I have been reading the Chanco Once site a lot lately because of what has been going on with the staff changes. I have especially been reading the questions Helen has been raising, along with Art Spooner’s replies. One of the things that stuck out to me was when Helen mentioned the “Old Guard”. Being the son of one the “Old Guard”, I was happy that she included my dad, along with Dave Davenport and Peter Hogg. I always felt they had not only the best interest of Chanco at heart, but the Diocese as well. My dad started out as a Senior High Conference counselor with Bill Taylor and he continued to come back year after year. He eventually became the program director for Senior High. He knew the impact that Chanco had on the youth of the Episcopal Church and I believe he carried that to each Board meeting. He enjoyed being on the Board. I even believe that his 3 year term turned into 2 decades. But he didn’t mind, because he knew Chanco was special. Not only did it have an impact on the youth of the church, but it especially had an impact on his 2 sons. Anthony Cox and I were staff brats during those years and that is where I met a lot of the older (well not older, just older then me) alumni. Even today when I think back to my first years at Chanco, I remember people like Greg, Danny, Chris Iber, Dave Belote, Phillip, Boomer, and Helen. Not only as counselors, but I remember them when they were confrees. These are the people who brought me closer to God and kept me coming back year after year. As I grew older, it was people like Anthony Cox, Lea Riddle, Kristin Millar, Heather Snellings, Tracy Willard, DeDe Folk, Perry Moore, Tater, Rob Simmons, Jim Camp, Stuart Usher, Kurt DeYoung, Kim Angles, etc. (I could go on and on) who showed me how powerful the Chanco experience can be. I guess that is the reason I have been feeling bad about the situation because Boomer reminds me a lot of my dad. He was a major part of Chanco for many of the alumni on this board and he carried his love of it into his job as Executive Director. His presence actually got me involved in the Chanco Once site. For many of us that have grown up in the Diocese, the last few years have been difficult. Many parishioners have left the church and our beloved Camp is seeing hard times. We will always question decisions we don’t agree with. This is our Diocese and our Camp. We want the best for it. Our Diocese does not always make the best decisions and I have seen that over the years, but my family has stayed with it and the “Old Guard” continues to serve it well. It is times like these that I seek out the “Old Guard” for words of wisdom. Believe me, I have spoken to my dad a number of times about the current situation. I pray for Helen and Boomer everyday and I hope they know that even though miles and time have separated many of us, we still care for them as if we were all still Campers and Counselors at the Old Camp. I am glad that Boomer was a part of my and my brother’s Chanco experience and I hope that we will all remember that even though some may say that Chanco is not about an individual, it is about the individuals that made Chanco what it is today.