2010 Hoche Group Leader

Andy Garner is spending his 4th summer as a staff member at Camp Deer Run this summer, and his 2nd as the Hoche Group leader. I thought it might be a neat idea to hear what a current staff member had to say about Camp and give you a chance to see if your thoughts and emotions during your time at Camp matched up. Since the focus and intent of Camp has been the same for the past 52 years, I would say that all former staff members feel the same way about Camp as Andy does.

CDR Alumni: What years have you been at Camp?

Andy: I went as a Pee Wee from 1992-1997, camped from 1998-2006, and have been on Staff since 2007.

CDR Alumni: Why did you come to Camp in the first place?

Andy: My brothers Pete and Jody came before me and I always came when I was a Pee Wee. My mom grew up coming to Camp and she always wanted us to come to Camp.

CDR Alumni: What is your favorite memory as a camper?

Andy: Winning Killi Kapers in 2005 and finally getting the monkey off our backs.

CDR Alumni: Who had the biggest impact on you while you were a camper?

Andy: All of the counselors and group leaders that I had. Honestly, pretty much every staff member that worked out here while I camped had a strong impact on me.

CDR Alumni: Why did you decide you wanted to be a staff member?

Andy: I was baptized out at Camp, and camp had helped me so much on my spiritual journey, and I wanted to have a chance to have the same impact on kids. I had 2 brothers who had worked out at Camp and knew what kind of fun that they had when they were on staff. I also knew that being on staff would help me grow in my spiritual walk.

CDR Alumni: What do you think makes Camp so important for so many people?

Andy: Two things. The unusual setting where you are thrown out of your normal way of life and put into the piney woods of East Texas. The fact that the staff is young college kids that are close to the age of the campers and can connect with the kids and show them how to live a life that is close to God. All of that helps to develop strong bonds that make the campers want to come back year after year with the same people.

CDR Alumni: What is your favorite part of the typical Camp Day?

Andy: Late afternoon, early evening is always my favorite. Quiet time>hymn time>ballgames>dinner.

CDR Alumni: Talk about the responsibility of being a Group Leader.

Andy: You’re leading 40-50 campers, both boys and girls, and you’re expected to provide the games and entertain for all of them. You have to keep the schedule and really create an overall spiritual setting for your whole group. I don’t have to be their favorite group leader, but I hope that their time in my group equals their best time at Camp. I hope that while they are with me that it is a highly spiritual time, as well as a very fun experience. I hope that they feel unified as a group and close to each other. For the staff, I try to keep everyone unified and working together for God and for the sake of Camp. I do everything I can to make sure that we all keep everything going smoothly.

CDR Alumni: What is your least favorite part of Camp?

Andy: Waking up everyday and feeling like I am going to die of exhaustion.

CDR Alumni: What is your proudest accomplishment from your time at Camp?

Andy: Having the honor of baptizing 8 campers into Christ, and the fact that I have been able to come out here for so many summers.

CDR Alumni: Is there anything you would like to say to the Alumni?

Andy: Thank you from former campers for your time and your effort and for the way you impacted many lives just like mine.

I'm really proud of the young man that Andy has become. 6th Session of 1999 Andy was in Men's 1 when I was the counselor of that cabin, and that started a great friendship. Somehow Andy ended up being in my cabin 5 times, and each time he stayed in the bed above mine. We formed a bond that lasts today. He has done a great job during his time at Camp and I know that many campers lives have been changed because of the work that he does at Camp.

2nd Session is winding down, and things have been great at Camp so far. Continue to pray for the staff and campers, and for Camp as there is a still a lot of work to be done this summer. I encourage you to get out there for a worship service, either a Wednesday night or a Middle Sunday. You will leave uplifted and closer to God.

Hail, Dear Ol, Deer Run,

Sparky

Middle Sunday

Today was the first Middle Sunday of the summer, which is the Sunday right in the middle of a two week session. Middle Sundays are always a great day at Camp because so many visitors come out to worship with the campers and staff. Today there were somewhere in the neighborhood of 550 people worshipping God together at a place where God's presence is easily felt. There seems to be an energy that comes with all of the parents and friends that is appreciated by the staff and campers. The singing today was great just as it always is on Middle Sundays because of the large crowd, and Hoche Group Leader Andy Garner did a great job of preaching God's word. After worship, we had a great lunch and enjoyed some of the many activities that go on during the day, including camper vs. staff football and volleyball games.

If you can, I encourage you to try to get to Camp during one of the two upcoming Middle Sundays. 4th and 5th Sessions are both two week sessions.

Hail, Dear Ol' Deer Run,

Sparky

Two Week Sessions

Camp Deer Run 2010 has been going strong for two weeks now, and 2nd Session is about halfway over. 2nd Session is the first two week session of the summer. One week sessions of Camp are great, but two week sessions are the true measure of the greatness that Camp has to offer. The second week of each two week session (2nd, 4th, and 5th) are almost identical to the week of each other session, but the first week is vastly different.

