Pre-Camp- Day 2!

We had a crazy, busy, fun-filled first day of CGM 2014! We started off with chapel where we talked about water, what it does and how we like to use it. Some of our campers favorite water uses were: throwing it on people, water balloons fights, for water guns, and categories in the pool, but the most popular was swimming. This was until our priest Lissa pointed out that we can get baptized with water, making it a very exciting answer. We made filtration systems to clean dirty water so we can use it for all of these wonderful things!

Next we went on an excursion to Abbo's Alley in Sewanee.There we played a game where we acted like turtles trying to make it to the water and then played in the creek for a bit!

After a good lunch and even better siesta, we came back to chapel and made a well (in the chapel, so no actual digging was involved in this process) and talked about some of the fun stories in the bible about wells. 

For afternoon activities, we spent time at the art barn, playground and pavilion. We painted our nametags, rode the zip line, colored with chalk and played 4 square, just to name a few of the fun things we did!

Tonight we had 2 awesome activities- first we had our first mini Maxon counselor hunt, followed by a bonfire with s'mores and lots of fun-not scary- stories! We are so glad that Pre-Camp had so much fun on their second day here and we are looking forward to all the fun things we will do tomorrow! 

Pre-Camp/Mini Maxons- Day 1!

It's finally here! The time for campers is finally here!

We are so excited that our Mini Maxons arrived tonight safe and sound and jumped right into Camp Gailor-Maxon and all the fun they will have this weekend! We started with building boats in the upstairs chapel- stay tuned as the boats just might be used later this week!

Next we played some awesome games, including Ships and Sailors, Freeze Tag, and of course the fan favorite- Magic Tambourine!

We of course had to sign the Pre-Camp Covenant-

And then finished our exciting night with Compline.

We can't wait for another great day of Pre-Camp excitement tomorrow!

Staff Week: Wrapping it all up!

The last 2 days we have done a lot of hike scouting- including Foster Falls, Greeter Falls, and Shakerag- a brand new one to the camp community! We loved getting to revisit our old favorites and explore new places on this beautiful mountain! Here you can see an awesome jumping picture of Andrew at an overlook on the Shakerag hike!

Yesterday we finished up our programming and then went to Fiery Gizzard with Ranger Jason to review the water holes and to practice our mountain rescue skills. We learned (and for some of us reviewed) how to respond to an emergency and then how to safely carry an injured person out of the woods. We love this activity every year because its a fun way to bond while being productive!

After such a long day, we went to Dr. Gregory's house for dinner. We are so grateful that Dr. Andrew let us use his cabin to hang out, have dinner and sing songs for a little while!

For all of you former staffers, we finished our hard week of work with a little watermelon scramble and had an absolute blast!

We can't wait for all of you to join us over the next few weeks! All of us are ready for our hard work and hours of planning to become a reality!

Staff Week: Day 3

Today we had a whole lot of fun getting a whole lot done. This morning we went scouting a new hike called Bridal Veil Falls- Camp 1 this one will be for you! We were amazed at how beautiful the trail was and really enjoyed being together outside.

In the afternoon we worked on afternoon and evening planning and are really excited that the giant calendar is looking pretty full- which means we get to work on details to make everything even more awesome! Afterwards we took a little fun break on the playground.

With all the excitement we are storing up for the coming weeks we can't wait to see these big beautiful ideas become a reality!

Staff Week: Day 2!

Today was full of creativity and excitement as we put a lot of time and effort into our Chapel planning and afternoon activities! With ideas of new hikes, fun projects, and using our theme of Living Water, we have all kinds of great stuff in the works for our campers (and pre-camp parents!) The giant calendar on the wall starts blank and we are starting to fill it in!

A definite highlight of the day was our "thank you prayer", where we went around the circle and thanked each other for all the wonderful things everyone had done that day. Afterwards, we took this awesome selfie!

For a little exercise we had a game of staff kickball- which was difficult to capture in a picture, but this one catches Cody mid-pitch.

Finally, we went on a late night Sonic run and learned that if you want cookie dough pieces, you have to order the cookie dough blast NOT the cookie dough milkshake!

All in all, it was a great and productive day!

It's here! Staff Week: Day 1

Camp Gailor-Maxon 2014 has officially begun! The staff arrived yesterday at noon and started the planning process right away! Between moving in, discussions about chapel theme, New Zealand night prayer and a bonfire, we had a busy first day!

