USA > Florida > Twenty-five years of organized work in Florida and Georgia by Church of the Brethren, from 1925 to 1950 > Part 6
USA > Georgia > Twenty-five years of organized work in Florida and Georgia by Church of the Brethren, from 1925 to 1950 > Part 6
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ville and they decided to go out to Weekiwatchee Springs to spend a day and a night. The accom- modations were not good but they had some pleas- ant experiences and the effort was worthwhile. During this year Brethren H. M. Landis, T. E. Jenkins and J. H. Morris took the boys to Kingsley Lake, near Green Cove Springs for their camping out. During the two days out in the real open world all had many pleasant experiences.
This quotation from the District Meeting Minutes will explain the Camp for the following year: "The Board of Religious Education sponsored a Mid-Summer Sunday School Meeting which was well attended and much enjoyed and led to good. Also, the Board sponsored two Camps for the Inter- mediates. Both were held at Seneca during August. There were about a dozen at each camp who spent two full days and three nights in good Social and Spiritual outing." While there is no report in the minutes about the next three years yet the program states that it was held here for four years in succession and usually in August.
Quoting from the District Meeting Minutes of 1937: "The presence and help of Brethren M. R. Zigler and E. S. Coffman at the Sunday School Meeting were much appreciated. At this meeting Bro. Zigler said that the General Mission Board would give fifty dollars ($50) toward the expense of a leader to go to Camp Bethel for training. The District responded with an offering of $52.43. Bro. and Sister Philip Lauver went as the repre-
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HISTORY OF FLORIDA AND GEORGIA
sentatives and took with them Floyd Reish and John Earl May. Sixty seven campers and twelve leaders attended the Camp at Seneca in August. This number taxed the accommodations to the limit but the camp was good and very highly praised."
"A total of seventy two persons attended the three sessions of the camp. The response of the campers was enthusiastic and wholesome. In forum discussion, the Young People's Camp chose 'ITHIEL' as the Camp name. The Hebrew word meaning, 'God with me' best expresses the meaning of the camp experience to all of them. The presence of Misses Deane Rumberg, Dorothy Miller, Frances Layman and Mr. Marvin Martin was an inspiration and help. Their skilful and devoted leadership did much to set up proper Christian atmosphere and ideals for our camp. They came here to assist at their own expense."
Brother Philip Lauver was selected to serve as director of the Summer Camps of 1939. There were twenty-eight young people enrolled in the 1939 session. Fifty-eight Junior-Intermediates were enrolled in their part of the camp. The leaders of the camp had expected some outside help but when it did not come, they called on the Summer Pastors that were in the churches and the work was well done and proved helpful to them and the District.
The Camp in 1940 was held in DeSoto City with the accommodations for eating and sleeping at the Deepwater Manor Hotel. The Intermediates
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CHURCH ACTIVITIES
and Young People's Camps were very successful under the leadership of Brother Mckinley Coffman. There were 80 Intermediates and 32 Young People attended. There were several leaders from out- side the District: Bro. and Sister Earl Flohr and children, Miriam Blough and Mervin Martin.
The Camps for 1941 were held at Camp Wing- man, near Avon Park. Under these more favorable circumstances and the whole-hearted cooperation of his helpers, Brother Coffman was able to direct two very worthwhile camps. His helpers for the Young People were Bro. and Sister Earl Flohr and Julia Ann, Margaret West, Vera W. Miller and F. M. Hollenberg. There were thirty young people present. To help with the sixty Intermediates, there were Bro. and Sister Flohr and Julia Ann, Margaret West, Vera W. Miller, Christine Via, Georgia Swank, Elbert Reish and H. M. Landis. Again in 1942 the camp was held at Camp Wingman. The Board of Christian Education appointed Breth- ren F. M. Hollenberg and Edgar Stauffer to ar- range for and conduct a camp in the absence of Mckinley Coffman from the District. All the campers came at the same time, July 27 and re- mained till August first. The total attendance was ninety-two and directed by twelve leaders.
The Camp for 1944 was held at Camp We Wa (a Boy Scout Camp near Plymouth). The camp was held from August 21 to 27. The age-range was from nine to nineteen and the whole attendance was forty-four. The camp sponsored several pro-
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HISTORY OF FLORIDA AND GEORGIA
jects: eighty dollars eighteen cents ($80.18) was contributed toward a permanent Camp Site; Seven dollars fifteen cents ($7.15) was raised for Greek Relief; An Extension Course from Bethany Bib- lical Seminary during the next year, possibly dur- ing July. The next year's camp was held at the same place with sixty-eight in attendance besides the week-end visitors. The attendants ranged in age from four to seventy years. Sixty-two dollars and eleven cents were raised for payment on a permanent Camp Site. Also sixty-seven dollars and sixty cents were raised for the heifer project. One camper, Tommy Furber, accompanied a boat load of heifers from Baltimore to the destination abroad. Toys and garments were made during the camp week to be sent to the New Windsor Relief Center.