Monday of each two week session starts off with Cowboy Day. Something unique about two week sessions is that the campers tend to be older as a whole, and usually camp the same session every year. Because of this, they know what each day is, and try to bring clothing that allows them to dress up based on the days, just like the staff does. Which means that Cowboy day usually brings out the cowboy boots and hats. Every once in a while you might see some chaps, or even a cap gun in a holster. Sometimes the group leaders will come to Flag Pole Devo on horseback. During Group Activity there is a focus on cowboy type games. Sometimes there will be relay races involving saddling a horse. Sometimes a game of Cowboys and Indians will break out. A tense tournament of horse shoes will break out. Its a great day to start Camp.

Tuesday was always my favorite day...Hawaiian Day! This is a great day for so many reasons. Right at the top for me was that this day gave me an excuse to wear a bright Hawaiian shirt and a straw hat. Just like Cowboy Day, Hawaiian Day would be celebrated by both campers and staff by dressing the part.

There have even been a few attempts to celebrate Hawaiian Day by surfing in the pool. Needless to say, the waves were never big enough. Water is a large part of the focus of Group Activity. There are usually some silly water relays, but the most exciting part is the very large slip and slide. A few years back somebody donated some large billboard covers to Camp, and these serve a wonderful purpose, the best slip and slide ever. Campers and staff get to go down the slide as much as possible, and have lots of fun.
Wednesday is International Sports Day. I'm not really sure how this became an official Camp Day, since I have heard rumors of a Reverse/Opposite Day that used to exist, but this is a fun day none the less. On International Sports Day, there are many, many sports jersey's being worn around Camp, mainly soccer jerseys. Soccer is usually played during a Group Activity, since that is about the most international sport there is. This is always a fun day during World Cup years, like this year, with all of the focus being on soccer.

The next couple of days are either the most exciting days, or the most dreadful days for campers, and honestly staff as well. That's right, Outcamping! The thing about Outcamping is, even if you don't look forward to it, you almost always end up loving it. The Hoches and Nashamies spend two nights out in the woods, and the Chueks and Wenaches spend one night each. It is a time of bonding and memory making. You get nasty and smelly and gross, but everybody else is just the same. You eat food that is cooked over a fire in a way that you never think will work, but always does. You sleep under the stars, with bugs all around you. It is just an experience that the campers don't normally get to have. Chickens are always the highlight for the Hoches. For many years, the campers got to experience the entire process of preparing a chicken for eating. That included killing the chickens, gutting the chickens, plucking the chickens, and then cooking the chickens over the fire. Today the process is much more simple. Frozen chickens are used. There aren't many people that have fond memories of plucking and gutting the chickens.
The food also includes making hamburgers in a can, cooking pancakes in a pie tin on hot coals, and breakfast in a bag. You put bacon on the bottom of a paper sack and cook it over the fire. The grease in the bacon seals the bottom of the bag to where you can pour an egg in there on top of the bacon and cook it. Of course, if you weren't paying attention, your paper bag would catch on fire if you got it too close to the flames. That means no breakfast for you.
The younger groups get to have doughnuts for their breakfast. There are canned biscuits that are fried and dusted with cinnamon and sugar. They are very good.
Another unique aspect about two week sessions is Killi Kapers. This is always a fun night for both campers and staff. Each cabin is responsible with coming up with some sort of skit, or song, or something unique to perform in front of the entire Camp. The top 3 performances are recognized at the end of the night. It is always a great night to dress up and for the campers to really showcase their talents.

Two week sessions are unique in so many ways. The best part is that the campers are surrounded by God for such a long amount of time. The staff generally try to get a little deeper in their studies with the campers, and really try to challenge the campers to search for God during their time at Camp. The campers are able to spend more time reflecting on their life with God, and are able to lean more heavily on each other to be strengthened. It is a wonderful experience, and anybody who has experienced Camp for two weeks will agree.

Camp is going well, but continue to pray for all of the campers and staff that will be spending time out there this summer. If you plan to visit Camp for any Middle Sundays, remember that everything starts an hour earlier with class at 10:00 and worship at 11:00. Hope to see many people there.

Hail, Dear O' Deer Run,

Sparky

Baby Roundup!!!

Over the past several years there has been an abundance of children born to former Deer Runners. It seems like there are more and more little ones running around Camp any time there is some gathering at Camp. We now want to recognize and honor these little ones along with their parents. If you have been a part of Camp Deer Run in the past and have a little one or little ones, then we would really love to have your family out at Camp for this celebration. This celebration will take place after lunch on Sunday, July 10, which is Middle Sunday of 4th Session. Please email Ty Ford at ty-cdr@peoplescom.net to confirm your attendance or to ask questions. I hope that there are tons of little kids running around that day. It will be a blast!

