Spring
2008
Silver Lake News
Silver Lake Conference Center
223 Low Rd. Sharon, CT 06069
www.silverlakect.org
The Outdoor Ministry Program of the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ
A WARM WELCOME
Silver Lake is thrilled to welcome new Site
Manager Dave Kobersmith and his family, who
recently arrived in Sharon from Chugiak, Alaska.
And while it’s been barely ten days since they
moved in on Low Road, Dave reports that he has
been grinning from ear to ear the entire time and is
very excited about his new position on SLCC’s
year-round staff.
Dave comes to us from Birchwood Camp, a
United Methodist Church conference center about
thirty minutes north of Anchorage, where he served
for over fifteen years as Director-Manager and,
more recently, Executive Director. Over the years,
Dave played virtually every role at Birchwood,
from cleaning toilets to coordinating programs and
managing operations for the 160-acre facility. His
tremendous experience and enthusiasm about
outdoor ministry is sure to be a great asset to Silver
Lake.
Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Dave
studied Forestry at Michigan Technological
University, with an emphasis in Forest Ecology at a
time before many of us knew what it meant to “live
green.’ He explains that he has always had a great
interest and concern for the way that we, as humans,
are part of the cycle of the natural world and knew
(continued on page 2)
ELSEWHERE IN THIS ISSUE
A Letter from the Co!Directors………………….2
Recent Events: Winter at Silver Lake…………3
Facilities Improvements around SLCC..……..4
Now For The Future: Alumni/ae Thoughts
and Opportunities to Give ……..………………….5
Upcoming Events: Jump into Spring!………….6
Alumni/ae News and Notes………………………7
Camp Registration Reminder…………………….8
Cavan, Kim, Dave and Sayer Kobersmith
REMEMBERING OUR
FIRST DIRECTOR
From David Hodges
Many of you remember my father, Rev. Deane L.
Hodges. Beloved by several generations of Silver
Lakers as "Daddy Deane", he was the first Director
of Silver Lake Conference Center, and he put his
stamp on Silver Lake in a profound and lasting way.
My father took what was a sleepy church camp just
getting on its feet and turned it into a laboratory for
inspired Christian living. Many of you, I know,
were touched by his efforts to reach out to kids and
awaken their creative potential.
Our family was privileged to spend summers
living and working at Silver Lake. I had many jobs,
from sweeping the social hall and emptying trash
barrels to mowing lawns and helping on
construction of the maintenance barn and the Pines.
But there was also plenty of time for fun, for
enjoying the outdoors, and for strong friendships to
grow. Silver Lake was a formative place for me,
and in later years I have come to see how Silver
Lake gave me a lasting, living experience of what it
means to live in Christian Community.
Now it is time to resume the building and re(continued on page 5)
A LETTER FROM
THE CO!DIRECTORS
Greetings fellow alums!
Spring is just starting to open a few buds at
your conference center and we are in celebration
mode! We have a lot of blessings for which to be
grateful these days. First and foremost, we are
overjoyed to welcome our new Site Manager Dave
Kobersmith. It’s wonderful to have him and his
wife Kim and their two boys, Sayer and Cavan here.
Dave brings a great new perspective to our sacred
camp and a wealth of knowledge about outdoor
ministry from his 15 years serving as site director at
Birchwood Camp. We can’t wait for you all to get
to know Dave and his family. They have already
comfortably become part of our Silver Lake
“family” after just a few weeks here!
Anne and I were also blessed with the
opportunity to lead a 4-day mid-winter youth camp
for the Hawaii conference on Oahu in early January.
I celebrated my 50th birthday there the day the camp
started and couldn’t think of a better way to launch
into my next 50 years! My birthday cake read
“Hawaii 5-0,” and one of the youth played the
theme song to the old TV show on ukulele. What a
trip! We had such a great time getting to know the
wonderful and welcoming youth from the different
Hawaiian Islands as they got to know each other
and started to seek a vision of Youth Ministry in
their state. We toured the UCC camp site, Lani
Kamaha’o (very rustic, but what lush potential!),
and talked about dreams of a Connecticut youth trip
to Hawaii someday.
