THE BISHOP’S COLUMN | PROFILES | EVENTS
Diolog
JUNE 2016
VOLUME 6
The Texas Episcopalian
AWAKEN YOUR SPIRIT AT CAMP ALLEN page 08
REEL MINISTRY page 30
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www.epicenter.org
Diolog: The Texas Episcopalian (since 1874) is an official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.
Our mission is to bring you the wealth of stories from the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, to inform and inspire you and to deepen your spiritual life. PUBLISHER:
The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle
EDITOR: Carol E. Barnwell, cbarnwell@epicenter.org DESIGNER:
LaShane K. Eaglin, leaglin@epicenter.org
Diolog: The Texas Episcopalian (PE# USPS 10965, ISSN# 1074-441X) is published quarterly (March, June, September and December) for $25 a year by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, 1225 Texas St., Houston, TX 77002-3504. Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX. Address changes may be emailed to: txepis@ epicenter.org POSTMASTER: Address changes: Diolog: The Texas Episcopalian,
1225 Texas St., Houston, TX 77002-3504 Š 2016 The Episcopal Diocese of Texas
Member of Episcopal Communicators and Associated Church Press Diolog: Winner of Award of Excellence The Polly Bond Award for Special Achievement in Church Communication.
Camp Allen offers retreat and recreation for all ages.
Contents:
JUNE 2016
In This Issue: 04 EDITOR’S LETTER Carol E. Barnwell
Rendering: Red Architects
08
CAMP ALLEN 06 Bishop’s Column 08 Legacy writ Large, Generosity of Spirit
BIG PLANS 95 YEARS ON
Continues at Camp Allen 12 Restoration and Innovation Mark Future
Camp Allen nears its centennial poised for growth as the heart of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas where all are welcome.
for Camp Allen 14 Staff Is Heart of Hospitality 16 Divine Leisure: Joining God in the Cosmic Sandbox 20 The Road Most Traveled 22 Love and Life Firmly Rooted at Camp 24 A Place In the Woods for Everyone
28 STITCHERS AMONG DIVERSE GROUPS Casual atmosphere, great food and hospitality bring needlepointers back to Camp Allen quarterly.
PROFILES
Luminary, George Dehan page 26 The Arts, Needling to be at Camp Allen page 28 Advocate, Reel Recovery page 30 Congregation, St. Dunstan’s, Houston page 32 34 CALENDAR & PEOPLE
Cover and Inside Cover Photo: Kevin Thompson
Diolog
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EDITOR’S LETTER
For those of you who have been to Camp Allen, many of the articles in this issue will serve to support the spiritual formation and the hospitality you have experienced there. For those who have not attended a conference or retreat or taken your kids to camp, the following pages will illuminate a real star in our diocesan constellation. Under the leadership of George Dehan, president of Camp Allen, and a committed board of lay and clergy leaders, Camp Allen has built a staff with no equal. Each and every person—from the housekeepers to the sous chefs and the janitors, the executive team, camp and outdoor program counselors to the people who greet you at the front desk—strives to make your experience exceptional. Many other denominations use the facilities annually—more than 400 different congregations. Corporate teams find retreat here. Schools and universities return year after year to use the 1,100 acres of pine forest and the exceptional meeting space for their programs. Needlepointers fill up their quarterly retreat in less than a few hours and some show up a few days early. Whether you are fly-fishing, on the ropes course or taking a photography class, you will find respite and restoration from today's overconnected life. There is more at Camp Allen than we could pack into one issue of the Diolog. Summer camp is full each year and expanding. Veterans and their families come to salve their souls; families with special needs children find room to breathe and rest, to ride horses for the first time or to share stories before returning to challenging daily lives. Camp Allen is a gathering place for our 153 congregations, for vestry retreats and evangelism summits. It is a place for family reunions and a place to play in the snow with your grandkids. It is a tremendous legacy given freely by Rosa Allen, envisioned by Bishop Clinton Quin nearly 100 years ago. Future plans only promise more. So take a moment to read just some of the things about Camp Allen, a special place that can trace its roots back to The Old 300, Texas’ original settlers who received land grants in Stephen F. Austin's first colony in Mexico. And, a place that will continue to nurture future generations. How can Camp Allen serve you? Blessings,
Carol E. Barnwell
Editor
cbarnwell@epicenter.org
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If You Invite Them, They Will Come September 18, 2016 Bring your neighbors, friends and loved ones to church. Visit epicenter.org/invite to learn more and find resources.
ASTROS
Game Time
EPISCOPAL NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK HOUSTON ASTROS FACE THE CHICAGO WHITE SOX FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2016 – 7:10 P.M. Contact Brent Broussard at 713.259.8316 or email broussard@astros.com to purchase tickets. Christ Church Cathedral will host a pregame cookout. They will start serving free hot dogs (with all the fixin’s) and beverages at 5 p.m.
Visit epicenter.org/astros for pricing. Diolog
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SEEDS OF LEADERSHIP SOWN AT CAMP ALLEN by the Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle
Read more about the Centennial Fund on page 12 and join me to continue this rich legacy.
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Photo: Kevin Thompson
In 2015, I met all the new graduates from seminary I met JoAnne there and we celebrated our 25-year entering their first year of ministry at what we call anniversary there because of how central a role Camp “Curate Camp,” which meets at Camp Allen. It was Allen has been in our lives. striking how they referred to their own summer camp I returned as a lay director and then as a clergy director. experiences as being an essential ingredient in their There are clergy and laity in this diocese that I have known spiritual life and their call to ministry. What is true for and with whom I share the love of Christ as brothers and them is true for so many clergy and laity alike. And it sisters for more than 35 years now. As one priest said, is true for me. “Andy, we got to see you grow up right in front of us.” That Camp Allen continues to provide a legacy of ministry is true and I am grateful for the forgiveness and kindness that has been faithfully undertaken in the name of Christ afforded to me, because as a teenager, I might have been a for more than 95 years. Once on the shores of Galveston little bit of trouble. Bay, Camp Allen (in its current location in Grimes County Today, I serve as chair of the board. We continue to just north of Houston) is also the legacy of a number of provide a ministry of hospitality hoping to imitate the love Episcopal campsites that once peppered the diocesan of God for all people through the hospitality of staff who geography. In the end, these regional attempts at camp serve at both the Conference Center and in the Summer proved to be unsustainable. Camp program. Our goal is for every child who wants I first went to Camp Allen in 1974, the year Campsites 1 and 2 were completed. I continued to attend summer camp every year and, while we lived in Mexico for three years, my parents would fly me back to Texas and my grandmother would drop me off at camp. I depended on scholarships to attend.
to attend summer camp at Camp Allen to get a chance to go. We are committed to quality programs, to raising scholarships and continuing the tradition of ministry for every child.
to work with all kinds of people, and in my leadership. I am grateful.
The only thing we can do is build a new campsite because we have reached capacity with our other three. We will not go into debt for this new campsite and we will need to underwrite an endowment for its maintenance in the future. We need to raise $4.5 million to complete this project.
Both my daughters are camp kids. JoAnne and I have sponsored two additional children each year for the last Camp was formative for me. The clergy and laity who 12 years through scholarships. This year my oldest, after gave a week every summer at camp taught me that God having served as a counselor, will serve on senior staff. It loved me and was interested in a relationship with me. At is fantastic to go into churches as the bishop and to have camp I learned that God was incarnate in the life of Christ a young camper come up to me and say, “Hey, aren’t you Jesus and that the living God was present in every breath Caisa’s dad? Can we take a selfie and send it to her?” A I took. whole new generation is being formed to continue the We heard stories from Scripture, acted them out, legacy. played games, swam and told stories late into the night. And we have a new challenge before us. We are out Christ was present in the relationships I developed with of room. Our summer camp program is so popular that the directors, staff and counselors. we are full. This is wonderful, but it limits the number To say that I believe in the ministry of summer camp of scholarship children we can serve. Being full every is an understatement. It saved my life, it made my life and weekend during the year also means that we have it continues to form my life today. It became the bedrock churches and families who are not able to come and be of who I am in so many ways—spiritually, in my ability part of our ministry.
