After Chief Weiherman’s death in September in 1963, the Walther League supplied Camp Managers for the next 4 seasons. With the League struggling in its own right, there was little time to train or direct the management of Camp Arcadia, which led to a revolving door of short-term managers. On top of that in 1966, a “serious error in policy” took place when a manager attempted to change Camp’s image through changing programming and calculated elimination of Camp traditions and memorabilia. Stories are told of loyal Campers attending garage sales to try and buy back Camp memorabilia that was being sold or trashed.
As a result of this systematic change, a group of 38 “Concerned Arcadians” first met in October of 1967 in Chicago with a committee from the Walther League Board of Directors to discuss the future of Camp Arcadia. The most recent Camp Manager had resigned, leaving the Walther League with no one to run Camp’s operations and financial deficits that resulted in $60,000 of operational loss in the years since Chief’s death.
We knew that the handwriting was on the wall and so what I did that summer is every Friday night, we gathered together the people who were in the camp and some cottagers as well and we just laid out what the situation was and what was going to happen. And said, ‘If somebody doesn’t pick up the ball and run with this, by next year, this thing will be sold to developers. And God only knows, and perhaps Satan as well, what they’re going to do with it.’ –Tom Droege, Camp Manager for 1968 Season
This group of “Concerned Arcadians” rallied around Camp Arcadia and proposed to run Camp for the 1968 season and eventually purchase the Camp from the Walther League. After some offers and counteroffers between the two groups, they agreed on the terms, and the “Concerned Arcadians” incorporated as a non-profit – the Lutheran Camp Association. The Lutheran Camp Association (LCA) purchased Camp Arcadia for $241,000 in 1969. John E. Jass was elected as the first President, F.W. Snyder as Vice President, Joe Sup as Secretary and Richard J. Blum as Treasurer. Many of the original members sacrificed in big and small ways to ensure the continuation of Camp Arcadia – and to them, we owe a debt of gratitude for preserving the Camp we all love best.
Camp had been purchased, but the daunting task of reconnecting with past campers who had been ostracized by the preceding decade of changes still loomed. An aggressive promotional campaign was begun using film and slide show presentations, sending portable display boards to churches, and implementing a mailing list of past, present, and potential future campers.
“Forget about the cross-country trip this summer. A vacation at Arcadia requires a minimum of driving . . . put your car in our parking lot for a week or two and forget it while you relax at the beach, on the hiking trails, in the craft shops, or on the tennis courts . . . RKD is a unique combination of summer resort and Christian family living – a perfect vacation for all ages.” – 1976 promotional mailing
Despite this, by 1973 Camp had paid off all debts with exception of the member loans related to the purchase of Camp. With attendance slowly on the rise, an effort was made to blend the old traditions of Camp with new activities. Above all, the focus of Camp remained renewal of mind, body, and spirit.
Throughout the years, the leadership of the LCA has been vital to the ministry of Camp Arcadia. In 2019, the LCA celebrated its 50th Anniversary. With a worship service and ceremony held at the Chapel on the Beach and a commemorative installation from the Archives Program, the celebration of the LCA’s 50th was a testament to God’s faithfulness and the continued commitment of the Camp Arcadia family to preserve and enjoy Camp’s ministry.
To read more about Camp’s history and in greater detail, see Camp Arcadia: The First Sixty Years, by Dr. Frank W. Miller, J.B. Publications, Manistee, 1982 and The Hopes and Dreams of All: The International Walther League and Lutheran Youth in American Culture, 1983-1993, Dr. Jon F. Pahl, Wheat Ridge Ministries, Chicago, 1993 AND order the 100th Anniversary Book during the 2022 season!
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