This weekend was a trip down memory lane for many of us “old” camp staff. After a great week with our campers we often found ourselves hanging out in Townsend at the Burger Master, a small A-frame restaurant with outdoor seating, excellent burgers and soft-served ice cream. So, it made sense to start our reunion weekend by grabbing lunch and hanging out back at Burger Master. During the heat of summer, the river was the best place to cool off, relax, and spend time together. After we finished lunch, our next stop on the reunion tour was at our favorite spot on the river. I would tell you more, but it’s one of our best kept camp staff secrets. Just know, we had a blast playing in the water and remembering all the fun we had there as camp staff. When we had spent enough time there, we came back to camp to set up our campsite at “Across From Grandfather Tree,” which is a campsite that happens to be across from a tree with exposed roots that look like a grandfather’s beard. After all these years, we can still set up a great campout tarp.
By now most of the staff had arrived, so we grabbed a group picture and started preparing camper stew. This was probably the best camper stew made in the history of Camp Wesley Woods. We ate our camper stew around the fire, just like old times. Many staff brought their children, and it was such a joy to meet the next generation of campers and staff. At the end of every summer we made a scrapbook, and each staff member had one page with pictures of their summer, and had a chance to write about the experience. After eating dinner, we looked through the scrapbook and talked about the many memories contained inside. A few folks pulled out guitars and we sang old camp songs like “Lord of the Dance” and “Light the Fire,” finishing with the vesper’s song, “Alleluia.” It was bedtime or time to say goodbye for most, and for those that stayed, sleeping under a tarp was just as comfortable as it’s always been. The highlight of breakfast was the invention of the “S’maco,” which is where you make a pancake, roast a s’more, and fold all the s’more ingredients inside the pancake, like a taco. We are sure it will be the next camp craze.
There is a lot we miss about camp, but what we had missed the most was just being in a place and with the people that made such a difference in our lives, and we worked together with to make a difference in the lives of the next generation. Camp Wesley Woods is a special place to all of us. We find peace at camp, and as soon as we step on property all the memories we made come flooding back. After ten years apart, the Camp Wesley Woods summer staff of 2005 returned to their roots for a weekend in the woods. After being apart for so long, we jumped back in like we’d just seen each other the day before. Being together at camp feels like home. Camp family just works that way. After spending the weekend together, the one thing we know for sure is that we won’t wait another 10 years to spend time together again. Plans are in the works to expand the reunion to more summers, and perhaps turn this into an annual homecoming event.
By Whitney Winston
2005 Summer Staff Member
Current Office Manager/Retreat Coordinator
By now most of the staff had arrived, so we grabbed a group picture and started preparing camper stew. This was probably the best camper stew made in the history of Camp Wesley Woods. We ate our camper stew around the fire, just like old times. Many staff brought their children, and it was such a joy to meet the next generation of campers and staff. At the end of every summer we made a scrapbook, and each staff member had one page with pictures of their summer, and had a chance to write about the experience. After eating dinner, we looked through the scrapbook and talked about the many memories contained inside. A few folks pulled out guitars and we sang old camp songs like “Lord of the Dance” and “Light the Fire,” finishing with the vesper’s song, “Alleluia.” It was bedtime or time to say goodbye for most, and for those that stayed, sleeping under a tarp was just as comfortable as it’s always been. The highlight of breakfast was the invention of the “S’maco,” which is where you make a pancake, roast a s’more, and fold all the s’more ingredients inside the pancake, like a taco. We are sure it will be the next camp craze.
There is a lot we miss about camp, but what we had missed the most was just being in a place and with the people that made such a difference in our lives, and we worked together with to make a difference in the lives of the next generation. Camp Wesley Woods is a special place to all of us. We find peace at camp, and as soon as we step on property all the memories we made come flooding back. After ten years apart, the Camp Wesley Woods summer staff of 2005 returned to their roots for a weekend in the woods. After being apart for so long, we jumped back in like we’d just seen each other the day before. Being together at camp feels like home. Camp family just works that way. After spending the weekend together, the one thing we know for sure is that we won’t wait another 10 years to spend time together again. Plans are in the works to expand the reunion to more summers, and perhaps turn this into an annual homecoming event.
By Whitney Winston
2005 Summer Staff Member
Current Office Manager/Retreat Coordinator
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