...To have an updated, accurate record of events in history is
important to those who walk on the trails made by those who have
preceded us. In 1990 a booklet titled Early Beginnings. History
of light and Life Camp was published. This historical record was
written by the late Mrs. Frances Roggenbaum and was published by
Mr. Larry Fink and Or. Warren McMullen. Since the time of that
publication, considerable effort has been given to researching
the minutes of the Florida Conference of the Free Methodist
Church and the minutes of Florida Light and life Camp Board.
Several important events and facts were inadvertently omitted in
the 1990 publication. Furthermore a number of things have
occurred since that time that seem to justify a revised, updated
record of the camp history.
So it is with appreciation to those who prepared the 1990
historical record, but also to those who have assisted in
filling in some of the record which makes the story more
complete that we present this publication.
THE EDITOR
...A HISTORICAL RECORD OF FLORIDA LIGHT AND LIFE CAMP
The Florida Conference of the Free Methodist Church of North
America came into being in 1951 when the Georgia-Florida
Conference voted to become two separate conferences. (The
Georgia-Florida Conference begun in 1915 as a district of the
Pittsburgh Conference.) The Florida Conference campground was
located at Kissimmee from 1938 until 1958 when the property was
sold. After this property was sold, various sites were used for
summer camps and annual conference. These included Bible Town,
USA, at Boca Raton, 1959-1962; a Baptist camp at Tampa. 1963 ;
and Fenway Academy in Dunedin, 1964. Several churches in the
conference hosted the annual conference sessions including
Lakeland, First; St. Petersburg, First; and Sunshine Gardens,
Orlando.
At the annual conference of 1964 a decision was made to search
for a site for a new campground. Pastor Gordon Smith of
Lakeland, First and Florida Conference Superintendent Elmer Hood
located a forty acre site at the west end of Deeson Road in
Hillsborough County. In February, 1965, the conference "Camp
Meeting Committee" met at Lakeland, First Church and considered
a proposal for purchase of the property. The decision was made
to recommend to the annual conference to purchase the property
at a cost of $30,000. During the annual conference in June in
Lakeland the delegates drove to the site and walked through the
wooded land. In addition to much brush, there were fences for
controlling the grazing cattle and a barn which still remains.
with some improvements. Also, there was an old farm house just
to the west of the present location of the Motel. A Camp
Development Committee was formed and soon work was begun. Fences
were taken down, brush was removed and grading done for the
construction of the dining hall, the first building (now known
as Elmer J. Hood Hall). Also, a rest room and shower building
was completed just southwest of the dining hall and a water well
was drilled. Youth camp, family camp and annual conference
sittings were all held at the campground in summer, 1966. Cars
which were parked in the area now occupied by the "Motel" were
mired in mud. The services and annual conference were held in
the new dining hall. Campers and delegates stayed in tents,
travel trailers and the few cottages which had been constructed,
and in homes of members of Lakeland, First Church. Bishop Edward
C. John had the first house built. Followed by the Reverend Asa
Hockaday and Mr. Ora Knappins, the latter one not quite finished
by camp time. Soon to follow were cottages by Mr. Byford Bush,
Conference Superintendent Elmer Hood and Mr. Floyd Pierce.
Summer family camp services and annual conference in 1967 and
1968 were conducted in a large tent erected west of the old farm
house. (The next year that building was moved south near
Blackwater Creek to be used as a youth center. Later it was used
for storage and finally was torn down.) The summer camps were
well attended by families from across the Florida conference.
The mid-winter camp meeting program was begun in January of 1967
with services in a large tent. A roaring gas fired heater was
used to take away the January chill. The next year the
mid-winter camp meeting was held in the new WMS chapel. This
chapel was planned by the conference WMS (Woman' s Missionary
Society) as a place for housing missionary families and for
missionary meetings. During the first few years following
purchase of the grounds, in response to appeals from the Camp
Meeting Committee, persons from Florida and from several states
and provinces in the north leased property which had been
subdivided. There were two general areas: the trailer section
and the cottage section. Later, when larger trailers (called
mobile homes) began to make their appearance, another area was
developed for travel trailers. This was built under the
supervision of Mr. Clarence Chambers, a resident, and other
residents who, with Mr. Chambers, volunteered their services. A
shower restroom facility was constructed by a contractor. The
trailer park was then expanded in 1978 under the direction of
Mr. Chambers to a total of seventy-two spaces. Some of the early
lease owners , in addition to those previously named, was the
Reverend Willard Schiele. Mr. Gerald Burgess and Mrs. Emma
Jones. The number of residents was beginning to grow. During the
year following the first Camp meeting, in 1966-67, just to the
north of the dining hall a twelve-unit efficiency apartment
building (called the Motel) was constructed. It has served well
in providing housing during camps, for winter residents and for
summer vacationers.
RECREATIONAL FACILITIES SOFT BALL--The recreational aspect of light and life Camp
was considered to be important for the youth of the conference
in summer camps as well as for the residents. The first ball
diamond was located south of the creek on the site of "Project
14". Later it was moved nearer the center of activity in the
area where the travel trailer park is situated. then the travel
trailer park was expanded, the ball diamond was again moved,
this time to the present site on five acres of a ten-acre
acquisition to the property on the east boundary of the original
forty acres. In the mid-1970's this was purchased along with
twenty acres along the south boundary.
SWIMMING POOL-- In 1967 an above-ground swimming pool
(owned by the Reverend Byron Shaw, a Florida Conference pastor),
was installed in the woods where the travel trailer park is now
located (approximately in the middle of what is now Ebenezer
Avenue). In 1968 the youth of the conference decided that a
permanent pool was needed. They set about to raise funds for
this and in 1972 the swimming pool was completed at a cost of
less than $11,000. In 1988 the pool was damaged by a flood and
the repairs cost $25 ,000 .
SHUFFLEBOARD-- What would a residential community in
Florida be without a shuffleboard court? In early 1970 's the
residents set out to raise money to build eight courts. Later
two more courts were added and the original protective shelters
on either side of the courts were rebuilt to provide an adequate
facility for those who love to spend recreational time in this
way.
TENNIS, VOLLEYBALL, AND BASKETBALL-- In 1980 the men of
the camp took on the project of constructing a combined tennis,
volleyball and basketball court . The entire project was
completed with volunteer donations and labor. A sand volleyball
court was made in 1993 just to the east of the tennis court.
GOLF COURSE-- Could Light and Life Camp have its own golf
course? Why not? Resident Claude Church and others considered
the possibilities and also the difficulties and then determined
to layout a seven hole course, using for greens an Astroturf
type carpet. realizing that maintaining grass would be too
difficult and costly. This golf course was built in the area
where "Project 14" i s now located. The men relocated the golf
course to its present site when "Project 14" was planned and
expanded it to nine holes. The new golf course was built with
the help of many residents, but headed up by Mr. Joseph
Roggenbaum, for whom the course was named following his death.
MINIATURE GOLF AND HORSE SHOES-- Development of
recreational facilities took a step further in 1986 when Mr.
Richard Roggenbaum initiated the construction of a miniature
golf course with eighteen holes. The entire cost of the course
was covered by residents, with all of the work: being done by
volunteers. including the pouring of more than fifty yards of
concrete. Just to the east of the miniature golf are two sets of
horseshoe pits.
CERAMICS-- Many people have enjoyed making crafts at the
ceramics and crafts building. (This building was constructed in
1968 by Mr. Gerald Burgess of North Palm Beach for a dwelling
and was later sold to the camp . ) Under the leadership of Vern
and Martha Swain, residents, the ceramics have been fired. In
the 1993-94 season Al and Mary Sanders headed up the ceramics.
The ceramics building was not used in 1994-95 due to the illness
of Al.
....CARETAKERS, MANAGERS AND DIRECTOR
The history of Light and Life Camp would not be complete without
a record of the caretakers, managers and director. The first
years there were caretakers on a part-time basis, then gradually
more and more responsibility was placed on a person in that
position. Superintendent Elmer Hood filled the place of
leadership for the early years, with the assistance of the camp
meeting committee-Pastors John Hoyt, John Hendricks, Gordon
Smith, Don Cleveland, and Willard Schiele, and laymen Gerald
Burgess, Wesley Grantham, Ethan Smout and Robert Everling were
some of the early members of the committee. Mr. Ora Knappins, a
camp resident, was employed as caretaker for two years. Elmer
Hood was also full-time care taker for a time after retiring as
Conference Superintendent. Following this there were several
persons who filled the position: Floyd Pierce, Byford Bush,
Robert De Long, Carl Patton and Leonard Ainscough. In 1975 Mr.
Vernon (Chip) Tjepkema was hired as full-time manager and he was
in this capacity faithfully until he took retirement and moved
to Arizona in 1978, At that time the camp board hired Donald J.
Cleveland as full time manager and Berdaline (Berdie) Cleveland
as office manager and treasurer . Don and Berdie came back to
Florida where they had served previously as pastor and had been
involved in the early development of the camp. The duties and
responsibilities for leadership and the development of the camp
were continually growing, and some of the residents, such as
Leonard Ainscough and others, were becoming limited in their
activity. Therefore , Mr. Edward (Eddie) Boshears from Indiana
was employed as assistant to the manager in 1984. Then Mr.
Kenneth Walter, Jr. of West Virginia was employed for this
position when Eddie returned to Indiana in 1987. When the
Cleveland's decided to retire from the management in 1988 , Ken
Walter, Jr. was employed as full-time manager and Mrs. Walter,
Carole, was hired as office manager. Mr. Mike lower was then
employed as assistant to the manager. In the fall of 1994 Ken
and Carole Walter elected to retire and, following a search for
replacement, Mr. Craig DeJonge was hired to a new position as
Director in December 1994. Craig's wife. Karen, was hired as
Office Manager and Mike Lower was given the title of Manager (of
grounds and equipment). As of this writing these three are
providing excellent leadership.
Those who have served as caretakers and managers through the
years would agree that the task could not have been done without
the thousands of hours of donated labor by the residents of
light and life Camp. The list cannot be complete here, but
several of those who have given tremendous help have been named
earlier and others will be named. Florida Conference
superintendents have al so played an important role in the
success of Light and life Camp. Elmer Hood was followed by the
Reverends Alfred Hill, David Jefford, James Diddle, Raymond
Ellis and Floyd Stryker. (Pastors John Hendricks, John Hoyt and
Carl Beatty served as stationed superintendents for one year).
Each of these gave leadership in seeing the camp become an
important part of the Free Methodist Church in the State of
Florida.
...MANAGER'S HOME AND OFFICE
By the year 1973, when those on the board recognized that Light
and life Camp was going to need a full-time manager, plans were
made for a home. In 1974 a 24'X 56' double wide mobile home was
placed near the front gate. Chip and Vera Tjepkema moved into
the new home. One bedroom. which had a double sliding door , was
converted for use as camp office. In 1982 the motel room nearest
the manager's home became the camp office. Still Later, the
other east end motel room was converted as a second office room
for the computer and for committee meetings. In 1986 a double
wide mobile home on Bethel drive was purchased from Lewis and
Louverne Stephens and Grace Claussen as a home for the assistant
to the manager. The manager's home was replaced in December of
1994 with an updated manufactured home 28 ' x 60' with three
bedrooms and baths. The new director and family. Craig and Karen
DeJonge with son, Cory and daughter, Megan moved into this home
in January. 1995.
...LIGHT AND LIFE FREE METHODIST CHURCH
The Reverend Howard C. Duncan was the first pastor appointed to
the Light and Life Free Methodist Church at the camp. The church
structure was built beginning in 1971 and first used in 1972.
For seven years Howard Duncan was pastor of the church , in
which time air conditioning. new pews , carpeting and other
improvements were made. The church was used for a regular
schedule of services September through June these seven years.
The summer camp pro9ram made use of the church in the months of
July. August, and September. This plan continued for another two
years while the Reverend James C. Hecocks was pastor. A fine
parsonage was constructed in 1981 under the supervision of Mr.
Bill Gilroy, a resident and retired contractor. Plans were made
for a year around pastor and the Reverend Glenn E. Hughes was
appointed by the Florida Conference. During the six years of
Glenn Hughes' ministry, James Hecocks served as assistant pastor
during the winter months and spent the summers in Michigan. In
1985 there was an addition built on the east side of Light and
Life Church. This "annex" includes a secretary's office, two
rest rooms and additional seating for approximately one hundred
fifty persons. At this time also a steeple was added-to the
south peak of the church, given by Mrs. Marian O'Brien in memory
of her late husband, Mr. John O'Brien. Following the retirement
of Glenn Hughes in 1987. Bishop Emeritus Paul N. Ell is was
appointed as interim pastor and James Hecocks continued as
part-time assistant. Then, having failed to secure a full-time
replacement as senior pastor in the summer of 1988, Pastor Ellis
agreed to continue for one more year and Don Cleveland was
appointed as full-time assistant. A new organ was purchased by
the church in 1988 from gifts given by members and friends also,
a new grand piano was given to the congregation by Paul and
Naomi Ellis . At the 1989 Florida Annual Conference, the
Reverend C. Wesley King was appointed senior pastor and Don
Cleveland was appointed Minister of Visitation and Music. Both
of these pastors continued in their respective positions until
May of 1994 . At that time Pastor King took retirement and the
Reverend John E. Hendricks was appointed by the Florida
Conference. Don Cleveland, since taking retirement, serves as
assistant November through April when the number of residents is
at its greatest.
