On behalf of the Wanakee Board of Directors, I am writing to share the news that Rev. Evan McElreath will be transitioning out of his role as our Executive Director over the next few months.

Evan and his wife, Katie, have made the decision to prioritize their family at this time. I know the entire Wanakee community will join me in supporting Evan’s choice and in wishing him, Katie, and Rosie God’s blessings in this next chapter of their lives.

Wanakee has been fortunate to have had Evan’s leadership over the past two summers. We are especially grateful for his efforts to increase the number of local clergy who have made Wanakee part of their summer ministry and for strengthening our relationships with many area churches. We know that many lives have been touched by his ministry here.

The Board’s priority is to ensure the operation of the camp transitions smoothly so that our ministry’s growth and success will continue. Leslie Drew, Wanakee’s Assistant Director, will be continuing in her role, and her knowledge, passion, and commitment will be instrumental during this time.

We will begin a search for the next Executive Director this week to lead Wanakee into its next chapter.

We will share more updates throughout this transition. For now, thank you for your continued support of our beloved camp and our important mission.

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Dr. John Whitley
Chair, Wanakee Board of Directors

After a lively summer, we’re excited to share some highlights from 2025 and look ahead to what’s next at Wanakee.

---

What’s Coming Up

Fall Work Day — Saturday, October 18

Join us for Work Day as we get camp ready for winter! Whether you’re handy with a hammer, good at clearing brush, or just eager to help, there’s a job for you. We’ll provide lunch and snacks, just bring your energy. Please RSVP on our website to help us plan meals.

Save the Date: Winter Youth Retreats are back!

Who says camp is just for the summer? Give your camper the opportunity to experience Wanakee in a whole new way. Sledding down the hill, sipping hot cocoa by the fire, snowshoeing at the lake, there is so much to do at camp when the weather gets cold. Save the date, registration opens in November!

• Sr. High (Grades 9-12): Feb. 6-8

• Jr. High (Grades 7-8): Feb. 13-15

• Upper Elementary (Grades 4-6): Feb. 27-Mar. 1

---

Looking Back at Summer 2025

We’re grateful to everyone who made this summer special, whether you came to camp, volunteered, donated, or cheered us on from home. We’re especially excited to share some moments from our two new programs this summer! Project Green brought campers outdoors to work on environmental projects and learn about nature stewardship, while Wanakee: Unsolved challenged campers to work together solving mysteries and puzzles across camp.

Project Green campers building solar ovens.

Wanakee: Unsolved campers make a splash.

Thank You for Joining Us at the Wanakee Wilderness 5K & Homecoming BBQ

We closed out the season with our annual 5K and BBQ on August 16. Thanks to all who ran, volunteered, and donated—and especially to Adam and Mike for cooking a fantastic chicken BBQ! Here’s some moments from the day:

---

Stay Connected

Thank you for being part of the Wanakee community! Visit wanakee.org and follow us on social media for the latest news and updates.

Grace and peace,

Evan and Leslie

On Saturday, August 16, hundreds of campers, families, alumni, and friends returned to Wanakee for our annual Wilderness 5k and Homecoming BBQ—a beloved tradition marking the close of another fruitful summer season. Participants enjoyed a full day of activities that captured the spirit of camp: swimming and splashing at the waterfront (and getting to enjoy our brand-new docks installed earlier this summer!), exploring the trails, and sharing stories over a delicious homemade lunch.

The day began with our annual Wanakee Wilderness 5K run, a silent auction, and the much-anticipated luncheon, all of which together raised about $10,000 to support Wanakee’s operating budget for the coming year. We’re so grateful to everyone who participated, donated, volunteered, and helped make this day such a meaningful celebration of our shared community, especially the 2025 Wanakee summer staff. Everyone’s support ensures that Wanakee continues to be a place of growth and laughter for generations of campers.

As we look ahead, we’re excited to welcome everyone back next summer for an especially meaningful milestone, Wanakee’s 65th Anniversary Homecoming Celebration on August 15, 2026! Mark your calendars and plan to join us as we mark Wanakee’s history, celebrate our community, and look forward to the next 65 years of ministry and memories on Upper New Hampton Road.

Earlier this month, Wanakee joined hundreds of New Hampshire nonprofits for NH Gives—a powerful 24-hour fundraising event celebrating generosity across our state. Between June 11–12, 2025, 642 organizations came together to inspire giving and community spirit. Thanks to your incredible support, Wanakee raised $43,560 to fund our brand-new dock system at the waterfront!

Because of you and the help of a generous matching donor, this project will enhance safety, accessibility, and joy for every camper who dips their toes in our beloved Lake Pemigewasset. From canoeing to stargazing, from picnic tables to campfires, your generosity continues to make Wanakee’s mission possible. You didn’t just help us replace our aging docks; you helped launch countless new adventures filled with laughter, growth, and grace.

We’re deeply grateful for the many friends, families, and alumni who shared, gave, and cheered us on throughout NH Gives. Together, we’re building a stronger future for generations of campers to come. Thank you for being part of Wanakee’s story, and for helping us build the future starting at the water’s edge.

Your generosity during NH Gives reminds us how powerful our community can be when we come together with purpose and love. But the spirit of giving doesn’t have to stop there! If you’d like to continue supporting Wanakee’s mission year-round, visit www.wanakee.org/donate to make a one-time or recurring gift. Every donation—big or small—helps us keep camp safe, joyful, and full of life for generations to come.

The featured story focuses on the community building and growth that happens both at Wanakee and at Aldersgate camp in Rhode Island.

Wanakee is thrilled to share that we are featured in the 2025 issue of focus, the alumni magazine of the Boston University School of Theology (BUSTH). The article, titled “Songs. Prayers. S’mores.” highlights Wanakee’s vibrant ministry and lasting impact through the voices of three community members who share a deep connection to both Wanakee and BUSTH: Kim Macdonald, member of Wanakee’s Board of Directors; Rev. Jen Savoy (STH’21), local pastor and volunteer camp director; and Rev. Eungil Cho (STH’19), local pastor and volunteer camp chaplain.

Through their reflections, readers gain a glimpse of how Wanakee continues to nurture faith, leadership, and growth, values deeply rooted in both our Methodist heritage and our dedication to nurturing an intentional community. We’re honored to be recognized in this publication and grateful for the ongoing partnerships that help Wanakee’s ministry flourish year after year.

