The road ahead

Hopefully by now you’ve seen the overwhelmingly positive and hopeful updates I’ve shared during my first 6+ months as Executive Director. If not, take a look at the notes posted on Facebook/our website, or at this conversation with the NEUMC. When I take a step back, I can’t help but be thrilled about our incremental uptick in camper numbers, the quality of the 2016 staff, the engagement of this summer’s volunteers, the developing strength of our Board of Directors and committees, and the generosity of this community during a year of transition. Undoubtedly, there is a tremendous amount to be positive about.

It is equally important to contextualize Wanakee’s recent reality and the current landscape of camping, particularly within the framework of the Methodist Church. Transparency means clarity about the good and clarity about the challenging.

Whenever people have asked me about the state of Wanakee, here are the stats I rattle off:

In 2006, Wanakee had 4 year round staff
In 2015, Wanakee had 1 year round staff
In 2006, Wanakee brought in $30,000+ via retreats
In 2015, Wanakee brought in less than $9,000 via retreats
In 2006, Wanakee ran a $13,000 surplus
In 2015, Wanakee ran a $19,000+ deficit (following a $3,000 2014 deficit)

And, most importantly:

In 2006, Wanakee served 720+ overnight campers
In 2015, Wanakee served 392 overnight campers and 58 day campers

That’s 270 fewer campers impacted by this Christian community.

(Sidebar: in 2016, we are tracking to reverse all those stats except for staffing. More on that via a 2016 look back/look ahead in early 2017. Stay tuned!)

If we zoom out a little bit further, there are other reasons for pause. One need only look across the Connecticut River for a cautionary tale – our sister camp, Covenant Hills, was closed following the 2015 camping season. This means that Vermont youth must cross state lines to experience a camp like Wanakee (and fortunately many have – to Wanakee, Skye Farm in NY, and Horton Center in Gorham NH, to name a few), and that those who enjoyed Covenant Hills’ incredible, Spirit-filled location in the hills outside of Cabot are unable to return to the site and experience summer programming or engage friends old and new. We were fortunate to host “Music Art Dance & Drama” in 2016 on behalf of the Covenant Hills community, but imagine attending Footnotes in Massachusetts and how it would feel. Fun? Sure. Inspiring? Hopefully. Painful? Probably. We are grateful to be a partner to the Covenant Hills community, and will continue to pray for an exciting and comprehensive path forward for outdoor programming in Vermont while deepening our collaboration through any outcome.

For an even darker shadow, look to Missouri, where after 2 years of “study,” all four conference camps were closed, as finally noted in the eighth paragraph of this news release about a “new direction” for Conference Camping. (Sidenote: after reflecting on the outcome in Missouri, and as someone whose job it is to advocate for the programming offered at Wanakee, and by extension the programming offered at Aldersgate and Mechuwana, a quote from this blog post was particularly prescient; “treating extension ministries as if they should all be economically self-supporting independent of apportionments is an extreme position. Imagine, for instance if such a requirement were put upon homeless ministries. The Church might end up regularly lamenting that it has to continue “subsidizing” this ministry!” My position is this: if we don’t invest in children and youth, what’s the plan?).

Now that the “current state” has been articulated, let’s talk about our strengths. In 2016, Wanakee served more than 400 campers and welcomed over 60 volunteers. We have programming each of the next three September weekends, and will be joined by four more groups in October.

On an individual level, there are an incredible number of people moving the needle. For example:

Abby Lavoie, former staffer, current volunteer and committee member, who spent a May evening calling 2015 families about summer 2016, donated $75 to our dollar-for-dollar campaign, and when her employment gave her flexibility during the summer, became Wanakee’s “fixer,” directing Wanakee Adventure, counseling Senior High, helping in the kitchen for 3 days, and assisting one of our most demanding programs, Night Camp. All as a volunteer.
Sue Rudolf, former staffer and longtime volunteer, who continues to invest in this place by tackling the thankless and essential task of hanging, removing, cleaning, and folding EVERY CURTAIN AT WANAKEE, every year, in addition to leading a staff training session and cheerleading the 2016 songbook campaign.
Nate Tapp, former staffer and volunteer, current Colorado resident, who, along with his wife Lindsey, is one of 2 monthly donors to Wanakee, having set-up a monthly contribution of $50 because he believes in what we do and the impact this place has, even if he can’t physically be here to be a part of it every summer.
Sean Sheehan, former camper and staffer, current committee member, who heard that our Cook’s Cabin needed to be painted after being gutted and renovated this spring, then used his professional expertise in the paint/surface industry and spent 2 full weekends at camp, working well into the night to ensure that the cabin was painted to a professional grade. Sean continues to ensure that Wanakee has Grade-A products for any and all surface coating, and along with his wife and current Board Chair Victoria Sheehan, donated $500 to Wanakee’s dollar-for-dollar campaign.
Mara Bovee, former camper and volunteer, 2016 staffer, who made spending another summer on the Wanakee staff a priority, bringing 5 years of experience and limitless dedication, then donated to Wanakee’s Dollar-for-Dollar campaign (while employed at camp!), and later sponsored/dedicated 2 songbooks (still while employed at camp!). She also recruited a brand-new-to-Wanakee volunteer counselor, and consistently encourages friends and family to come to camp.

These are just 5 examples out of hundreds of dedicated individuals who have given of their time, talents, and treasure in 2016. Thank you!

My request is that you ask yourself the following. From childhood to now, has Wanakee…

... shaped or influenced your religious beliefs, spiritual practices, and/or morality?
... deepened or undergirded your faith?
... supported the development of a friendship or relationship (or 2 or 10) that has lasted a lifetime?
... made you feel uniquely loved, accepted, or empowered to be the truest version of yourself?
... done any of the above for a friend or family member?

Then ask yourself:

Do I want the Wanakee community to continue to gather at 75 Upper New Hampton Road, as it has for 55 years?
Do I want my children, godchildren, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and neighbors to experience Wanakee in 2017? In 2030?

Wanakee campers smiling with canoe paddles

The important things about Wanakee remain strong, and have been strong for decades. Wanakee remains a place full of natural beauty, powerful friendships, radical acceptance, and life-changing spiritual moments. But, future success depends on present engagement. Those who love this place should understand the current landscape and know that Wanakee needs support in the here and now. From volunteer counselors, to skilled organizers, to expert painters, to bookkeepers and electricians and nurses and artists and plumbers and bakers and donors – your energy and time can have an impact, and is needed more than ever.

In the weeks ahead, I’ll share more specifics about ways to volunteer, as well as explore Wanakee’s “Big Ticket” wish list. Keep an eye out. In the meantime, visit our support page or our volunteer page, the latter of which will be updated soon as we build our 2017 summer program and begin recruiting volunteer directors and counselors.

Thank you to everyone who has made my first half-year a period full of excitement, growth, and hope for the place I love more than anywhere else. There is so much more work to be done – join me?

Grace and Peace,

James Tresner, Executive Director