My One-Legged Bird

I’ve always considered Thanksgiving to be the sandwich holiday.  It falls between Halloween and Christmas – easily the two most commercial holidays on the calendar.  Hence, it is often taken for granted – an afterthought.  Thanksgiving has always had deep meaning for me.  I have so much to be grateful for. What crystallizes this for me is a bird and a man.

I really enjoy putting birdseed out on out back patio.  It’s fun to watch the different birds fly in and help themselves to the food.  We have bluejays, cardinals, doves, pigeons, finches, and grackles – lots of grackles.  One Saturday morning I was drinking coffee and watching the birds when I noticed one grackle in particular.  He was large, black and only had one leg.  After that, I developed a weekend ritual – get up, put on a pot of coffee, put out birdseed and wait for my friend.  I always smiled when he showed up.  Having one leg didn’t seem to bother him.  He fought for food, played in the water and chattered like everyone else.

I have another ritual.  Every three months on a Sunday, I volunteer at a program called “Church Under the Bridge.”  This organization provides a hot meal, drinks and care packages for a portion of the homeless population in Austin.  The meal is served after a worship service.  Over the years I’ve evolved into the “coffee man.”  Before the service starts, I help man the coffee table.  The location for Church Under the Bridge is under IH-35 across from the Austin Police Department.  From a sensory perspective, it’s not a pleasant experience. But the humanity found there is overwhelming.  Despite their situation some are hopeful, other live in a state of resignation and many appear defeated.  The common thread of this population is the uncertainty of living day to day.

As soon as we’re set up, a line forms.  Soon I’m in the rhythm of handing out coffee, asking them “how’s it going?” and most of the time, saying “you’re welcome” when they express their gratitude.  Occasionally there’s time for small talk.

One man caught my attention.  As I handed him his cup of coffee, he said “Thank you.”  But he didn’t verbalize his thanks, he told me “thank you” in sign language.  He was a short slim man with an open face and a horribly mangled right hand.  He always made several trips through the line.  After every trip he signed “thank you.”  I would ask him “How’s it going?”  He would always smile and give me a “thumbs up.”  Every time I went to Church Under the Bridge, I would look for this man.  It was always good to see him.  Given his situation, I was always amazed he could smile and give me a “thumbs up.”  When we finished cleaning up and loading up all the equipment, I would look for this man.  He was always gone on his merry way.  I would get in my car, but I never started it up right away.  I would have to sit and decompress.  You see, after every Church Under the Bridge, I felt empty but grateful.  I realized how fortunate I am.  I have my wife, Susan, my family, my home and my health.  It humbles me to think that if I had an emotional, physical or financial calamity; if I suffered from a chemical imbalance or if at birth my chromosomes hadn’t line up correctly, I could be on the other side of the coffee table.

I hope this Thanksgiving we will take time to consider all the blessings for which we are thankful.  Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday!

-- Joe Ray

I Love Halloween!!

I love Halloween – always have!!  I really like the candy – all kinds of candy!  The only difference between now and when I was a kid is the hard candy.  My teeth can’t handle jaw breakers anymore.  Oh, the trials of old age.

When I was young, I couldn’t wait to go trick-or-treating.  For me, trick-or-treating was all about the candy, with almost no thought to the costume.  I didn’t view the costume as an expression of myself – the costume was simply a license to get candy.  Have you seen children show up at your door wearing a cheap mask and holding out a pillow case?  Well that was me.

Of course that attitude doesn’t fly with most children.  At school when children discuss Halloween, they’re not talking Butterfingers or lollipops; they’re talking about the costumes they will be wearing.  As I got older, my attitude towards costumes has evolved.  In fact, after Susan I were married, we always managed to come home with some hardware from costume parties.  One year, we went as Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood.  The next year Susan went as an elegant Victorian lady and I went as the Elephantman. Luckily for posterity, no photos survived.

Halloween is a time of superstition which and be traced back to Celtic times when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts.  The word “Halloween” dates from about 1745.  It comes from a Scottish term which means “All Hallows’ Eve.”  I generally don’t dwell on the deeper meaning of Halloween.  I simply enjoy it.  I watch old horror movies for the tenth time and buy lots of candy to hand out to all the cute ghosts, pirates, princesses, monsters, and superheroes who come to our door.

Halloween is a transitional holiday between Fall and Winter.  Halloween comes after the leaves turn and we get relief from the heat, but before trees go bare and a hard winter sets in.  Of course, here in central Texas, sometimes we don’t have dramatic season changes. But Halloween helps us to prepare for winter and the upcoming holiday seasons with new camp experiences around the corner.