(continued from page 1)
this would be part of the work he did. After
graduating, Dave began his professional life
working for the Hardin County Engineer in the
northwest corner of Ohio. He was responsible for
surveying, overseeing construction and maintaining
farm drainage projects, including work to control
erosion and minimize the environmental impact on
the creek and river systems.
It was while working and remodeling a house in his
home state that Dave was presented with the
opportunity to go to Alaska and work at Birchwood
Camp. The son of a pastor, he had always been an
active member of his church and was compelled to
jump at the chance to do what he knew would be
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After camp was
over, we got to spend
some much appreciated
holiday time visiting
friends, seeing the sights,
and snorkeling with the
local creatures of the deep.
We sang with the whales
(underwater!), swam with fish and sea turtles, and
even swam with a 35-foot whale shark (a fish, not a
whale but with baleen, not teeth!). Everywhere we
went, we marveled at the beauty and warmth of the
people we met. Hawaii is truly a sacred paradise,
and we hope to return soon for more of the sincere
Aloha spirit we experienced.
Being in Hawaii prompted us to look at
Silver Lake in new ways. Hawaiians face many
challenges as they work to protect the pristine
environment, and we realized that Silver Lake, too,
is a kind of “island paradise.” Like Hawaii, this
place calls each of us back again and again for that
palpable experience of acceptance and grace. Our
travels made us even more aware of what a fragile
and unique blessing our Silver Lake “island” can be
in the midst of the ocean of our high-speed, indoor,
consumer-driven, throw-away world. We are called
to preserve and nurture its spirit for the next 50
years and hope you will be a part of that, too. Like
we did with the whales, we’ll sing some old camp
songs with you when you come back! Until next
time, we remain your faithful Co-Directors,
Tim and Anne Hughes
meaningful work in the outdoors. During his time
in Alaska, Dave learned that his true passion was in
the ministry of hospitality and stewardship of
facilities, and it was his commitment to this work
that led him to Silver Lake. In addition to tackling
the hard work of maintaining Silver Lake’s
buildings and continuing recent efforts to update
and improve them, Dave reports that one of the
things he most looks forward to doing as Site
Manager is greeting and hosting groups at SLCC.
Working with people has been a unifying thread in
all that he’s done in life, and he is excited that he
and his family will be able to be part of the broader
Silver Lake community. He’s also extremely eager
to be involved in Silver Lake’s efforts to become
more environmentally sustainable. For the
Kobersmiths, living green is a top priority, be it
through buying locally grown food or wearing
environmentally sound clothing. In fact, one of the
factors that helped to tip the scales in favor of the
transcontinental move from Alaska to Connecticut
was the chance to be in a location that would allow
them to take the train to visit family rather than
always having to fly or drive. It’s lucky for us that
they were ready to be back in the East!
By all accounts, the rest of the Kobersmith
family is taking quickly to life around camp.
Dave’s wife, Kim, was actively involved at
Birchwood Camp and looks forward to getting to
know Silver Lake, too. Her full-time profession
these days is being mom to their two young sons,
Sayer and Cavan. Sayer, 4, has jumped right into
life around camp, happily practicing his counting as
he helps set tables in the Cedars dining room. 21month-old Cavan seems to have found a pleasing
pastime in helping to feed the bunnies!
Make sure to introduce yourself to Dave and
his family next time you visit. While they certainly
have lots of new names to learn, they’re very much
looking forward to meeting you all!
A WINTER"S TALE: SNOWY AND BUSY!
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
In midDecember,
over 150
people joined
us to celebrate
the season for
our annual
Christmas At
Silver Lake
festivities. Folks of all ages enjoyed holiday crafts
and sang carols together before enjoying a chilly
hayride around camp. The Cedars dining room was
transformed with beautiful decorations for a
candlelight Christmas dinner. This festive feast,
prepared by Chef Bob and his illustrious crew, was
the perfect way to end the afternoon. If you missed
it this year, make sure to join us for Christmas 2008
at your home away from home!
gallons of sap gathered from maple trees around
Cabin Circle! Conferees collected the sap, boiled it
down and poured it into the maple leaf-shaped
bottles. Over two gallons of maple syrup was made
with the help of counselors Mo Bannon, Katherine
Hughes, Bill Messner, Sam and Rachel Coelho, and
Morgan and Holly Arey. In addition to maple syrup
making, participants in the weekend also enjoyed an
animal tracking hike led by guides from the Sharon
Audubon Society. Maple sugaring in the spring is a
long-standing family tradition of Co-Director Anne
Hughes, The weekend is a great chance for kids to
get outside and collect some of natures “sweets”
while enjoying “God’s backyard”.
