“No man is a failure who has friends” --Clarence, Angel Second Class It’s a Wonderful Life It’s a Wonderful Life is one of the best Christmas movies of all time. I’ve watched it three times already and we’re not even close to Christmas! It’s the story of George Bailey who never understood the impact he had on others until his guardian angel, Clarence, showed him what life for his friends and family would be like if he had never been born. It is a testament to the importance of George’s life even though he didn’t believe his life was commendable or important at all. Christmas is a magical time filled with love, joy and hopefully, an awareness of the blessings that we have received throughout the year. George Bailey’s light shone on Christmas eve and Clarence gets his wings. It is a joyful ending that emphasizes what is truly important in life – love and friendship. Two thousand years ago, a child was born to bring this message to us, and every year it resonates in our hearts and lifts our spirits. Camp Chesterfield is a bit like George Bailey. Camp has touched many lives in ways that we will never know. And Camp is blessed with the love of friends and family who care for her in ways that astound us at times. It has only been through your love that we, who are here as caretakers, have been able to maintain these grounds so that Spirit flourishes and touches all who enter our gates. Over the past several years we have accomplished much with the help of friends and family. We have been able to replace the roofs on four of our aging buildings, renovate the lower level of the Western, and rescue some of our historic private homes that have gone to the county tax sale. We are so grateful to our members and attenders who have helped us maintain these important structures. On December 20th of this year, we will remove the mildewed carpet in our Art Gallery and replace it with linoleum thus preserving our historic treasures like the Bangs paintings and other fragile pieces. Our thanks to the Friends of Camp Chesterfield for assisting with a grant to help with a portion of this project. Our next project is a bit more complex and thus, more costly, but it requires our attention. Our Maxon fire suppression system no longer functions and must be replaced. As we began this project, it was discovered that the gas lines beneath the building were corroded and must be completely replaced. According to the licensed contractor that we employed, it was simply age and nothing more. Nevertheless, this critical repair required Camp to shut down the Maxon until all repairs can be accomplished. The estimated cost will be approximately $15,000. As we near Christmas, we hope you will be our Clarence and remember us with your year-end gift-giving so that we may continue to maintain these precious grounds for future generations. May God bless you all for your love and care. May you each find blessings in the joy of Christmas and a peace-filled new year.
Vicki
Rev. Vicki Corkell President, IAOS
Board of Trustee, IAOS Historic Camp Chesterfield