Oh, by the way, if any Doublecreek campers come to my door, don’t be disappointed if I don’t recognize you.  Remember, you’re in costume!

-- Joe Ray

Summer in the Rear View Mirror

You’ve heard the expression, “objects in the rear view mirror appear closer than they are.”  That’s how summer feels to me.  We are more than a month removed from Doublecreek’s last day and I find myself looking back on a summer that’s slowly receding into memory.  It is officially Fall.  Baseball is moving into the post-season, football is in full swing, and at many elementary schools progress reports are going home.

I’ve been to Doublecreek several times since the last day.  This time of year Doublecreek feels empty.  Doublecreek is made for children and when children aren’t around, there's a void.  This off-season is especially significant as we hit the one year mark since Aunt Trudy left us.  She was a wonderful and special woman who touched so many lives. Together with Uncle Carter, Aunt Trudy created a special place.   She will always be missed, but we can find joy in the knowledge that Aunt Trudy’s and Uncle Carter’s vision endures and thrives. A true testament to their vision that Camp Doublecreek continues to be a place for campers to have fun and grow.

Yes, Camp Doublecreek looks and feels empty now, but It won’t be dormant long.  Winter Break Camp is just around the corner, then Spring Break Camp, then we’ll have another summer.  Of course, there will never be another Aunt Trudy, but because of Aunt Trudy and Uncle Carter, there will always be another summer.

-- Joe Ray

Final Fling

This was Final Fling Week at Doublecreek. I have a hard time writing this article for two reasons. First, I missed all of the fun because of my teacher obligations and second, it was the very last week of summer. Let’s face it – Doublecreek is more fun to me than teaching. Please don’t judge me, but I’d rather be playing Lava Lake with the campers than sitting in workshops.



Director Dan tells me the week was amazing and even more adventurous with the rain!  Final Fling Week dates back to when Uncle Carter and Aunt Trudy used to run camp.  The name was derived from the attitude that it’s the last week of the summer and we are going to throw the schedules out the window to cater to the campers’ desires.  This is still the case!  When you add rain into the mix, it adds to this mentality, and creativity takes flight. The consensus around camp, was that more unique games and activities happened last week, than any other week all summer!


However, summer is over, and it’s time to go back to school.  I hope your campers have had the greatest summer yet. I’ve enjoyed all our campers and our staff. I need to express my gratitude to our Doublecreek owners, Judy Kirtley and Jane Neal, for continuing the Doublecreek traditions. I need to thank our Director, Dan Neal, for continuing to make Camp Doublecreek a special place to spend the summer.

And finally, I must thank you, parents, for trusting us with your precious children! Without your campers there wouldn’t be a Doublecreek. So, until Winter Break Camp, Spring Break Camp or until June 5th, 2017, when summer camp begins, we hope to see you again.


Have a great school year and thank you again for sharing your summer with us!

-- Joe RayFling

Soccer Fever!

Soccer fever has gripped Doublecreek this week.  Well, that’s not exactly true – soccer fever is always gripping Doublecreek.  But this week the fever has taken the form of the DC Cup.  I’m sure some of you are thinking, “Wait a minute, the World Cup is still two years away.”  The World Cup happens every four years, but at Doublecreek the DC Cup happens every summer.

This summer, the countries represented by the teams in the DC Cup are:  Chile, France, Germany, Iceland, Mexico, and the USA.  Players are selected at random.  It’s not a totally blind draw, we try to have an equal number of boys and girls on each team. We also have an equal number of counselors on each team.  The tournament is run as professionally as possible.  There is a referee (Austin W.), linesmen with red flags and a set time to play.  We even have brackets to fill out.

For one week out of the summer, Doublecreek has an international flavor.  Campers become identified with a country they may not know existed until they became members of the pseudo-national team.  For some campers the DC Cup is also a quick geography lesson.

I don’t get to watch as much of the DC Cup as I would like, but the snipits I have seen are very entertaining!  The skill level of the players is as wide as the age range found on the field.  There are players who are very adept, while others are still learning.  But, it’s hard for the skilled players to dominate since we’re playing on a field (pitch) that’s one-third the size of a regular soccer field (pitch), with the same number of players going at each other.  But that doesn’t matter.  The campers are playing for the pride of Chile, France, Germany, Iceland, Mexico and the USA!