We can't wait for all of you to join us on the mountain!

CGM: Meet our chaplin, Lara Wiggins!

As promised, we have very exciting news in the form of a big introduction! We are so glad to introduce you to our chaplin for 2014, Lara Wiggins! She wanted to say hey to all of you, so without further ado, here she is!

Hello!!! Camp Gailor-Maxon Community,
                I am greatly looking forward to being a part of your camping experience for Summer Camp 2014! I get to serve as Gailor-Maxon’s Camp Chaplin this summer and I cannot wait to hit the ground at the beginning of June. I am a “corn bread” from a small town, Fairhope, in Alabama’s deep southern region. I grew up on Mobile Bay living for kayaking, horse riding, sunsets, swimming, gardenias and oak trees. Life has willed opportunities for me to live out west in Dubois, Wyoming and in Nashville, Tennessee. Upon graduating from high school, I ventured on and attended Auburn University for undergraduate studies, then I worked as a field staff for an outdoor educational program, SOAR and afterward moved to Nashville to serve as a youth minister for Christ Church Cathedral. Following my time in Nashville, I retreated back to my roots in south Alabama and worked for Beckwith Camp and Conference Center as a summer camp director. Today, I am currently back in Nashville attending  Vanderbilt Divinity school and working part-time for Preston Taylor Ministries. I am pumped about meeting all of you and spending time in our sacred community of faith; celebrating life and joy together! I pray that Camp Gailor-Maxon will be a safe space that allows you to leave the rest of your life behind to come seek and explore God in a loving, affirming community that will help you to identify and grow your faith.

Let the good times roll!

 See you there, we’re less than two months away!

What a week it has been!

What a week it has been for Camp Gailor-Maxon! We have so much exciting news to share!

We'll start with the cabin build that happened last weekend at Dubose. Fortunately, we are adding counselor rooms to cabins 5 and 6 so we can have a greater capacity for female campers each week- and we're aiming to fill up all our extra spots!
The weather didn't cooperate too much on Saturday so we were working in the rain, wind and a whole lot of mud. But when it cleared up Sunday our work crew accomplished so much! Below you can see some of the progress made, certainly was not all they got done last weekend though!

A VERY big thank you to Bob Sarratt, Greg Estes, Reid Estes, Dave Thompson, Andrew Gregory, Frank Puryear, Charles Houston Beaumont, Greg Champion and the Champion boys for coming to help! CGM is so grateful for your hard work to help us get ready!

Sunday night was so much fun as we got to participate at the Diocese of Tennessee Youth Eucharist! We loved getting to meet so many youth and tell them about the exciting opportunities CGM gives youth of all ages. Thank you all for having us there and letting us share our excitement for youth work with you!

Watch out as more news is coming in the future- we have a very exciting annoucement to make next week!

Introducing our GAP Staff Coordinator: Andie Scott!

We are thrilled to have Andie Scott on staff to lead our GAP Staff program this summer! Our GAP staff members are those who just graduated high school and are entering college freshmen. They come to be trained during Camp 1 and then come back as full-time counselors during Camps II and III! Andie is perfect for this position and we couldn't be happier to have her!

Andie is from Nashville, TN. She was raised at St. Mark's Episcopal Church and now serves on the vestry there. Andie spent 10 summers at CGM, 2 of which she was on staff. She has a B.S. in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from Ithaca College and a Masters in Civic Leadership from Lipscomb University. Andie does yoga everyday and loves to hula hoop and dance. Most recently Andie has worked for the YMCA and International Dance Challenge.

Our last counselor: Andrew Street!

Our last guy on staff is Mr. Andrew Street of Memphis, TN! He is an experienced counselor with so much energy (and love of soccer!) to bring to CGM this summer! We can't wait to spend the summer with him!

Andrew is a native of Memphis, Tennessee where he works and takes classes. While he grew up mostly in Memphis, he spent 3 years on the mountain living in Sewanee while his dad was in seminary at University of the South, so he's pretty familiar with the area. Andrew is also a big fan of soccer, which should be exciting this summer as the World Cup is going on. He is excited to spend another summer at Camp Gailor-Maxon!

The last of the girls cousnelors: Cayce Sweat!

Cayce is the last of our girls counselors to introduce (but there's one more girl- you'll meet her Sunday!) She has so much energy, as showcased in her love for sports! We can't wait for her to share it with everyone this summer!

