For so many, the Wanakee experience reaches into your heart, takes hold, and never lets go. After 21 years of my own connection to Wanakee and four and a half years in the director’s seat, I am completely certain that those who experience this place carry seeds of Wanakee with them, no matter where life goes.

I see those seeds in comments on social media when we post old pictures or sing beloved songs, I hear about them when individuals and families stop by and wistfully recall joyful moments from decades past, I notice them when campers from 15 years ago make a gift to support this place during a pandemic, and tag their friends to remind them of their shared connection and memories.

The second story in this year of sustaining generosity is a story of a Wanakee tree with infinite branches, where seeds that were sown in our early years have grown and grown. From our ingrained culture of gentle acceptance, to our rustic program rooted in a closeness to nature and accessible faith exploration, to our physical plant, Wes and Edie Darling are two of the individuals most responsible for the things that make Wanakee, Wanakee. Their leadership at a critical juncture in Wanakee’s history was hugely consequential. The story I’m about to tell is one more branch in their tree.

Edie Darling checking in campers in front of the Wanakee Farmhouse

Wes and Edie’s tenure as Wanakee’s Administrators occurred before I was born, from 1968 to 1977. In order to appreciate their impact, I’ve reached out to others who knew them well. Here’s a bit of what they shared:

“The first word which comes to my mind [when I think of Wes and Edie] is team. They were a very unique team. While it seemed they were working separately, somehow they always knew what the other was doing. The two were always separate yet one.

Wes’s responsibility was the physical property and the administrative work. You could find him in the little red trailer making sure the finances were in order and the bills vouchered to give to Maurice Simonds, the treasurer. After supper he might fire up the fogger and walk through the campsite to cut down the mosquito population. He designed the dining hall and kitchen additions and then guided youth work camps to construct them. He knew the property better than anyone.

Edie’s area was program. She would work with the committee to determine what the program themes would be for the various age levels, find the weekly directors, and listen to their goals while quietly giving insight and guidance for the week so it would go smoothly. She could always make ideas and plans better. In the evening she might talk with a weekly director to help them solve a problem, or offer guidance on how a counselor might answer a deep faith question asked by a camper.

Wes Darling working in the old administrative office, which used to be in a trailer parked on the South side of the Farmhouse.

Their true lasting legacy was firmly establishing Wanakee as a place of love and acceptance where one could grow in faith: “a beautiful spiritual place in the hills.” One could not walk on to the property and not be greeted, welcomed, and made to feel special and loved. They clearly lived their faith in word and deed. This atmosphere was the goal when Wanakee was founded, and the Darlings brought it to completion.” –The Rev. Phil Polhemus

“Edie and Wes were role models, mentors, and friends. Warm and compassionate, kind and generous, they welcomed people in and drew the circle wider. They encouraged activities that focused on teamwork and cooperation and looked for ways to help everyone succeed. Their presence is missed and their love lives on through the Wanakee spirit.”—Cam Howard

“I remember interviewing for a job at Wanakee in the balcony at Main Street UMC, and I was so nervous because I'd never been interviewed before. I thought I'd never get the job, but a letter arrived saying I'd been hired and offering $240 for the whole summer.

It was the first time I'd been away from home for that long, and I got pretty homesick on the first night. Edie noticed it right away, and that was when I realized how much of a nurturer she was. She really looked out for me, and got other people to do the same.”—David Quimby

“Wes and Edie could pull a rabbit out of a hat. Edie was so intuitive and insightful as to what was going on with people. If something was not going to happen that needed to happen, they could go to work and make it happen. They knew people and their strengths – they knew how to call in resources. One summer, my 1 year old son got hold of my glasses and broke them, so I couldn’t see. That very day they connected me with Carl Quimby and I had glasses within a few days, brought right to Wanakee.”—Sharon Foss

“Throughout their time at Wanakee Wes (aka Dad) & Edie (aka Mom and affectionately by some of the more daring staff “Mother Edie”) demonstrated their version of family first by being devoted to each other, to their faith, and to Mary, Lou Ann & I. Yet they were able to serve and lead through faith & love all of the different Wanakee Family Units in a truly inclusive manner.”—Ed Darling

The Wanakee waterfront in the 1970s

Wes and Edie moved to Meredith in 2000, spending their retirement down the road from camp near the shores of Lake Waukewan. When a story ran in the local paper about the Farmhouse restoration in spring 2017, Wes enjoyed driving out to follow along. He appreciated that the builders were committed to their craft and to an authentic restoration of the Farmhouse. He was tickled that the owner of Caledonian Carpentry, Roy Darling, shared his last name (no relation).