Read the full article in focus magazine to learn more about how the Wanakee spirit continues to inspire and connect our community.

After a long winter, we’re finally enjoying warmer days at Wanakee! These signs of spring remind us that in just over two months, we’ll be welcoming our first campers of the season, and we can’t wait to see familiar faces and new friends alike. There’s so much to look forward to, and we’re grateful to share these updates and opportunities with you as we step into spring together.

---

Gratitude for Generous Support

We are thrilled to announce that Wanakee has been awarded a $1,500 grant from the United Methodist Camping and Retreat Ministries (UMCRM) and a $3,500 grant from the Greater Lakes Region Children's Auction (GLRCA) to support our campership fund. These generous gifts help ensure that every child has the opportunity to experience the magic of camp, regardless of financial need. Any family can apply for a campership when registering for camp—please reach out to the office for support with this process. We are deeply grateful for the support of these organizations and the impact they make on our community!

---

Upcoming Event: Spring Work Day – May 17

Join us on Saturday, May 17th from 9 AM to 3 PM for Wanakee’s annual Spring Work Day! This is a wonderful opportunity for volunteers of all ages and skill levels to help prepare camp for the summer season. Projects include carpentry, brush clearing, painting, cleaning, and more. Youth 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Rain or shine, we’d love to have you—bring your family, friends, or a group! Coffee, snacks, and lunch will be provided. Please RSVP to help us plan meals. Your helping hands make a real difference!

---

First Ever Camper Council Meeting

We’re excited to launch our brand new Camper Council! Our inaugural meeting will be held over Zoom on Wednesday, May 14th from 7:00-8:00 PM. This virtual meeting will be a space for campers to share ideas, provide feedback, and help shape the future of Wanakee. Caregivers, please register your camper here to receive the Zoom invitation. We encourage all campers interested in leadership and making their voices heard to join us. 

---

Program Spotlight: Family Camp

Looking for a unique way to spend quality time with your loved ones this summer? Join us for Family Camp, a half-week program open to all ages! Enjoy classic camp activities like boating, swimming, campfires, and arts and crafts together with other families. Choose from accommodations in our rec hall, rustic cabins, or bring a tent from home for an authentic camping experience.

• Dates: July 23–26, 2025

• Cost: $445 (ages 4–adult), $175 (ages 3 and under)

• Who: All ages welcome (children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult)

Reconnect, relax, and make memories that last a lifetime!

---

We can’t wait to see you at camp this summer! Be sure to follow us on social media and check our website for the latest updates, registration info, and more.

Grace and peace,

Evan and Leslie

---

Wanakee | 603-279-7950 | mail@wanakee.org | www.wanakee.org 

Dear Wanakee Family,

Until last summer, if someone said Alleluia, I would hum “Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia” in my head, creating a mini moment of Easter. Because of Wanakee, when someone says it now, I now immediately hear “Praise ye the Lord!” which creates a mini moment of camp. Whether you are singing a Charles Wesley hymn or a camp classic today, we hope you are having a Happy Easter!

At Wanakee, we witness the spirit of resurrection every summer in the growth of young leaders, the deepening of faith, and the joy that fills this beautiful spiritual place in the hills. In sharing, learning, and praying together, our small group programs build relationships that last a lifetime. This is where lives are transformed and faith is made real. God continues to do new things here and we are filled with hope and anticipation for the camp season ahead of us. We can’t wait to welcome you back to this sacred place.

May the joy of Easter and the peace of the risen Christ be with you today and always!

Grace and Peace,

Evan

Hello, everyone! I am Evan McElreath, and I am beyond thrilled to introduce myself as the new Executive Director of Wanakee. Let me tell you a little bit about myself and why I am so excited to be joining this incredible community.

Evan McElreath

First and foremost, I am a Provisional Elder in the New England Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. I am looking forward to expanding the connection of our church through Camp and Retreat Ministries. My journey in faith and my love for serving others have led me to this amazing opportunity at Wanakee.

I had the privilege of attending Appalachian State University where I pursued my Bachelor of Arts in religious studies, with a minor in non-profit management. It was during my time there that I truly discovered my passion for making a positive impact on the lives of others. Continuing my education, I attended the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, where I earned my Master of Divinity. This experience deepened my understanding of spirituality and further ignited my desire to create meaningful connections within communities.

My involvement with Camp and Retreat Ministries has had a profound impact on my life. I am proud to hold a camp director's certification from the American Camp Association, and I have had the privilege of working for, and attending camps, in North Carolina, New Hampshire, and Virginia. These experiences have shaped me into the person I am today, and I carry the transformative power of these environments with me wherever I go.

Currently, I am serving as the Pastor of Faith UMC in South Burlington, Vermont, and I have previously served in Connecticut and Massachusetts. These diverse communities have taught me invaluable lessons about leadership, compassion, and the importance of building inclusive and welcoming spaces.

Before relocating to New England, while living in Georgia, I had the honor of serving as the Director of Youth and Mission for Rome First UMC. Additionally, I had the privilege of serving as the Chaplain to the Atlanta Beltline. Through these roles, I have developed a deep commitment to adolescent development while creating communities that offer radical hospitality and acceptance.

On a more personal note, my wife Katie and I are originally from North Carolina. We come to camp with our adorable cat, June. Katie, having worked at a summer camp herself, is excited for this new adventure, while June is excited for us to have more boxes to explore as we pack.

Joining Wanakee as the Executive Director is a dream come true for me. I am bursting with enthusiasm and passion for the transformative experiences that await us! Together, we will embrace growth, foster connection, and create a future filled with unforgettable memories.

I cannot express how excited I am to embark on this journey with all of you at Wanakee! Let's create something truly extraordinary together!

Dear Friends,

You make summer camp at Wanakee possible, and summer camp at Wanakee changes lives.

Don’t take my word for it – here’s what parents are saying:

Campers sharing their talents in the Outdoor Chapel.

“Because of Wanakee, my camper learned what it means to be loved (that was his answer when I asked him).”

“Because of Wanakee, my camper found herself, her confidence, grew in her faith and kindness, felt loved and accepted…I could go on forever!”

“Because of Wanakee, my child has a deep sense of home and belonging. Because of Wanakee, my child feels accepted.”

It was not a given that Wanakee would bounce back from our 2020 closure. Many camps and retreat centers remained closed last summer, some permanently. In 2022, you and other donors, supporters, and volunteers like you empowered Wanakee to not only resume our programming at close to full scale, but to continue investing in our facility and our future. Our rebound is not complete, but your strength, dedication, and shared purpose lights our path forward.

For making all of that possible, and for continuing to demonstrate your belief in the power of the Wanakee mission and experience through your prayers, gifts of time, and financial support, I am deeply grateful. I know we can count on you today and for years to come, and invite you to start by making a year-end donation to launch us into 2023.

I wish you peace, health, and hope this Christmas season, and look forward to welcoming you home to camp soon.

Grace and Peace,

James B. Tresner

Executive Director

Carolyn Capern, "Mama Sue" Rudolf, and Katii Capern after a week of Footnotes

In 1997, our family moved from Nova Scotia, Canada, to Dover, NH. There was a LOT of newness to get used to, but we quickly found our church home at St. John’s United Methodist Church. It wasn’t long before we heard about Wanakee from fans and families!  So off went our young daughters, Carolyn and Katii, to their first camps - an awesome experience that kept on being awesome with each passing year. 

It was always a big day when the Wanakee summer camp schedule arrived — the girls would spend hours trying to decide which ones to attend. Junior High Ropes. Choose Your Own Adventure. And the absolute must for both of them – Footnotes!

Year after year, Wanakee was the highlight of our daughters’ summers. They made friends and memories, learned new skills, and soaked up the positive atmosphere, fresh air, and campfire recipes (from hearty stir fry to tin foil babies to s’mores). Every summer, going to Wanakee was going home.

The Footnotes crew from St. John’s UMC in Dover, NH

Girls grow older, and suddenly it was senior year, a bittersweet experience for each of them that marked the end of a wonderful era. But then Katii signed up for Leaders In Training, counseled for two summers, volunteered for Senior High Camp, and even directed a musical theater camp — with Dad providing the musical accompaniment. Carolyn, meanwhile, has stayed in touch with many special Wanakee friends, loves returning to walk around camp as often as she is in New Hampshire, and has become an annual donor herself.   

Carolyn, now 32, says, “My weeks at Wanakee kept me grounded throughout my most formative years – not just because of the fun times and the great people, but also because it was a place where I felt fully like myself. It has been many years since I’ve been a camper, but whenever I need to go to a peaceful place in my mind, it still looks like Wanakee.”

Mike Capern playing guitar at Wanakee

Katii, 29, says, “I will never forget the feeling I’d get when our car turned onto Upper New Hampton Road. It was the good kind of nervousness that I’m so grateful I experienced as a kid, because it shaped me into who I am. To this day, I cite Wanakee as an anchor and my favorite place in the world, full of grace and peace. The friends, memories, and lessons that came into my life as a camper, staff member, and volunteer stay with me.” 

Those years at Wanakee were precious years for our daughters, providing special memories and a strong foundation for two young women growing up.  It makes sense to us to continue to support Wanakee with monthly giving, both for the practical benefit that a fixed, known amount offers camp administrators, but also as an enduring thank you from our grateful family. We hope others will see fit to become regular donors as well, and  that many children will find their Wanakee experiences to be equally meaningful and memorable for decades to come. 

James Tresner (Executive Director), Carrie Way (2022 Award Recipient), Rev. Phil Polhemus, Regina Bowler (2022 Award Recipient), Kevin Drew (Chair, Wanakee Board of Directors)

To the Wanakee Community,

On behalf of the Wanakee Board of Directors, I am pleased to announce Regina Bowler and Carrie Way as the 2022 recipients of the Phil Polhemus Award for Volunteer Commitment and Impact. The honor and award were given at the Wanakee Wilderness 5K held this past Saturday, August 20th, 2022.

Periodically, Wanakee honors individuals for their commitment to Wanakee’s ministry. The Phil Polhemus Award was created in 2017 and it recognizes outstanding volunteers for their invaluable and selfless commitment to Wanakee’s programs and/or facilities by honoring individuals whose depth and/or length of commitment is truly exceptional.

Carrie and Regina have been involved with Wanakee’s ministries for more than three decades after being introduced to Wanakee in the 1980s through the Pastor of their local congregation, First United Methodist Church (Littleton NH). Regina served on summer staff for three summers, and Carrie and Regina have long been foundational members of our volunteer nursing team; Carrie since 1988 and Regina since 2000. 

Both Carrie and Regina have served on Wanakee’s Board of Directors and assisted in recruiting and coordinating volunteer nurses. They continue to help prepare and maintain the health office, train the summer staff on health office procedures, and assist during work days including cooking for the masses. Regina has served as an event director for Treasure Hunters, and Carrie directs our semi-annual women's retreat, Wild Wanakee Women.

Regina and Carrie bring a high level of professionalism to the health office, and they also bring humor and a warm spirit to campers, staff, and other volunteers. For both of them, Wanakee is a place for family - their children have grown deep Wanakee roots of their own, serving as staff, volunteers, and/or supporters. Carrie and Regina’s level of dedication to Wanakee’s ministry and their longevity of service make them ideal candidates for the Phil Polhemus Award for Volunteer Commitment and Impact.

Please join me in thanking Regina and Carrie for their years of service!

Grace and Peace,

Nicole M. Richards

Executive Committee, Wanakee Board of Directors

Dear Wanakee Friends,

Thanks to you and the rest of the Wanakee community, we were able to resume in-person overnight summer camp in 2021. We couldn’t be more grateful.

Our campers needed camp more than ever last summer. As one parent reflected:

“My daughter came back from her week at camp with her “bucket” full, soul grounded, song in her heart, and stories of her adventures. Sometimes I think that her week at Wanakee, especially as she approaches young adulthood, of disconnecting from everything and surrounded in an environment of peace and song and grace, carries her throughout the year. There is really no replacing Wanakee.”

This camper’s experience and thousands just like it are made possible through your support. 

As we turn to 2022 and begin our next 60 years, we continue to walk an unfamiliar road, but with new tools and new knowledge. We have big dreams for the future, but most important is our desire to continue changing the world, one camper at a time. 

You can help. I write today to ask you to support Wanakee’s ministry through an end-of-year gift. In particular, I invite you to learn about the matching incentives available for recurring donors. Every gift, no matter the size, means a great deal to a small organization like this one and the campers we serve.