Hail, Dear Ol' Deer Run,

Sparky

New Pool Dedication

If you have been following this blog or been paying attention on Facebook then you are fully aware that a new pool has been constructed at Camp Deer Run. And if you have been involved with Camp Deer Run at any point in the past 28ish years then you have been impacted by David Ward in some way or another. On Saturday afternoon the new pool was dedicated in honor of David Ward and all that he means to Camp. It was a wonderful time to get together and show the love that so many people feel for David and show our gratitude for what he has done to Camp.

Jay Spencer and Ty Ford both got up to talk a little bit about some the things that David did during his time at Camp. He pretty much did anything. In fact when Jay asked David "if there were any job at Camp that he never did?" David responded with "Head Women's". It was probably the truth. He came out to Camp in the 1982 as a staff member and just never left. He served as a counselor, then as a Group Leader, and then spent the late 1990's and early 2000's as the Director of Camp Deer Run. He deserved to be honored at Camp for his dedication and hard work.
David had been out to see the pool a few times as it was being completed, but Ty had to work real hard to keep him from discovering a surprise that Ty had for him. Right in the middle of the deck in front of the steps Ty had a large marker placed to honor David. Ty wanted to keep this a secret for the pool dedication, and was successful.
It is a fitting tribute to a man who wanted to recognition for his work, but deserved it anyways. The marker has the words "Summer Staff, Group Leader, Program Director, Camp Director and Since 1982" around the perimeter. In the middle is a stamp of the Camp Deer Run logo with the words "Be Mindful" underneath. David would always tell his staff this phrase before every staff weekend or meeting to end the summer to remind them of what they represent. Meaning they represent their family, Camp Deer Run, their church, but most importantly God and what being a Christian meant. David got up to share some of his thoughts and gave thanks to everyone who was involved with his work at Camp. He gave some advice and shared some of his wisdom from his time from Camp, giving God all of the glory. Of course he had to through in his trademark phrase, "Be Mindful."After David was done making his comments Ty called David's wife, Kaci, and their four kids up to the front and prayed with them.

It was a wonderful few minutes that many people had been looking forward to sharing for a long time. Even though the new pool had been used before this, the dedication made it feel complete, and ready for many years of use for thousands of future campers. Hopefully you will have a chance to get out to Camp this summer and see the new pool. It may be brand new, but it feels like it has been at Camp for many years.

Camp is still raising funds for this great new addition, and if you have given it some thought and prayer, you can go to the Camp Deer Run website to find out how to do this.

It is the best time of the year for Camp. Everything is in full swing and 160 campers each session are being shown how wonderful living a life for God is. Continue to pray for the staff and the Campers throughout the summer.

Hail, Dear Ol' Deer Run,

Sparky

Pass the Torch 2010

This past Saturday was a wonderful time at Camp Deer Run. Two separate events were crammed into one very exciting day. Pass the Torch and the pool dedication made for a wonderful, if not hot day at Camp. Of course during the summer, almost all days are hot. I'm going to spend this post talking about Pass the Torch and will fill you in on all you want to know about the pool dedication in a couple of days.

Things got going at Camp around 2:00 on Saturday afternoon with some swim time for the girls and then the boys. After people experienced the new pool for the first time, it was time for some Staff vs Old Staff softball. This was the third such game ever held, and both sides had won once. So it was a pretty intense battle that the current staff ended up winning late in the game. There were lots of laughs and smiles all over Hoche Ballfield. For some reason some of the Old Staff seemed to kind of disappear as the game went on. I did mention it was hot, right?

After the softball game was over it was time to cool down in the pavilion and eat some dinner. It was a fun time of fellowship that allowed everyone to catch up with each other. It was great to see former staff members interact with current staff members. If you have ever been on staff then you know how fun and meaningful it is to see your former campers on staff. Of course it also makes you feel pretty old.

There is definitely a new generation of Deer Runners that is starting to make appearances at Camp. So many former staff members are having babies and bringing those babies out to Camp and introducing them to a place and people that mean so much to them. In just a few short years there will be third generation campers running around Camp.
The last part of the night took place in the Rec Hall. This is a favorite place for many people because of the memories of worships and hymn times that they spent in there. Everyone gathered in the Rec Hall and spent time singing praises to God and in fellowship with their brothers and sisters. After several songs, former staff members were encouraged to stand up and speak to this summer's staff members. The former staff members offered words of encouragement and praise for the things that each staff member will be doing this summer. It was a great way to remind them of the importance that their job is and how important it is to be great role models to the children who will come to Camp this summer.
Camp is in full swing and things are off to a great start. I truly believe that kicking things off with Pass the Torch is the perfect way to get Camp going. There were many people at Camp this Saturday and many more who would have loved to have been there. Maybe you couldn't take the time to share your thoughts and feelings to the staff, but you can spend time in prayer for them and for Camp this summer. It is going to be a great summer, and God is going to do many wonderful things with Camp.

Hail, Dear Ol' Deer Run,

Sparky