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TWO-A
LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC
AUGUST 22, 1936
Charleston Diocese Pioneer
in Religious Vacation School
and Recreation Camp Eiiorts
Movement in Eighth Year in South Carolina — Splendid
Camp Has Been Er ected on Okatee River
('Continued From Page One-A)
to accommodate the mission chil
dren of the lower half of the State
of South Carolina while the remain
der were sent to Camp St. Ann,
which was inaugurated by Father
Deant, in the mountains in the north
ern part of the state.
About one hundred children were
in attendance during this fourth
year. Accommodations and equip
ment were practically the same as
in 1931, as were the organization and
management of the camp. Improve
ments included a cottage, erected for
the better accommodation of the Sis
ters. A tiny chapel was built to
house the altar and small sanctuary,
and in this the Blessed Sacrament
was reserved during the camp sea
son. All classes were still held in
the open and the children remain
ed in the open while attending Mass
and other services. The dining room
was enlarged somewhat to give more
space for tables and better accom
modation for diners.
The camp of 1933 was again most
successfully conducted and directed
by Father Wolfe. In 1934 Father
Wolfe was succeeded, in the position
of director, by Father A. F. Kamler,
who had been appointed to the
Beaufort Missions ift October, 1933.
With the assistance of four Sisters
of Mercy and three Seminarians as
teachers, and eight lay counsellors,
the same camp policy was continued
as was administered the previous
year. One hundred and thirty-three
children were accommodated, neces
sitating the enlargement of the din
ing room and the purchasing of
more tents.
1934, fruitful and productive of
spiritual results as the previous
years, and with its crowded attend
ance, marked a drastic change in
Camp St. Mary’s. In its six years,
all religiously effective and spirit
ually successful, and its Catholic at
mosphere having made such great
impression upon the scattered mis
sion children, the camp had reached
such a degree of stability and organ
ization, that the Most Rev. Emmet
M. Walsh, Bishop of Charleston, and
the Diocesan officials decided to give
it real permanence.
C O
MR. PINCKNEY’S AID
-t)
0-
Recognition and acknowledgement
were made to Mr. Wi E. Pinckney
for his great generosity during the
first six years in loaning his home,
grounds and beach for camp pur
poses and other kindnesses. Regret
fully the camp site was moved, since
permanent buildings could not be
erected upon his property. Due to
this impracticability, Bishop Walsh
purchased the Wiggins place and
several adjoining lots, on the Okatee
River, almost directly opposite the
old camp site. The new location
fronts the Okatee River for 700 feet.
A 13-acre plot was cleared to make
an ideal site for the new camp. Un
der the direction of Father Kamler,
who designed and planned the new
buildings, several months were spent
in completing two large barracks, a
Sister’s Convent, Chapel, mess-hall
and kitchen, servants’ quarters and
other necessary buildings. There
are lights in all buildings, as well as
showers in each barracks, adminis
tration building and Sisters Con
vent. The camp supplies its own
power for lights and pumping wa
ter, inspected by the board of
health, is furnished by flowing wells
and pumped to all buildings.
Each of the barracks will accom
modate 72 children and is furnished
with all necessary fixtures, bunks,
mattresses, etc. All buildings are
thoroughly screened and well ven
tilated. All possible conveniences
were provided for the well-being of
the children.
Two large athletic fields have been
provided, so that two baseball games
may be played simultaneously. A
long dock and sand beach give splen
did opportunity for bathing and
swimming. Boats are also available
for fishing, crabbing and shrimping
The new site and buildings have
been termed “The Ideal Camp.”
DEDICATION
In June, 1935, the Most Rev. Emmet
M. Walsh dedicated the Chapel and
buildings to the Patroness of the
camp, the Blessed Virgin Mary. In
attendance at the camp included the
mission children of the Beaufort
Parish, Aiken, Summerville, Yonges
Island, Orangeburg, and the eastern
half of the Florence missions, all to
taling 140.
