Grandcamp at Magruder
Four First Church “grannies” were among the 100+ “Grandcampers” at Camp Magruder on the first weekend of August. From first-timer Anne Kayser and grandson Ellis to 20+ year veteran Dee Poujade and granddaughters Cora and Lili, all agreed that a great time was had by all at this all-ages event. Other FUMC attendees were Kiyoko Kimura with grandson Eli and granddaughter Hannah, and Harriet Ottaviano with granddaughter Janet.
There is no upper of lower age limit for camp – from toddlers to teenagers, all are welcome and there are plenty of activities to enjoy on God’s great beaches and in God’s beautiful woodlands. Activities include swimming and boating in Smith Lake, wave-jumping in the Pacific, crafts (tile painting and tie-dying are perennial favorites), good food, campfires and great fellowship.
“Ellis loved playing on the beach (which we did four separate times while we were there), learning archery, exploring the camp and woods between it and the sand, meeting other seven-year-olds, foraging for and snacking on salal berries, playing "gaga" with the big kids, and telling people about our thrilling canoe adventure on Smith Lake!” said Anne.
Harriet reported that Janet’s favorite things were the food and the hiking (also the hot chocolate, as you can see in the photo!), while her favorite thing was “just being in a quiet place with my granddaughter where we had time for conversation without the usual distractions.”
For Kiyoko, who has been a Grandcamper for about eight years, she especially enjoyed watching her grandchildren, both of whom are “onlys,” interacting with other children. And Dee, who first attended Grandcamp with granddaughter, Michaela (now an adult with a toddler son) in 2002, keeps coming back to build memories with her granddaughters. Cora especially enjoys the tranquility of walking in the woods, while Lili has an annual “reunion” with friends she first met at camp as a seven-year-old (she’s now 14) and loves to play Gaga Ball and hang out with her friends.
The quartet of grandmothers is unanimous in their praise of Grandcamp at Camp Magruder and hopes to see more church friends there next summer. Camp is usually held the first weekend of August.