Changes at Camp...Canteen

Camp Deer Run has undergone many changes since it was founded over 50 years ago, which is pretty amazing considering that it has basically stayed the same place over that time. I wanted to highlight one of the most central parts of Camp that was forced to change after a very memorable, and scary moment...the Canteen.

Three times a day, each group makes a trip the canteen porch to get something to snack on, drink a soda, and relax out of the hot sun while fellowshipping with each other. Its always one of the favorite times of the day for everyone because it is a chance to just sit back and relax during a schedule that always keeps everyone moving.

This first picture shows what the Canteen was like before. The porch was about 8 feet wide all the way around the Canteen. After the campers went through and got their goods, they would hang out all around the porch, eating and drinking and having a good time.

Every so often, the canteen was used as cover for Flag Devo when it was raining. It was the best place to have everyone cram so that they could stay out of the rain, yet still be close enough to the flag pole to make it seem like a flag pole devo. During 4th Session sometime in the mid 90's, it was raining in the morning so everyone crammed onto the canteen for a very crowded flag devo. Little did they know that they were about to become a part of Camp Deer Run history.

4th Session is always one of the most popular sessions, and the mid 90's was no different. With everyone piled on the porch, something bad happened...the porched collapsed! Thank God, there was no one severely injured, but several people were shaken up. But everyone had a great story to tell everyone. Since the porch was not connected to the actual canteen building, only the porch was affected. But the porch obviously needed to be repaired/replaced. Instead of just replicating the old porch that went all the way around the canteen, an extra level was added on one side. The porch still wraps all of the way around, but now there is a large area to the left of the canteen. You can see that canteen as it is today in this picture.
This new porch has been a wonderful addition to Camp over the past 15 years or so. On the old porch, everyone was spread out all around the porch and there was no way to be together as a group. Now during Canteen all members of the group can be together on the porch, sharing laughs and stories with each other.

The new porch (which its hard to think its new since it is around 15 years old) offers so many other opportunities for Camp that the old one didn't. There is now another place that Group and Cabin Bibles can go to spend time in the Word.
The new porch also affords Camp with some flexibility about different activities throughout the session. The porch is a great place to hold an indoor scavenger hunt, or have a luau to celebrate Hawaiian Day.
I think that the canteen porch is a great example of how Camp is always making changes, but is never truly changing. Each change that is made at Camp is made to continue the mission that has been Camp Deer Run for over 50 years. If you haven't been to Camp in many years, I hope you enjoy getting to see what it looks like today. I really do believe that if you were to go out there today, you would see the same place that you fell in love with many years ago. Camp's main purpose is the same today as it always has been...to change young lives with the story of Christ.

Hail, Dear Ol' Deer Run,

Sparky