In general, the original camp policy
was continued, only such changes, as
were necessary and suitable to the
new arrangement and site, being
made. Classes were held and Mass
and services attended in the open, the
Chapel being merely a shelter for the
altar and a place for the Reservation
of the Blessed Sacrament. The Re
ligious Instruction Session continued
for three weeks, as had been the plan
and custom since the 1930 session,
and the results most edifying.
VACATION CAMP
A new note was sounded, however,
in 1935. Heretofore, Camp St. Mary’s
accommodated only children of the
missions where instructions could be
given only irregularly or where there
was no Catholic school. In 1935,
immediately after the close of the
three week instruction session, Camp
St. Mary’s remained open another
Leading Firms of Charleston, S. C.
RUGS and DRAPERIES
PHONE 4131
250 KING STREET
CHARLESTON, S. C.
ANDERSON LUMBER
COMPANY
Manufacturers of and Dealers in
YELLOW PINE LUMBER
Roofing, Nails and Wall Board
Timber, Piling, Shingles and Laths.
Westend Broad St.
Telephones 465-466
CHARLESTON, S. C.
COBURG DAIRY
“Charleston’s Creamiest
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Grade “A” Milk-Buttermilk
Butter—Chocolate Milk
Cottage Cheese
Telephone 2161
Charleston, S. C.
Ever GRAVE
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Hence the interesting popularity of this
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something new and useful . . .
THE SHADE SHOP
Manufacturers—Distributors—Wholesale
and Retail—We Fill Mail Orders for
All Sizes and Dimensions.
THE VENETION BLIND MAN
M. E. Gurney. Owner
SHADE SPECIALIST
Telephone 4364 246 King Street
Charleston, S. C.
SEE US FUR
BETTER SIGHT
Phone 2665
OPTOMETRIST
OPTICIAN
J. Furman Mason
Acousticon Ear Phones.
Next Door Garden
Theatre
371 King Street
Best Wishes
WM. J. LEUNARU
Charleston, S. C.
SILVER’S
CHARLESTON, S. C.
Poster Panels — the Big
Outdoor Pictures — Tell
the Story of Good Mer
chandise to All the World
Coastal Outdoor
Advertising Go.
517 MEETING STREET
Charleston, S. C.
ARROW SHIRTS
STETSON HATS
MICHAELS-STERN
Value-First Clothes
TAYLOR’S
MEN’S WEAR
“Your Satisfaction Completes
the Sale”
.309 King St. Phone 865
Charleston, S. C.
G. W. KESSLER
KNOWN FOR GOOD
CLOTHES
HATS—SHOES
FURNISHINGS
335 King Street
Charleston, S. C.
PHONE 597
LANNEAU’S ART
STORE
Artist Material—
Kodaks
Wall Paper
Picture Frames
238 King Street
Charleston, S. C.
LEGERTON &
CO., Inc.
Established 1888
Books and
Stationery
Gifts—Toys—Games
Charleston, S. C.
three weeks for purely recreational
activity and was available to any
child, of any denomination, between
the ages of 10 and 16. This was done
to give opportunity to the many city
children, who were not eligible to at
tend the instruction camp, of attend
ing a safe, reasonably priced camp,
and the only one under Catholic aus
pices in this section of the country.
Quite a number of children from
Charleston, Savannah and Augusta
took advantage of the opportunity,
enjoying this phase of the camp so
well that the recreational session has
become a permanent part of the an
nual program of Camp St. Mary’s.
The Religious Vacation School ses
sion for 1936 opened on Sunday, June
21, with a full capacity registration of
142 children. Improvements includ
ed a sea wall, improved beach, and
canteen. A new cycle course of
studies was inaugurated for the
greater benefit and better adapted to
the needs of the children of the mis
sions. Father Kamler, as director,
and the teaching staff report a most
successful session, productive of
greater religious benefit, and, with
Bishop Walsh, are most pleased with
the decided and evident interest
shcvflh by all attending camp.
JOHN MgAI
JSTER, lie.