What makes the matches compelling is that the campers really care.  Now it’s not a “do or die” atmosphere that you find in the real World Cup where losing coaches are fired or exiled if they lose.  Of course with the DC Cup that’s a moot point since we don’t have coaches.  We don’t have television or radio.  We don’t play with millions of fans hanging on every play or with announcers who lose their minds when their team scores a goal.  Now we do have announcers, usually a camper with a mike channeling their inner Chris Berman, in front of dozens of campers (some playing 4-Square, some dancing to music and some actually watching the game).

Let’s stress the word “game.”  The DC Cup is fun!  The team that wins has fun, but the losing team also has a great time.  I’m not sure what the winning DC Cup teams get for their efforts.  It isn’t fame or endorsements.  I think they get a free Sonic drink.  That may not sound like much in the professional soccer world, but let’s keep this in perspective.  Have a good time, win a Sonic drink – that’s a pretty good deal!  And you don’t have to have an agent negotiate it for you!

 -- Joe Ray

Here's the link to this week's video:  https://vimeo.com/174813250

Red, White and Blue

With the 4th of July being celebrated on Monday of this week, the phrase “Red, White, and Blue” takes on a special meaning.  I’m talking about our flag, our country, and the freedoms we enjoy.  All families have special ways of celebrating July 4th:  picnics, family reunions, trips to the lake, cookouts, and fireworks.

Doublecreek spends the entire week celebrating July 4th.  In the past, we celebrated in a style unique to Doublecreek.  Early on we had cookouts.  The day before the 4th, Uncle Carter would fire up the grill and he would grill hot dogs for the entire camp.  When you have less than 100 campers, that’s an option we do not have now with 300+ campers.

Later we had 4th of July parades.  We would decorate everything that moved.  Golf carts, wagons, trucks, tractors, horses, goats, and campers were all decked out with every combination of red, white and blue you could imagine.  One year, we had a marching band made up entirely of kazoo players.  Hearing “You’re a Grand Old Flag” played by kazoos was truly a memorable experience.  The only problem we had with our parades was the audience or lack thereof.  With the exception of Uncle Carter, Aunt Trudy and the camp nurse, everybody else was in the parade.

For the bi-centennial celebration in 1976, we were very ambitious.  We tried to re-enact Washington crossing the Delaware in the pool.  We used wading pools as boats.  It was spectacular – except for all the boats capsizing and the entire company swimming to the side, it went very well!

Recently we’ve had groups singing an assigned song – usually a military song.  Every summer, Uncle Carter would lead a stirring rendition of “The Army Air Corp” song.

Uncle Carter served this country with pride during World War II along with millions of men and women of the “greatest generation.”  Except for going AWOL (away without leave) once (I’m not sure it was even noticed), he served with distinction.  I should mention that when he went AWOL, it was for a very good reason – to attend my parents’ wedding, where he gave away the bride.  It’s a pretty good story, but that’s another article.

However you celebrate the 4th, remember to either thank or honor those who have served our country.  I’ll remember Uncle Carter for the way he served his country, for the way he led his life, and the wonderful influence he had on me and thousands of Doublecreek campers and counselors.  

I will be sure to thank my father for his service and for being a wonderful father to me.  I will thank my nephew, Griffin Reeder, for serving his country now and for being a nephew I am truly proud of.
I apologize for hijacking this article to show my love and appreciation to members of my family.  Hopefully, you get to do the same.

If you have memories of Uncle Carter or if you would like to thank members of your family for their service, please post on our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/CampDoublecreek
If I can do it, you can do it.  Hey, it’s a free country.


 -- Joe Ray

Here's the link to our Red, White and Blue Week video:  https://vimeo.com/173894066

A Pirate's LIfe for Me!

A Pirate's Life for Me

This week was Pirates’ Week.   Pirates are possibly the most romanticized and misunderstood genres in history.    We often view pirates as a band of scalawags operating outside the law under the command of an iron-fisted dictator with the title of captain.  Actually, pirates usually operated only halfway outside the law.  They had the blessing of one of two countries who happened to be at war and pirate ships operated under a fairly democratic process.

But, since perception is reality, I’m not going to take up your time with the History Channel version of pirates.  The pop culture version is more fun.  What could be better than guys and some girls sailing in warships wearing eye patches, scarves, black hats, and sporting skull and cross bones with an occasional parrot on the shoulder.

What do Doublecreek and pirates have in common?  Both are synonymous with adventure and fun.  Now at Doublecreek we don’t engage in boarding ships and hunting for buried treasure, but we do play “Capture the Flag” and go on scavenger hunts.  Now you can play “Capture the Flag” two ways.  One way is to play in a confined area, the second way is to play in an area which requires orientation skills.  Guess which one we use at Doublecreek?  If you guessed the confined area, then try again.  We call it “Camp Capture the Flag.” When we say, “Camp Capture the Flag,” we mean that only the riding arena, pool, archery and gun safety are off limits.  The flag could be anywhere.  You have campers running and hiding everywhere, employing tactics of stealth and deception which would make Long John Silver proud.  We have all kinds of tag and hide-and-go-seek games like Dynamite and Lava Lake which require stealth and speed.  Dynamite is a game I’ve watched but still haven’t figured out. Lava Lake is a game where campers try to negotiate a field strewn with hula hoops with crazed counselors balancing bean bags on top of swimming noodles. Sounds confusing?  It is.  But campers understand it.

You don’t have to be a pirate on the high seas to find fun and adventure. You just have to be at Doublecreek.

-- Joe Ray

Here's the link to the Pirate Week Video:  https://vimeo.com/173119827

Two Wonderful Worlds

This week is Disney Week.  When I think of Disney, I think of a world of fun, magic, and adventure.  I grew up watching the Wonderful World of Disney.  My favorite movies were Disney movies.  When I was a kid, there was only one theme park, Disneyland in California.  My family visited Disneyland when I was eight years old.  I still remember that trip!

Disney has earned a world-wide reputation.  Doublecreek doesn’t have a world-wide reputation, but we have an impressive local one.  Now, I’m not being presumptuous enough to say Doublecreek is equal to Disney, but there are comparisons to be made!  Disney has Maximus and Sven;  Doublecreek has Magnolia and Noreen!  Disney has Magic Mountain; Doublecreek has a playscape (we’ll name it someday).  Disney has Cinderella’s Castle; Doublecreek has a gazebo!  Disney World has a roller coaster; but Doublecreek has a nine-person slide.  The Magic Kingdom has a jungle cruise; 

Doublecreek has a jungle gym!  Disney has thousands of greeters and performers in elaborate costumes that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars; Doublecreek has several performers who perform in costumes which cost dozens of dollars.  When Disney produces a movie or video, the production values are second to none; but, if you love production values, check out a Doublecreek Pop-Mashup!

Make-believe is a component of Disney, but make-believe is alive and well at Doublecreek!  Doublecreek has male counselors pretending to be Disney princesses during Sing Song, with female counselors pretending to be warriors!  Over the years I’ve seen campers pretending to be on a pink dinosaur hunt.  I’ve also seen campers digging the sand pit convinced that King Tut’s treasures are only a scoop of sand away!

Friday’s Sing Song was the climax of Disney Week!  All the groups performed a song or a scene from a Disney movie!  I couldn’t tell who enjoyed it more, the audience or the performers!  It doesn’t matter.  What matters is everyone enjoyed it.  Never mind if the costumes are mismatched, or if the dancers were not totally in sync.  Campers and counselors were working together and having a good time, which means it has been a fun, magical, and adventurous experience!  Doublecreek is not Disney, but we still generate our own special magic!

n  Joe Ray

Here's the link to Disney Week's Video:  https://vimeo.com/171091253

Western Week (Then and Now)

This week was Western Week at Camp Doublecreek. In 1971, Western Week felt more authentic.  For one thing, in 1971 we were called Doublecreek Farm, not Camp Doublecreek.  To get to Doublecreek “Farm,” you went down Gattis School Road.  Louis Henna Blvd.  didn’t exist.  You passed maybe five houses, then turned on a dirt road which led to the farm.  Honestly, Doublecreek Farm was more suited to covered wagons than buses.

Actually, there wasn’t much difference between Western Week and any other week.  Many counselors wore hats and boots as part of their attire.  Today, the only cowboy hats you’ll find on our campus are in the skit closet, and half our cowboy hats are over-sized foam cowboy novelty hats.

Activities such as fishing and long trail rides were in our weekly schedule.  Yes, we had fishing.  If you caught a fish, you could take it home.  You were lucky to get four bites out of it, but you could still take it home.

Trail rides were a true adventure.  In 1971, Doublecreek Farm had approximately 125 acres and most of it was horseback-friendly.

About once a month, we had a horned-toad race.  Horned-toads were all over the place.  Campers would catch their horned-toad and put a number on its stomach.  Then we would put the horned-toads under a bucket. (That could be the most entertaining part of the race process.)  Uncle Carter would make a circle about 25 feet in diameter, lift up the bucket and off they’d go.  The first toad to cross the line was the winner.

