Camp Occohannock has record attendance in Summer 2024

By Bill Sterling

A gentle peace was the prevailing mood one morning last week when arriving at Camp Occohannock on the Bay (OOTB) as a light breeze rustling through the trees was the only sound heard when gazing around the 50-acre tract surrounded by Occohannock and Tawes creeks.

But though many found peace in their stay at the camp this summer, it was a beehive of activity as a record 430 campers attended OOTB with another 25 staffers leading a host of activities and helping campers to strengthen or even find their faith.

Joel Coleman, the always enthusiastic, 44-year-old camp director who came to that position three years ago, says, “We were very blessed this summer to have a record number of kids and a tremendous staff and countless volunteers who are making a difference in the lives of others. For many of our campers, it is a transformational experience with 21 campers becoming first-time believers and 92 more recommitting to Christ.”

The number of campers represents a 25 percent growth over last year and a 167 percent increase from four years ago.

New activities such as the waterslide, improved rock and tree climbing facilities, and the resumption of a sailing program are some of the factors in the increased attendance during Coleman’s time at the camp. There’s also tubing, kickball, kayaking, archery, disc golf, snorkeling, canoeing, and new games for the campers.

The majority of campers arrived on Sunday and left on Saturday morning, staying in the two “Super Cabins” or the five smaller cabins, which have been restored by church groups or civic clubs who donated both materials and time.

There were also day camps for youth as young as 4 and up to 9. In all, more than 7,000 meals were served this summer at the camp.

Summer camp activity might be over, but the camp still has a full schedule with weekend retreats and mission teams coming to OOTB. There are Emmaus Walks scheduled, including one for Spanish-speaking attendees. A district-wide youth retreat for middle schoolers is set for late September. 

The camp is also available for weddings, business retreats and family reunions.

Coleman is especially excited that the Virginia Camps Leaders Retreat Gathering has chosen OOTB to meet and discuss hosting churches, events, and retreats. “We’re honored that representatives from camps all over Virginia would think this is the perfect place to learn how to improve their camps and retreats.”

Coleman, a pastor who eventually found his calling as a youth camp director, spending five years serving Camp Fontanelle in Nebraska prior to arriving to the Eastern Shore, deflects credit for the resurgence of activity at OTTB.

“I thought I would be pushing the rock up the hill after arriving here, but the interest and love for this camp is so much greater than I could have ever dreamed. Volunteers who bring all kinds of talent have made this place a jewel,” says Coleman.

His entire family is involved at the camp. His wife, Niki, manages programs and administrative details for the camp, including publicity and enrollment, while their twin 15-year-old sons, Brenden and Kaiden, support programs during the summer and help with camp maintenance. 

The gem that OOTB is could never be realized today. In 1958, the Eastern Shore District of the United Methodist Church purchased 50 acres of open space, woodlands, and waterfront along Occohanncock and Tawes creeks from James A. Bane for $28,000. Coleman just shakes his head when asked what it would cost to buy that property today. “Probably millions.”

The first structure, the picnic shelter, was built in 1960. There were some lean years as construction of the facilities outpaced the financial resources and in 1989, the camp found itself $180,000 in debt.

A few district officials called for the sale of the camp to pay off the debt, but wiser heads prevailed, and a five-year fundraising campaign resulted in raising over $200,000, with a note burning ceremony held in April of 1994.

Beginning in 2004, a number of Eagle Scout projects added a children’s playground, an archery range, and a rock-climbing wall over the next decade.

In 2009, the dedication of Cokesbury Worship Center was held.

The dock and boat facilities also have been expanded over the years. “The water makes this camp special,” says Coleman, “and we try to do everything possible to utilize that asset.”

Camp OOTB is governed by a board headed by Dick Jenkins that meets monthly. The board includes members from Eastern Shore churches as well as residents from across the bay who bring certain expertise.

Coleman, who holds a degree in Special Education and Elementary Education as well as a Masters of Divinity degree, says ministering to youth has been the most rewarding aspect of his career. “To make a difference in the life of a child is so powerful,” says Coleman, who often calls himself a Preacher’s Kid Squared, since both his father and mother were pastors. “We describe the camp as a family, whether it’s on the field, in the water, in worship, or at the table. It’s also why we don’t allow electronic devices or phones at camp. We believe in the significance of being truly present with another,” says Coleman.

“OOTB has a long legacy of young people making life-long relationships, returning as a counselor, and equipping people to discover their call or purpose in life,” he adds.

At the Lynch Center, where meals and many gatherings are held, there’s a wall of testimonies from campers about how their experiences there changed them to be better siblings, sons, or daughters and friends to others.

One 11-year-old girl wrote, “I went into camp as a self-doubting girl. I am writing this now as a confident person. Camp has changed me mentally and spiritually. Keep doing what you are doing here.”