So many memories swim around my head that it’s hard to sort them all out. I thought it might be fun to see if I can pull up some memories I share with former staff members. My perspective may differ, but I think we may share many of these memories.
First off, my parents, Walter and Frances Warkentin, were thought of as the guardians of Hume. Dad always dressed up and drove from camp to camp while Mom, in her white uniform, carried her clipboard and marched from camp to camp. If you were on staff in the ’50s, ’60s, or ’70s, you were probably interviewed by Mom. She always made everyone feel like the most important person in the room when she was talking with you, and she looked out for you once you were there. Dad was a little more removed from staff because he had to run things on the executive level, but he loved the staff.
Do you remember the breakfast, lunch, and dinner whistle? It was a BIG deal. Staff ate at 7:15, 12:15, and 5:15, and you better be there. One whistle was blown at 10 after to remind you to hustle and two whistles were blown to say now is the time to eat at 15 after.
Mom planned, ordered, and helped cook all the meals. She was totally hands-on and loved it. I think her favorite was making pancakes better and faster than anyone else. Dad loved greeting people in his office, which is now the Welcome Center. I can still see him sitting at his desk talking on the phone or visiting with someone who peeked their head in the door.
Saturday noon meals were a huge deal, with staff entertainment including skits, music, and testimonies. After all, in those years, that was about all the free time staff had because campers left Saturday morning and new campers arrived Saturday for supper. We worked six days a week and helped wherever we were needed.
Christ has always been the center of Hume, and Dad used to say if that changed, Hume was doomed.
Praise the Lord the truth of the gospel continues to be boldly taught in our camps. May boys, girls, men, and women continue to come to know Christ, the ONE who saves, when they attend Hume Christian Camps!