After their father’s passing in fall 2018, Ed and Mary Darling (Wes and Edie’s son and daughter) and Ed’s wife Lou Ann started considering how their parents’ legacy might live on at camp in another way, through a donation in celebration of lives well-lived. This led them to establish the Wes and Edie Memorial Fund through an incredible donation of $10,000. The fund is invested at the United Methodist Foundation of New England to benefit Wanakee. In Mary’s words:

“Dad took his roles as husband, father, and breadwinner very seriously. He worked hard and was fiscally responsible. He could not be considered monetarily rich – there were times he was eligible for financial assistance, but felt there were probably folks who needed it more than he did. However, at the end of his life in 2018, he had enough to cover final expenses and some to spare.

Ed suggested that we think about a gift to perpetuate the connection that Dad and Mum had with Wanakee. Lou Ann and I felt that it made perfect sense. (By the way, Ed and Lou met at Wanakee.)

There were 3 things in their lives that Wes and Edie were both completely vested in and committed to:

1. Their marriage

2. Raising their family

3. The 10 years they spent as the administrators of Wanakee

Even after they left Wanakee, our parents talked fondly of the many people they met there and worked with. They both had a commitment to improve Wanakee’s programming and infrastructure. When they retired, they bought a home in Meredith and continued to visit Wanakee.

We feel that they would both be very pleased with this decision. Our goal is to have the funds used in a way that will help to perpetuate both the programs and the very existence of Wanakee for many years to come. We have talked with James about possibly using the funds as a seed for a future capital campaign, for example.” —Mary Darling

It has been a personal joy to get to know Wes and Edie through Ed, Lou Ann, and Mary; their depth of commitment, skill, impact, and tenure are distinctive and inspiring. It is clear to me that Wes and Edie’s legacy lives on in so many ways, including the way that it feels to be at Wanakee, our physical site, and now through this incredible donation. Most importantly, their light shines at Wanakee and around the world through the people whose lives they positively influenced.

While my goal of this post is to help you get to know Wes and Edie and share about this gift, Ed, Mary, and Lou Ann chose to create a fund in memory of their parents rather than provide a one-time gift because they hoped others might join them and honor Wes and Edie’s ministry through a donation to support this place they loved so deeply. All are invited to remember and celebrate Wes and Edie through a gift to the Wes and Edie Memorial Fund. Feel free to contact me to learn more, or you can reach out to the United Methodist Foundation of New England and make your gift directly.

Thank you again, Ed, Mary, and Lou Ann, for your trust, support, and dedication – it means so much, especially in this time of new challenges.

Grace and Peace,

James B. Tresner, Executive Director

You know how every blog post starts in 2020, right? “In these unprecedented times…”?

Those words and words like them – they’re exhausting because they’re true. Our communities and world as it exists today – a world full of opportunity and loss, of joy and injustice, of constant Zoom calls and feelings of disconnection – we have never navigated something like this. Today’s children and youth have never been forced so far from their routines and rituals. Living through Covid-19 is hard. This virus is omnipresent.

This is all true at Wanakee. It’s mid-July, yet the noise, energy, and organized chaos of camp is a memory. While 10 of us spend our days working together, doing our best to do what we can to live out our mission now and for the future, the stark difference between what we are doing and what we want to be doing is always on our minds. Not front-of-mind, but a longing, just below the surface, when a song or smell or feeling grabs at the heart and tugs on a memory.

This has been a hard year. This will continue to be a hard year. And yet, as we think about the Wanakee community and the present and future of our organization and mission, there is so much to be thankful for. I have three inspiring stories to tell, and they won’t be in order. One is NH Gives, another is a celebration of legacy and lifelong passion, and the last is a tale of foresight and intentionality. Combined, they paint a picture of hope, shared purpose, and a bright future to look forward to.

SO – we’ll start with NH Gives. 231 donors and $90,038, which earned Wanakee the Power of Many Award for a second straight year. How did that happen?

First, let me say something loudly and unequivocally – ours is a community of astounding dedication, generosity, and leadership. THANK YOU.

Wanakee’s 2020 program revenue is going to be close to $0 – we anticipate at least an 85% decline in (non-fundraising) income, yet fixed costs (things that can’t be avoided even if we don’t run summer camp, such as property insurance, maintenance, administration, etc.) make up roughly 35% of our annual expenses. This means that, in the best case scenario, our 2020 expenses will be more than double what our income will be. It will likely be a much wider gap than that.