For the report of the 1946 camp we go to the District Meeting Minutes: "Camp Ithiel met at WE WA for the third time from July 29 to August 4. The camp was of the family type and consisted of campers, ranging in age from two to seventy-two. There were two great-grandmothers in the camp. There were fifty enrolled campers with eleven leaders. The offering projects for the camp were a Camp Site and heifers for relief, the amount to be divided on a fifty-fifty basis. The total offerings, including Sunday Morning amounted to $110.53. The balance above running expenses amounted to $69.79. It was decided to place this amount in the project fund, hence the total funds
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amounted to one hundred eighty dollars and eighty two cents. The leaders were H. P. Garner, T. Simon Richardson, Ruth West, Christine Via, Martha Horton, Edward Hollenberg, Margaret West and Joseph May. The camp for 1947 met at Camp WE WA soon after the Anunal Meeting closed, being from June 22 to 28th. Brother Perry Huffaker had promised to lead the work but after his sudden Illness at Annual Meeting he was compelled to give it up and Mrs. Georgia Swank was appointed by the Council of Boards to be the director. The enrollment was sixty eight with fine groups of each age-group present.
Since no camp site could be found, no camps were held during the Summer of 1948. The Dis- trict Meeting Minutes has the following about the Camp situation this year: "Camp Ithiel became a reality in December 1948. While many planned and worked toward it, yet to Bro. C. E. Bower goes the credit of making it a reality. The Christ- mas Season marked the beginning here when the site and some buildings were purchased and plans for laying out the Camp Site were made. Thru the faithful efforts of the Winter Park Church and a couple of District Work Camps it was possible to have a Family Camp July 24 to 31, 1949 with an enrollment of 93, and a Young People's Camp with 23 enrolled. Brother Floyd Biddix was di- rector with Bro. Bruce Flora as Business Manager of both.
Four buildings had been moved on the new
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Camp Grounds and fitted up to care for good-sized gatherings during the Spring of 1949. Some of our Sister Denominations began to plan for a camp- ing season for their own young people, among them the Church of God came and rented and used the Camp for themselves. The Summer of 1950 was a busy season with the Baptist group, the Church of God a second season as well as our own two camps (Family Camp of about 100 and Young Peo- ple). The after camp picnics (Seventh Day Ad- vents and others) with the Christmas Parties fol- lowing later in the year.
Since the Old Seneca Church house was stand- ing idle yonder in the woods, it was thot best to move it to the Camp for use in Religious Services. A new roof, lined anew inside, repaired on the weather boarding and around the windows and several coats of White Paint makes it look like a new White house. Having been built more than sixty years ago of choice lumber it responded to the paint and now has the appearance of a new house. It can be used for the larger crowds and being a place dedicated to God makes it a sacred enclosure to many of the Florida members. Since a successful effort is being made to make the surroundings appeal to the Spiritual nature, the Youth for Christ appreciate having their Week- end Retreats on the ground and they bring a Spiritual Atmosphere with them.
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FLORIDA LIVE WIRES
Soon after the work in the New District got under way, the Pastor of the Sebring Church had a four-page paper printed in order to send out some of his announcements and the papers being well- received caused him and some others to think of a District paper. To pay for the paper and its print- ing the stores in town put 'ads' on the fourth page. Since soliciting 'ads' and collecting for them monthly and that they took one-fourth of the space of the paper, it was decided to try to finance the paper by donation instead and then the whole four pages would be for news and announcements. Many of the donors were loyal and liberal and the cost was not heavy on any one.
Many of the Winter Visitors wanted it during the Summer when they were in the North so that added postage to the expense but that would be very small if the paper could be mailed at news paper postage so an effort was made to get such rates. One of the requirements for such was the Subscription List. The Government allowed the Second-class postage but the subscription list was difficult to get but some kept working at it. One Elder made a list of his members and sent it to the editor and paid the price from his own pocket. When it was found that the bona fide subscription list could not be made up and maintained rather than burden any one, the paper was dropped and not printed and sent out to the members of the
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congregations and friends. It was a disappointment to many for it had been a good way to keep in touch with the work and workers of the District. Besides what was said by others, the editor felt that much good had been done by monthly pamphlet as it went into so many homes for ten or more years.