As a teen, I served as a counselor and learned leadership and accountability. I know that I was the worst counselor my first year. But I got another chance and became much better. I was asked to be on senior staff and served for four more summers. It was through this participation in summer camp that my call to ordination was affirmed. When I applied for postulancy to attend seminary, 25 clergy signed a letter affirming that call. In so many ways, when times were good and when times were bad, the family at Camp Allen was my family.
Let there be no mistake—we must do this in order to continue to transform the lives of children, families and our Church. We must build this for the sake of the mission of God in Christ Jesus because camping programs matter and they make a difference in the lives of children and in their families, and ultimately, their communities.
CAMP ALLEN
Legacy writ Large, Generosity of Spirit Continues at Camp Allen
by Carol E. Barnwell
Rosa Allen marries Samuel E. Allen and joins Christ Church.
1876
The first summer camp takes place at Sylvan Beach, Rosa Allen’s summer estate.
1921
Diocesan Council commends Rosa Allen for the 35-acre purchase at Trinity Bay to host camp.
1927
Nearly 100 years ago, Bishop Clinton Quin was having difficulty attracting clergy to the Diocese of Texas, and a sagging church population concerned the missionary bishop. He hoped a renewed vision for the youth of the Diocese would help attract those who might be interested in attending seminary, and envisioned a summer camp that would support his vision. Rosa Lum Allen, a prominent Houstonian and member of Christ Church (not yet the Cathedral) offered the use of her spacious summer estate at Sylvan Beach for that first summer camp session in 1921. At Diocesan Council that year, delegates approved the organization of the Young People’s Service League. According to historiographer, the Rev. Lawrence L. Brown, in an article in the November 1982 Texas Churchman, “[Proposed regional camps] would have been a tremendous undertaking, since the Diocese had neither camping facilities nor experience. Into this breach stepped a wonderfully generous church lady, Mrs. Sam E. (Rosa Lum) Allen.” Rosa Allen left her home in Fort Bend County at the age of 18 to marry Samuel E. Allen, a rancher and grandson of Ezekiel Thomas, who had arrived in Texas in 1824, part of the original Stephen F. Austin Colony, the “Old 300.” Rosa grew up attending Calvary Episcopal Church in Richmond. After her marriage
Last year summer camp is held at the Sylvan Bay property.
1928
in 1876, she joined Christ Church where her husband’s family had been members since the original wooden building sat facing Fannin Street. The Allens remained faithful members of Christ Church, commuting from the Allen Ranch every Sunday by horse and buggy, a habit they continued with their children come rain or shine. In his book From Wave of the Gulf, Jesse A. Ziegler described Samuel Allen as “the cattle-king” whose acreage flanked both Simms and Buffalo bayous. “His cattle numbered in the thousands, and his landed estate [23,000 acres in Harris and Brazoria counties] seems to me to have occupied the greater portion of soil between Houston and Galveston. Allen’s home was a two-story, Colonial structure with broad verandas, and the scene at one time or another of much gaiety and entertainment,” Ziegler wrote. It was this grand house that would be the first home of Camp Allen.
readily made the Sylvan Beach house available for the Diocese’s summer camp program. Thirty-six campers came from Houston, Austin, Galveston, Dallas and Tyler the first summer. Cost for two-week sessions was $15 plus $1.35 for railroad fare. Rosa was often present to make the campers welcome.
Four years after Samuel’s death in 1913, Rosa sold 700 acres to Sinclair Oil Company for the first refinery on what would become the Houston Ship Channel. She moved to a home on the corner of Main and Pierce near downtown Houston and had the ranch house Ziegler wrote about dismantled and rebuilt as a summer home on Galveston Bay near Sylvan Beach in La Porte.
The two weeks 14-year-old Martha Johnson spent at camp in 1921 was the first time she had been away from home. In a 2001 interview, Johnson, then 94, said that evenings around the campfire eased her initial homesickness, but what she particularly recalled was the intimacy of worship she experienced. “The house had a sunroom in the front that looked out on [the water], a real long room where we had worship services. I’ve never had such a personal experience at communion as I had there.” Johnson said.
Rosa remained active at Christ Church and when Bishop Quin came calling, she
The huge house had six bedrooms, a large sunroom and living room where
Camp and adult programs expand
Bishop Quin continues to support ministry to youth and leadership
1930
1940
the group met for Bible study before taking nature hikes. Fireside sing-alongs were a favorite part of the starry nights. Counselors, guides and cooks cared for the campers even though the program was rather informal. “It wasn’t as organized as camps are today,” Johnson said. Campers took their own bedding and slept on cots. “We just played it by ear those first years, but we had a ball,” she said. Twin brothers Tom and Charles Sumners were also among the first group of campers and later served as counselors. “Bishop Quin’s vision [for Camp Allen] was always bigger than just kids going to camp,” said Francita Stuart Koelsch Ulmer, Rosa Allen’s great-granddaughter. “He saw it also as an opportunity to develop leaders, both lay and clergy, that would help form the Diocese over the next 50 years,” she said. An early photo of camp counselors (see above right) bears witness to his longer vision. It included Gresham Marmion, Charles Sumners, Horace Kale, Haskins Hartwell, Bill Marmion, Joe Greenhill and Tom Bagby. The Marmion brothers became bishops, Charles Sumners was the longtime rector of St. David’s, Austin, and his twin brother Tom became the founding rector of St. John the Divine, Houston. Tom Bagby was ordained and went on to become founding rector of St. Martin’s, Houston, the largest Episcopal Church in the country today. Kale and Hartwell also became priests, while Greenhill attended the University of Texas law school and later served for 25 years on the Texas Supreme Court, 10 of those as chief justice. Bishop Quin called Rosa Allen “one of the best friends of young people in the Diocese,” and she was also an early benefactor of the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. Her pledge ($100 monthly for five years) was one of the first that helped the museum begin to build its collection. She underwrote scholarships at the University of the South
Encroaching oil industry leads to sale of property.
1960
for an Episcopal student to attend college in Sewanee, Tennessee. She was active in Christ Church’s Ladies’ Parish Association and encouraged her daughter’s participation in Daughters of the King (DOK), a prayer and service organization of the Church. Rosa Allen Williams later served as a national officer of DOK. Participation in summer camp continued to increase each year until 1928 when the Sylvan Bay property could no longer sustain the growth. Rosa Allen once again stepped forward to purchase 35 acres on Trinity Bay that would serve as home for Camp Allen until 1968. A resolution at the 1927 Diocesan Council commended her generosity: “It is the sense of this council that the thanks of the whole Diocese of Texas be tendered Mrs. S. E. Allen for her many generous acts in the past and for her latest gift of $10,000 to be used in the purchase of a property to be used as a permanent Camp Allen.” Early campers to the second site of Camp Allen on Trinity Bay near Baytown arrived by motor boat, the “Ethel B,” departing from the Texaco wharf in Harrisburg, since there were no established roads to the property at the time. More than 10,000 campers attended sessions before industrial development made the Trinity Bay area
First cabins are completed for campers.
1972
Third campsite and expanded conference center built.