SWEET TREATS FROM
THE TREES
The last weekend in March, forty-five young people
in grades 6, 7, and 8 gathered for the fifth annual
Maple Sugaring Retreat. Led by alumnus Beth
Rhines, the weekend was a great success. It was our
most successful tapping to date, with almost 100
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REJUVENATION IN
COMMUNITY
energized. Silver Lake hopes to offer this retreat
again this Fall (www.silverlakect.org for details).
The first weekend in April, forty women from
across Connecticut gathered in the Cedars for a
relaxing weekend retreat. The first ever Women’s
Yoga and Music Retreat was led by Sara Billings, a
certified yoga instructor, and alumna Whendi Cook,
singer/songwriter. The retreat participants focused
on using their bodies and voices as meditation to
arrive at deeper peace and understanding. Many of
the women also treated themselves to a massage
from CT licensed massage therapist and alumna,
Heather Ramos Ziac. One participant glowed,
“Silver Lake is always a place I can come to be in
fellowship with others and rejuvenate my spirit.”
All left the retreat feeling empowered and
SIGNS OF SPRING: NEW LIFE FOR
OLD BUILDINGS AROUND CAMP
Now For The Future, the capital campaign for Silver Lake, has been in full swing for quite a while now, and
Silver Lake is getting refreshed as a result of your generosity! Two of the areas that the campaign is designed to
address are Energy Efficiency and Capital Improvement. The pictures on this page speak volumes about what
we have already been able to accomplish in just a short period of time. We look forward to the day when we can
address the third area of the campaign: new adult, youth, and family-friendly retreat centers!
RENOVATED BATHROOMS
In 2006, the Pines
got a bathroom and
kitchen makeover
with 3 new
individual bathrooms
replacing the one
remaining “group”
bathroom.
In early 2008, the
Lodge bathrooms
got a bit of an
upgrade with new
flooring, a fresh
coat of paint and
new fixtures. Sorry
everybody, but the
side by side toilets are now a thing of the past!
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UPDATED KITCHENS
The revamped Pines
kitchen features new
counters, floor and
refurbished cabinets.
In addition, a new
refrigerator and stove
let retreat groups
prepare snacks and
even cook meals.
In early 2008, the
Summer Kitchen got a
whole new combination walk-in
refrigerator/freezer!
Pouring the cement
was a critical step in
preparing for this
much-needed upgrade.
LIVING GREENER
Over the past 18 months, all
three winterized buildings have
received new energy efficiency
windows and programmable
thermostats. The Cedars kitchen
and hot water system were also
both converted from electric to
gas energy, a measure that helps
cut costs and save resources
tremendously. The new energy
efficient system delivers hot water to the showers in
record time!
COMFY CABINS
For several years we have been replacing the wellloved but well-worn summer cabins with new ones,
creating the new “Hillside” conference area and
breathing new life into Cabin Circle. We continue
to take down the old cabins and we will also begin
construction of a new cabin area later this year.
Through the Now For the Future Campaign, we are
poised for the construction of a new Commons
building (program/gathering space) at Hillside in
the autumn of 2008, thanks to the First
Congregational Church of Wallingford.
NOW FOR THE FUTURE: TWO
EXCITING WAYS TO BE PART OF THE
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FOR SILVER LAKE
(Remembering Dean Hodges - cont. from page 1)
-invention of Silver Lake. Incredible as it seems, the
buildings we built then are over 35 years old. Those
we inherited from Camp Easton are much older.
The board has come up with an exciting blueprint
for how the campus of Silver Lake can be renovated
and expanded to meet contemporary standards,
while being true to the special spirit of Silver Lake.
In order to support the "Now for the Future"
campaign, and to create a lasting memorial to the
work of my father and mother, my family and I are
making a seed contribution to fund the Gathering
Green, the outdoor meeting space that will connect
the new retreat center buildings. My father loved
the outdoors and never missed a chance to be
outside, whether it was fishing, cutting firewood, or
photographing flowers, so this outdoor space would
be a perfect place to remember him. It is our hope
that others of you who remember him and my
mother will join in contributing to the "Now for the
Future" campaign, with gifts targeted to "the Rev.
