Dear friends,

I’ve just returned from a week as Dean of a camp session at Camp Weed. It was Camp St. Paul, which is for 5th & 6th graders. Back in the dark ages (mid 70’s), when I was in college and a camp counselor at Camp Weed, lots of things were different:
· Camp was at St. Teresa Beach, on the Gulf Coast, south of Tallahassee.
· 5th & 6th grade camps were segregated – there was a 5th/6th grade boys camp and a 5th/6th grade girls camp.
· Fr. Ralph Kelley was a regular as Dean of the boys camp; that was where I first met him (he was Rector of St. Peter’s from 1965-88)
· At “little girls camp” as we called it, the boy counselors used to go to the girls cabins at night for “shampoo parties”. Many of us had long hair then (yes – I did have hair then!), and the little girls would wash our hair and put lots of conditioner on it, and brush it and put it in ponytails, and give us backrubs. Ahh – the good old days!
· We used to swim in the Gulf, as well as sail, and canoe and study the saltwater life. Now they swim in the pool and canoe in the lake, and take trips over to go tubing in the Itchetucknee River.

Yes, after all these years, many things at Camp Weed are very different. But the most important things are the same:
· Plain old, ordinary Episcopalian kids (and some others too) go to camp and have a blast!
· Priests come from all over the Diocese of Florida to teach and share and spend time with the children and staff.
· College-age counselors – some of the most faithful, incredible and talented young people you’ll ever meet – serve as surrogate parents and mentors for the children, and are role models and heroes who they’ll remember all their lives.
· Volunteers from all over the Diocese come and offer their time and gifts to the campers and staff.
And the very most important thing that happens at Camp Weed, and has been happening for over 80 years – wherever it is located, and whoever is there:

The campers (as well as staff, volunteers, and clergy) come to experience and know Jesus Christ as a real, live person. They learn about God, the Bible, Jesus, and what it means to live a Christian life. And above all, and through all – they learn and experience what it means to be loved. Loved by God, loved by counselors they look up to and respect, and loved by each other.

And that – in a nutshell – is the good news of Christ found at Camp Weed. If you’ve been – praise God and plan to come to the Camp Weed Reunion later this summer! If you haven’t (or your children or grandchildren haven’t) make plans NOW to get there next year. Your life will be changed, just like mine has, and thousands of others have too.

Peace in Christ, George+