FUNERAL
DIRECTOR
PHONE 346
169 MEETING ST.
CHARLESTON, S. C.
\
BISHOP CONFIRMS
On July 5th, the Most Rev. Emmet
M. Walsh confirmed a class of 27.
On July 8th five convert children
were baptized; on July 12th sixteen
children received First Holy Com
munion. The instruction session
closed on July 12th with an eight
o’clock Mass.
On the afternoon of July 12th, the
recreational session began; this year
it was continued for six weeks. As
previously, it was under the aus
pices of Bishop Walsh, and had the
endorsement of the Most Rev. Ger
ald P. O’Hara, Bishop of Savannh.
Seventy children were registered for
the session, most of them for three,
land and Walterboro were repre
sented.
The daily schedule for the recrea
tional session was as follows: 7:30
thenics; 8‘45 breakfast; 9:45 inspec
tion; 10:00 swimming games, athletics
and other activities; 1:00 p. m. dinner
and mail; 2:00 rest period; 2:30 rec
reation; 6:00 evening colors and An-
gelus; 6:15 supper; 7:30 camp fires,
entertainment; 9:45 night prayers; 10
retire.
ACTIVITIES
Activities included , swimming
boating, fishing, crabbing, hikes,
baseball, basketball, volleyball, short
tennis, cady, track events and stee
plechase. Indoor games were played
on rainy days. Entertainment in
cluded dancing programs, plays,
camp fires and mashmallow roasts,
boxing, movies, straw rides and pic
nics.
It is expected that 1937 will be a
banner year in the history of Camp
St. Mary’s. Parents have all express
ed themselves as being most pleased
with the results of the camp’s ef
forts to build up children who are
sound in mind, heart and body, to de-
velope character whose aim in life is
actuated by Christian principles.
Now, after experiencing effective
ness during its eight years of exist
ence, Camp St. Mary’s still holds a
leading place in this form of Catholic
action and endeavor. It has, each
year, attained the mark and goal set
for it. and pointed out the way for
others to follow. It is a summer
school, and though ordinarily children
not eager to attend school during va
cation time, yet those, who have at
tended previous sessions are most
eager to return to Camp St. Mary’s,
for it has become an important fac
tor in the lives of the mission chil
dren. They soon grasp the purpose
of the camp. The presence of the
Blessed Sacrament is the outstanding
privilege for the children. Here they
assist at Mass, in many cases, more
often than during the rest of the
year. The sight of little ones volun
tarily visiting the Chapel during the
day is impressive, and noteworthy is
the large numbers of daily commun
ions.
SCHEDULE
The daily schedule: Morning
prayers, Mass, flag-raising, exercises,
breakfast, inspection, classes, Ange-
lus, dinner rest, recreation, study,
hymnology, rosary, visits, Angelus,
evening colors supper entertainment,
night prayers and Benediction—is ar
ranged so that the educational process
includes variety of activity, while
the whole atmosphere is Catholic.
One generation of children has al
ready completed the outlined course
at Camp St. Mary’s, and as expected
as a result of their training they have
taken their places as Catholic leaders,
and are forming the backbone of
Catholic activity in their respective
communities. The double process of
formal education and of leading a
practical Catholic life in Catholic sur
roundings, under the personal and
daily influence of the priest, semi
narians and Sisters, has made an im
pression which has enduring effects.
An indirect result of Camp St.
Mary’s is that the social bond has
visibly strengthened the religious
bond of all the mission people. Just
as the children live from camp to
camp, it has likewise become an in
tegral part of the life of the older
people. They realize that they are
not segregated Catholic individuals,
blessed with the true Faith and meet
ing fellow Catholics for a short time
on two Sundays a month, but that
they are also units in a much larger
co-operative group, reposing in
Catholic fullness.
FATHER ARTHUR O’DONNELL,
pastor of St. Mary's Church, Oakland,
Cal., has resigned to become a Cis
tercian (Trappist) monk at the Rhode
Island monastery of the Trappists.