 THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF WEST TEXAS
CAMPS AND CONFERENCES
CAMP CAPERS, MUSTANG ISLAND, DUCK LAKE
April 2010
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Rob Watson, Director of Camps and Conferences
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Friends,
It is time to dust
off the trunk, pull out the bathing suits and shorts, and start getting ready
for summer camp! I love this time of year when the ground and trees are showing
dazzling new growth and the breezy air begins to turn warm. The promise of
summer and play and fun lingers in all the sweet noise of the birds as they
sing their spring songs of joy.
Getting ready for
summer can be challenging; but the anticipation of singing in the chapel,
hiking in the mountains and roasting marshmallows on the beach, outweighs and
relieves the stress of preparation. Every
summer, new friends are made, old relationships and families are strengthened,
and the joy of the Good News is shared amongst God's glorious creation. We are
very blessed as a diocesan family to have so many wonderful opportunities to
experience the love of God and a welcoming Christian community in beautiful
settings.
We are extremely
proud to announce that we have hired exceptionally high quality staff for all
three of our programs - Camp Capers, Mustang Island and Duck Lake. They are all
in place and have already begun making preparations to take loving care of you
and your children this summer. Please read the rest of this issue to learn
about the wonderful leadership at each site.
And, please, don't
forget to go to www.dwtx.org and sign up for
camp - now.
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Elizabeth Allen, Camp Capers Staff Director
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My name is Elizabeth
Allen and I, like many of you, find myself wearing a number of hats. I am a daughter, a sister, a friend, a lover
of Jesus, a Vanderbilt graduate, a youth minister, a board member, a volunteer,
and a missionary, to name a few. Most
recently, I have been blessed to don a new hat as the 2010 Camp Capers Staff
Director.
I have entered
into the position whole-heartedly with intentionality. For the first time in quite a while, the Camp
Capers Summer Staff was selected by the beginning of February. Our diverse staff has experience, fresh
perspective, creative minds, and a deep love for Jesus. We met as a Program Staff for relationship
building and summer planning in late February and again in late April. There is no doubt in my mind that summer 2010
is going to be incredible.
For the rest of Elizabeth's article, click here.
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Kim Rogers, Camp Capers Session Staff Director
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My name is Kim Rogers, and I've been
attending Camp Capers since I was in third grade. I loved everything about it,
especially my counselors. They were so fun, so energetic and to top it off,
they made it cool to love Jesus! I remember thinking that I wanted to apply to
be on session staff the first moment I could because I wanted to be just like
them. Now, after having the honor of serving on session staff countless times,
living in Cabin 12 for half of the summer of 2008 and helping campers and counselors
alike tie dye about a thousand t-shirts while I was Arts and Crafts Director
last summer, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to serve as the Session Staff
Coordinator for the summer of 2010. "Session staff" refers to the volunteers who
serve as the second counselor in each cabin - working with the paid,
college-aged summer staff counselors. The role of Session Staff Coordinator was
added last summer with the intention of putting more focus on and giving
support to the vital role that session staff counselors play in the life of
camp.
To
me, session staff plays an important part in keeping up the energy and morale
of the summer staff as they bring a new excitement each week that breathes new
life into the community. More importantly, the session staff will be the summer
counselors, work crew, program staff and staff directors of the future. Their
time at camp should be looked at as an investment into not only their personal
growth as leaders and into the lives of the campers, but as an investment into
the future of Camp Capers. For the rest of Kim's article, click here.
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Mark Sharrow, Mustang Island Staff Director
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Having worked for the Diocese of West Texas for the last two summers through Camps and
Conferences, I feel very blessed that God has once again opened the door for me
to serve a third summer at Mustang Island Family Camp. I first spent time at
the Mustang Island Conference Center several years ago when my family attended
a session of family camp. I eventually returned as a staff member in 2008,
served as Camp Director in 2009, and will return in the same position this
year. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from
Texas A&M University-Kingsville last year and plan a career in teaching and
coaching. I grew up spending most of my
summers at camps and involved in other youth activities and eventually felt a
call to work with youth. I love sports
and being outdoors, so I feel right at home on Mustang Island. I wake up every morning during camp and help
families enjoy each other. We set up the
beach with chairs and umbrellas, take surf boards down, help families surf, and
just provide a safe place for families to enjoy their time together. It is a beautiful thing to see families
interact the way God intended. For the rest of Mark's article, click here.
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| SO YOU CAN STAY IN THE KNOW....
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Jody Stickle, Duck Lake Camp Guide
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My name is Jody, and I will be
serving as the Adventure Guide at Duck Lake in Colorado this summer. My biggest loves in life are God, people, and
the great outdoors. During most of the year I work as a
school-based counselor at a high school that serves students with learning
differences. The school schedule allows
me wonderful breaks during the year which provide me with many opportunities to
pursue a variety of outdoor adventures. Among a few of my favorites are hiking,
backpacking, canoeing, and kayaking. I'm also an avid traveler. So, when I am
not working with students during the school day, you can usually find me
traveling somewhere outside of Nashville playing on what I consider the giant
playground God made for us; the world. For the rest of Jody's article, click here.
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