1984
undesirable for recreation and the search began for a new site. The second Camp Allen location, Lawrence Brown wrote, carried over more than just the name. “The spirit of Camp Allen, inspired by Mrs. Allen’s loving interest and generous gift, persisted … and still holds on at the third Camp Allen in Grimes County, which so well serves the needs of the Diocese.” Proceeds from the sale of the Trinity Bay site made possible the purchase of 700 acres of pine and hardwood forest amidst the rolling hills of Grimes County, north of Houston. Campers slept in tents until cabins were completed in 1972. The first two campsites, with large covered wood decks and tree house cabins built high on stilts, were an immediate hit. Camp sessions filled quickly, and by 1976, Camp Allen was serving more than 800 young persons every summer. The addition of a third campsite, a sports pavilion and expanded conference center in 1984 secured Camp Allen as a year-round center. Today, more than 9,000 youth attend summer camp sessions and the school-based outdoor education offering, Discovery Program. Subsequent construction of two hotel-style wings, a chapel and conference center, expanded dining hall, 76-acre lake, equestrian center
Hotel rooms and chapel added.
1998
and seven log cabins makes Camp Allen a leader in the camp, conference and retreat center ministry today. With more than 1,100 acres, Camp Allen serves 56,000 people annually in a diversity of programs. More than 400 different churches (many denominations) use the facilities for retreats and programs as well as university and corporate clients.
Hospitality has long legacy For many years Samuel Allen was known as the cattle king of Texas. He was also known for his hospitality, never turning the poor or needy from his door. He always provided a place for the careworn and weary traveler, Ulmer said. Rosa Allen’s generosity and welcoming nature continued that legacy to the youth of the Diocese of Texas until her death in 1931 from pneumonia. At the 80th anniversary of Camp Allen, celebrated in 2001, Ulmer said she was most impressed that the very principles of Bishop Quin’s initial vision are found today at Camp Allen. “Today is just a grander, more wonderful extension of the original idea of Bishop Quin, to me it is thrilling that all this has taken place in the original spirit of Camp Allen. It’s very much a place of love. That’s just the spirit of the camp.” Ulmer, an acclaimed historian in
George Dehan becomes Camp Allen’s first president.
2001
her own right, continues her greatgrandmother’s legacy of servant leadership in her church as well as the community. A member of Christ Church Cathedral, she has served on the vestry and as president of the Ladies’ Parish Association. She served for more than 38 years on the Harris County Historical Commission and on the Battleship Texas Commission, founded the archival collections of the Garden Club of Houston and continues to be a vocal supporter of Camp Allen. Rosa Allen had lived most of her life in a rural environment, as a housewife, looking after a large family. “That a [woman] could be so influential, so effective in ministry [in those days] is truly remarkable. What is important about Rosa Allen,” Ulmer said, “is her living out her deep and abiding faith. What she did, she did for her faith.” For generations, Camp Allen has provided a place for members of the Diocese to come together as one church. It is a place of retreat, relationship and recreation, an integral part of the life of the Episcopal Church in this part of Texas and beyond. Rosa Allen’s generosity and Bishop Quin’s vision will continue to leave a lasting legacy for thousands of lives for generations to come as Camp Allen nears its centennial.
The John S. Dunn Camper Health Center is completed.
2014
CAMP ALLEN
Restoration and Innovation Mark Future for Camp Allen by George Dehan
In 2001, when I came to Camp Allen as its first president, I said I wanted our guests' experiences to reflect this theme: “Awaken Your Spirit in the Piney Woods.” That vision has helped shape what is now the Centennial Fund leading to our 100th anniversary of Camp Allen in 2021. In order to “Awaken Your Spirit”—whether one is a camper or an adult guest—one needs to have an experience beyond the normal daily routine. The long-term vision for Camp Allen is to create exceptional facilities and programs that enable guests to enjoy in 1,100 acres of pristine forest and have a truly unique experience. That first-time visitor always laughs when they see the beautiful conference center and realize they didn’t need to bring their own sheets. In 2013, the Camp Allen board identified 21 key projects that require a sustained development campaign. If Camp Allen is to remain one of the leading Christian conference centers in the U.S., it needs to upgrade several facilities and add others. The key projects were divided into three categories: “preservation,” “restoration” and “innovation.” And while the board approved, and enthusiastically endorsed the vision, it has been donors who have helped shape its priority. One of the first big projects under “innovation” was a health center because nurses and camper health are an important part of Summer Camp and Discovery Program camp that many school children attend each year. The nursing team now has a permanent place to keep medical records and first-aid provisions and to set up online information. The John S. Dunn Camper Health Center was completed in 2014.
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“Restoration” projects were planned to care for our existing structures and to allow future expansion. They included updating hotel room furnishings and renovating each of the three current campsites, and a new roof and updated facilities in the 47-year old pavilion where campers check in to summer sessions, play basketball and have their dances. The wastewater treatment plant and kitchen remodeling will play major roles in further expansion of the camp. Stewardship of our resources will become much easier when we establish a $2 million maintenance endowment to help sustain the 52 buildings on our campus and when we are able to pay off a $1.5 million debt, allowing Camp Allen to celebrate its centennial debt free. The combination of these final two items will yield $140,000 in annual benefits. One of the questions the board considered was: “What would we build today if we had unlimited resources?” The answer was a hike and bike trail to the 70-acre lake with a zip line above it so that people could experience the camp at a different level. Resources are always a limitation, but this dream set in motion two smaller projects: the new Adventure Summit Ropes Course and the hike and bike trail to Lake Coffield. These two projects opened up areas of the camp never seen by guests before and have been very popular. Some of the projects under the “innovation” category are green energy items that have allowed replacement of many electrical fixtures with efficient LED lighting. Ultimately, this will save $40,000 a year. When all projects are completed before the 100th anniversary, the camp will receive more than $500,000 in annual benefits from energy
savings, guest capacities and reduction of debt to zero. The largest of the 21 projects in the Centennial Fund is the construction of Campsite 4 and a new central dining room. This will allow 700 additional campers to experience Camp Allen annually. The campsite project will cost $3.3 million of the total $8.2 million Centennial Fund. To date, Camp Allen has received $2.4 million in pledges and has completed or started 13 of the 21 projects. The vision has been cast and more than 300 donors have responded. We look forward to Camp Allen being forever changed by the vision of this board, our donors and their support of the Centennial Fund. Ultimately, Camp Allen will be a place of re-creation, of creation and transformation for untold numbers of guests and campers. Dehan is president of Camp Allen.
To learn more about the Centennial Fund or make a donation go to campallen.org/donate.
Campsite 4 Rendering: Studio Red Architects
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CAMP ALLEN
STAFF IS OF HOSPITALITY
What makes Camp Allen a standout for both church and corporate guests goes beyond the 1,100 acres of beautiful piney woods, one hour northeast of Houston. Many business groups, universities and an ecumenical list of church groups plan their annual gatherings at the Diocese of Texas’ Camp and Conference Center because they know every small need will be met efficiently and with a smile. “We are in the hospitality business,” said Gloria Clepper, vice president of Camp Allen, “so we take care of our staff and in turn, their enthusiasm is reflected to our guests.” Emma West, housekeeping manager, couldn’t agree more. “This is a good place to work,” she said. “It’s like one big family. If you’ve got something going on, [the staff] sense it and want to know how to help.” West takes home the hospitality award regularly at the staff ’s annual celebration because she offers every guest a heartfelt welcome and has an unflappable nature. “I’m a people person. Hospitality comes natural. You just want to 14 |
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have people treat you the same way you treat them,” she said, crediting her own mother for her work ethic and good nature.
She said she hauled hay and picked pecans to help provide for her children when they were younger, and today, values the security of her place at Camp Allen. “You have to work hard,” she explained about the constant turnover in guests, but said the example of management and their willingness to listen helps the entire staff focus on the guests. “That’s the way we treat guests,” she said. “We listen to what they need." Maribel Salazar, 34, has worked in the kitchen for four years. The McAllen native moved to be near her mother and to raise her autistic son in a more rural setting. “The doctors said Jose needed to be around animals for therapy,” Salazar said. Since they moved to Navasota, the 13-year-old rides his pony every day and is doing very well in school. “He didn’t speak at all when we moved here, but now he speaks both English and Spanish,” she said. Photos: Lauren Day and Kevin Thompson
(L) Charlene Pina, front desk manager and Gloria Clepper, vice president, welcome guests at the front desk. (R) Maribel Salazar and Lamond Morris help prepare meals.
