Camp Arcadia is a Lutheran camp, owned and operated by the Lutheran Camp Association. Located on the shores of

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...

in the small town of

Arcadia, Michigan Arcadia is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Arcadia Township, Manistee County, Michigan, United States. Its population was 291 as of the 2010 census. The community is located along M-22 and the Lake Michigan shore. Arcad ...

, Camp Arcadia has been in continuous operation since its opening in 1922.

Geography

Camp Arcadia is located in Arcadia Township in Manistee County, Michigan. The main access road is M-22.

History

Camp Arcadia opened in 1922 under the direction of the Walther League, the young adult group of the

Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), also known as the Missouri Synod, is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 1.8 million members, it is the second-largest Lutheran body in the United States. The LC ...

. From its opening until his death in 1963, William "Chief" Wieherman ran the camp along with his wife Hildegard, affectionately known as "Mom". When the Walther League ceased operations in 1968. the future of the camp was uncertain, until a group of dedicated campers formed the Lutheran Camp Association and bought all of the camp. The LCA, a non-profit corporation, has operated the camp ever since. The camp was entered onto the National Register of Historic Places in 2017..

Today

Camp Arcadia continues to run under the direction of the LCA. The current president is Stan Scheumann. Each summer, 39 college-age adults live and work at the camp. These employees cook, clean, and run the programs for the campers. In addition to the summer staff, Camp Arcadia employs the following year-round management team: executive director (Chip May), food service director (Taryn Woell), office manager (Rachel Catanese), program director (Jess McCallum Knoll), caretaker (Franco Marano), and donor relations/communications coordinator (Sarah Olson). The archives manager is Ryan McKenna. The camp opens on Memorial Day weekend. During this event, campers are invited to stay for free, provided they help in getting the property ready for the summer. After a week to train the summer staff, the camp begins its summer retreats, most of which are family weeks. After

Labor Day Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United St ...

weekend, the camp generally runs retreats through October, when it is then closed for winter.

Gallery

File:Sunset at RKD.jpg, A sunset over Lake Michigan from Camp Arcadia File:Camp Arcadia.jpg, The Wigwam at Camp Arcadia, Michigan, facing east.

References

External links

* {{National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Organizations based in Michigan Lutheranism in Michigan Lutheran organizations

Arcadia Arcadia may refer to: Places Australia * Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney * Arcadia, Queensland * Arcadia, Victoria Greece * Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese * Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...

National Register of Historic Places in Manistee County, Michigan Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod