If DL does not operate in the black over a period of years, it will have to close.

If DL does not keep its vehicles safe, there is an increased likelihood there will be a serious accident

If DL does not have needed program equipment in good condition, instruction and games will be sub-par.

If DL does not have a clean kitchen, the New York State Health Department will close the camp down.

If DL does not have sufficient funds for camper scholarships, some wonderful kids will not be able to come

If DL does not have carefully selected/well trained staff, campers miss learning opportunities and could be at risk.

If DL does not have a bed for a camper because it has “over-booked” the boy and his parents will be very unhappy.

If DL does not have happy campers…and happy parents – there will be no possibility of over booking!!!!!

To have a quality camp, DL must have quality managers in every area.  This not an automatic!  Chief Craig Crook e-mailed, in response to last week’s IPWG: “I work with a lot of big corporations – and we spend a great deal of time on these things(management principles).  What was burned in my brain, which took years to really take hold, is invaluable! “He went on to say: “In fact, I requested the DL manual a few years back – as it’s a great model of excellence!  Thanks for investing into my life and so many others!”  Chief Craig

If Deerfoot Lodge succeeds at all of the above, and does not have a Christ-centered community that builds godly young men, DL has failed at its primary responsibility.

To build godly young men requires having godly men in every area where people are managed.  Dean Dover, the Director of Food Service for many years, chose as his Lone Eagle name, Wazican – which reminds him to stand straight and tall for the Lord Jesus Christ, like a mature white pine tree.  Wazi worked with his staff day after day, week after week – in a hot kitchen.   Each summer over 10,000 meals were consistently excellent and served on time.  One of the ways Wazi encouraged his kitchen staff to be god’s men was by having them to the fire pit in front of his cabin every week.  There they would talk and pray together.  Several kitchen staff, under his leadership, became graduate chefs, including Shawn Barnett, Deerfoot’s present chef.

My responsibility was to build godly men who served/did his work with excellence.  I had the privilege of seeing campers become Guides.  When Guides became Assistant Counselors, they became people managers and were responsible to work at building godly men.  Assistant Counselors might become Counselors, or Maintenance Men, or Waterfront Directors, or Section Chiefs, or Kitchen Staff, or Director of Tripping Operations, or Crafts Director, or Guide Leaders, or Assistant to the Director.  Many young men spend part or all of 10-13 summers at DL. The young men who choose to be on the Deerfoot staff like challenges.  To keep staff members challenged and growing, I worked at putting each summer staff member in a new position or situation every year.

When Dad Kunz started Deerfoot Lodge in 1930, he knew Jesus was with his chosen few 24/7.  Many times they hiked miles, cooked over an open fire, and slept under the stars.  The 12 saw how Jesus treated people, how He responded to questions and to people in physical need. They saw Jesus forgive the individuals who came with broken hearts, and they saw Jesus teach the multitudes, and feed them when they were hungry.  The 12 watched Jesus take blocks of time for prayer, and they heard Him pray for them.  The disciples experienced having their feet washed by their leader, and they watched Jesus willingly give His life for them.  Through His example, His teaching, and His challenge, Jesus developed men – men who wanted to live for Him, whatever the challenge, whatever the cost.

And what about management?  It is a stretch to say Jesus said much about management, but the Old Testament is filled with examples of good managers, pleasing to God: Abraham and the patriarchs must have been good managers, as were Moses, King David, Solomon, Nehemiah, Job, and Daniel.

Good management frees us to do the work God has called us to do:  Make disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Good management should be at home, at church, at work – in every situation we are to make disciples

When the summer staff arrived for three weeks of training, the first few days included 4 one hour blocks of time during which the basic principles of management were taught and reviewed.  I introduced the subject, the section chiefs would teach The One Minute Manager, Leadership and the One Minute Manager, The One Minute Manager Builds High Performance Teams (Ken Blanchard’s series) and I would wrap up the three hours of teaching by pulling together the principles taught over the previous days.  The staff would then see how the DL Board of Directors managed the DL ministry through me: the goal setting and evaluation procedure, the approval of program and facility changes, the major equipment purchases, the budget, the reports I prepared, the Board meeting agendas and meeting schedules.

Why spend hours on management principles?  Every DL staff member is managed by someone, and almost every DL staff member manages someone.  It helps greatly if everyone is managing in the same way, using the same language.

Each Cabin Counselor manages 5-10 campers.  If he does not manage well, a camper may not get the extra attention needed to earn his basic in swimming.  If a counselor poorly manages camper conflict or bullying, many campers will be negatively impacted.   If he manages a hike poorly, there may be a van accident, campers may get horrible food, a camper may get lost in the woods, and an injured camper may not get the care he needs.  If a counselor manages his time poorly, 1 on 1 time may not exist and cabin devotions may prove meaningless.  Every counselor must be a very good manager if every camper is to be safe, well cared for and encouraged to grow as a godly young man.  Almost nothing listed above is directly observed, except by the other counselor in the cabin.  Cabin counselors have a huge responsibility – each must be carefully chosen and well trained.

Each Section Chief manages 8 to 12 counselors. He works to assure that each member of his staff are doing their job well, while staffing instructional areas, supervising hike and menu selections, and challenging every counselor to be all the Lord would have him to be.