Working at Camp Allen has been a blessing for Salazar, whose mother also works at the camp. “It’s a very nice job and they care for the employees,” she said. “I told the manager my son was autistic and I needed to keep a phone with me. They told me family comes first when they hired me,” said the mother of two. Salazar said she has learned a lot from watching the camp counselors give of themselves to the campers. “You think these beautiful girls just want to dress up and go out, then you see them here donating their time to help kids. It’s made a big impact in my life. “I want the kids to feel like they are eating like their mom is cooking,” she said of feeding more than 300 campers at each session. “These kids are my responsibility,” she said. “We have five cooks and I’ve trained them to have the same values.” The example set by Clepper and George Dehan, president of the camp, go a long way in establishing the sense of shared responsibility for guests at Camp Allen. “There is a sense of family among the employees,” Salazar said. “Gloria is the main one … she will do anything she needs to, including sweeping. George does the same thing,” she said. Salazar has witnessed profound change in some tougher campers. When at-risk youth first attend camp, some are defensive and brusque. By the end of their time at Camp Allen, they are saying “Please” and “Thank you,” she said. “I think it’s because of the way we treat them, we show them respect.” She says she knows she has done her job when campers want to know if she will be here when they come back. Clepper admits that keeping the staff well and making sure Camp Allen is a safe haven for them ensures great customer service. “The cooks and the housekeepers are the backbone of our staff,” Clepper said. “Everyone on staff works hard, but the interaction that these staff members have with our guests is very important.” She said that sometimes management has to play peacemaker, or put out fires, but, "We fix things here. There is not a staff member who doesn’t wear different hats all the time and we all love it. The customer is our main focus,” Clepper said. A native of the area, Clepper has worked at Camp Allen since 1978 when she first came to help her mother-in-law, Mozelle, in the kitchen. “We had about 150 people, which was way more than normal for the time,” she said. In the years that followed, each capital improvement brought more rooms and larger facilities and allowed the camp to increase the number of guests. She has worked in every department and as the camp grew, so did the staff. “I know these people’s families and their situations, some of them are not pretty,” Clepper admitted. “I just tell them, ‘I understand you are having some issues. Think of Camp Allen as your safe haven and leave that other stuff at home. It will be there when you’re done.’” Clepper said the biggest challenge for staff is balancing work and family. “This is a seven-day-a-week conference center. In the summer, it’s nine weeks without a break. You have to balance that with some family time,” she said. “We take good care of our staff and never ask them to do anything we would not do ourselves. A happy staff means we have happy guests and we know this because they keep coming back!” Clepper said.
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CAMP ALLEN
Divine Leisure: Joining God in the Cosmic Sandbox by Br. Jonathan Maury, SSJE In the first creation story told in the Book of Genesis, God’s spirit broods over the waters of chaos and speaks the universe into being, “Let there be light”—the first day of God’s creating work. Over a succession of five days, God continues creating—dry land, the dome of the heavens, winged birds, earthly creatures and humankind—and blessing everything that God has brought into being, pronouncing it all “very good.” Then comes the seventh day: “And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on 16 |
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the seventh day from all the work that he had done.” After much creative labor, God takes "a day off," simply to enjoy the fruits of this work and delight in all that creativity. “So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.” Though enshrined in the Hebrew Scriptures as the Sabbath, a weekly day of rest, the rhythm of activity and leisure, creation and recreation, remains as countercultural in our present moment as it was in the world of our ancestors in faith. We live in a culture of doing, driven
by a mindset that has accustomed many of us to deriving our sense of self from what we do, finding worth only in our work and its tangible gains. Small wonder, then, that as a culture we feel compelled to work almost constantly! Yet relentless work distances us ever further, not only from the mystery we call ‘God’— the One who rested on the seventh day—but also from the persons we are created to be, ever reflecting God’s image and likeness. In a chapter of our monastic Rule of Life entitled “Rest and Recreation,” we recognize “the hallowing of rest and the keeping of sabbath” as “an essential element in our covenant with God.” Lest, however, we turn taking leisure into yet another task, we do well to remember also Jesus’ parable of the good and trustworthy servant, who is commended, on the completion of much work, “Well done . . . now enter into the joy of your master.” These words signal for me a mysterious truth: rest and joy are linked. They are complementary graces; they reveal to us the stream of divine love always running beneath the surface of our lives. As we grow into who we are made to be, God stirs in us what I would call a vocation as "priests of leisure."
Leisure time is to be for us as sacred as prayer: both invite us to pause and reflect on all the gifts we have received—and, even more importantly, the gift that we ourselves are. Resting from our labors as God did, we rejoice with God, who from the beginning has delighted in us. Growing up on Nantucket Island, I had some very memorable encounters with God as I spent leisure time outdoors. On long solitary bike rides to the seashore, freshwater ponds and saltwater marshes or walking on the autumn moors, simply gazing on the created beauty around me, I felt pervaded by a strong sense of peace, connectedness and gratitude. I came to recognize these re-creation times as acts of worship, complementary to the profound experience of liturgy in church. Perhaps it was this rhythm that drew me to monastic life, for it still holds true for me today. In our community, we schedule annual times of vacation as well as retreat; and over the years, I’ve come to experience these two forms of leisure as occupying a single continuum. How often have I struggled to "work" an intentional time of retreat, only to find that the very gifts of reflection and connection I desired have been graciously given to me during an itinerary-less vacation! The title of Thomas Green, S.J.'s introduction to Ignatian retreats, A Vacation with the Lord, serves to remind me of the wisdom of Jesus’ promise in the Gospel according to Matthew, “Come to me…and I will give you rest and refresh your souls.” And I find it to be valid whether I’m headed to a retreat center or a vacation spot. Our times of leisure need not be
lengthy to be transformative. We can take up "the priesthood of leisure" during a week’s vacation, a weekly day of rest or even an afternoon break. However long you have, risk appearing foolish and being playful with the time. As a culture, we are often as serious about recreation as we are about work. Playfulness puts us back in touch with our bodies and feeling selves, so that we’re not constantly analyzing with the mind, but simply experiencing in wonder. Play can restore in us the integrity of how God has made us— mind, body, and spirit. The Book of Genesis preserves two folkloric creation stories, each illuminating the other’s vision of God. I find the second story pleasingly playful. In this rather anthropomorphic telling, God is portrayed childlike, in the "cosmic sandbox," forming humanity out the mud and breathing life into the earthbeings. God created the universe to play in and companions for sharing the divine delight. This image offers us encouragement to risk exposing an aspect of our humanity of which we’re often afraid. Whenever your life gives opportunity for leisure, even if you stay at home, dare to be spontaneous, even silly. Play a round of miniature golf and don’t mind if you lose. Take a vacation from analyzing and striving. Join in a raucous pillow fight! Literally or figuratively, work a lump of clay or take a handful of sand and make like God: breathe some life into it. And then, be sure to sit back and simply delight in all that you have done and all that you are—just as God does. Maury is an Episcopal monk with the order of the Society of St. John the Evangelist in Boston, MA. Diolog
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CAMP ALLEN
THE ROAD MOST TRAVELED: FOR GENERATIONS OF ONE FAMILY, ALL ROADS LEAD TO CAMP by the Rev. Patrick Miller To go to Camp Allen from Waco, you take Highway 6 and then turn east on Farm-to-Market Road #2. You then head south on FM 362. You could turn east on Highway 105 in Navasota, but FM #2 is prettier. It takes you about two hours, depending on the traffic in Bryan/College Station, and how brave you are as you drive through Marlin, Cameron and Hearn. The topography changes as you drive. The Brazos River Valley gives way to the edge of the piney woods in a symphony of Texas where one movement ends and another one begins. I have made this drive many times, and in many epochs of my own life. It was different for my mom. Her Camp Allen drive also started in Waco, but went farther south, down to the bay. That was in the 1950s. She would drive from Waco down to Houston, and then on to Baytown. This was a familiar route to my grandmother. My grandfather was raised in Seabrook, and their first home as a married couple was in West University Place, in the 1930s. His death in 1944 compelled my grandmother to move home to Waco. Camp Allen has been a retreat center for my family for many years and many reasons, but mostly it has always been a safe place for us to be when our world at home was upended. I call it the family ranch for that reason. Now, our route to Camp Allen is from Houston, out of West University Place, up Hwy. 290 to Waller, then east on FM 362, a brief stint on FM 1488, then back onto FM 362. The topography changes as well, from the coastal plains to the edge of the piney woods, similar concert, similar symphony of Texas, same camp. Camp Allen is indeed a special place, not just for my family, but for so many of us. For almost one hundred years people have traveled their own routes to the bay and the woods. Some even traveled by train and boat. In the 20 |
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generations, iterations and reiterations of summer, a great cloud of souls have sung songs, played pranks, met spouses, created memories, danced in the heat, healed wounds, and found God in the ministry we simply call camp. Whatever route you take, the music is the same, and the excitement builds as you approach the entrance. It is a common feeling for all of us who turn onto the camp road as the anticipation swells and a chord of emotion is struck with all that is about to happen. Indeed, in a hundred-year ministry at the edge of sea and the edge of the woods, what has happened is the witness of Jesus. The camp is set aside for one purpose, and that is for the proclamation of the healing and wholeness that comes from a Christian faith and life. It is what we are doing there in that spot. It has healed me, and my family—and we are not alone. All the routes I take, and the changing choices of music in my car, lead to Camp Allen and become anthems of possibility as I leave my own children there as campers to discover their own routes and their own songs in the love of Christ Jesus. Miller is rector of St. Marks, Houston.
