So many memories come to mind as I sit here and think about forty years of Crestridge. How does one choose one or two to relate? As I thought about this, I thought perhaps informative things would be of interest to most of you, things perhaps you wondered how they came to be.

Several have asked me how we came to name the villages. When camp first began, there were only two hills, Junior Hill and Senior Hill. In 1962, the staff lounge was where Cherokee 1 is now. Three more cabins were added to that hill, thus a name was needed. I felt we needed something comparable to Boys Camp tribes, and the idea of villages came to mind. I wanted it to be Indian names, and since Camp Crestridge started with Cs, I chose all Indian names beginning with a C.

I researched Indian names and came across Chippewa, and thought that would be perfect for the little ones we would call them Chips. Chickasaw seemed apropos for the next age group, and we could call them Chicks. The other three just fell in line with Cheyenne, Choctaw, and Cherokee. Selfishly, I wanted Cherokee to be the oldest village, since I am part Cherokee.

We had quite a ceremony to name the villages, and each one began its own cheers and songs. Since then, other cheers and songs have been added in various years. Some of the cheers we do now were started in those first years of the villages. The Council of Progress colors were chosen for each village, along with their mottos and scriptures. These have become a part of the foundation of our camp.

Crestridge was founded on the love of God, and the traditions that have come down through the years only make it more special today. Thank you for helping us build another wonderful memory in the celebration of our 40th anniversary. How precious was that special time.

'Til the next memory,
Johnnie