Sensing the need for an office at the church to accommodate the
pastor a larger office for the church secretary. and enlarged
space for the choir, both for assembly and for seating on the
platform, plans were begun 1n 1994 for an addition to the church
structure. Construction began, following several months of
negotiations with contractors and with Hillsborough County, on
January 4, 1995.
...THE VILLAS
An apartment complex became the dream of Mr. Eugene Maxwell and
others and in 1981 planning was begun. Mr. Bert Gensch drew up
the original plans. After a long process, Hillsborough County
granted rezoning so that the project could go ahead. By March
1983 the first six of the twenty-four units were sold and
completed. The remaining apartments and the central building
with fully equipped kitchen, dining hall and an office for the
Villa Association were soon finished. Les and Lora Thomas have
cooked for the Villa since its beginning. They are retiring in
April 1995. The Villa residents and other camp residents and
visiting friend s have found this to be a pleasant place for
fellowship and excellent meals.
....RESIDENT FELLOWSHIP
In the early 1980's a Resident Fellowship was organized and a
Constitution was drawn up. An executive committee is composed of
president, two vice presidents, secretary, treasurer and four
members of the Camp Board elected by the Fellowship. The
objectives of the Fellowship include, according to the
Constitution: "Promoting fellowship and unity". "Cooperating
with the . . Camp Board. . .", " and to encourage participation
in actives." The Fellowship "studies and recommends
improvements." These stated goals of the Resident Fellowship
have been successfully carried out through the years of the
organization. The officers and the several committees have aided
in making it possible for many residents to participate in camp
activities .
....PROJECT 14
Fourteen acres of the land which had been included in the
rezoning to "Community Unit" for clearing the way for the Villa
project was, in 1984, considered for an addition to the mobile
home park. Procedure was begun by the camp board and Mr. Jon
Carlton, a resident, approached the Hillsborough County Zoning
Board. Again, a long story could be written concerning the many
trips made to Tampa by Jon Carlton. Charles Smout and Don
Cleveland, the manager , working through the many boards and
departments. After much hassle, the Board of County
Commissioners voted to give the go-ahead for constructing the
sites for fourteen double wide mobile homes (manufactured
homes). The first manufactured home was placed on Canaan Avenue
in 1987 by Dr. Walter Johnson. Soon all fourteen lots were
filled and it has become a fine addition to the community.
....ELMER J. HOOD HALL ADDITION
Elmer J. Hood Hall, was no longer large enough to accommodate
the activities of the residents and the church. In 1989 the
Resident Fellowship As sociation and the light and life Free
Methodist. under the leadership of Eugene Maxwell, began to
develop plans for enlarging the building. Included in the
expansion were two restrooms , storage room, WMI storage closets
and tables and chairs to seat an additional two hundred people.
Money for the project was raised with cash and subscriptions
from residents amounting to $91.000. This included a $24.000
pledge from the church. The size of the building was doubled and
has served well for the church, the Association, the conference
and other groups who use it.
The kitchen in Hood hall was considerably improved following a
time of planning and research by a committee from the Resident
Fellowship Association. This committee was headed up by Glenn
and Helen Carey and Walter and Virginia Brannon. Several men
from the camp gave of their time and the residents supplied the
money for the project.
..OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT
Hillsborough County ordered, in 1972, that a waste water
treatment plant must be constructed . The account of how this
came into being is a story in itself. However, under the
direction of the camp board and in particular, Clarence
Chambers, plans were prepared, contractors were hired,
assessments were made to the lessees, and the huge task was
completed at a cost in excess of $100.000. Then, in the late
1970's. the camp was again ordered by Hillsborough County to
construct a percolation pond for the waste water treatment
system. It was at this time that the twenty acres across the
south boundary of the property was purchased . Still later, in
the early 1980's, it was learned that a spray field could be
constructed that would assist in taking care of the effluent
coming from the waste water treatment plant. This project was
completed on the acreage where "Project 14" is now located.
Where "Project 14" became a reality, both the original golf
course and the spray field on the site were relocated to the
south of the property on newly acquired acreage. This new
property, consisting of forty-three acres across the south
boundary and running east fifty feet beyond the Polk County
line, was approved for purchase at an adjourned sitting of
annual conference in 1982. The cost was $125,000. The property
was purchased for the purpose of developing a conference lodge
and retreat center for people of all ages. At this writing the
project has not been started by the conference. The waste water
treatment plant was expanded in 1990, increasing the capacity
from 25,000 gallons to 45,000 gallons, sufficient to handle
possible future growth.
....YOUTH CABINS
Ten youth cabins were built over a period of several years,
beginning in 1967. They were built from funds raised by several
of the Free Methodist churches of the Florida Conference.