In 2015, Camp Allen held 630 events. Below is a sampling from the 400+ guest groups that utilize Camp Allen annually. INTERFAITH GROUPS
MISSIONERS
SCHOOLS & UNIVERSITIES
Risala Foundation
Ireland Outreach International
Pasadena ISD
Interfaith Ministries
Hope in the City
Episcopal High School, Houston
Kids4Peace International
Habitat for Humanity
Texas A&M University
NONPROFITS
Campus Crusade for Christ
University of Houston
Joni and Friends Special Needs Camps
MEDICAL INDUSTRY
Houston Academy for International Studies
Rotary Club Entrepreneurial Conference
Huntsville Memorial Hospital
Lifeline Chaplaincy Texas Association of Student Councils Texas Parks and Wildlife American Leadership Forum
UTMB Galveston MD Anderson St. Joseph Healthcare Baylor College of Medicine
University of St. Thomas Prairie View A&M AWTY International Trinity Episcopal School, Galveston
UT Medical, Houston
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CAMP ALLEN
love and life firmly Rooted at camp by Carol E. Barnwell "I didn't truly grasp the fullness of God's grace until I came to Camp Allen" Lauren Day admits. She grew up at Good Shepherd, Kingwood, and attended summer camp from the age of eight, later served as a camp counselor, then as a member of senior staff in college. Lauren said that "God specifically used Camp Allen over and over again to draw me to himself. As an eight year-old, I left camp forever changed after experiencing God's presence for the first time.” Happening —a renewal weekend for teens—was “the most transformative experience in my spiritual life,” Lauren said. The son of a priest, or “PK” as priests’ kids are sometimes known, Drew Day spent formative years in Sewanee, Tennessee, where his father, the Rev. Tom Day, attended seminary. “That is when I fell in love with nature, that part of 22 |
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creation,” Drew said. But he fell in love with Lauren at Camp Allen, when the two were in college and serving as senior staff at summer camp. They married in 2005 and now live at Camp Allen with their young family. Lauren, 32, serves as marketing and development coordinator and Drew, 35, is director of the summer camp. Today, they help bring the same transformation of spirit they experienced here to thousands of other youth. The Days know firsthand that a child’s spirit can be inspired at summer camp. Drew attended summer camp with the help of scholarships when he was in primary school. He remembers being drawn to the “community” exemplified by the counselors and others. “It was different than what I saw in other places,” Drew said. “The way they loved each other, the way they interacted with each other, the way that they would bless one another through the words that they said and the things that they didn’t say …
now I know that as the presence of God intertwined into a community in a way that changes people. I didn’t know that then [but] I was just very drawn to that community.” He remembered talking to a counselor about Jesus. “That was the first time that I really understood that it was more than the faith of my parents, but it was a personal thing,” Drew said, and it had a profound impact on him. “When I became a counselor, it [felt like] the first time I had something important to do, a real responsibility. Being a counselor helped me to have a servant’s heart.” While in college, Drew served as a senior staffer for what he described as “the best summers of my life.” “I saw God move every day— we would be doing fun things and moments later could be in deep prayer with the campers. My fellow staffers are still some of my best friends,” he said. Over the years, both Lauren and Drew witnessed the spiritual growth of their campers, 30 percent of whom come to camp with no faith experience. Drew sees the staff ’s responsibility to be “different” in the same way he first experienced camp. “Our job is to love and serve our campers,” he said. “Sometimes that means just being present, listening and praying for them.” Some campers arrive with emotional baggage, Drew said. The counselors' Safe Church training helps them “listen and sometimes, just be present” for campers. During any summer, there are 26 sessions, June 5 through August 11, and the camp serves almost 2,000 youth in grades 3-12. “I grew up going to Lacy’s camp,” Lauren said. The Rev. Lacy Largent served at Good Shepherd from 1991to 1994. “Our church kind of
took ownership of a session,” Lauren said, explaining that her home parish sent many of its youth and provided leadership for a particular session. “The added benefit of a shared experience is stronger relationships within the congregation and it has an effect on parish life,” Largent—who directed 18 camp sessions—said. Each week has a clergy or lay director, an assistant director, senior staff and a counselor for a cabin of 10 campers. Senior staff and counselors are trained in the spring, often building lifelong friendships through their shared time together. Lauren and Drew’s fellow senior staff alumni all consider themselves godparents to the Days' two small children, and although many now live far away, they check in regularly.
faithfulness of God,” he said. “We prayed that we would witness fruit from our Summer Camp and it happens every year, in many different ways.” Drew travels to churches throughout the Diocese to recruit counselors, senior staffers and campers. To learn more, contact him at drewd@campallen.org.