Cayce is from Nashville, Tennessee. She found out about CGM from friends at St. George's Episcopal Church, and has been a part of the community ever since grade school. Cayce is currently a freshman at Rhodes College, where she is a part of the track and cross country teams. She hopes to major in Psychology, and plans to have a career in Child Life Advocacy. After completing last summer on "GAP" staff, she cannot wait to be a counselor this summer with the rest of the camp community!

Back this year- Nayla Antypas!

We are so excited to have Nayla back on staff this summer! Her love of working with youth is such a blessing to CGM and we are excited to have her back this summer!

I'm Nayla Antypas and I'm from Brentwood but will be a rising Junior at UTK! I am an industrial engineering major, double minoring in math and business... I go to Church of the the Good Shepherd in Brentwood and St. John's in Knoxville. I love hanging with friends, running, being a Vols fan, hiking, hammocking, playing music, and playing sports and stuff like that. I'm so pumped for this summer!!

CGM, meet Stephen Edmonds!

We are so excited to have Stephen Edmonds join us on staff this summer! As an Eagle Scout, he'll serve as the resident fire starter and outdoors expert! Our bonfires don't stand a chance against him!

Stephen is (very proudly) from Memphis, Tennessee. He is currently a junior at the University of Mississippi where he is studying political science and philosophy. Stephen will graduate from Ole Miss in the Fall of 2015, after which he plans to attend law school. Being an Eagle scout, Stephen is an avid outdoorsman and loves everything from hiking, backpacking, camping, rock climbing/rappelling, to hunting and fishing.

A devout, cradle-Episcopalian, Stephen has been involved in the church in various ways, especially the Happening movement in the Diocese of West Tennessee. Though he has never been to Camp Gailor-Maxon, he served on Winterfest 2013/’14 staff, and very much looks forward to his first summer at CGM!

Next up: Jackson Hastings!

Now we want to introduce you to Miss Jackson Hastings of Nashville, TN! We can't wait to see Jackson shine this summer!

Jackson Hastings is from Nashville, TN and moved to South Carolina this fall to attend college. Currently a Freshman at the College of Charleston, she is studying Political Science with a minor in Crime, Law, and Society. Jackson began attending Camp Gailor-Maxon in the summer of 2003 and fell in love with the community and fun she found on the mountain. She returned each summer that she was able, and in 2013, she completed GAP Staff training. Jackson is excited to be a part of CGM Staff for 2014, and she is excited to make it the best it can be for each camper who attends!

Introducing: Carter Webster!

Hello again! Here is Carter, who is always the one with a contagious smile! So glad she will get to share it with everyone at CGM!

Hello! My name is Carter Webster and I am from Memphis, TN! I am a rising sophomore at Samford University where I am majoring in Family Studies with plans to become a social worker. This will be my 10th summer on the Mountain and I could not be more excited! I really love group texts, all Sonic drinks, telling jokes, and the movie Elf. Can't wait for the best summer ever, yay!

Up next: Mr. William Namie!

Meet Will, who had shoulder reconstruction before CGM one summer but came anyways because he wanted to be part of the community! We are so excited to have someone with us who loves it that much!

Will has been born and raised in the episcopal community going to CGM and winterfest at Dubose, as well as being a part of other diocesan events including Happenings 45-49. Will has attended the same church, St. Philip, since his baptism at age one, and Loves going back there every Sunday he is in his Hometown of Memphis. He Currently attends LSU and is a Junior majoring in Psychology with a minor in sociology. Will has worked with youth in and out of the diocese since 2007 where he started out at memphis based EDC (episcopal day camp) and then went onto Become a junior counselor at camp in 2011 before becoming a staff member in 2012. in 2013 will worked with the Non-Profit social work organization, Youth Villages, where he was an intern and helped directly care for and treat troubled or at risk youth and their Families. Will Hopes to become a Child Psychologist in the future. He also has a strong affinity for Pandas, Tigers, and Grizzlies.

Meet Abbie King, our native Cookvillian!

Next up is Abbie, who taught all of us at Camp Gailor-Maxon the song cups before Anna Kendrick even knew what it was- that's how cool she is! We can't wait to have you on staff Abbie!!!