Thank you for everything you do to sustain our “beautiful spiritual place in the hills,” and I look forward to welcoming you home to Wanakee again soon. 

I wish you peace, health, and hope in this Christmas season.

Grace and Peace,

James B. Tresner, Executive Director

PS - to make your end-of-year donation, visit www.wanakee.org/donate

2021 by the numbers

• 235: campers who joined us for overnight camp after 2 years away

• 60: years of operation (hoping to celebrate with you in 2022!)

• 17: staff employed this summer

• 24: volunteers who joined us for a day, a week, or more during summer 2021

• 3,742: volunteer hours given by those 24 individuals

• 2112: slices of pizza eaten on pizza night

• 7: sinks/faucets added by volunteers to support good hand hygiene

• 433: Covid-19 tests administered at camp last summer

• 0: Covid-19 cases at camp last summer

• 2: vehicles donated to Wanakee in 2021

• $27,880: value of camp scholarships distributed

• 73: volunteers who attended our 4 Work Days

• 282: unique donors in 2021 (so far!), 9% more than November 2020 and almost triple November 2018

Get Involved

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: Wanakee depends on our volunteers, and are always looking for help during the summer, school year, and on our Board and Committees. Your time makes a difference at Wanakee! Please contact James or any member of the Board to explore how you can help.

GIVING OPPORTUNITIES: A gift to Wanakee changes lives immediately. It also ensures that future generations will get to experience our “beautiful spiritual place in the hills.” 

• Annual Fund: Donations to the annual fund provide flexibility for use wherever there is the greatest need.

• Friends of Wanakee: Gifts to Friends of Wanakee support capital, facility, and programmatic improvements. In 2021, some of the projects that were partially or fully funded by Friends of Wanakee include our new sign, costs related to moving the health office from the Farmhouse to the Rec Hall, and road improvements for safety and ease of access. 

• Camperships: Donations to the Campership Fund ensure that finances never stop a child from having a camp experience, regardless of family situation. From 2016 to 2019, requests for Camperships almost tripled.

• Special projects: Would you like to connect with the Executive Director about supporting a capital project, including Wanakee in your estate plan, supporting our endowments, or other giving possibilities? Please reach out to James via james@wanakee.org or 603-279-7950.

We are grateful to the Berg family, who chose Wanakee as the recipient of donations in memory of longtime volunteer Richard Berg. These gifts are a blessing to future generations of Wanakee campers, and it is an honor to be a part of Mr. Berg’s legacy.

Matching for recurring gifts now available through a challenge gift. Thanks to a generous donor, your recurring gift goes 2x (or even 12x) further in 2022. New (or increased) recurring gifts given will be matched dollar for dollar (monthly), with $1,000 available each month of 2022.

In addition, if Wanakee reaches 15 recurring donors, we’ll unlock a $1,000 prize. At 25 donors, Wanakee receives $2,000, and if we reach 50 donors by the end of 2022, we’ll receive $5,000. All together, your recurring gift helps us unlock $20,000 of incentives. Visit wanakee.org/give for more information.

2022 Events

• Work Days: May 7, June 4, and Fall 2022

• First Day of Camp: July 3, 2022

• End of Summer Event (tentative): August 20, 2022

Leadership

Board of Directors: Kevin Drew [Chair], Matt Mansur [Vice Chair], Mara Bovee [Secretary], Dan Attorri, Courtney Choate, Debbie Choate, Jessica Greenlow, Rev. John Whitley

Communications: Katelyn Goodington, Jessica Greenlow, Abby Lavoie, Amelia Luke, Olivia Murphy

Finance: Taylor Goodington [Chair], Holly Darby, Terry Large, David Richards, Laura Towne, Rev. John Whitley

Program: Abby Lavoie [Chair], Meg Battersby, Mara Bovee, Courtney Choate, Hannah Cote, Leslie Drew, Kris Ellspermann, Jen Savoy

Wanakee Wilderness 5K Coordinators: Mike Polhemus, Rev. Phil Polhemus, Mara Bovee

Big Red Farmhouse Producers: Shannon Drew, Amelia Luke, Nicole Richards

Dear Wanakee Family,

Adirondack Chairs on Whale Rock at Sunset

Almost a year ago, I wrote a blog post as Wanakee’s outgoing Board chair having recently passed the baton to Kevin Drew, where I shared some of my thankfuls and hopefuls for this important ministry. This time last year, Wanakee’s Board really couldn’t be sure whether we’d be welcoming campers back on site in 2021 and what that would mean for Wanakee’s ministry. We danced a familiar dance from spring 2020 waiting for more information, waiting for guidance so we could determine whether we’d open for residential camp in 2021.

We made the decision in April to open this summer and James, Wanakee’s Executive Director, kicked it into high gear. We had no summer staff hired, none of our normal vendor arrangements in place, no nurses and no volunteers scheduled to come to camp. We didn’t even know if we’d be allowing volunteers to come and serve on a weekly basis. We didn’t know what level of social distancing, masking, bubbles/pods/cohorts or testing would be required to make in person camping a reality in 2021.

I could write a lot about overcoming the many challenges that were both anticipated and totally unanticipated, but as my time serving on the Board concludes after 10 years, my focus is instead on saying thank you.

Celebration in the Outdoor Chapel at Sunset

Thank you to those who played a part in bringing campers back to Wanakee this summer. Thank you to James and Hannah for running a safe summer season. Thank you to the entire summer staff for giving of yourselves to this ministry. Thank you to the 239 campers and their families who brought joy and life to 75 Upper New Hampton Road again. Thank you to the many volunteers who came to prepare our facility for the summer season and to close it down afterwards. Thank you to the Board and Committee members for your ongoing service. Thank you to our summer volunteers and to our Health Officers: Paula Forest, Carrie Way, Regina Bowler, Sam Shaw-Wilgoski, and Dr. Laura Fry. Thank you to Edith and Tim for literally saving our bacon in the kitchen. Thank you to our entire community for your thoughts and prayers for a safe and Spirit-filled summer. Thank you to our donors who have helped sustain our operations during this time.

We are indebted to each of you for your support in whichever form that may come. It is because of this community that Wanakee has been able to continue in ministry for 60+ years now, and we need your ongoing support as we rebuild the on-site ministry in the coming years.

Do you feel called to be involved in a new or different way? Please get in touch with us at mail@wanakee.org. We can’t wait to hear from you.