I offer that granular financial perspective now because it underscores how much we need you this year. It is awe-inspiring that we didn’t have to explain the extent of the challenge ahead in order for people like you to know that. This spring, you made it abundantly clear that Wanakee’s mission, community, and place are deeply cherished, and that ensuring we come through this time of financial pain, ready to serve, is a shared priority. Through NH Gives, 231 people (231 people!!!) raised their hands and built a foundation, strong enough even in the sand dunes of this time for Wanakee’s leadership to confidently make decisions by asking:

• “How can we realize our mission most effectively in 2020?”

• “What can we do today to ensure we are positioned to bounce back stronger than ever, once it is safe to do so?”

• “How can we invest in ourselves in a way that anticipates a changed ‘normal’ for the foreseeable future?”

While we are carefully managing all aspects of our finances, we never had to ask ourselves questions rooted in doubt about whether we could “keep the lights on.” We never had to wonder IF we should try new, untested ways to keep the Wanakee spirit alive -- we only wondered HOW we should do that.

Months before NH Gives and a month into the radical new reality of life in a pandemic, Nicole (our Board Chair) and I were deep in conversation over Facetime, gaming out scenarios, crunching numbers, and discussing the overwhelming unknowns. At that point, summer camp still seemed like a possibility, but it was becoming clear that it would look very different, if it happened at all. The first realizations that “this is going to be awhile…” were coming into focus. We ended our call at a bit of a low point, realizing that we weren’t going to solve any problems that day, but needed to continue learning and listening.

I shut off my iPad and opened my email to see if I’d missed anything. Indeed I had – something profoundly powerful – a brief note indicating a desire to make the largest single donation Wanakee has received in many moons - $50,000 (that is not a typo). I yelped. I re-read. I got teary. I still get a little teary when I think about that moment (like I did when I wrote this). I frantically pressed “call back.”

After a shared moment of astonishment and gratitude with Nicole, the conversation with the donors about “why now?” and “why us?” began.

I’ll never forget the words shared in our first chat – “In moments like this one, it’s important that people play the role they’re able to play. Right now, God has given us the opportunity to play this role.”

They shared how much Wanakee means to their family, the ways in which this place has helped their kids grow personally and in faith, how much their campers talk about their experiences here, and how important it was to all of them to see Wanakee’s positive momentum continue.

As an organization interwoven with the mission of the United Methodist Church in New England, it was uplifting and connective to learn that, in this moment in their lives when the donors were able to provide such strong support for organizations they cared about, they thought first of their local church, and then immediately of us here at Wanakee, an arm and extension of (and for) the local church.

After these conversations, we started talking about when the gift might be given, and ways that we might maximize the impact of this radical generosity. Given the timing and enormous success of NH Gives during our first year of participation in 2019, the conversation quickly shifted to that event. We agreed that offering funds up as a 1:1 match would be valuable and powerful. What we didn’t know was just how ready the global Wanakee family was to give. I had been preparing for the understandable possibility that we would see a decrease in giving this year – times are tough. While a $20,000 matching goal would have seemed attainable and exciting in February based on how generous this community was in 2019, the landscape looked very different in April.

Instead, the inverse happened – we couldn’t roll out the dollar-for-dollar,1:1 opportunities fast enough. Not including matches through the NH Charitable Foundation, prizes from NH Gives, and other matching funds, we received $30,488 during NH Gives – over 50% more than in 2019. When it became clear that between those donations, the matching funds and prizes (just under $10,000), and this major gift, we were once again positioned to raise the most in the state, we reached out to the donor and they initiated the transfer, saving a trip to the post office on one end and a trip to the bank on the other. On a day when hundreds of sets of eyes were invested in the (already mind-boggling) generosity of Wanakee people everywhere, this gift offered a mountaintop moment of clarity and direction.

To you, our 231 donors during NH Gives, and to all who have supported us in years prior and the weeks since, thank you for being leaders, for believing in Wanakee, for trusting our leadership, and for doing what you can to build a bright future, where the campers of our next 5 years and the imagined grandchildren of those young people can look forward to moments of deep meaning, radical acceptance, and unrivaled joy among our perfect, beautiful, spiritual hills. You are all playing the role you are called to play, and Wanakee is brighter for it. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Stories 2 and 3 of radical generosity – coming soon. Stay tuned!

Grace and Peace,

James B. Tresner, Executive Director