Deane L. Hodges Fund". No one more than my
father would have been looking towards the future
of Silver Lake, and this campaign is a perfect way
to ensure that Silver Lake endures and flourishes.
#$%%% ALUMS FOR &#$%%%
From Campaign Co-Chair Rev. David Peters
Our United Church of Christ’s motto is “God is Still
Speaking.” It reminds us that God’s love and action
within our lives is active still. God did not come
into humanity or our life once, never to be heard
from again. Faith is a part of our being that is
planted within each of us.
The same could be said of Silver Lake. Once
planted, it continues to have an influence in our
lives. My personal history is tied closely with this
place, its people, and the community that it strives
to maintain. From high school through college,
seminary, a career and a family, it is a common
thread that runs through my life. Maybe you feel
that same thing. As I look back, God placed me
there on staff, as a counselor (even in those old
cabins!), as a Dean and now, as a Co-Chairperson
of this campaign, in a place where I could help to
nurture the Lake once more.
This issue of the Silver Lake News is filled
with images, memories and opportunities. I write to
invite you to join me in supporting Silver Lake and
its future for today and the years to come. To that
end, we are challenging you to join the 1000 Alums
for $1000 Club. By pledging $1,000 (or more if
you can!)—at once or over the next four years—you
can play an important part in ensuring that the seeds
of faith are planted far into the future. The success
of our capital campaign is dependent on the
generous participation of alumni/ae like you.
Thanks for all you mean to Silver Lake and its
future. Be one of the 1000 and pledge today at:
www.silverlakect.org/nowforthefuture
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UPCOMING EVENTS YOU WON"T
WANT TO MISS!
CHURCH FAMILY PICNIC DAY
SATURDAY$ MAY '#ST
#(:%%!):%%
Come one, come all, to the second annual family
church picnic at Silver Lake Conference Center!
Gather your family and the church family and
c’mon up for an old fashioned picnic! Complete
with fields, plenty of trees, and open sky, you’ll
enjoy a wonderful cookout lunch (thanks to Chef
Bob!) and make-your-own-sundae bar to get you
into the summer spirit. A great afternoon of
relaxation and fellowship will include pick-up
games of softball, volleyball, soccer, hikes to the
lake, field games, and a relay race. Or, just kick
back and chill on the porch in one of our
Adirondack chairs. Of course a visit to camp
wouldn’t be complete without a chance to roast
marshmallows and sing around the campfire at the
end of the day!
Cost: $10/person. Call the SLCC office to register
at (860) 364-5526.
SECOND ANNUAL SILVER
LAKE GOLF TOURNAMENT
LYMAN ORCHARDS$
MIDDLEFIELD
TUESDAY$ JUNE #%TH
Join the fun and the competition, and support the
ministry of Silver Lake Conference Center!
With a 9:00 am shotgun start, this tournament will
also include a continental breakfast and luncheon
buffet. There is a luncheon-only option for nongolfers who would like to show their support for
Silver Lake. Prizes will be awarded for the first,
second, and third lowest team scores, for closest to
the pin, closest to the line, and longest drive. In
addition to playing in the tournament, you might
also like to consider being a sponsor of this event
and further supporting Silver Lake’s important
ministry. Specific details are available online.
$150.00 includes breakfast, luncheon, and fees.
$30.00 for luncheon only. Contact: Stephanie
Pitman stephaniep@ctucc.org
SILVER LAKE ALUMNI*AE
CONFERENCE
SUNDAY$ JUNE (( +
WEDNESDAY$ JUNE (,
As one participant in last year’s alumni/ae
conference wrote, “I feel that the time at SLCC was
like looking at a very large family tree. I could see
the roots of the tree in Alden and Ruth, and long
talks with old friends strengthened the branches of
the tree…Working with the summer staff in the
dishroom and taking apart old cabins extended the
tree with buds and flowers of new growth.”
It's back by popular demand! If you are over 21 and
were ever a summer Staffer, Dean, Counselor or
Conferee, then this is for you! Join Silver Lake
Alums from the past 50 years as we get together to
reminisce, mentor the 2008 staff, work, worship,
and enjoy Silver Lake.