“Our ministry is evangelism and discipleship,” Drew said. “We take care of what we are given: Camp Allen, the Gospel and the kids, because we have the gift of knowing God.” Drew and Lauren’s first dance was during a summer camp session. They moved to a cabin on the Camp Allen property four months after they married. “We brought both our babies home here,” Lauren said. “Every significant moment of my life has happened here and now I see it happening for others.” Drew is grateful that Elijah, 4, and Grace, 2, are growing up at Camp Allen. “It’s full circle for me,” he said, knowing his son and daughter will have adventures similar to those he remembers from Sewanee. Drew has a broad vision for Summer Camp, making sure that counselors and campers alike have transformative experiences in this sacred place that has shaped so much of his and Lauren’s life and faith. “We are most thankful for the Diolog
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CAMP ALLEN
A Place in the Woods for
EVERYONE by Toni Christopher
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For many years, Camp Allen Camp and Conference Center primarily hosted diocesan events. In the late ’90s, Bishop Claude E. Payne and the Board of Trustees created a vision to expand the camp exponentially to other religious, nonprofit and corporate groups. Though the $14 million endeavor seemed daunting, by the year 2000, Camp Allen had added a 65-acre lake, seven lakeside log cabins, an additional 100 hotel rooms and suites, and an onsite “chapel” that seats 800, and had doubled the size of available meeting space. These additional venues brought new guests from a diversity of places. The log cabins, built to offer quiet respite for families, increased the number of corporate team building events, vestry visioning weekends, and scrapbooking and quilting retreats. By 2015, Camp Allen had hosted more than 20 denominations and 319 religious events. Fifteen years after the expansion, Camp Allen hosts groups from every demographic and from all over the world. These new guests are the most significant change—beyond the additional rooms, an equestrian center or log cabins. A myriad of universities choose the camp and conference center as their annual training venue. This year, 12 different universities will attend Camp Allen, including Texas A&M, University of Houston, Baylor College of Medicine, University of Texas Medical School, University of St. Thomas, Lone Star College, and others. Nature-based organizations like Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Texas A&M Forest Service host numerous training events at the hotel and conference center and find the 1,100 forested acres, abundant hiking trails and fishing well suited for their members’ free time. Nonprofits find Camp Allen very economical because the all-inclusive rates cover lodging, meals and primary meeting space. During any week, one can find a chamber of commerce, a hospital or mission-based organizations like Bo’s Place, Habitat for Humanity, Ireland International, Hope in the City or Living Water International meeting here. Besides the economics and ideal setting, many corporations find additional features such as the challenge course or nature initiatives through the Discovery Program to be a vital part of their team building efforts. Private banquets or chuck wagon dinners, afternoon ice cream socials, or evening happy hours with more than 50,000 square feet of meeting space exemplify just some of the things that make Camp Allen unique. Jacobs Engineering, Pappas Restaurants, Mahindra USA and Amegy Bank are but a few of the groups who return year after year. As the camp’s amenities grow, so does our reputation. Many Photos: Lauren Day and Kevin Thompson
groups are now booking into 2020 to secure their weekend for annual women’s retreats, couples’ retreats and family reunions. Anyone can book a hotel venue, but what makes Camp Allen stand out is the setting: 1,100 acres of piney woods, prayer gardens, lakes for fishing, challenge courses, an equestrian center, an on-site chapel and a staff that lives out Christian hospitality. Our guests don’t have to be a part of a large group to enjoy Camp Allen. Hotel rooms and cabins are ideal getaways for individuals, couples and families to enjoy the country setting, hike the trails, read a book by the pool, take a horseback ride, and enjoy delicious meals they don’t have to cook. Although advance reservations are required, individual lodging without meeting space is generally available. Camp Allen is a hotel, a church, a camp, a conference center and a resort—truly something for everyone. Christopher is the director for marketing and development at Camp Allen. She joined the camp staff in 1998 during the expansion and has helped Camp Allen grow from 15,300 guests in 1998 to more than 56,000 guests in 2015.
Diolog
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PROFILE: LUMINARY
Guests' Experience Central to Vision
A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, George Dehan moved to Houston in 1978. He earned an MBA from the University of Arkansas and has been married to Carol for 46 years. Dehan became the first president of Camp Allen in 2001 after a 26-year career in the computer business. The Dehans are members of St. Martin’s, Houston, and have a very favored grandson, Charlie, who, fortuitously, lives nearby with his parents, Bryan and Julie Dehan.
George Dehan
CEB: Who first influenced your faith?
GD: My mother had a great influence on my early Christian life with Bible bedtime stories and just little phrases that got my attention. If there was a storm, she would say: "Whenever I am afraid, I put my trust in Thee," and the fear will pass. I went to St. Mark's Church in Shreveport and attended kindergarten. They were building a beautiful cathedral next door to the school and we watched the artist installing the stained glass as our teacher explained the meaning of the window.
CEB: What did you learn as a child that informed your “business” self? What lessons/principles continued to influence how you did business? GD: My Dad and his brother ran a downtown restaurant for 50 years in Shreveport. Even as a young child, I was around food, customer service and greeting guests. The result of doing something extra for a guest and seeing a smile was always most rewarding. Some of the restaurant customers would say to me as a child: "You are sure friendlier than your 26 |
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Dad!" Later in life, I spent summers working in the restaurant and making suggestions to my Dad and his brother about the customer experience. That experience is certainly reflected with our staff at Camp Allen.
CEB: Tell me a bit about your career after college.
GD: I received an undergraduate degree in marketing from the University of Arkansas, married my wife Carol right after college and went on to get my MBA. I was in the computer marketing area for a
national computer company, and after eight years, started my own computer software firm. That firm grew to about 60 people in Houston and other major cities. When the Camp Allen opportunity came along, Carol said, "I love camp and I hate computers." I had been in the computer field for about 26 years and had been involved with three start-up computer companies. My friend Charles Kraft first told me about the job at Camp Allen and I interviewed with Bishop Claude Payne. To make this career decision, I needed to sell the computer firm, which miraculously came about three weeks after talking to the Bishop. A somewhat stranger came up to me at Church and said, "I have a client coming from France and he wants to invest in a computer company in the U.S." That seemed a pretty clear indicator that I was making the right choice.
CEB: How did you first experience Camp Allen? GD: I had been to Camp Allen on several retreats and when I served on the vestry at St. Martin's. I went to
summer camp in Louisiana, but always loved the camp experience and the great outdoors. I also had encouraged our men's Bible study group to go to Camp Allen for a few weekends during the year.
CEB: How did you decide to make this big change in careers? GD: Camp Allen seemed to have so much potential and was not very visible outside the Episcopal community. I felt the calling and the timing was right for a career change. I met with several Camp Allen board members about the opportunity and the vision. They told me: “Love our staff and don't go in there as a know-it-all." It was easy to love the staff and that was great advice. The first thing I did was select a longtime staffer, Gloria Clepper, as camp director. I have worked with Gloria for 16 years and we share this ministry and vision every step of the way. I cannot think of a cross word we have ever had. I look back and see that our clients appreciate more of what we do than any of my for for-profit clients in the computer business. Our guests expect to enjoy the experience at Camp Allen and they do. My computer clients hated the thought of a new computer system and they prepared themselves to grimace. Our Camp Allen clients seem to breathe easy when they arrive here.
CEB: What was your vision for your tenure at Camp Allen? GD: The first thing that needed to happen at Camp Allen was to share the vision with the staff. That meant being transparent about the goals, the budget, the good and the bad. We have had weekly staff meetings where we prepare everyone with information about who is coming and why their presence is important to us. We also provided a public program that someone could attend without being invited by a group. We wanted to improve the facilities, which meant we needed to move beyond a typical camp setting, and we wanted to have our management staff be willing to happily welcome our guests seven days a week. Our vision begins and ends with a talented, well-informed and enthusiastic staff.
CEB: Hospitality is a core value at Camp Allen and it’s the one thing guests highlight when speaking about their visit. GD: We want hospitality to be the focus. We hire people who want to greet and take care of our guests. We survey our guest groups and we adjust accordingly. We want to under promise and over deliver. We want hospitality to be the total experience and what sets Camp Allen apart from a typical hotel experience. We are doing the same thing in our Summer Camp to make the registration process and the greeting families at the pavilion a pleasing experience.
CEB: What were some of your biggest challenges? What are some high points of your time at Camp Allen?
GD: The challenges are really two-fold. Finding the right people who can relate to the hospitality experience in a rural area where there are not great hotels or restaurants from which to draw is one. Secondly, to keep our board members engaged in our growth and success. We want our board members' advice, counsel, support and time. The highlight of my job is mentoring and sharing the vision with our younger up-and-coming management staff. We want them to be prepared for what we see as an exciting decade ahead at Camp Allen. It has been amazing to see our facilities upgraded and overhauled as a result of our Centennial Capital Campaign, which continues. And we are looking forward to starting the most exciting part—Campsite 4. I hope the future holds a transformational experience for many additional guests, be they corporate or church related. This is a special place and we want to share it with as many people as possible.