Sometimes when we talk about the good old days, they sound better than they actually were.  We had fun in 1971, but we had maybe two trees, almost no grass and a pool without a sidewalk or diving board.  We traded in the old fishing hole for a playscape, rockwall, water slide (which will be repaired soon), shuffleboard, lasertag, mini-golf, low ropes course, and grass – lots of grass and trees!

No, Western Week isn’t the same as it used to be.  But, we will still have some kind of horse show.  And contrary to history, it’s Sam Bass, not A.W. Grimes, who gets shot.

 -- Joe Ray

Welcome Aboard Season 46!!

Camp Doublecreek Season 46 is fast approaching!  The volume of details to be taken care of to get Doublecreek ready for campers seems to grow, not shrink as the years pass.  Right now you’ll see mowing, painting, filing, and getting everything from buses to water fountains ready for the first day of camp.

This time of year, Saturdays at Doublecreek mean Open House in the morning and counselor interviews in the afternoon.  Becoming a counselor for Season 46 is more complicated than becoming a counselor was for Season 1.  Basically, my interview consisted of Aunt Trudy asking if I wanted a job.  After considering the offer for a nanosecond, I said, “Yes.”

Today the process of hiring a counselor involves a screening process, a telephone interview, then the final step, the board review.  Future counselors answer questions from the Leadership Team.  For many applicants, this is their first job interview.  We try to put them at ease, but for some the room feels like a courthouse and they are on trial.  The applicants are usually nervous and it shows.  However, despite nerves, these applicants show that they care about the campers.  They may say it in different ways, but the common thread among the vast majority of the candidates is a love for children.

Several candidates are past campers, many are or preparing to be school teachers, and quite a few have gone through our Counselor-in-Training (CIT) program.  With these resources to draw from, it is no surprise that year in and year out we are able to put together an exemplary staff.

Our counselors share a common trait.  They’re eager and ready to make a difference by helping campers have the best summer ever!

I’m beginning to view Doublecreek as a constantly growing and expanding tapestry that’s not been woven by one hand, but many.  Everyone involved contributes to the fabric of Doublecreek whether they are campers, parents, counselors, or CITs.

For me, one of the best phrases I get to say at the end of an interview when the candidate breathes a deep sigh of relief.  I really enjoy saying, “Welcome aboard.”

The curtain will soon rise on Season 46 of Camp Doublecreek, and all the staff can’t wait to experience another great season!

--Joe Ray


Here's what some of our counselors say about working at Camp Doublecreek!

https://vimeo.com/161974810

April 2016 is Counselor Appreciation Month at Camp Doublecreek!

We love our counselors, they embody the core values that Uncle Carter put into action many many moons ago. This month we celebrate them and set aside the month of April as Counselor Appreciation Month. You guys ROCK!

Here's what some of our counselors say about working at Camp Doublecreek:  https://vimeo.com/161974810

Spring is Here!

I really like Spring!  Watching flowers bloom and grass grow never gets old.  I have to mow it, but then I get the mowed grass smell. Spring is a time for new beginnings.  The world looks brighter and more vibrant -- the grass is greener and the sky is bluer.

Today is the first day of Spring Break Camp at Doublecreek.  While the calendar may say it is still Winter, today’s weather tells me Spring is here.  This is the best weather we’ve ever had!  (Weather during Spring Break can be dicey.)  Today, everyone is in shorts and t-shirts.  I remember some years where it was cold, rainy, windy or all three.  We’ve held camp during freezing weather, triple digit temperatures, and monsoons. What’s fascinating is that at camp the weather really doesn’t matter – we have fun anyway.

This is the 20th Spring Break Camp at Doublecreek.  When Scott Kirtley announced that we would be having a Spring Break Camp, we really didn’t know how it would work.  As it turned out, it worked very well.

When Uncle Carter and Aunt Trudy announced they were opening what was then known as Doublecreek Farm, no one knew how that would work out either.  As it turned out, it worked out very well!

This Spring Break Camp is unique.  This is the first week of camp since Aunt Trudy passed.  For all the staff, this has been quite an adjustment.  It’s an adjustment we’ve made before.  We made it after Scott passed and after Uncle Carter passed.

It is a true reflection of the leadership and vision of Uncle Carter, Aunt Trudy, Scott, and Dan that Camp Doublecreek not only continues to be in operation, but that it continues to thrive.  The word I often hear used to describe Doublecreek is the word “special.”  Doublecreek is a special place because special people have left their footprints all over this camp.

Doublecreek is more than a swimming pool, horseback riding facility, rockwall, paintball and soccer fields.  The heart of Doublecreek can be traced to Uncle Carter, Aunt Trudy, Scott, Dan, Judy and Jane as well as the thousands of counselors and campers who have been here at camp.

So as the grass grows and flowers bloom, Doublecreek gets ready for another season.  Yes, we’ll remember those who are no longer with us and will smile because the heart they left behind will always be with us.

 -- Joe Ray

Here's the link to our video from Spring Break Camp!  Enjoy!!!

https://vimeo.com/159506108

Be My Valentine

February 14th is coming.  It's time for parents and kids to get ready for Valentine’s Day parties at home and/at school.  Valentine’s Day would not be complete without Valentine’s Day cards.  Some of the cards I have seen show a princess saying (and I’m quoting Belle), “Valentine, You are True of Heart”; or Elsa telling you to “Have a Magical Valentine’s Day.”  A Valentine’s Day message from Spiderman said, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Hero!”  Even Star Wars Storm Troopers have Valentine’s Day messages.  One read, “The First Order, My Valentine.”  I’m not sure what that means, but Darth Vader even sends a Valentine’s Day message: “Crush the Resistance, My Valentine!”  Now those are words for the true romantic in all of us.

All this caused me to think, “What if Camp Doublecreek had Valentine’s Day cards; what would they look like?”  Check out the Valentine's Day cards from Doublecreek below. If you understand the meaning behind these cards, you’ve been to Camp Doublecreek.  If you don’t have a clue, then you need to find out.  Register your camper(s) so that we can say to them, “You’re the Greatest, Valentine!”

Transitions

I’m sure you have heard the phrase, “the more things change -- the more things stay the same.”  This phrase has always seemed to be on the cryptic side to me.  But when I apply it to Camp Doublecreek, it makes sense.  If there’s a place that’s changed over the years, it’s Camp Doublecreek.

Physically, the camp has gone through dramatic changes.  When Doublecreek opened in 1971, it consisted of the Red Building, which was half the size it is now, a pool which didn’t have a fence or sidewalk, and a tennis court without a fence (that feature encouraged long rallies). We had one water fountain, one bus, one tree (maybe), a van and a camp pickup truck that was built during the Eisenhower Administration.

From those austere and barren beginnings, Doublecreek has morphed into the camp that features waterslides, a laser tag area, and a forty-foot tall rockwall, a playscape, a miniature golf course, shades, and buildings which functions range from storing sports equipment to a place to make arts and crafts.  Did I mention that we now have grass and trees – lots of trees?

Doublecreek has been special from the first day Uncle Carter drove the blue van to the front door of the red building where Aunt Trudy was waiting on the front porch to greet the campers.  I wish I could describe the vibrant atmosphere with makes Doublecreek so unique.  You can’t describe it – you just have to experience it.  The Doublecreek experience was fueled, developed and nurtured by Uncle Carter and Aunt Trudy for over forty years.  It is a grand testament to both of them that they created this wonderful camp and that their spirit continues after their passing.

The ownership of Doublecreek has passed from Uncle Carter and Aunt Trudy to their daughters, Judy Kirtley and Jane Neal.  Both of these women have a deep investment in Doublecreek.  Judy is in charge of the camp nurses and often serves as the camp nurse.  Her husband, Bruce, has on countless occasions been the reason our swimming pool and buses continue to run.  Judy’s daughter, Tracy Jane Johnson, worked as a counselor and riding instructor.  Her son, Scott, was a counselor and also served as Camp Director from 2002 until his passing in 2007.  Scott’s wife, Deana, served as our mini-camper counselors for many years.

Jane Neal set up Doublecreek’s horseback riding program.  Despite the fact that Jane and her husband, Pancho, live in Burleson, TX, they often make their way down to Round Rock to check in on camp.  All of Jane’s sons, Dan, Drew, Tim and Paul have been counselors at Doublecreek.  Her oldest son, Dan Neal, is the current Director of Camp Doublecreek.

There is a logical symmetry to having Judy and Jane step into the void left by Uncle Carter’s and Aunt Trudy’s passing.  The physical look of Doublecreek may change, the programming may change, but the heartbeat remains the same.  Campers still smile and laugh as they run from one activity to the next knowing that they will be cared for and loved.  Yes, the owners may have changed, but the love remains the same.

 Joe Ray