And of course, if you can’t make it for the
Alumni/ae Conference week, we’d love to have you
back at another point in the summer. Many
alumni/ae are returning to dean or counsel for other
conferences. Come and be a part of the fun!
More information about these and other Silver Lake happenings is available on
the Events section of the website at www.silverlakect.org
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ALUMNI*AE NEWS AND NOTES
There is lots of news to report from the Silver Lake
family far and wide!
SILVER LAKERS IN
UNIFORM
You can imagine the surprise it must have been for
Lieutenant Commander Doug Dalena, an officer in
the U.S. Navy and Silver Lake summer counselor,
when he discovered that there was another Silver
Laker, Lieutenant Eric McDermott, in his unit at the
Kuwait Naval Base! Doug and Eric are serving
with Inshore Boat
Unit 21, of which
Doug is Acting
Commanding
Officer. The unit
runs a fleet of
small
navy
vessels
whose
primary
responsibility is to escort large ships safely in and
out of Kuwait Harbor. While they report that the
camaraderie within the unit is not entirely unlike
that that they’ve found here at Silver Lake, they’re
both looking forward to returning to Connecticut
this summer. In the meantime, we pray for their
safety and are grateful for their service!
MISSION IN MEXICO
This April, SLCC alumni/ae Josh and Jillian
Dufresne, along with The Rev. Pete Allen of the
Monroe Congregational Church, led a group of
youth on an international mission project to an
orphanage in Oaxaca, Mexico. The mission project
was coordinated with Simply Smiles, a
Connecticut-based organization that has been a
SLCC’s summer mission project in recent years.
Summer mission contributions and those of various
churches around the state have helped to support
Simply Smiles in improving the lives of
impoverished children. Through this trip,
participants are now taking an active, hands-on role
in this mission.
As of press time for this newsletter, the travel team
was living for a week at the Casa Hogar Children's
Home, allowing the face-to-face experience of life
in an orphanage among orphaned and abandoned
children, many of whom have significant
disabilities. While there, the team built simple
homes in conjunction with the Simply Smiles Dump
Project. “The Dump Project” is an effort to provide
safe shelter for the 33 families who call Oaxaca's
garbage dump home. These families are a close-knit
community that makes their living recycling at the
dump.
MILESTONES TO
CELEBRATE
Chris Miller wrote in to tell us about the fantastic
time that was had by many Silver Lakers at the
December wedding of Jenn (Ramos) and Dave
Broderick.
Lots of familiar folks were in
attendance, including the groom’s brother and
sister-in-law, Dan Broderick and Whendi Cook,
Chris Buswell, Robin Shabunia, Matt Morlock,
Kevin Mitchell, Marge Albano, Sarah Annis, Jen
Amiri, Lauren Mrotek, and Christine Forsythe.
Jenn and Dave are now enjoying married life in
Alabama. Our congratulations to them both!
After making a very pregnant appearance at the 50th
anniversary celebration, Katie (formerly Katie
Lawler) and Mike Macbeth were thrilled to
announce the arrival of their son, Braedon Daniel.
He was born on 9/13/07 and according to Aunt
Muffy, “He's constantly smiling and giggling... so
you know he's truly a "Lawler!"
Congratulations are also in order for Silver Lake
alumna and former staff member Chris Davies, who
was recently accepted to seminary at Andover
Newton Theological School. Chris received the
Presidential Scholarship. She begins her studies
this coming September!
We invite you to contribute news about yourself or other members of the Silver
Lake family, feedback, reflections, accomplishments or memories of your own for
upcoming newsletters. Send a note or photo to SLCCNews@ctucc.org.
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Have you seen this?
Thanks to the creativity and generosity of billboard donor Bruce Barrett and
graphic designer & alum Rick Mapes, a glimpse of camp can now be seen along
I-95. Keep an eye out for this great reminder that the fun of summer at Silver
Lake is just around the corner. And if you haven’t registered yet, be
sure to visit the SLCC websi te today!
www.silverlakect.org
The Outdoor Ministry Program of the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ
Silver Lake Conference Center
223 Low Road
Sharon, CT 06069
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