OverJOYed!
the Hotel at Bonclarken. A lady, whom she did not know, came and sat with her. This woman was also working with the YPCU that summer teaching drama, and decided to take a break in her busy day. They introduced themselves and began talking about what they do when they are not at Bonclarken. Ann explained that she taught special needs children in the school system in Lancaster, SC, and the other woman said that she worked with the Burton Center in Greenwood, SC, which was also involved with people who have special needs. During their conversation, it was said, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a camp for the children we work with?” Thus began Camp Joy, a camp setting for individuals with special needs. Forty years later there isn’t just one Camp Joy session but four weeks of Camp
D
Joy in North Carolina, two weeks in Florida, two weeks in South Carolina, and the first week ever in Virginia. In 2020, Tennessee will be hosting one week. There are two campers who attended the first year who still attend Camp Joy. Close to 700 different campers attend the nine weeks of Camp Joy! During the 40th celebration held at Bonclarken over a weekend of events, Trip McGill presented this personal testimony to Ann Brice.
How has Camp Joy impacted my life? “In 1983, the summer after my first year of teaching and Camp Joy’s fourth
year and fourth session, I brought several young people to be counselors from my youth group from my home church, Boyce Memorial ARP in Kings Mountain. “After being at YPCU Conference (now Horizon), with my youth group and
hearing George Fields lead the music and serving as a youth group leader with Ann Brice, I was (arm twisted) talked into coming to this week of camp, called Camp Joy. “A couple of weeks later, my youth and I showed up at Bonclarken and all
worked as counselors at Camp Joy. The week was one that I will never forget. The camper that several of us were as- signed was a non-verbal camper, whom we were tasked with the observation of whether he was a camper that should return to camp because of his ability level. “Later in the fall, we went to this camper’s home to visit him. At this moment I realized the impact of Camp Joy on
this camper’s life. We rang the doorbell of the camper’s home, and his parents came to the door. As soon as we entered the doorway, the camper we had enjoyed earlier in the summer saw us and ran away from us, down the hallway to his bedroom. The parents invited us into the living room to sit down. Within a few minutes, our camper came running back
By Susan Tanner The mission of Camp Joy is to help campers, counselors, and staff develop a Christian attitude in their lives, which will enable
Years
them to enjoy fellowship with one another in Christ. The goal is for each camper to have the opportunity to participate in all activities, regardless of the mental ability of the camper and to develop an atmosphere of teamwork and love for one another as the most important assets for a successful camping experience.
uring the summer of 1979, Ann Brice was taking a break from her Bible teaching with the Young People’s Christian Union (YPCU) conference and was sitting in one of the red rocking chairs on the front porch of
Celebrating
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