That's a wrap!

Thank you to everyone who came out for the Annual Conference at Kanuga Conference Center in North Carolina! Visit our Facebook page to see photos from this year's conference.

Presentations & Workshop Resources

• The Ancient Future Church (Keynote Presentation, Dr. Rodger Nishioka)
• Mosaics & Milennials (Workshop Presentation, Dr. Rodger Nishioka)
• Marketing Your Summer Camp Program (Workshop Presentation, Ashley Graham-Wilcox)
• CAMP-Supported Agriculture: The New Way to CSA (Workshop Resources, Chris Tokarz)
• Building the Continuum: Preparing for Success in an Uncertain Future (Presentation | Resources)
• Alumni Associations and Development (Panel Notes)

If you presented a workshop and have materials to share with the wider ECCC Membership, please email them to: ashley@campstevens.org.

Visionary & Advocacy Council decides on New Name

The new name decided is "ECCC Visionary and Advocacy Council" better reflects the mission/focus of what had been known as the "National Council for the Advancement of Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers'

Council Members help expand and broaden the vision of the ECCC Board of Directors and serve as advocates for camp and conference center ministry at all levels of the Episcopal Church! 

Check out the ECCC Update Advent Edition article and contact Peter Bergstrom at peter@episcopalccc.org if you would like to nominate someone for membership of the Council.

Episcopal Traveler at General Convention – Breakdown by Day

Hello everyone!  Just had an excellent General Convention where me, Peter Bergstrom and a whole cast of volunteers, helped run the ECCC Booth.

*** History Note ***

The first ever Episcopal General Convention was held in 1785 in Philadelphia, with the House of Deputies being formed first, since there were no bishops in the newly formed United States.  Hence this was the 77th General Convention!

Sunday, July 1st

Bill unpacks the car in the exhibit hall and picks up Peter Bergstrom at the airport.

Monday, July 2nd

Set up booth, shopping run for the next 9 days,  dinner with our friends from Formation and Vocation ministries, Bronwyn Skov, Ruth Ann Collins, Jason Sierra, Valarie Harris, and others to help their booth or the Official Youth Presence.

Tuesday July 3rd

Final touches on booth setup, exhibit hall opened at noon. (Soft Open  )  Map is of all 85 sites and 20 dioceses that rent facilites for the summer.  People stopped by the booth, to put a map pin in the map for there camps or centers!

     

Wednesday, July 4th

Exhibit Hall opens and deputies, bishops and guests that are early arrivals start stopping by and saying hello.  Let the networking begin, found out about new Interim at Hardtner, diocese Western Louisiana, and how things are going at Camp Stoney, diocese of Rio Grande (New Mexico).  Cookout dinner with a few ECCC supporters.

Thursday, July 5th

     

Steady flow of people stopping by.

Friday, July 6th

More pins being put into map, and people are getting the ECCC shirts.  Peter and Bill go to CREDO reception.

Meeting of the ECCC Bowling Society  (also met on the 3rd)

Saturday, July 7th

Peter addresses House of Bishops!

Bill and Peter go to Episcopal Church Foundation reception.

Sunday, July 8th

Head to worship in the morning, packed house, then at 11:30 people head to Diocese of Indianapolis event at Victory Field.  Wearing their camp and retreat center gear. 

                   

Early afternoon, ECCC presented Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Dick Schori, with Hero of Camping Awards!!!  Given by Natalie Weir, Board of Directors President from Waycross Episcopal Center, and comments from Peg Smith, CEO of American Camp Association.

          

Full Article by Hannah Wilder, that went out on Episcopal News Service

Monday, July 9th

ECCC received an United Thank Offering (UTO) grant for continuation of the Continuum project, that started with the Summit in November 2011.  St. Crispin’s Camp and Conference Center, Diocese of Oklahoma, also received a grant, to be used on a challenge/ropes course!

Tuesday, July 10th

Last day of exhibit hall, and final image of the map, with 400+ pins, over the course of the whole week!

