Camper Spotlight

-an interview with Cynthia Haughery with Lynn Grainger

Bill, Cynthia and their boys have been coming to Kingswood since 1988. Cynthia had been praying for a way for their young family with 5 boys to vacation. Shortly thereafter Elaine Price handed her a Kingswood brochure, so she and Bill decided to give it a try. 

On that first trip to Kingswood they stayed at Eagle 1 during the last weekend of the summer. Coming from a heatwave in Lancaster, PA, they were unprepared for the cold. It dropped to 44 degrees that night. Bill and Cynthia didn’t sleep that night, but they kept the fire burning to ensure their 3 month old baby was warm. Cynthia put the boys to bed with underwear on their heads to trap body heat. The next morning Ginny came up in her Subaru to check on the family and told them about the wool blankets in the barn. That’s when they knew they were connected to a trusted community of campers. Kingswood is “boy heaven” according to Cynthia.. The diversity of the community exposed their family to new ideas, and they expanded their palates at potlucks. There is a great balance between family time and interaction with the rest of camp. 

The Haughery clan has returned every year with three exceptions, and they regretted missing those summers. Matthew, James, John, Christopher and William have families of their own now that join for at least part of their parents’ stay at Kingswood each summer. Several of them have also camped with an infant in tow,, and they all find joy in spending time with their sons and daughters at Kingswood. Some of their grandchildren’s friends have also now discovered Kingswood.

The talks by the fire late into the evening began as a time when Bill and Cynthia became closer and then one by one the boys joined. Many significant conversations took place around a Kingswood fire. Now the campfire is an intergenerational family custom.

It’s a sweet place for the extended family to reconnect. Cynthia is grateful to her daughter-in-laws who put in the time and effort to make it happen year after year.