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PROFILE: THE ARTS
NEEDLING TO BE AT CAMP ALLEN Weekends fill up fast at Camp Allen with conferences and groups coming on retreat, but weekdays are often quiet. How could Camp Allen find groups to come between Monday and Friday? Longtime board member Julia Case had some ideas. An expert needlepointer, Case works one day a week at Chaparral, a well-known needlepoint and supply shop in Houston. Groups regularly gather to “stitch” together at the shop and often book retreats at hotels in resort-type areas. "Why not invite them to Camp Allen?" Case asked. Her idea has proved a resounding success. Four years ago, Case planned a needlepoint retreat for 11 women. Today, the group is limited to 50 and gathers quarterly, Wednesday–Friday, at the diocesan Texas camp and conference center. “When registration opens, we are sold out in a day,” Case said. People come from Mississippi, Kerrville and Dallas and, while they reflect ecumenical and interfaith diversity, many are Episcopalian. Celeste Martin’s grandfather was an early Texas settler. Martin was christened at Christ Church Cathedral in Houston, and she and her husband owned Southwest Fertilizer in Bellaire for 40 years before retiring several years ago. She wouldn't miss the needlepoint retreat. “I started stitching when I had to wait in long carpool lines,” Martin said. “You had to get in line early to get a good spot!” Martin has stitched 23 Christmas stockings and is 28 |
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working on a beautiful cuff for #24 at the most recent retreat. The canvas is stretched in a frame attached to a bracket on the table’s edge. A hinged and lighted magnifying glass is adjusted above a corner of the canvas as she turns her attention from chatting with neighbors to a basket stitch on her piece. The long tables are covered with other essential accessories, such as decorative magnets that hold extra needles on the canvas and a handy receptacle that clamps conveniently to the table and holds a small trash bag and drink caddy. Along the wall small hand carts are stacked with bags of accoutrements, canvases, frames, boxes of threads and magnifying glasses or large decorative bags bursting at the seams with handiwork. Martin takes a break to give a hug to Charlotte Haralson, one of the kitchen staffers at Camp Allen. The staff is a large part of any group’s embrace of Camp Allen, but the feeling here is mutual. Camp Allen’s staff donated a paver in the sidewalk in honor of the Needlepoint group. Kate Cook, a member of Good Shepherd, Kingwood, loves the casual atmosphere. “Camp Allen is fabulous! I even wear my house shoes sometimes,” she laughed. “They take wonderful care of us and we don’t have to pack all our things up when we leave the room for meals or happy hour. It’s very comfortable.” Cook said similar retreats at hotels are more costly and lack the “retreat” atmosphere the group enjoys at Camp Allen as well as the hospitality of the staff.
Two women from Austin who have attended the last 16 retreats recognized a photo of their great grandfather hanging in the hallway on their first visit. Annie Judice and Mary Gray grew up in the Diocese of West Texas, so were unfamiliar with Camp Allen until they learned of the needlepoint retreat during a class in Austin. They were delighted to see Bishop Alexander Gregg’s photo among the former bishops of Texas and find a wing of the conference center named after their ancestor. “We were surprised to find the connection here at Camp Allen,” Gray said, adding her praise of the Camp’s staff. “Everyone who works here is great,” she said, “They spoil us.” The stitchers bring more than their projects to Camp Allen. They have contributed more than $31,000 to the scholarship program. Participants bring unfinished canvases and bags of unused thread for a silent auction, Case explained. “People bid $50 for a Christmas stocking canvas and give us
$100,” she said. “I think one of the people who has donated the most is Jewish. We have people from all denominations and faiths, and they all love Camp Allen.” Some work on pillow cushions, others on Christmas ornaments or floral arrangements to be framed. They share their knowledge and often have master stitchers who teach new techniques. “We eat and socialize a lot,” Case said. “And, we don’t have to get up and make dinner. Our group enjoys it so much, some come a day or two before the retreat even starts, just to get in an extra day in this beautiful place.” Case, who has volunteered at summer camp for 20 years and served on the Camp Allen board several terms, said she hopes other groups will follow
the needlepointer’s example. “This is a perfect place for small or large groups who want to take time during the week to gather with their particular affinity groups,” she said. “With the lakeside cabins, a small number of people can gather for a writer’s retreat, or a larger quilters group can spread out at the conference center. Anything is possible at Camp Allen.”
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PROFILE: ADVOCACY
BE WELL!
FISH ON! by Toni Christopher
Dire circumstances often can lead to innovative and inspired ideas. Reel Recovery is one such initiative, created by avid fly-fishermen inspired by their fishing buddy’s battle with brain cancer. This “band of brothers” witnessed firsthand the beneficial impact that fly-fishing had for their friend. As a result, they founded Reel Recovery in 2003 to provide the same opportunity for other men and have found Camp Allen to be the perfect location to gather with its comfortable lodging, spaces for quiet contemplation and conversation and its 1,100 acres of pine trees, hiking trails and stocked lakes. Reel Recovery is a national nonprofit organization that conducts fly-fishing retreats for men recovering from all forms of cancer. The retreats combine directed “Courageous Conversations” and expert fly-fishing instruction, allowing participants to share their stories, learn a new skill and form deep, meaningful friendships. Yet perhaps the most important aspect of the weekend is the renewed hope gained as they confront the challenges of their recovery. One Reel Recovery participant spoke for many when he said, "I discovered that while fly-fishing, I was in another place. In this place there was no cancer, no pain and no fear." Mike Emerson, the group’s state director, describes their mission of hope and relief: “The program is designed to be both experiential and reflective, to develop group camaraderie as well as individual skills and to build bonds of friendship that provide a reservoir of personal hope.”
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"While we did fly-fish, what we did in the interim was an awakening. We laughed, we cried, we expressed thoughts and feelings long hidden and intentionally buried. Cancer was not foremost in our minds, that alone is invaluable." –Reel Recovery participant.
Reel Recovery’s program is intentional, intimate and thoughtful. Each retreat hosts only 14 participants, each of whom is paired with a volunteer, or fishing "buddy," who helps the participant learn the art of fly-fishing. The volunteers all pay their own way. At each retreat, the men arrive on Friday as strangers and leave on Sunday as best friends. A small staff—consisting of the state director, a counselor, a medical director, and a site coordinator—enables the group to remain intimate and to bond quickly, which is vital for the Courageous Conversations.
Reel Recovery held their first retreat at Camp Allen she is identified elsewhere in October of 2015 and scheduled their return annually for both spring and fall retreats for the next three years. Their tag line, “Be Well! Fish On!” captures the group’s heart: to use fly-fishing to aid men recovering from and fighting cancer in the renewal of their mental, emotional and spiritual wellness and to then continue to press on in the battle for full healing. By creating a safe place for total strangers to open their hearts, share their hurts and battle their fears, Reel Recovery allows hope to take root and healing to begin ... Be Well! Fish On!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT REEL RECOVERY, PLEASE VISIT REELRECOVERY.ORG.
PROFILE: CONGREGATION
ST. DUNSTAN’S, HOUSTON
Camp Allen Is Beneficiary of St. Dunstan’s Jubilee Plans St. Dunstan’s, Houston has named Camp Allen a beneficiary of its Jubilee Campaign, a three-year celebration of their 50th anniversary, June 4, 2018. The congregation hopes to highlight their five decades as well as the biblical themes of Sabbath and jubilee.