Volunteers from the conference churches and residents of the
camp constructed the cabins. Youth camps, children's camps and
family camps from the conference and from other churches and
para-church groups have benefited from the facilities. In 1988
four of the cabins were equipped with air conditioning and the
ceilings were built in and insulated, under the direction of Mr.
Duane Hall. The remaining cabins were air conditioned in the
next three years.
....BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE
A group of men saw the need for landscaping and other
improvements in t he appearance of the grounds. Headed up by
Willet Justice and Dale Wise, several persons have been active
in planting trees and shrubbery, watering and pruning. In winter
1994-95 this committee constructed a very nice gazebo at the
"alligator pond" which adds to the landscaping they had done
there.
ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT AND DEEDS-- Beginning in the early
1970 ' s the minutes of the Camp Board show that there was
action taken to revise the "Articles of Agreement" (the lease
agreement) which each person who decides to build at the camp
must negotiate. The basic substance of the lease agreement was
not to be changed, but it was felt that it needed to be
presented in a more clear, legible form. With the assistance of
a Plant City attorney, the task, was undertaken and, in 1981 ,
the document was adopted. Soon after the beginning of Light and
Life Camp development a provision was made for Florida residents
to secure homestead exemption on their leased property. This was
done by changing the original twenty-five year lease agreement
to ninety-nine as the county required. In 1984 the county
decided that those with new leases could no longer claim
homestead exemption; only those with deeds could do so. The
Florida Conference then gave permission to grant deeds to those
desiring to claim homestead exemption. Mr. Charles Smout, a
resident, undertook this task of preparing deeds, with the
assistance of an attorney. Mr. Smout did this along with many
other volunteer tasks which he performs for the conference and
the camp. He continues to work with deed transactions; however,
the new director, Craig DeJonge, is assuming this task.
STREETS--- The first graded streets at the camp were a
big improvement over the original trails . But , in 1972, the
first paved streets were completed and since that time every
street has been paved and many repaved. A budgeted item each
year is for resurfacing streets as needed . All streets, except
for Hebron, Ebenezer and Canaan were named by Elmer Hood at the
beginning of camp development.
WATER WELLS--- One of the very first projects when
development of the camp was begun was to drill a water well. In
1974 that first shallow well was supplemented by a forty-foot
well. Then a 40B-foot well was drilled in 1975, providing a
good, safe, adequate supply of water for the more than five
hundred residents.
PAVILION--- In the early 1980's a need was felt for a
covered pavilion. Mr. Clarence Dietz, a camp resident, and the
manager drew up plans for a 24' X 40 ' shelter to be built to
the south of the tennis and basketball court. This project was
funded by 9ifts from several persons, but a major portion was
given by Mr. and Mrs. Harold Funk, camp residents, in memory of
Mrs. Funk's brother, Mr. Sheldon Spencer, who had been a
resident until his death in 1970. Tables were made possible by a
gift from Mrs. Vera Becker, a resident, in memory of her late
mother, Mrs. Violet Priestley, a former resident .
HISTORICAL CENTER--- Over several years a number of long
time Florida residents felt the need for a conference historical
center at Florida Light and Life Camp. Then, in 1990, the
conference gave permission to convert the original rest room for
this purpose. Under the direction of the Florida Conference
Historical Committee, composed of Mrs. Mae Beatty (widow of the
late Reverend Carl Beatty, a former pastor in the conference).
Elmer Hood, Don Cleveland and Russell Cullum, the old building
was completely remodeled. The original flat roof was replaced
with a gable roof and air conditioning was installed, the work,
being done by volunteers. Several residents also made voluntary
monetary contributions. The building now stands as a place for
displaying artifacts and memorabilia for future generations to
observe what men and women of the past have done to build the
Free Methodist Church in the State of Florida. "…. Lest we
forget. . . . "
INTERMEDIATE AND NURSING CARE--- Through the years of
Light and Life Camp many have dreamed of having a nursing care
facility on the site. So, a series of studies was made and the
question was explored in various ways. It was found that, due to
zoning restrictions and other barriers, a nursing facility was
seemingly out of the question . However, Eugene Maxwell
envisioned at least an intermediate care facility and worked
toward that end until his death in 1991. At the time of this
writing it appears that Hillsborough County will not allow this.
----APPRECIATION----
Abundant thanks and appreciation go to every person who has
given so unselfishly in financial contributions--amounting to
hundreds of thousands of dollars--and manual labor. Many
thousands of dollars have also come from estates which have
considered Light and life Camp in their planning. May Light and
life Camp continue to be a blessing to the many who come here,
both from the North and from across the Florida Conference, to
enjoy what the Lord has helped us to develop.
|