Camps Kahdalea and Chosatonga
Our Purpose, Cause, and Passion
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Our most precious treasures are our children. Giving them a rich and fulfilling childhood is so very important and intrinsic to their health and well-being. Unique pressures face today’s youth; in an often fast-paced and complicated world, the essential ingredients for a wholesome childhood are sometimes not fully realized. Children need time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life as well as time to play, dream, and explore. They need “unplugged” time for sitting under the stars, long walks with special friends, and exciting challenges that call them forth to grow and discover.
OUR MISSION
Answering Christ’s call (Luke 5:4) to set out “into the deep,” our mission is to accompany young hearts towards God through adventure, friendship, and fun. Since our founding in 1963, Camps Kahdalea and Chosatonga, owned by the Trufant Family, have sought to plant seeds in the hearts of campers and staff that will help them grow towards a thriving and whole-hearted adulthood.
OUR CORE VALUES
We are guided by five core values that show who we are and how we continue to grow. We communicate these values in every staff interview to ensure our team is dedicated to this higher aim:
Welcome Adventure
Be the One
We are a Family
Choose the Hard Right
Encounter Faith
OUR ESSENTIALS
Time, skills education, and a small community environment of lived Christian faith form the backbone of our program.
TIME
TIME: Our programs are founded on the understanding that time is the greatest gift we have. Time in a supportive environment allows young men and women the space they need to grow. In Luke 2:52, scripture speaks of Christ growing in “wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” We work for growth in these same areas: Mentally (wisdom), Physically (stature), Spiritually (favor with God), and Socially (favor with others). Our long sessions provide an advantage over typical school settings, allowing ample time for deep friendships and genuine character development to take place.
SKILLS AND ADVENTURE
We are blessed to accomplish this in a location of incredible natural beauty, set on a campus of 250 acres and bordered by nearly a million acres of the Pisgah National Forest. Here, children realize they are much more capable than they ever imagined. Whether in arts & crafts, riding, and field sports or in rock climbing, mountain biking, whitewater paddling, caving, and backpacking, our campers start at a beginning level and advance according to their ability and desire. Careful teaching of these disciplines helps to enhance a child’s self-esteem while broadening his or her horizons. Instruction is overseen by qualified staff—many of whom were campers themselves—and is tailored to the level of each individual.
SIZE AND FAMILY
As we teach respect for the natural world, we also teach a deep reverence for each person: body, mind, and soul. Our camps are intentionally small, tight-knit communities with a staff-to-camper ratio better than 3 to 1. Our staff knows every camper by name, ensuring no one is lost in the crowd. In this intentional family environment, children find a depth of friendship with their cabin mates and mentors. As they experience joys and challenges within this encouraging framework, they grow in patience and understanding.
FAITH
Our greatest ministry is creating an environment where campers can encounter faith. We are a prayerful community representing many Christian denominations, as well as seekers searching for beauty, goodness, and truth. We profess a view of the human person concordant with traditional Christianity and the Catholic faith.
Ours is a relationship-based ministry. We are Christian camps, rooted in the Catholic worldview of our directors, and we ask our staff to “put their faith on the table”—to model it with joy, confidence, and enthusiasm—and if the campers wish to pick it up, they may. We recognize that it is the Holy Spirit who ultimately calls and converts; we simply want to be an environment where that invitation can be heard. We take time for quiet and prayer daily at our morning watch and each Sunday at our Chapel. If you would like your camper to attend a specific denominational Sunday service, we are delighted to bring them to services in nearby Brevard; Catholic Mass and confession are held each Sunday on our campus for our Catholic campers.
Our commitment to your child is the same as for our own: to create a place where they can grow physically, spiritually, and emotionally within a consistent framework of Christian ideals. Thank you for the privilege of including your child in our camp family.