Chapter VI CHURCH SUMMARIES
THE SILVER TROPHY MEMBERS OF THE CHURCHES
With the assistance of several leaders of the District we compared the membership of 1950 with that of 1925 and we found that a hundred or more of the same people had been in the work the whole twenty-five years. Of course, many of the Charter Members have gone. Some have gone to be with the Heavenly Father while others have moved to other Districts and some have drifted from the Church back into the world. We wish we could single out these faithful ones and put their names into this history but space and cost forbid that, so you will have to check your record to see whether you classify for that honor.
For lack of a better name, we will call them Silver Trophy Members from the Silver Anniver- sary of the married folks who have lived together for twenty-five years. Besides the ministers and deacons that came here and organized the several churches, their children have been the real backbone of the church work during this twenty-five year period that ended in 1950. Most of these second- generation leaders have married and their chil-
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HISTORY OF FLORIDA AND GEORGIA
dren are now taking over many of the responsible places in the District. Bro. J. W. Chambers and wife (both have gone to their Heavenly Home) worked in three of the congregations have three great-grand children that are now being trained to help carry on the work when they get old enough.
The Yearbook of 1897 lists J. R. Leatherman at Woodley, Florida in the Indian River territory. In 1898 Eld. C. D. Hylton with the assistance of Elder Samuel Eby organized a church called the Indian River Church and placed Eld. J. R. Leather- man in charge as Overseer. After a year or so the church ceased to function and the next work we find Eld. Leatherman connected with is at Chosen where he again is the Presiding Elder. His first twenty-five years were in church work in those two communities. The second twenty-five years were spent in and around West Palm Beach but was not affiliated with the church all of the time. Living in the bounds of the Miami Church, when he was reinstated in the Church, he automatically fell into the membership of that church but being so far from the church he chose to do his work thru money help for Mission Work in the Brother- hood at large.
The real meaning of a Silver Trophy Member is: the person shall have lived in a Florida or Georgia congregation continuously for twenty-five years, assisting all the time in the work of the Church, doing what he or she is able to do for the
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Lord. My wish and prayer are that some of these Silver Trophy Members may some day be qualified for Golden Trophy Members in the Greater Florida Churches.
DISTRICT MEETING OFFICERS
1
1925
Arcadia
J. H. Garst
Frank Young
Glenn Carr
1926 Clay County
J. H. Garst
J. H. Morris
J. D. Reish
1927
Winter Park
J. H. Garst
J. W. Rogers
J. D. Reish
1928
Sebring
J. H. Morris
A. D. Crist
H. M. Landis
1929
Tampa
J. H. Garst
A. D. Crist
H. M. Landis
1930 Clay County
A. D. Crist
D. E. Miller
J. H. Morris
1931
Brooksville
D. E. Miller
A. D. Crist
J. H. Morris
1932
Sunnyland
A. D. Crist
C. E. Bower
J. H. Morris
1933
Lakeland
C. E. Bower
H. A. Spanogle
H. M. Landis
1934
Winter Park
H. A. Spanogle
J. D. Reish
J. H. Morris
1935
Sebring
H. M. Landis
J. D. Reish
J. H. Morris
1936
Arcadia
S. G. Fahnestock
J. D. Reish
J. H. Morris
1937
Tampa
H. M. Landis
J. D. Reish
J. H. Morris
1938 Sebring
C. E. Bower
1939 Miami
H. M. Landis
A. D. Crist J. D. Reish M. Coffman
J. H. Morris
1940 Winter Park
J. D. Reish
Mckinley Coffman
F. M. Hollen'g
C. E. Shuler
1942
Okeechobee
F. M. Hollenberg
Edgar Stauffer
I. R. Pletcher
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HISTORY OF FLORIDA AND GEORGIA
J. H. Morris
C. E. Shuler
1941 Tampa
1943 Sebring
A. D. Crist
I. R. Pletcher T. S. Richardson Edgar Stauffer I. R. Pletcher
1944 Winter Park
T. S. Richardson
1945 Miami H. P. Garner
D. D. Fleishman
F. M. Hollenberg
1946 Arcadia
C. E. Bower
T. S. Richardson F. M. Hollenberg
1947 Okeechobee
A. D. Crist
I. R. Pletcher
J. D. Reish
1948
Sebring
Bruce Flora
I. R. Pletcher J. D. Reish
1949 Camp Ithiel
H. B. Heisey
T. S. Richardson J. D. Reish
1950 Camp Ithiel
H. B. Heisey
O. M. Pletcher
I. R. Pletcher
1951
Camp Ithiel
Floyd Biddix
Norman McLean
I. R. Pletcher
CHURCH SUMMARIES
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286 5 M876+
BY
OF THE
RETARIF
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