Camp Memories

[LisaMarie]

Loved youth camp when I was growing up. What is your best memory? Do they still have the banquets?

[PastorDaniel]

As far as I know they definitly still have banquets....my son goes every year and I've worked several...

I was saved, sanctified, filled with the Holy Ghost, and called to preach at Camp Echeconnee in Lizella (Macon)....All really good memories....

Not to mention the friends and acquaintences that I still have from those years....Great Times!!

[Linda]

TN Camp Hickory Hills camps in the 60's were the BEST!!! I didn't miss a year. There are sooooo many memories of those times. I always enjoyed the classes during the day...we had some of the most gifted teachers...Bro. Jack Pruitt was my favorite. Dr. Ron's mom and dad always worked camp and we all loved them soooo much. The camp directors I remember were Sis. Joanna Donafield (Sp?), Sis. Jenna Allen, Bro. Richard Davis (he was also my pastor at the time) are the ones that stand out in my mind.

Two funny stories about Bro. Davis...During camp, he baptised me and during the procedure, I slipped in the pool and everyone said it looked like I was trying to hug him...well, that was so embarrassing. I've always said I will never backslide because I never want to be baptised again. I thought I was drowning!!!!!

During that same camp, I had my first camp boyfriend!! After the last service on Friday night, we got to stay up and out late. Well, Bro. Davis caught me and a few other couples in the basement of the old kitchen/cafateria "making-out"! I had a hard time looking him in the face after that, but boy, did we have FUN!!!!!

GOOOOOOODDDDDD memories!!!!!!

PS...I also saw Dr. Ron and his now wife, Diane, kissing behind a tree!

[Dr. Ron]

Well Linda, you told them my favorite memories....
'
Yep, met Diane there...proposed the first night (we were 13) Six years and 5 days later we married and began pastoring our first church after that last camp.....

[A2JGirl]

Sis. Joanna Donnafield

I have met her! She's such a neat lady. It was so interesting to hear her tell of their time in Australia. Two of her kids, Leslei and Galen, go to church with me.

[sweetpea]

I remember Brother Davis ,at least I think it's the same person.Is he married to a lady with the maiden name of Woods If so,I know them very well.I never went to camp but one time and I really didn't like it but Mama sent me,my youngest sister and brother.Brother Claxton Cook carried us to Eupora,Ms along with several other children.

This was back in the early sixties,they wouldn't let us wear pants and I don't know what they would have done if someone had worn shorts.
This was the era(?) when the girls all wore can can skirts (slips) under their skirts so the dress would stand way out.We sometimes would wear 3 or 4 depending on how big the skirt bottom was made.

A boy was pushing my sister,she is 3 years younger than me,on the swings and some kinda of way his hand got caught on her can can slip,he pushed her real high,the next thing we knew her slip had come apart,she was going higher and higher and her slip was flipping in the air,about that time Brother Davis came running out,yelling"hey,just what is going on out here"? It was just an honest mistake but I thought we might have to go home from camp early.I don't think my sister likes to even see Brother Davis,it embarrassed her so much.

If this is the same person I think it is ,his wife grew up at Delta City,Ms.They were older than me,but I did go to church with her younger sister.Also,Their son Rick,and DIL Lisa use to do a wonderful puppet program.Lisa's mother is one of my nearest and dearest friends.

[Linda]

I remember Brother Davis ,at least I think it's the same person.Is he married to a lady with the maiden name of Woods If so,I know them very well.I never went to camp but one time and I really didn't like it but Mama sent me,my youngest sister and brother.Brother Claxton Cook carried us to Eupora,Ms along with several other children.

This was back in the early sixties,they wouldn't let us wear pants and I don't know what they would have done if someone had worn shorts.
This was the era(?) when the girls all wore can can skirts (slips) under their skirts so the dress would stand way out.We sometimes would wear 3 or 4 depending on how big the skirt bottom was made.

A boy was pushing my sister,she is 3 years younger than me,on the swings and some kinda of way his hand got caught on her can can slip,he pushed her real high,the next thing we knew her slip had come apart,she was going higher and higher and her slip was flipping in the air,about that time Brother Davis came running out,yelling"hey,just what is going on out here"? It was just an honest mistake but I thought we might have to go home from camp early.I don't think my sister likes to even see Brother Davis,it embarrassed her so much.

