get some more participants this year. We have one slot still available in horse camp – had one camper to cancel – and we still have room in most of our sessions. Registrations need to be sent to the Presbytery two weeks prior to the beginning of a session so there is still time to sign up for the 2nd through the 6th week.
Well this is my blog for this week. Hopefully, Presbytery members will read this and get a better feel for what Outdoor Ministries is all about – at least during the summer. Next week I’ll bring you up to date on our training programs and include some pictures of staff and the camp.