 THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF WEST TEXAS
CAMPS AND CONFERENCES
CAMP CAPERS, MUSTANG ISLAND, DUCK LAKE
October 2010
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Rob Watson, Director of Camps and Conferences
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Friends,
As we move into fall and winter it is important for us to look back on the summer and reflect on how things went. Here are some facts: 1146 campers attended Camp Capers - this number sets a record for largest attendance in the 63 years camp has been in existence; 748 people attended Mustang Island Family Camp; another 40 adults and youth went to Duck Lake in Colorado.
Wow! That's almost 2000 people participating in our camping program during the summer of 2010. That's a lot of folks; but you know that's not the most impressive thing to me. What means more to me are the comments we heard this summer such as the ones below:
For more on Rob's view of the 2010 summer at our camps, click here.
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Summer at Camp Capers by Stacy Dowdy
|  Summer 2010 at Camp Capers began with many changes. First, we reworked our summer schedule so that all sessions began on Sunday and ended on Saturday. This was a wonderful change for working parents and for those who have to travel long distances to get to and from camp. It required a very fast turn-around between sessions for the staff, but they adjusted quickly. Second, we introduced our new entrance to camp which allowed cars to get off the narrow county road as they waited for registration to begin. The entrance road got rave reviews! People loved the beautiful, winding drive. This also assisted us in a highly streamlined registration system. Parents were thrilled with the quick check-in process. Third, since the campers now draw for bunks, there is no longer any reason for families to arrive hours early and sit in hot cars! Who doesn't like that? For more on Stacy's article, click here.
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| Brian Kates, 2011 Camp Capers Staff Director and Intern |
 | | Brian Kates, Camp Capers Staff Director |
My name is Brian Kates and I am pleased to inform you that this summer I will serve as the 2011 Camp Capers Staff Director. Camp Capers has been a part of my life dating back to 1998 when I showed up as a primary camper. It has been my dream to give back to the camp and I look forward to serving this summer.
I graduated from Ronald Reagan High School in San Antonio in 2006. During my time at Reagan, I was involved with my local youth group at St. Thomas Episcopal in San Antonio and played soccer at the high school and club level. From there, I went on to graduate from the University of Texas at Austin in 2010 with a BA in History and a minor in Government. While in college I became very active in the Episcopal Student Center, also commonly known as Canterbury, serving as Junior and Senior Warden during my time there.
At the end of this past September, I married my camp crush, Sarah Cozad, and we reside in Alamo Heights and attend St. David's Episcopal. Right now I currently work with Rob Watson and Stacy Dowdy on Camps and Conferences and College and Young Adult Ministry at the diocesan level and in April I will serve as the Rector of Vocare #27. For more on Brian, click here.
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Mark Your Calendar
| Mid-Winters begin the weekend of January 7th for high school, January 14th for middle school, and January 21st for elementary school for Mid-Winter. Please have your children join us for our Mid-Winter retreat in January. Some campers come to have a first experience at Camp Capers, some to catch up with old friends and make new ones. Your camper will enjoy the Texas Hill Country while singing, playing, and experiencing God's awesome love for us all. Click on the link in the Upcoming Events table for more information.
Summer camping sessions begin June 5th for Camp Capers. Registration is now open for all summer sessions at Camp Capers. Have your camper join us in an atmosphere of caring and acceptance that you will find at Camp Capers. Participants are challenged to grow spiritually, physically, emotionally, and socially. Make new friends and reconnect with old friends. Click on the link in the Upcoming Events table for more information.
June 12-17 and June 19-24 the DWTX Diocesan and church employees will have a chance to explore the forests and streams and local towns around Duck Lake. June 26-July 1 and July 3-9 high school campers will have a chance to explore Duck Lake or take a 26-mile-loop hike through the Arapaho National Forest. Click on the link in the Upcoming Events table for more information.
Mustang Island will begin its 9th year offering Family Camp and its second year offering Spring Break Camp. Come and spend a wonderful, meaningful time with your family at the beach on gorgeous Mustang Island. Rates have changed to accommodate families better. Click on the link in the Upcoming Events table for more information on the rates and dates being offered. |
| Taking Applications for..... |
 | | Applications for Nurses are now being accepted. |
Mustang Island
* Summer Staff
Camp Capers
* Summer Staff
* Session Staff
* Mid-Winter
* Summer
* Nurses
All applications online. For more information regarding these positions, click on the quick link in the "Taking Applications for..." block. If you still need help, email Stacy Dowdy at stacy.dowdy@dwtx.org. |
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I'm Going...what do I need to pack?
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Taking Applications For....
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| Videos from the 2010 Camping Program | Camp Capers
Mustang Island
Duck Lake
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SO YOU CAN STAY IN THE KNOW....
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We say Goodbye to Papa Bear, and Nita and Ken.
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After 12 years of dedicated and loyal service as Food Service Director of Camp Capers, James "Papa Bear" Barrett announced his retirement as of December 31, 2010, due to his on-going battle with rheumatoid arthritis. James has faithfully touched the lives of thousands of children, youth, and adults through his ministry of feeding all who have come to camp since September 1998.
Nita and Ken Shaver have resigned from their ministry at the Mustang Island Conference Center, which they began in July, 2002. For the last eight years, they have been the face of the diocese at the center, and have served both members of the diocesan family and people throughout the United States and beyond through their ministry of hospitality and administration. We are forever grateful to them for opening the conference center eight years ago and for helping establish the Mustang Island Conference Center as an important component of our life together
We have been blessed by their ministries, and we are thankful to have had the opportunity to work with each of them. May God's guidance and blessing be upon James, Nita and Ken as they move into the next season of their life and ministry.
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