Each year in October our Admin Team gets together for a 2-day working retreat. It’s a time of fellowship and deep discussion, and is always very productive! For the past several years we have met at retired directors Sam and Bonnie’s house, and while they were willing to host us again, we figured we would give them a break in their retirement and try something new. So we reserved the Mountain Valley Retreat Center at Camp Horizon’s near Harrisonburg, VA. Our Program Director Stephanie Astley had stayed in this house during the ACA Mid-Atlantic Camp Conference last winter, and highly recommended it to us. It didn’t disappoint!
Our Admin Team
This year almost our entire team was present – myself, Stephanie, Director of Marketing and Leadership Cami Bresee, Site Manager Garrett O’Dell, Mini Camp Director Maggie Meyer, Office Manager Mary-Curtis Powell, and Operations Coordinator Katie Cyphert. We were just missing Outreach Director BA who was unable to make it. We were also graced with the presence of one of our Heads of Family Camp, Courtney Clawson, who joined us for a few hours on our second day to review Family Camp with us.
We met early Wednesday morning and were greeted with hot coffee and a warm breakfast. It was a chilly morning for mid-October, so we bundled up and grabbed coffee to go for our tour of Camp Horizon’s with director Mark Rainey. We enjoyed seeing their vast property (which does host events year-round), including a large working garden and a petting zoo! One of the best things about staying at another camp is seeing how their property functions and sometimes even getting some new ideas (don’t get your hopes up, though, Alleghany won’t be getting a petting zoo anytime soon!).
Working Sessions
After our tour, we hunkered down to work. There is a conference room attached to the house where we stayed, and we got comfortable in that space and got down to business. We had a very long agenda full of topics such as:
- Review of enrollment numbers
- Review of staffing numbers
- Recruitment and retention strategies
- What went well in 2024, and what we may need to change
- Program areas
- Food and dining
- Health and wellness
- Operations and facilities, and ongoing projects
- Marketing
- Opening and Closing days
- Family programming
- Special events
- Goals and mission
- And much more!
We also review all of our survey results – from all sessions (Mother-Daughter Weekend through Family Camp) to counselors, support staff, and other staff. We sift through these and discuss the most relevant and most commented upon issues, and determine if we need to make changes or communicate expectations differently.
These are two very long days, but we accomplish so much!
Community and Fellowship
Yet in the midst of all this work and discussion, we find time for fellowship and bonding. First, we take several breaks throughout the day and this year we had the chance to walk the lovely grounds of Camp Horizon’s during those pauses and enjoy the fresh air and mountain views. The hospitality at Horizon’s was top notch, and we had the most delicious hot meals served to us each day. These meal times provided much needed nourishment and mental breaks, and allowed for great conversation around the large kitchen table in the house.
And while we did put in a few extra hours of work after dinner Wednesday night, after that we all relaxed together in the comfortable home and spent several hours just hanging out and enjoying each other’s company. After spending the whole summer together it is strange to go home and not see each other for weeks or months on end, so this was a great reunion of sorts and we felt like no time had passed.
Survey Says!
As mentioned above, we discuss all of the survey results, but we also do our survey drawing during this meeting each year. Anyone who chooses to put their name on the survey is entered into a drawing for 10% off next summer, so we draw those names and stream it live! We announced our four winners (Mother-Daughter Weekend, Mini Camp, Term Camp, and Family Camp) and we send our congrats to them.
A note about the surveys – if you filled one out, or even if you didn’t have a chance to or forgot, we welcome you to contact us with any specific concerns or questions. It is so much easier to discuss major concerns over the phone or in person, than to read a survey comment and try to discern the whole situation. We welcome these emails and phone calls and would love more than anything to talk it out!
On to Summer 2025!
With our Fall Retreat behind us, we are marching forward toward Summer 2025. Enrollment is looking spectacular, as is hiring. We’re taking all of these discussions and putting them toward creating the most positive and fulfilling camp experience possible, and we can’t wait! We hope you are all enjoying the Fall, and hope you have a magical holiday season filled with memories and hopes of Alleghany.
