Adrian Gray's Memories

My exposure to Camp Fowler started on July 21, 1957, the second summer that it received children in a church camp for the Synod of Albany. Having been asked by my pastor Ernie Crounse, to be a student pastor at two churches in Montgomery Classis, just before entering New Brunswick Seminary, he also asked me to be a counselor at Camp Fowler. Nancy Ann Lightall (Vandenburgh) was a counselor for a cabin of eight girls and they assigned me to counselor of a cabin of 6 boys going to be in the newly built Pine Lodge which was smaller than it is today. The front entrance was a set of double doors leading from a small porch into a central hall about 10' by 15' with four single cots for counselors who would lead four cabins of boys. Straight ahead was a stone fireplace with a door on each side leading to two restrooms. To the South there were two doors leading to two cabins of boys and to the North another set. The separate rooms had three double decker bunks. All the partitions were made of single sheets of plyscore held up by 2 x 4s.

The counselors were expected to sleep in the central hall and the boys in the seperate rooms. The very first night the boys found that it was fun to knock on the walls as they layed in bed. In order to get them quieted down, we had to move our cotsinto their rooms and sleep there.

It got quite cold at night so waking early in the morning brough an oppurtunity to start a fire in the fireplace. There being places to build fires in Suits Hall, Spencer Lodge, and Lakeside Lodge and someone having prepared wood for each place made it easy to take the chill off the dining hall, the girls cabins and Lakeside Lodge where we had our daily assembly. My nickname was "Uncle Sparkie."

An unforgetable part of our week was our home in the woods. After cabin cleanup, our two cabins met on the road by the outdoor chapel where we told the campers to find us a home in the woods to be ours for the week. Each morning after cabin clean up, our two cabins went to the place up the road toward the caretakers house. There we had our small group vespers and Bible study. They had chosen a natural round spot where there were trees, rocks, and mounds to put our backs against as we sat on the ground. The area was not far from the sandy gravel road and one could see Sacandaga Lake with the green covered mountains on the other side of the lake pointing toward the bright blue sky and a few puffy clouds floating by. On a breezy day we could hear the waves lapping agins the rocky shoreline and sparrows calling to one another in the trees.

The whole camp really makes one feel close to God. It affirmed my decision to become a pastor. Most of the young men and women who have gone into the ministry from our Synod have been strengthened by their spiritual experience at Fowler. I was back at the camp for a week the following summer and used the same home in the woods.

It was great to go back to Fowler after graduating from Seminary in 1960. For three more years, cabin counselor for a Junior Conference week was my responsibility. Jim Neevil was director for the week and Harold Goldzong assistant director. After that, Jim convinced me to take over camp director and he would take assistant director to help me learn the new position. The director for the week had charge of about 100 4th, 5th, and 6th grade boys and girls. Each year through 1972 the position included recruiting an assistant director, music director, a missionary, a nurse for the week, two other assistants and 17 cabin counselors. We had a missionary night, Palestinian Camp Fires with skits by cabins, Film Night,m and Christmas in July Dedication service on the final night.

In 1973 Religious Ed Leader for one Junior Camp each year was my position until 1991 when religious leader for a wilderness canoeing week with 11 5th and 6th grade boys and girls became a new experience. Linda Graces was in charge of program and made up the schedule and fitted my devotions into our daily activities. We worked together as a team and all of our campers were part of that team. Linda made it all come alive. It was an inspiration on our canoe trips gliding on lakes and pacid fifteen foot wide streams, winding, snake lik up in the middle of no where, seeing all kinds of colorful wild flowers unique to the Adirondacks and seeing American Eagles perched on dead trees or soaring through the air. It was a wonderful way to get in touch with nature. Even the winds and rains were exciting and refreshing, This experience was a natural for putting the 11 and 12 year olds in touch with God's creation.

After three years at that position, a new experience of leading one Senior Get Away for five days at Chi Rho House, the conference setting for Fowler Camp and Conference Center. The 55 and older adults took advantage of creative workshops, devotions, quiet time and enjoyed sightseeing the beautiful autumn colors among the high peaks and visiting the Adirondack Museum. The following year another Fowler history time was enjoyed. Sightseeing among the high peaks and in all the mountains also seeing some interesting new exhibits in the Adirondack Museum all fitted in with the Bible study on talents of people of old who used the skills given them to survive on much less than we have. The following year found a totally different group of campers on our wilderness camp but they were just as eager to learn to survive in the wild and learned to help one another. Since then, climbing among the high peaks with Craig Hoffman have beemn a part of my experiencing God's wonders in nature.

A special thank you goes to Kent Busman who has been a part of my Camp Fowler experiences since he came on board and I am sure that it has been an inspiration to others which is evident in the continued success of camp Fowler. Besides those mentioned above, to name all the others who were so much a part of the Fowler experience would fill a book on the whose who of the camp from beginning to end.