Abbie is a rising sophomore at East Tennessee State University. She loathes making decisions, but the decision to be a part of the CGM staff was a given! She floats through life singing show tunes and pretending to be funny.

Our next counselor, Brandon Parrish!

Meet Brandon, another member of the awesome staff we have put together for this summer!

Growing up in Memphis, Brandon joined the camp community in 2004. After being a junior counselor in the summers of '08 and '09, he spent the next few summers in Knoxville, where he attended the University of Tennessee (Go Vols!). He now lives in Nashville, working as a lobbyist in state government for Baker Donelson, with ambitions to practice law.

In college, he was involved in Student Government, his fraternity, and the InterFraternity Council while studying political science. Having served in various leadership capacities in the Episcopal Church community over the years, Brandon returns to the place he loves most: Dubose. In his spare time, he enjoys playing soccer, outdoor activities, and strumming guitar.

Assistant Director: Jani Sarratt!

As mentioned yesterday, we have 2 Assistant Directors, and we are so excited to have Jani and Cody take this position together! As long time friends they are so excited to be working together!

Jani has grown up in the Episcopal church and started going to Camp Gailor-Maxon in 2001. From that first day at camp she instantly fell in love with the camp community. Jani participated in the Junior Counselor program and then became full time counselor in 2010 and 2011. After starting the position of President of Tigerettes and Tiger Hosts for Auburn Athletics she had to take two summers off and become an adult volunteer at camp.

Jani is a native of Nashville Tennessee who loves going back to visit her home state. A cradle Episcopalian, she grew up as a member of St. George’s Episcopal Church, as well as participating in Happening in West Tennessee and Winterfest at Dubose. In college, Jani has worked with youth in several capacities. In her free time, Jani enjoys playing guitar, being outside, and cooking. Jani just graduated from Auburn University in December with a degree in Industrial Engineering and a minor in Business Engineering Technology and is now in graduate school to attain a Masters of Industrial Engineering.

Staff Member 2: Cody Hawks, Assistant Director

The next members of staff are our Assitant Directors, of which there are 2! Today we want to introduce you to Cody Hawks!

Cody is from Gallatin, TN. He is currently at MTSU in the Teacher Education Program. He will begin his student teaching next year and will then pursue a career as a middle grades math teacher. Cody has been a part of the CGM community since 2001 and a staff member since 2010. His main role as a staff member in the past has been leading music and worship; he looks forward to taking on a larger role and continuing to grow as a member of this community.

It's time to announce our staff for 2014 CGM

Hello!
We are so excited to start annoucing the staff for Camp Gailor-Maxon 2014! We will introduce a staff member every day for the next 2 weeks as there are 14 of us to meet, including a Director, Assistant Directors and our fabulous staff!

So without further ado, let us introduce you to our fabulous Director, Vena Bagwell Champion! She is so excited to start the summer and wanted to introduce herself to all of you!

"Greetings from the mountain!
One of my first memories of the mountain is of my childhood church - St. Mary Magdalene, Fayetteville - having a family retreat at DuBose Conference Center. Beginning then, I knew I would always have a home on the mountain. Camp Gailor- Maxon, the House of Young Churchmen, the Leadership Training Conference, Winterfest, and Happening were several of the yearly camps and conferences that brought me to DuBose throughout my youth. After my years as a counselor at Camp Gailor- Maxon, only a few events brought me back for a scheduled time at DuBose, but I always found myself driving through the conference center grounds introducing new friends, my husband, and now my children to this place that gives us a chance to slow down and reconnect with God and those around us.

Over the past five years, I have had the opportunity to work with camp through the DuBose Board - helping to develope new programs and working behind the scenes. This year I am excited to be physically on the mountain once more!"

 

Stay tuned for more introductions to come!

CGM 2014 is around the corner!

It is time to sign up for Camp Gailor-Maxon 2014! We've got another absolutely amazing summer planned and cannot wait to share the Mountain with your camper. From swimming to hiking to crafts to skit nights, there is endless fun, faith formation, and friendship to be had. Whether you're a rising 1st-3rd grader coming with a parent for our long weekend Mini Maxon Pre-Camp or you're rising 4th grade - college freshman coming for our weeklong session, we've got something for you!

Apply online or download a paper application: http://duboseconf.org/applicationsandforms

Want to know more about our camp? Watch our video here or read through our blog archives - we have a post for each day of camp with a look inside the typical camp day.