If this is the same person I think it is ,his wife grew up at Delta City,Ms.They were older than me,but I did go to church with her younger sister.Also,Their son Rick,and DIL Lisa use to do a wonderful puppet program.Lisa's mother is one of my nearest and dearest friends.

Sounds like the same Bro. Davis...don't know his wife's maiden name, but her name was Laverne. They had a son, Ricky, and a daughter, Susie. The kids were real young when he pastored the East Nashville COGOP in '66-'67. He was also Overseer of Canada for several years. I just love them so much and always get hugs when I see them. I haven't keep up with the kids, so don't know them now. They are a great family.

[stevenson]

We had a big hill on our campground. And every year it would rain at least one day. And we had a huge mud slide to go down. Of course the cabin leaders were suppose to stop us but they didn't try to hard.

We also snuck out every year to play some kind of joke on the girls dorm.

Man, I miss camp! This is the first year that I won't be there after many years of attending and then working camps. Kinda breaks my heart.

[What a Friend]

I started going to Youth Camp in the 70's when I was 10. Leslie Porter was head of the camps back then in MS. My Greatest memory was when I was 14 During one of the night services Bro. Porter had everyone form a prayer line. I had been seeking the Holy Ghost for a while. That night I went through the prayer line, The power of God swept down, I danced from the beginning to end of that line, I started speaking in tongues when I got to the end. I can remember being SO SHOCKED, and so overwhelmed with Happiness. I felt like I was FLYING. I had seen the Holy Ghost on the people at the church I grew up in, But never experienced It til that night at Camp. Praise the Lord for Youth Camps!

[Pastorbps]

I remember those camp days well. On the hill in Van Buren Missouri for 1 year and the rest in Tennessee. Great memories of Dr. Ron's momma singing "Walking the Sea." Amazing isn't it? She would have been considered one of the "old folks" but we thought she was great and her singing was great. Just shows you that someone with a lot of love can bridge a lot of gaps.
Larry Wilson was my cabin leader one year. He had a whole suitcase of nothing but bug spray & repellents. Great cabin leader. Ken Merritt, Rick Creasy, Larry Lowery, Rick & Teresa Lee, and many more were such a blessing.
Standing Stone, Fall Creek Falls, Montgomery Bell, those were the days! Why back in my day they didn't have a/c in the cabins and weeeee liked it!

Softball games (Try getting teens outside to play ball now. Not when they can play a video game. )
Funtime, raiding cabins, pillow fights, water balloons, shaving cream (None of us were old enough to shave but we always had it).
Meeting girls who didn't go to movies or dance either. It was like our own e-harmony for conservative Christians!

[soulsearcher]

Sounds like the same Bro. Davis...don't know his wife's maiden name, but her name was Laverne.

Gene Davis - one of the most beautiful baritone singing voices I've ever heard. Loved accompanying him on the piano and really wanted to produce a solo record of him with the BRC but scheduling never happened.

As for camp, I've stated before that, IMHO, I experienced the ultimate youth camp growing up in the 60's in Alabama, with "the First Lady of Youth Camps," Dorothy Creel directing. Camps were conducted at Oak Mountain State Park and staff who stood out to me included Eddie Tanner, Gerdia Shewmaker, Leslie Porter, Jim Williams, Betty Stockdale-Hayes, Bob Foster to name a few.

I met my best life-long friend there, and was called into the music ministry when I was 14 years old.

Pastor Gary remembers those camps well.

Random memories that come to mind:

"Gary Langley, strong and able, get your elbows off the table. 'Round the room you must go, you must go..."

"My hat, it has three corners..."

"I'm a little piece of tin, noboby knows what shape I'm in..."

"At the end of trail..."

I'm eternally thankful for the experience and the memories.

[A2JGirl]

Jim Williams

I wonder if this is the Jimmy and Georgia Williams that I know.

[soulsearcher]

AJ, I am referring to Jim and Kathleen Williams.

[Gerald Creasy]

Standing Stone, Fall Creek Falls, Montgomery Bell, those were the days! Why back in my day they didn't have a/c in the cabins and weeeee liked it!

Montgomery Bell...the place where you'd go swimming and emerge with leeches.

[A2JGirl]

AJ, I am referring to Jim and Kathleen Williams.

Ah. Sorry.