Chanco Once

Can you believe it is already time to register for our annual Alumni Reunion? This year's event promises to be another incredible weekend of old and new memories, friendship and fun. Mark your calendars for September 11 - 13 and plan to attend. We have cut the room and food rates so there is no excuse for not making it this year! continue reading »

So, the reunion is fast approaching. We have moved it up a month to September 11th through the 13th. That way we can enjoy the fading summer weather. I do not have all the details, well, that is not technically true. I do have all the details, I am just too lazy and too hungry to put it all together in a cohesive post. I am going to leave that to those more organized than myself. And as I said, there is pie involved. It is waiting in the other room for me. Calling my name, if you will, like some (whipped) creamy siren perched atop a beckoning chocolate reef. continue reading »

The Diocesan newsletter had the following:

Do you want to be involved with Chanco?

The Chanco Board of Directors is an active, innovative group who love and support the ministry of Chanco on the James. Board membership is a lot of work but extremely rewarding. To apply for membership, contact Sarah Scott Thomas to receive an application and learn more about our successful camp and conference center. YOU can make a difference!

Sarah Scott Thomas's e-mail address is: ssthomas1@verizon.net continue reading »

Send this camper to camp

A Camper's mail is important. So important that he or she must sing for it. At least that's the way it was when I was a camper back in the stone age. Sometimes a card or a letter sent to a camper will prove to be much more important than you might ever imagine. I want to tell the true story of a more recent camper's Chanco mail. So get comfortable and read on... continue reading »

Dear CCAA Alums,

Financial worries like budget shortfalls and reductions in charitable giving make for difficult days in a mission like Camp Chanco. However, the CCAA has kept in close contact with camp and are pleased to report that both first and second session are near full and the other sessions are doing better than last year at this time. This is real growth, and is very good news indeed!

The Alumni Work Weekend went extremely well, and many alums were able to donate materials, time, and skills to the camp that really made a difference! continue reading »

Thank you so much to all of the alumni who came out to help us get Chanco ready for the summer! Despite the weather forecast and a little rain on both Friday and Sunday, we were able to stay relatively dry and pull off a successful weekend.

First and foremost, thanks to Stuart Usher. Stuart brought a stump grinder and he and Tater spent Saturday morning removing stumps from the campsites and paths (yes, the stumps we've been tripping over for 20 years!). When that was done Stuart helped me move at least 20 boats from the ampitheater to the boat racks ... or at least that's what it felt like!

Thank you to Chuck Alley for designing picnic tables, and thanks to his crew (Jenny Alfano, Mitch Parker, Amber, Sarah Cargill, Sarah Alley ... am I missing someone?) for helping to build them. A special thank you to the alumni who donated money to buy the supplies! Paul Reins, Myllie Dixon, and Talley Sale Banazek each donated enough to build a picnic table. Chuck also spent the afternoon repairing tables that were damaged.

Thank you to the leaf blowing/vacuumming crew: Mary Peyton Swann Miller, Heather Chapman, Helen Somers, Chandra and Jim Sitzler. Thanks, Jim, for helping me with the leaf vacuum ... I don't think I've ever had so much fun sucking up leaves. We were able to remove 20 years worth of leaves from around the dining hall, along with a few long lost items.

Thanks to Heather, Taylor and Chandra for trimming branches that hung over paths ... that will make it easier for campers to sneak from campsite to campsite!

Stuart, Mary Peyton, Jim, Tater and I also helped clean up the waterfront and moved the boats from the ampitheater to the boat rack. Thanks for your help!

Thanks to John and Joe for the coffee, PB&J sandwiches and the brownies! They were an unexpected treat!

And most of all, thanks to everyone for just being there! It was great to see you all! continue reading »

A little rain dampened the woods, but not our spirits as we gathered on Friday evening to begin a weekend of work, and fun and to get that Chanco feeling once again. Saturday morning the sky was clear and the day brought with it a few blisters, a sore muscle or two (for me at least), and a bit of sweat. The most valuable development of the day was a feeling of accomplishment and pride at having completed the tasks we'd assigned ourselves. Three brand new, very solid and sturdy, not to mention attractive picnic tables were built and stained against the elements. continue reading »