Thank you to the following people for coming to help out at the booth:

Natalie Weir, Marcia Taylor & Van, Jane and Jen Beers, Scott Rudd – Waycross Center

Christine Tokarz – Procter Center

Chris Hamby – Diocese of Lexington

Jimmy Haden – Kanuga Conferences, Inc.

Thomas Morris – St. Mary’s Sewannee Retreat Center

Carla Odell – Day Spring Conference Center

Hannah Wilder – Diocese of San Diego – Thank you for Article!

Growing Food and Faith!: Recap of the May 2012 Training in Ohio

From May 10-14, 2012, thirty-five people from across the nation gathered together for the first Growing Food and Faith training in London, Ohio.  It was hosted by our own Procter Camp and Conference Center with resources from Episcopal Relief & Development’s Abundant Life Garden Project and Act Out initiatives.

One of the attendees, Brin Bon, a seminarian at Yale Divinity School and postulant from the Diocese of Utah, describes the event best:  “The Growing Food and Faith conference was designed especially to bring together people active in food ministries from around the country, so we could share ideas and support each other in this new but growing area of ministry.”

Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers were well represented, with staff from:

• Ascension School, Diocese of Eastern Oregon
• Camp Capers, Diocese of West Texas
• Camp Mitchell, Diocese of Arkansas
• Gravatt Camp and Conference Center, Diocese of Upper South Carolina
• Mustang Island, Diocese of West Texas
• Procter Camp and Conference Center, Diocese of Southern Ohio
• Sheldon Calvary Camp, Diocese of Pittsburgh
• Waycross Camp and Conference Center, Diocese of Indianapolis

Other attendees included people from Ohio, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania, representing smaller rural parishes. 

“This training brought us all together, connecting us around the subject of food,” said Patty Lindsey of Ascension School in Eastern Oregon. “It was great to have parishes and camp/retreat center folks working together, and feeling like we are part of something bigger than just our center or our parish.”

While at the training, people also learned hands-on practices to take back:

Seed Balls, composed of - clay, soil and mixed herb seed, which will take root if left on top of dirt:

Pallet Planters, making tables to use in gardening from existent pallets:

 

And Vertical Gardens, made from gallon milk cartons:

Participants also attended a blessing for Rogation Day by Bishop Thomas E. Breidenthal, bishop of the Diocese of Southern Ohio, with a procession of new friends:

 

Keep on the lookout - there are plans to have another “Growing Food and Faith” in the near future!  The next one will based on discussing nutritional benefits and fresh food in dining halls.

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Article by Bill Slocumb, Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers (ECCC) staff

Photos: Brin Bon, Matters of Food and Faith, and Procter Camp and Conference Center staff

Spring 2012 Gatherings in New England

Your ECCC Board met at Camp Washtington, Diocese of Connecticut - April 15th - 18th. 

Highlights inlcude - Annual Conference 2013 @ Kanuga planning, Episcopal Church Foundation training update from Chris and Lauri, and ECCC Bowling Society bowled in two states (MA,CT) on the same day!

After the meeting, the board and staff went to visit surrounding centers.  Beth and Helen went to Barbara C. Harris Center, Diocese of Massachusetts (located in New Hampshire); Christine "Chris" went to Bishop Booth Conference Center, Diocese of Vermont & Christ the King Center, Diocese of Albany; and Peter, Rob, Lauri, Patty and Bill went to have lunch at Incarnation Center, also in Connecticut.

 

Incarnation Center, is in located near Ivoryton, CT, and is also home to Incarnation Camp which is the oldest co-ed camping program in our nation, 1886! 

We had a great tour with Nancy Pilon, Executive Director and were joined by other staff Peter Larom and Shay Coe for lunch.

Taking advantage of being in New England, we also were joined by near by ECCC directors:

Meaghan Kelly - Episcopal Conference Center - Rhode Island

Matt Lindeman, Summer Camp Director - Barbara C. Harris Center - Massachusetts (in New Hampshire)

Jean Handler - Camp Washington - Connecticut