Grace and Peace,

Nicole Richards

Wanakee Board of Directors, 2011-2021

Job Title: Bookkeeper

Classification: Part-Time / Year-Round

Reports to: Executive Director

Position Summary:

The Bookkeeper is integral to Wanakee’s year-round operations, providing key support for the financial management of our summer camp, retreats and rentals, and fundraising. The position requires someone who is highly organized, detail oriented, experienced in financial management, and able to take initiative. This person must be resourceful, flexible, and able to work independently and as part of a team.

This position is part-time year-round, involving both remote work and on-site work at Wanakee. 

Essential Functions:

1. Accounts Payable

• Review all outstanding accounts payable invoices to ensure accuracy and receipt of product where applicable and assign accurate account numbers

• Enter all invoices  into QuickBooks for accounting purposes

• E-mail requisition sheet and invoices to Conference staff for check issuance

• Research any payable issues

2. Accounts Receivable

• Review all outstanding accounts receivable items

• Call customers to inquire about outstanding invoices

• Review problem receivables with the Executive Director as needed

• Enter payments into QuickBooks for accounting purposes

3. Payroll

• Calculate staff work time, review time with appropriate staff and attain signatures

• Send staff hours to Payroll Management for processing every other week

4. Credit Cards

• Review expenses and create expense reports with accurate account numbers

• Submit a written request to Conference staff for check issuance

• Enter all items into QuickBooks for accounting purposes

5. Checking Account and Credit Card Income

• Review monthly bank statement

• Reconcile all checking line items to ensure accuracy

• Assign accurate account numbers

• Submit a written reconciliation to Conference staff

• Enter all items into QuickBooks for accounting purposes

• Request funds when account is low

6. Donation Tracking 

• Record donations using Campbrain (or similar) on-line software

• Report on donors and donations as requested by Executive Director

7. Other

• Meets with the Finance Committee to report on financial activities, status, and forecasts

• Maintains files for income and expenses

• Works with New England Conference staff to investigate and correct any discrepancies

• Provide support to the Executive Director and Assistant Director, when needed

• Answer phones and assist guests when needed

• Advise Executive Director on financial/legal questions and research as needed

Time and Work Expectations:

• Flexible schedule with a minimum of 8 hours per month, maximum of 24 hours in a month.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• HS Diploma and training and/or experience in the accounting field required

• Church, summer camp, non-profit, and/or small business experience preferred

• Experience in Bookkeeping (QuickBooks experience preferred)

• Self-motivated with the ability to meet deadlines, attentive to details

• Reliable access to the internet

• Ability to treat sensitive information with discretion

• Effective communicator, both orally and in writing

• Ability to pass a criminal background check

• Willingness to adhere to public health measures related to Covid-19 as needed, potentially including masking, physical distancing, and/or vaccination

Compensation:

• Salary depends on experience and starts at $20-$23/hour.

To Apply:

Email a letter of interest and resume briefly describing your qualifications and applicable work experience to Wanakee’s Executive Director, James Tresner, at mail@wanakee.org.

Interest letters are being accepted through October 20, 2021, though application review will begin when materials are received.

About Wanakee:

Wanakee is a traditional Christian summer camp and year-round retreat center, owned and operated by the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church. Our camp and retreat programming focuses on building loving relationships and communities of radical acceptance. Find us at www.wanakee.org or on most social media outlets @wanakeenh.

Overnight summer camp is back for summer 2021! We can’t wait to see you. Watch the video above or read on for details.

OVERVIEW

• The schedule will look a bit different [for this year only] to account for changes due to Covid-19

• We will be open at reduced capacity – 3-4 sites, 30 to 40 campers each week. We expect to fill up quickly.

• State guidance and science will guide our operations this summer. We will share our Covid-19 policies and practices in the coming weeks.

 SCHEDULE

• The schedule will be out and registration will be open by Friday, 4/23

• Week 1 will be for campers completing grades 4-8, plus LITs ages 16-18

• Week 1 will begin Sunday 6/27 and run until Friday July 2

FOR FAMILIES WHO DONATED OR ROLLED THEIR 2020 FEES 

• If you donated or rolled your 2020 camp fee, THANK YOU again for supporting us in this tough moment.

• Those who rolled or donated can expect to receive a link via email for priority registration before we open it to the everyone. This period will run 3-4 days.

CAMPER FEE UPDATE

• Due to the inspiring support of our community, and because we recognize that the last 13 months have caused personal and financial pain for so many families, our 2021 camper fees will be the same as summer 2020.

• However, we need to be transparent that camp is going to cost us significantly more to run in 2021. We will be inviting families who are able to do so to help us cover the many expenses unique to this year.

• We will also be counting on you, our community of friends and alumni for support. You’ve proven we can trust you, so we are. Your astounding support in 2020 got us this point, and we can’t wait to see what you do next. Stay tuned for some remarkable news on the generosity front!

SUMMER STAFF NEEDED 

• Our staff is coming together beautifully, but we have key openings for female counselors. A summer changing lives at Wanakee is surely the perfect antidote to the last 13 months. Apply now at wanakee.campbrainstaff.com

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE

Re-opening camp and completing all our typical preparations on a condensed timeframe while also plotting the course to maximize the safety of our community during a pandemic is a HUGE amount of work. Please bear with us as our year-round staff of 2 works overtime alongside our volunteers to make it happen. 

We CANNOT WAIT to get back to what we know and love in our 60th year!

2020: Year in Review

A snowy cross at the Outdoor Chapel

Dear Wanakee Friends,

Planning for summer 2020 started as usual - reflection and evaluation from staff and volunteers in late summer, kickstart of committee work in early autumn, program design, volunteer recruitment, budgeting, hiring summer staff, opening summer camp registration, scheduling church visits.

Wanakee’s Board of Directors held a retreat in November 2019, in part, to map out our preferred future for Wanakee. We chose to look five years ahead: to 2024 - a reasonable amount of time to make progress on things we felt were important. We started off by listing everything we could dream of from all areas of camp life (facilities, staffing, health and wellness, and many others). Here are a few of those items:

• 800 campers over an 8 week program (side note; we have only achieved more than 90 campers in a single week a handful of times in the past decade)

• A new retreat center to replace our Rec Hall

• Keeping family-style meals in the Dining Hall

• Serving more fruit (yes, we went down even to these details)

• Hiring a mental health worker for the summer

• Increasing summer staff salaries

• New truck and tractor (we got those this year!)

