Christopher Turner Visits Camp

Meet Christopher Turner. He was Camp Kanuga's Assistant Director and Head Male Counselor from 1989 to 1992. He has been working with Kanuga in some capacity ever since. This is his fourth years as the co-coordinator for Winterlight, Kanuga's winter youth conference, which you should all check out.

Christopher is the Director of Lookout Mountain Camp for Boys in Mentone, Ala. He recently has been working with us in developing a new manual for Kanuga's summer staff and helping us organize a Camp Kanuga staff reunion.

Christopher and I walked around camp recently and he could recall camper's names and even where they slept. Camp Kanuga leaves a lasting impression. Look, he even found where he signed so many years ago.

Welcome back!

Welcome Back William

Campers,

Join me in welcoming back William Brim to the Camp Kanuga staff. You probably remember him as William Vanscyoc, an excellent Junior Counselor from last year. I am so excited to have him return for a second summer.

William is from Jacksonville, Fla., and has been at Kanuga for a while now as a Winterlight participant. You should all check out Winterlight 31, coming up in December. There is no better way to spend New Year's than at Kanuga.

William is headed to the Citadel this fall where he hopes to study business administration.

Welcome back!

By the way: Did you campers know the Citadel was built in 1829?

Construction Progressing Nicely

The crew spent yesterday working on the the new cabin on the boys' side. Good work!

Staff Spotlight

Mina McLean

I am thrilled to announce Mina McLean as 2006's Program Director. She comes to us from Boone, N.C., where she is getting her masters degree in child development at Appalachian State University.

She has been with Camp Occoneechee for 17 years and will be looking at new and creative ways for campers and staff to grow while at Camp Kanuga. She already has some fantastic ideas about new programs at Camp Kanuga. You can find out more about Mina on the leadership page.

Let's all welcome Mina to the Camp Kanuga family!

Construction at Camp

OH SO EXCITING!

We are making some needed improvements here at camp. I mean it -- I am excited!

1. Bob's Cabin, in the dead center of the boys' side, will now house the Head Male Counselor. We are adding a brand new bathroom.
2. A brand new cabin will be built on the boys' side to house our floater counselors.
3. The Chalet is being renovated to house the LTs. Since 1962 the Chalet has served as the office, the infirmary, male senior staff housing and female senior staff housing. When the camp was originally built, the Chalet had the only shower in camp. Boys (because the camp was just a boys camp back then) would line up to take showers one after the other.
4. Toad Hall, behind cabin 6, is being doubled in size with a brand new bathroom added on the rear of it. This will house three of our female administrators.
5. The OLS cabin by Lake McCready is getting a brand new bathroom. This will be the new house of our brand new Program Director. More on the Program Director soon!
6. Kyle, the camp's maintenance supervisor, has been busy cleaning up camp after a messy winter.

Kanuga's maintenance crew is busy rebuilding walls, tearing out old ones, laying concrete, raking ... and the list goes on. They work hard. Let's all make sure to thank them when we see them this summer.

Any guesses?

I found this old picture of the girls winning group of Camp Kanuga in 1933. Any guesses what they won?

Our Chaplain-Julia Messer

Hey!

My name is Julia Messer and I am so excited to be back at Camp Kanuga for my 9th summer! I've been a camper, Trailblazer, junior counselor, counselor and now I am so blessed to come back as Chaplain!

I am a senior at Mary Baldwin College, where I major in Religion and minor in Asian Studies. I am the chairwoman of my campus Habitat for Humanity, am an active member of the campus Social Committee and Quest and was just inducted into the Carpenter Society. I am in my sixth year as a FIFA soccer referee and love participating in sports ranging from soccer to hiking to skiing.

For the last few years, I have worked towards being an Episcopal priest. I have interned at two Episcopal churches where I was trained to be a Lay Eucharistic Minister, conducted Wednesday morning services, wrote an acolyte manual and trained acolytes, worked in the soup kitchen and planned and led Vacation Bible School activities. I finished my home parish discernment in December. In January, I was approved to enter the Southern Virginia Episcopal Diocese Ordination Exploration Program. That process will take at least a year, so hopefully by next January I will apply to seminary.

I can't wait to return to Camp Kanuga to see old faces and meet so many new ones!

Best wishes and blessings,
Julia

Congratulations Whitney!

Campers,
You may remember Whitney Moore, 2005's Head Female Counselor. She has taken a position as the Youth Director at the Church of the Ephiphany in Guntersville, Ala. Lets all congratulate her and wish her luck in her new position.