The Director of Food Service manages 12 kitchen staff and a food budget of over $75,000.  He is doing his job if those on his staff grow as godly men while learning kitchen, people and instructional area skills while producing great food and staying on budget.  Poor kitchen management = frustrated staff, poor food, money wasted, and healthy germs.

The Facility Director manages a staff of 4-7, the care and safe functioning of 14 maxi-vans, 2-3 station wagons, 1-2 cars, 2 generators, 3 lawn mowers, a weed whacker, 3 fire pumps, acres of lawn, miles of road, the maintenance of 40+ buildings and new construction while keeping his top priority in mind: encouraging those in his care to discipline themselves as they work to be godly men…while learning people, maintenance, and instructional area skills.

The Guide Leaders take responsibility for 12-18 future leaders of Deerfoot Lodge.  After camp begins, the Guide leaders have minimal supervision as they lead their program that includes being out of camp for 4 weeks.

If the Nurse does not do her job: infections, undiagnosed fractures, improper medications, and serious illness through food allergies will happen.

The Office Staff manages 650 camper registrations, parental challenges, cabin assignments, trips to the airport to pick up and drop off campers, instructional area records, and $750,000.  And that is not the half of it!

The Director, is responsible for all of the staff and campers – plus contributions of many kinds, reports to the NY state health department, the American Camping Association, The Council on Financial Accountability, and the Board of Directors, while working to provide the context and encouragement for growth in the lives of those on staff, the most important of which is growth toward godliness.

As I wrote the above, I was reminded of the incredible responsibility carried by each DL staff member.

Each of us is a manager with significant responsibility.  May we be good managers of what the Lord has entrusted to our care!

When we live In Partnership With God, we can manage well, and God is glorified.

“Give an account of your management”  Luke 16:2

Jesus was in business of building godly people.  If Jesus would have taught, and not lived out His teachings, His teaching would have had no credibility.

If there had been computers and telephones and televisions and i-pads 2000 years ago, how much time would Jesus have spent “with them” if there were people outside His door in physical or spiritual need?  It is interesting that Jesus often put the physical before the spiritual.

Deerfoot is in the business of building godly people, just as Jesus was.  Four e-mails recently received illustrate this.

The 1^st was from Kevin Luce.  “I don’t know if you remember this.., but you took a walk with me…”   summarized, the e-mail said:  The campers had left, camp was being closed down, and he asked for time with me.  I left what I was doing and we went on a walk together.  Kevin says that both my willingness to leave the business at hand, and the words I said, continue to have a huge impact on his life.  Kevin and his wife are missionaries in Africa.

The 2^nd was from Lyndon Sentz. “thanks for all of the time and effort you spent to disciple us young men. As i get older i am increasingly amazed at this gift.”  Lyndon is married, has a 3 year old daughter, a cabinet designing and building business and is involved in a great local church.

The 3^rd was from Jim Oehrig.  “Your investment in Becca’s and my life is tangible, even today.   It surfaces in a  Mission Clinic in Ecuador; with Christian community workers in  Cote d’Ivoire; and in Community Health Evangelism in the Philippines.  It’s also evident at  ALM, where I get to lead-serve  Too, it’s palpable in our kitchen and living room – with shepherding group and  marriage counseling that Becca and I facilitate   Please stop in.  Becca has more than enough tea for Sally Jo.”  Jimmy O, as we called him, is Program Director for the American Leprosy Missions.

The 4^th was from Colin Reisler.  “I was there for your last 3 years.  When I was a pioneer, you sat down at my table during after breakfast singing and, in between songs, complimented me on my singing.  I still remember it because as a 12 year old it meant a lot that the director would notice and compliment me on something as small as my singing.  Thank you for the impact you had on me as a boy.  Hope you’re around for my ceremony this summer!”  Colin will be one of five who will have a Lone Eagle Ceremony this summer – all five were campers when I was director.

At DL there are After Breakfast Bible Studies, cabin devotions, Sunday services, and campfires.  But the key to understanding DL is not the larger gatherings, but the personal relationships, the personal contacts.  Staff members continue to be used by the Lord – one person at a time.

Yesterday afternoon I was to participate in our monthly Jubilate Singers rehearsal.  Before the Sunday morning worship service, while the church choir was still in their rehearsal room, the director told us her husband, Frank, had just taken himself to the ER (at the hospital of the medical school where he teaches neurology and does research – to date he has published over 85 papers in major scientific journals).   Frank’s headache, which began on Monday, was becoming more and more intense.  Ruth let Frank go by himself as the hospital is his second home.  Ruth left the choir loft before the service ended.  I followed Ruth to the hospital and stayed with them until Frank’s tests were completed.  When released,   I followed Ruth and Frank home, then took Ruth back to get Frank’s car.

The three hour rehearsal was almost over when I arrived back at the church – and see an ambulance.  Jake was being wheeled to the ambulance.  While in the rehearsal, an EMT in the choir noticed Jake was not doing well and took him,  then his wife, Trish, out into the hall. Jake has two stents and a pace maker.   An ambulance was quietly called.  I learn from Trish that she was going alone, so I followed her to the ER in another hospital where I remained for Jake’s tests and they had found him a room.

Jesus was no respecter of persons.  Jesus cared for those around him.  He was compassionate.

Let’s care for those around us, increasingly important in our impersonal world.   Let’s live In Partnership With God.