• Increased financial self-sustainability

We intended to circle back to this wish list of 53 items in the springtime and decide which ones would become actual goals, which things were 2020 priorities and which ones would be deferred or deleted. Then came the first wave of COVID-19. Instead of looking ahead to 2024, we focused on what we could do in the here and now to live out our mission - first by creating Wanakee From Home so we could connect with our community, then by creating Camp@Home so that our small summer staff could foster relationships and bring some of that magic of Wanakee’s love and acceptance to campers in summertime.

The 2020 summer staff preparing for a livestream of Celebration from the Outdoor Chapel.

Thanks to an overwhelming level of generosity from our volunteers and donors, we were able to run these programs and employ nine young adult leaders without worrying about whether or not we would be able to make it through to 2021. Our dreams of a new retreat center have been deferred and instead we’ve invested in making the Rec Hall more comfortable and safer. We don’t know if family-style meals will be possible or practical when we welcome campers back on site. We’ll have to assess the remaining 51 items on our 2024 wish list and add more, given what we know now.

We are now in our 60th year of ministry and although we are still living in a time when tomorrow very likely will bring different challenges than today, we will continue planning for Wanakee’s future.

We write to ask you to support our ministry with an end-of-year gift so we can continue to live out our mission in 2021, 2024, and our next 60 years. We hope you know how meaningful every donation is, no matter the size, for a small organization like this one. Thank you for everything you do to sustain this beautiful spiritual place in the hills, and we look forward to welcoming you home to Wanakee as soon as we can.

We wish you peace, health, and hope in this Christmas season.

Grace and Peace,

Nicole Richards, Board Chair, May 2017 - Nov. 2020 

Kevin Drew, Board Chair, elected Nov. 2020

James B. Tresner, Executive Director

The 2020 LITs, graduating on Zoom

2020 by the Numbers

• 277: number of “campers” who attended Wanakee From Home events during “Season 1,” our pop-up virtual programming which ran March-June 2020

• 21: volunteers who led Wanakee From Home programs during those same months

• 59: number of years of operation (celebrating 60 in 2021!)

• 33: years since we purchased our last tractor, and the Horsepower of Wanakee’s new (to us) Kubota tractor, purchased this fall

• 38: number of campers attending weeklong Camp @ Home virtual programs offered during summer 2020

• 4,171: minutes of Thursday Night worship livestreams viewed by the global Wanakee community during the summer

• 9: number of staff employed in-person at camp this summer

• 216: railing balusters installed by volunteers as part of improvements made to the Rec Hall, along with 5 new vinyl windows, 16 bundles of shingles, 11 gallons of paint, and more

• 873: unique listens to one of 12episodes of Big Red Farmhouse, Wanakee’s new storytelling podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.

• 360: gallons of free hand sanitizer distributed by Wanakee to New Hampshire churches, non-profits, and schools to help keep our communities safe

• 260: unique donors in 2020 (so far), 35% more than November 2019

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: Wanakee could not exist without our volunteers, and are always looking for help with day-to-day needs during all seasons, as well as summer camp counselors & event directors, or year-round committee members. Your time makes a difference at Wanakee! Please contact James or any member of the Board if you are interested in helping for the first time or in a new way.

GIVING OPPORTUNITIES: A gift to Wanakee changes lives immediately. It also ensures that future generations will get to experience our “beautiful spiritual place in the hills.” 

The tractor purchased in 2020 thanks to Friends of Wanakee.

• Annual Fund: Donations to the annual fund provide flexibility for use wherever there is the greatest need.

• Memorial Funds: We are grateful to the Darling family for establishing the new Wes and Edie Darling Memorial Fund at the United Methodist Foundation of New England. If you are interested in learning more about contributing to one or more of our funds, please contact us: mail@wanakee.org

• Friends of Wanakee: Gifts to Friends of Wanakee support capital, facility, and programmatic improvements. In 2020, some of the projects that were partially or fully funded by Friends of Wanakee include materials for the Rec Hall improvements for safety and comfort, replacement of our tractor and truck, and proactive tree removal for safety and to reduce the risks of building damage.

• Camperships: Donations to the Campership Fund ensure that finances never stop a child from having a camp experience, regardless of family situation. Since 2016, requests for Camperships have almost tripled.

• Special projects: Would you like to connect with the Executive Director about supporting a capital project, including Wanakee in your estate plan, supporting our endowments, or other giving possibilities? Please be in touch!

EVENTS: Please keep an eye on this website and our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/wanakeenh)

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” — Proverbs 16:9

S

Dear Wanakee Family,

One of my favorite ways to close out an evening campfire at Wanakee is by sharing “thankfuls” and “hopefuls” where we go around the circle and each person gets to share something they are grateful for from that day and something they hope will come during the rest of the week. As we approach Thanksgiving, I wanted to take the opportunity to share a few things at Wanakee that I am thankful and hopeful for. Before we get too far in, I should say that this is note is written by Nicole Richards, a member of Wanakee’s Board of Directors.

My first thankful is to my fellow Board members, including those who came before me, for their guidance, wisdom, partnership and trust. I have had the pleasure of serving as Chair for the past three and a half years, and at our most recent Board meeting, I passed the baton to Kevin Drew, who has been serving alongside me for the past three years. Kevin works as a Chief Estimator for a mechanical contractor in Manchester, and has also served on his local school board in Milford, NH. I am hopeful that the Wanakee family will join me in congratulating Kevin and supporting him and the entire Board as they continue to discern how we will live out our mission in 2021 and beyond.

My second thankful is to highlight our partnership with UMCOR and our local churches. Wanakee served as a hub for distributing 385 gallons of hand sanitizer to various local churches, schools, and community organizations over the past few months, at no cost to the recipients. This is a small but meaningful way that Wanakee has helped serve the local community. I am hopeful that we can continue to strengthen our partnerships with local churches and our community more broadly.

My third thankful is to lift up Wanakee’s volunteers for their dedication to Wanakee’s mission through year-round service and performing many labors of love at our facility. I am particularly grateful to the crews that have worked to replace the Rec Hall porch roof, fire escape, windows and siding as well as those who have come up to help close up camp for the winter months. I am hopeful that these dedicated volunteers will inspire others to share their time and talents at Wanakee.