Last year the congregation completed the total renovation of their campus without debt or operational deficit, said Rob Price, St. Dunstan’s rector. “This is great for us. We wanted this to be great for others as well. So, we’ve pledged to give roughly $900,000 beyond our ‘usual’ outreach giving over the next three years to a variety of ministries outside of our parish’s programs,” Price explained. “Camp Allen has been a beloved part of our parish’s life from the very beginning of our history,” he said. “Many of our parishioners who were here in the 1970s have recounted their fond memories of the founding rector, Clark Lennard’s retreats with families and youth at Camp Allen. In many ways, Camp Allen and the ministry that was done there is a part of St. Dunstan’s DNA,” he added. The Camp Allen link has continued through the decades with Cursillo retreats offered and attended by adult parishioners and substantial participation by the church’s youth in Happening and YES programs. Youth from St. Dunstan’s have served as counselors and senior staff at summer camp and more recently, the father/
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child retreat has supported St. Dunstan’s young families. Price has also served as a summer camp session director for the last seven years. “St. Dunstan’s love for and commitment to Camp Allen runs through the entire parish: from priest to people, from grandparents to four-year-olds,” Price said. St. Dunstan’s will dedicate nearly $100,000 of its total goal to Camp Allen, with the largest share going to build one of the new cabins in the proposed Campsite 4. “We could not be more thrilled that the opportunity to be touched by God’s love in this special place will be expanded to 700 more children per summer,” Price said.
“We want to bless others as our whole parish has been blessed. Additionally, we know that the ministries taking place at Camp Allen are changing lives in the present, and as we wait for the cabin to be built, St. Dunstan’s is taking responsibility for providing full scholarships for 10 children (a cabin's worth) at Camp Good News for each summer until the 2018 Jubilee.” Camp Good News is specifically for children who have an incarcerated parent or parents. “We took on the challenge to build a new cabin in order to challenge others as well,” Price said. “How many parishes have been similarly blessed by Camp Allen? How many could leave this kind of legacy? Join us in giving Camp Allen to children in the future, but in the present, as well,” he concluded.
The Rev. Rob Price, rector of St. Dunstan’s, Houston, dressed as "Obi Wan" and preached at the camp-wide Eucharist during his summer camp session as director for third and fourth graders. A child at heart, Price has directed a summer camp session for a number of years, one of which was a Harry Potter—themed week of camp as Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Discipleship and Wonder. Diolog
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CALENDAR & PEOPLE Calendar of Events SUMMER CAMP FOR MOMS JULY 29-31
JUNE 17
HISPANIC LAY LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Annual conference for Hispanic lay leadership look at the theme "Somos Misioneros" / "We are Missioners" and features Bishop Andy Doyle and Bishop Hector Monterroso from the Diocese of Costa Rica.
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DEACON’S ORDINATION
One vocational deacon and eight transitional deacons are to be ordained at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 25 at Christ Church Cathedral, Houston.
JULY
LABOR DAY FAMILY CAMP SEPTEMBER 3-5 Join us for a family retreat that is made in the shade! This 1950s-themed weekend is topped off with a burger bash, malt shop, sock hop and plenty of outdoor activities for everyone.
GRAMPS CAMP SEPTEMBER 23-24
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EPISCOPAL NIGHT WITH THE ASTROS The Houston Astros take on the Chicago White Sox at Minute Maid Park. Make plans to attend with your church for a fun night out at the ballpark, fireworks included. Pregame hot dogs served at the Cathedral. For more information, visit epicenter.org/astros.
Spend quality time with your grandchildren in the piney woods at this two-day, one-night retreat. Activities include canoeing, guided hikes, giant swing, swimming, orienteering, archery, campfire fishing, pond studies and stargazing.
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DIOCESAN MUSIC CAMP
FISHERS OF MEN SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 2
Hosted in Brenham, this year's music camp will expand to include rising grades 6-12. Large and small ensembles will rehearse daily, doing outreach in the Brenham area. Tuition is $450 and is all-inclusive. For more information, visit epicenter.org/musiccommission.
To view a full calendar or a list of upcoming bishops’ visitations, go to epicenter.org/cal. You may also submit events from this page.
Get your rods ready for a men’s weekend of fly-fishing on beautiful Lake Coffield! The retreat will include sessions on fly tying, Texas fly-fishing, fly-casting, and spiritual programming. Fishermen of all skill levels are welcome.
STARRY NIGHTS HOUSTON OCTOBER 13
People
Don’t miss our annual fun-raiser celebration at the Junior League of Houston. Enjoy great Mexican food and margaritas and, best of all, make an enormous impact on some blessed children by providing them with scholarships to summer camp.
The Rev. Michael Caldwell accepted the call as associate rector at Christ Church, Nacogdoches.
ENDURANCE OCTOBER 14-16
The Rev. Mark Crawford is now interim rector at St. Timothy's, Lake Jackson.
Join us for a brand new Challenge Course weekend designed specifically for families with children ages 10 and up. Experience the low and high Challenge Course as well as our Adventure Summit Course, with its 480 ft. dual zip line and 10-element circuit.
The Rev. Bill Fowler is now interim rector at St. Paul's, Waco. The Rev. Edward Gomez is now vicar at San Pablo/St. Paul's, Houston. The Rev. Alejandro Montes retired on April 1. Montes was the rector at San Mateo, Houston. The Rev. Nick Novak will retire effective June 30. His last Sunday as rector at Trinity, Baytown was April 3. The Rev. Francene Young, rector of St. Luke the Evangelist, Houston, has joined the diocesan staff as transition minister. She will also remain at St. Luke's.
Deaths The Rev. Robert Morgan “Bob” Tarbet, Jr. , died on April 21, 2016 in a diving accident. Tarbet served as rector of Trinity, Marble Falls; vicar of St. Luke's, Lindale and Christ Church, Matagorda. Please keep the Tarbet family in your prayers. 34 |
Hey Moms! Come to Camp Allen for a weekend of relaxation, renewal, and adventure. Featured highlights include a cooking class, scrapbooking, yoga, massages, chick flick movie night, quilting, jewelry making, painting, art projects and photography.
epicenter.org
HOLIDAY STEAK DINNER DECEMBER 7 When Thanksgiving leaves you tired of cooking and eating leftover turkey, join us for Holiday Steak Dinner at Camp Allen. We will be decorated for the holidays and a cash bar will be available.
HOLIDAY IN THE PINES DECEMBER 9-11 Load your sleigh and head to Camp Allen for an oldfashioned, country Christmas! Activities include sledding, holiday crafts, gingerbread houses, campfire & s’mores, photos with Santa, movie night, worship service and more!
MAKE YOUR MARK
Since 1921, Camp Allen has been a place where visions are born, hearts are restored, and spirits are renewed. Our deepest desire is to preserve and grow the property, facilities, staff, and programs of Camp Allen so that it can continue to be a place that provides transformative experiences for generations to come. We ask for your help to achieve this dream!
Rosa Lum Legacy Join the Rosa Lum Legacy by remembering Camp Allen as you plan your will or update your charitable plans. A charitable bequest can be a dollar amount, percentage of the estate or a particular asset donation. You should consult your legal advisor for the proper wording to fit your situation. Stepping Stones Contribute $300 in honor or in memory of a loved one, and an engraved paver will be added to the Dehan Veranda walkway at the conference center.
Send a child to camp!
Visit campallen.org/donate and make a tax-deductible gift to the Camp Allen Scholarship Fund.
To learn more about these and other giving opportunities, contact Lauren Day at laurend@campallen.org or 936.825.7175.
s e l d e e N Pine s & Gifts Book Take a piece of the piney woods home! Shop our extensive collection of signature Camp Allen merchandise, apparel, dĂŠcor, books, and jewelry. Visit our newly expanded online store! campallen.org Diolog |
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The Episcopal Diocese of Texas 1225 Texas Street Houston, TX 77002-3504
To learn more about the Centennial Fund or make a donation go to campallen.org/donate.
Discovery Center
Reading Nook Shelving
Discovery Center
Small Library of Nature Books
Camper Health Center
30 books @ $20 each
Rocking Chairs for front porch
Sr. Staff Housing
Pots & Pans
Sr. Staff Housing
Kitchenware & Glassware
Hike and Bike Trail
$250
Signage
6 chairs @ $325 each
$350 $300
8 signs at $75 each
All proceeds will benefit Texas Episcopal Service Corps., a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.
The Camp Allen cross was designed and made by the Rev. John Price.