July – 100 years ago
The July 24-31, 1924, program at Central Oak Heights in West Milton, Union County, included an impressive array of presenters. This was in the pre-children/youth camp era, when the facilities were used by the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the Evangelical Church for adult/family conventions and Bible Conferences. Noted blind composer Dr. Adam Geibel (1855-1933) directed the music, gave workshops and led the children’s time. Future EUB Bishops John S. Stamm (1878-1956) and Elmer W. Praetorius (1882-1966) gave multiple presentations, as did college presidents Aaron E. Gobble (1856-1929) formerly of Union Seminary in New Berlin and Clellan A. Bowman (1861-1937) of Albright College then in Myerstown. Two of the rules were “Groceries and provisions will not be sold on the Lord’s day” and “Horses shall not be hitched to trees.” In 1990, Central Oak Heights ceased being a Conference camp, was sold to an Association of cottages holders, and maintains a program of summer events.
August – 50 years ago
The Central Oak Heights Singers enthusiastically shared the folk musical LIFE by Otis Skillings as they presented four concerts during the week of Music Camp, August 4-10, 1974. Concerts were given at the Lewisburg Benevolent Home [now RiverWoods], St. Andrews Church in Milton, and in the tabernacle at C.O.H. The 50+ campers had memorized all 96 pages of the musical between Monday and Thursday. Miss Beth Coughenour of Huntingdon served as the choral director, and Rev. Guy Bear of the conference program staff served as the camp director.
Central Oak Heights was not yet finished for the summer. The week of Music Camp was followed August 11-17 by a junior high camp and August 18-24 by an elementary camp – the fourth one of the summer at that location.