In addition, I would like to raise up our committee and staff members who joined a 2021 virtual planning party last week to offer direction and guidance to Wanakee’s Board and plan next steps. 20 of Wanakee’s year-round leaders met to discuss the opportunities and challenges we face as we consider how we will live out our mission over the next twelve months. At the end of the summer, our Board and Committees reflected on lessons learned from earlier this year and we are carrying those forward to our preparations for 2021. We don’t yet know what summer 2021 will look like, but you can expect to hear more from us as we develop our program plans. I am hopeful that we will welcome campers to 75 Upper New Hampton Road in 7 ½ months, and until then, I hope you will support us and pray for us to find ways to live out our mission and navigate this uncertain time.

I am also thankful to have been part of Season One of Wanakee’s podcast: Big Red Farmhouse. Shannon, Amelia, and I are so grateful to our first roster of guests who have shared stories of how they first came to Wanakee and what has kept them coming back. In a time when you may be missing the love and supportive community at camp, perhaps listening in to hear some Wanakee stories will brighten your day. You can find us on most major podcasting platforms or go to https://anchor.fm/wanakeenh. We are currently working on Season Two and hope to have some new episodes out in early 2021 with guests who share stories from Wanakee’s early days.

My last thankful is to our donors who have shown overwhelming generosity this year. James highlighted many of the examples of the generosity of spirit in our midst in his series A Hard Year, Full of Light and I would like to echo my thanks to all of you who have shared some of your treasure with Wanakee in this unusual year.

We will again be raising funds on #GivingTuesday, December 1st, which will go into our campership fund. When we do welcome campers back to our site, we expect there will be an even greater need for financial assistance, and our campership fund exists to help make camp affordable for all families. I am hopeful that you will consider making a donation on #GivingTuesday. You can also support us year-round by becoming a recurring donor. Find out more by visiting our website: https://www.wanakee.org/donate. 

Finally, I’d like to invite you to share your own thankfuls and hopefuls with your loved ones. Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Grace and Peace,

Nicole Richards

Wanakee Board of Directors

2020 will be remembered in many ways, and many of those memories will be less than positive. Maybe you’ve found moments where you’ve enjoyed this different pace of life, time with family, or pursuit of a new hobby. In general, though, what we’ve been doing since March has been really hard, and really stressful. Everyone has been forced to navigate a fundamental re-ordering of daily life, and many have been faced with far worse. The changes and challenges wrought by Covid-19 create constant pressure.

And, at some point, we’ll start to be able to gather again. And I don’t mean the cautious re-gathering happening at schools and restaurants right now – I mean something that feels more like how we gathered before any of us had ever heard of Covid-19.

Happy campers from summer 2019

Whenever that happens, I know something to be true. When we are able to be together, places like Wanakee –places that hold dis-proportionally large space in our hearts because of the people who are there and how it feels to be there– those places will matter more than ever. Talking about life and faith around a campfire, singing in the dining hall, hugging a friend – these sacred moments of connection will be back, and we will seek them out. I might even argue we will need them in order to feel whole again.

My last story (for now) of the generosity that has provided clarity, direction, and (dare-I-say) confidence for Wanakee in 2020 is a story of a gift grand in scale yet eminently practical in nature – a large donation to support maintenance at Wanakee, intended to ensure that we are prepared to re-open, that we don’t fall behind, and that we take advantage of this unique (and sad) opportunity when campers and guests are not on site using our buildings and grounds like we want them to be.

I’ve already shared about a couple remarkable things that have happened over the last nine months. As 2019 came to a close, the Darling family created a new fund in memory of Wes and Edie Darling and their legacy at camp. At a low point in the early days of our altered reality, a family reached out and pledged $50,000 to keep our momentum strong. And in early June, 225 individuals and families raised their hands and made Wanakee the most supported organization in the state. How much more gratitude could we possibly feel for the commitment and strength of our community?

Between the day of the $50,000 pledge and the magic of NH Gives, another incredible conversation occurred – Wanakee received a pledge of $60,000, specifically for maintenance and capital improvements.

I ended that paragraph and started a new one because the combination of all these gifts still takes my breath away – it literally gives me pause. Wanakee is a small organization with a lot of heart. While the soul of our community and the loyalty of those who call this place home have never been in doubt, this combination of financial support is unique in our history, and could not have arrived at a moment where we have faced stronger headwinds. We did not run summer camp this year because of a global pandemic. Can you imagine if I went back to last summer and tried to tell people we wouldn’t be open in 2020? In spite of that, our community has said loudly, clearly, and proudly: We love this community. We want this place to not just survive, but thrive. We will be back.

The Dining Hall, many moons ago.

Specific to this last gift that I am sharing about today, you might be wondering, why did the donors choose to give to Wanakee? One of the donors grew up as an active participant of a Methodist Church in New Hampshire, and in a family that camped and hiked and swam and loved the outdoors. Wanakee was a natural fit for them. Dating back to our earliest days, members of their extended family went to camp, spent weekends in Family Camp, volunteered in the summer and on maintenance, worked here, and sent the family’s children and youth to Wanakee for a week (or more) each summer. Family members have met important friends and even spouses at camp.

In their words, “three generations have participated actively in the fun and faith that has grown [at Wanakee] over the years. Wanakee has been a part of our lives for fifty years and we have all spent wonderful, energizing, and enriching times there. It is an honor and privilege to be able to help Wanakee grow and thrive so that it can be a positive force in the lives of many other young people and their families.”

Senior High campfire at Family Camp, 2016

And why now? I can’t say it any better than the donors articulated it. “With the spread of Covid 19, this is a very challenging year for Wanakee and for all of us. For the safety of all it has been necessary to limit Wanakee’s on site programs and for all of us to practice social distancing from one another. This is difficult for everyone, but it also gives us an opportunity to reflect on how we can best support and care for one another. We are used to showing our love by being together in close proximity, by hugging each other, by singing out around a campfire in loud voices. But now we must remain apart, not touching, wearing masks, and learning new ways to be together in spirit if not in person.

The staff and leadership at Wanakee are working hard to find new ways to be community and to bring the values of hope and faith into changing times. We especially want to support that. We also want to help Wanakee use this hiatus from physically-present camp to be able to do maintenance and development projects that will help the camp be the best that it can be when it is time to open the doors once again. This is a time for re-imagining the future, for building, for using what we have learned from this time apart to make our eventual time together all the better, and all the sweeter. For this, resources are needed, and we are glad to be able to provide some. We hope that others may be able to add to our gift in order to carry out projects that are needed in this time.”

Suffice to say, others have already added to this gift in 2020, though our list of projects is far from exhausted, whether small or large. We have a dream of a new retreat center, a small lodge for our health office, infirmary, and health officer, and a new kitchen addition on the Dining Hall, among other things. Because of people like you, it doesn’t seem crazy to still be dreaming about these larger, grander projects in spite of the challenges of 2020. Wanakee is profoundly blessed by your generosity and commitment.

Back in early May, as the dominoes were starting to fall, our Board of Directors had not yet made a final decision on whether we could (or should) open this summer. We were considering reducing our capacity and delaying the start of camp. Like many camps, we continued to hold out hope. We set May 15 as a deadline to decide about whether we would be opening on-time and scheduled a meeting for May 14.

In the days before that meeting, our lack of understanding of how the virus spread, a lack of clarity from state and local health authorities, and the uncertainty of whether we could keep our community safe started to paint a clearer picture. When I think about those conversations, like the first time the notion that we might not open camp was said out loud, or the first time I saw a camp I viewed as a peer institution with a similar high standard for safety announce their summer cancellation, my heart hurts all over again.

And then I think back to that meeting over Zoom on Thursday, May 14, 2020, when our Board of Directors came to seemingly impossible unanimous conclusion that there was no other choice to make – since we could not be certain we could keep our campers safe, we could not open. Has a more consequential decision ever been made by leaders of Wanakee, beyond the choice to purchase the property and create this beloved community?

We hung up from the call, and I was confident in the outcome, but shell-shocked. It had been a cloudy day, and the light through the office window had faded during our conversation. Bleary-eyed, I stepped out onto the porch to collect myself, literally grabbing onto the railing. I looked down. I looked heavenward. I closed my eyes. I looked out.

A grainy iPhone photo of the light through the trees.

Through the trees, I saw a strip of orange. I couldn’t understand it at first, the difference between the colors of the clouds above and the ground below – what was there, so bright out in those woods? What were our neighbors on Lake Pemigewasset driving or doing?

Then the obvious hit me – I was seeing a strip of sunlight. The sun was popping out through an impossibly thin gap, shockingly bright. Knowing that our perfect site is so often a source of peace for me (and for many), and that moving my body would do me good, I grabbed my camera, hopped on my bike, tires still soft from winter storage, and raced down Upper New Hampton Road. I turned right on our service road and headed towards Lake Pemigewasset.

The view from the waterfront

I was greeted with one of the classic sights that we all look forward to. One of the ways we know we are home when we are at camp. I saw a sunset, the ever-present sign of endless love, eternal hope, and sacred peace that is somehow at its most beautiful when we sit together on the eastern shore of our lake here at Wanakee.

I sat on the docks, tucked up on the beach, waiting for a summer that was not to come. My emotions were complex and overwhelming. It can be really lonely living at camp 12 months a year. The summer is what I chase and work for – ten months of hard work reward me with two months of noise and chaos and constant movement and changed lives. Year-round camp pros live and work “10 for 2,” and now the “2” was not to be. The incredible team of 28 staff, the creative schedule, and the nearly 400 campers who had signed up by mid-March – it was not to be.

It got darker, and realizing I had no light, I turned on my phone flashlight, hopped back on my bike and started the ride back up the path. Lost in thought, I moved slowly, trying to miss the roots that I know by feel as much as by sight after hundreds (thousands?) of trips to the waterfront. It was a struggle to keep the phone pointed ahead of me.

As I turned onto Upper New Hampton Road, 30 minutes after sunset, I realized I had no need of the light. It was one of those strange cloudy nights where the light somehow lingers. There’s no clear source, yet you can see what’s around you. The world looks familiar and altogether different.

The unique sunset, bursting forth from a total daylong cover of clouds, was a clear reminder that there was light and hope for a bright future. More mysteriously, on this dark day, both literally and in my professional and personal life, the sun had set, but somehow the world around me was still visible, residual light clinging to the surrounding dense clouds. I’m sure the phenomenon is not that complex, but I’m not a meteorologist, and I was moved by the mystery of it. I continued to think about that lonely, quiet bike ride in the days and months that came after.

And now, I’ve figured out what the light was. It was you – it was all of you.

It was the hundreds of people who prayed for Wanakee and supported Wanakee and kept the Wanakee spirit alive. Whether you gave $5 or $60,000, or told stories about camp among friends and family, or bought a sweatshirt from the online store, or attended an online worship, or sent your child to Camp @ Home, or looked up at the stars from wherever you are in the world and peacefully remembered how it feels to look at those same stars alongside Wanakee friends, with the extra sparkle they have when viewed from Lookout, through the reaching pines of the Site 2 campfire circle, or on a dew-covered tarp in the middle of the field.

You have been the light this year. And I can’t thank you enough.

I’ll see you back at camp. I can’t wait.

Grace and Peace,

James B. Tresner, Executive Director

Whether you’ve been to Wanakee one time or 100 times, we all have stories to share about our beautiful spiritual place in the hills. During each episode of Wanakee’s new podcast, Big Red Farmhouse, your hosts Shannon Drew, Amelia Luke, and Nicole Richards, will talk with members of Wanakee’s global community. Listen in for memories, lessons, and tales from our 59-year history. We have 12 episodes (plus or minus) already recorded, and they will be released weekly on Tuesdays from now until early November. Join us for “Season 1” as you drive to the store, go for a walk, lay in the hammock, or tidy up around the house.

Do you think you know a great potential guest? Drop us an email: mail@wanakee.org to let us know. We would also love to hear your feedback! You can listen on Anchor at https://anchor.fm/wanakeenh or on Spotify via the link below. We expect that Big Red Farmhouse will be available on all major podcast platforms (including Apple Podcasts and Overcast) within a week or two - keep an eye out.

Many thanks to Shannon Drew and Amelia Luke, both of whom served as summer staff for a 4th year in 2020, as well as to Nicole Richards, Wanakee’s Board Chair, for pushing this longtime dream to reality. We are especially excited for this new form of storytelling as we prepare to celebrate 60 years of ministry in 2021.

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