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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2011 1C



Camp Weed is perfect for meetings, celebrations


 Camp Weed and the
 Cerveny Conference
 Center in Live Oak
 offers everything
 guests will need to
 host their upcoming event, from
 lodging and meeting rooms to
 dining.
 "It has the whole package,"
 said Joe Chamberlain, executive
 director.
 Sitting on 520 acres,'the camp
 is a ministry of the Episcopal
 Diocese of Florida, with sepa-
 rate youth camp facilities and an
 adult conference center.
 The camp originated almost 90
 years ago in St. Augustine when
 a group, of young people gath-
 ered for a summer camp, which
 they named Camp Weed in honor
 and memory of Edwin Weed, a
 bishop in the Episcopal Church
 who died in 1924.
 After it moved to several loca-
 tions, Bishop Frank Cerveny
 had a vision to put the camp
 at a more central location, in
 Live Oak to better serve the 75
 Episcopal churches in North
 Florida, Chamberlain. That vision
 included an adult conference
 center in addition to the youth
 camp, he, said, and the Cerveny
 Conference C9enter was added
 in 1985.
 Today, Camp Weed hosts annu-
 al summer camps and Episcopal
 churches use its facilities for
 retreats. About 50 percent of the
 activities it hosts are for churches
 and denominations outside the
 Episcopal Diocese, Chamberlain
 said. Other entities like business-
 es, governmental agencies, uni-
versities and community organi-


 JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter
Joe Chamberlain, executive director of Camp Weed and the Cerveny Conference Center, is seen in the pews at
Mandi's Chapel, where many wedding ceremonies are held throughout the year.


nations also utilize the camp and
conference center's facilities.
 Large portions of the prop-
erty have been purposely left
untouched, Chamberlain said,
and all of the facilities were inten-
tionally designed with nature in
mind.
 "All of our architecture keeps
you in touch with the outdoors,"
he said.
 Over time, the camp became a
"premiere site" for weddings and
receptions, Chamberlain said, an
identity for which the camp is
locally known.


 The grounds are home to
Mandi's Chapel, which is open
to all Christian wedding ceremo-
nies, and four different reception
areas both indoor and out-
door --that can hold different
numbers of people to give guests
a variety of options for their
event.
 "We've done all sorts of recep-
tions from a wedding reception
for 750 people down to a recep-
tion for 10," he said.
 Reception prices have been
changed to accommodate cus-
tomers on tighter budgets.


 "I think one of the perceptions
that's/ out there is we're very
expensive and maybe too expen-
sive for a lot of people to use,
so we've modified some of our
offerings so people on a tighter
budget can rent the facilities,"
he said.
 Customers can bring in their
own caterer or use the camp's
"excellent food services,"
Chamberlain said.
 'We've intentionally positioned
our food services at a top level,"
he said.
 Four levels of lodging are also


available for event guests more
than 50 guest rooms, almost 10
cabins that sleep 18 people each,
15 RV sites and unlimited tent
camping.
 Guests should choose to host
an event at Camp Weed and the
Cerveny Conference Center
because it's flexible in its facilities
for both formal and casual events
and affordable for all budgets,
Chamberlain said.
 Its layout promotes an "egali-
tarian" atmosphere, where busi-
ness people can accomplish their
work in both a meeting room and'
in a more relaxed, social setting.
 "What's unique about this place
and what sets it apart, because of
the way it's laid out, as much can
be .accomplished in a couple of
rocking chairs watching the sun go
down as can be accomplished in a
meeting room," Chamberlain said.
 The camp's organization also
fosters a sense of community,
Chamberlain said.
 "Our spaces put you together
comfortably and you become, for
a brief time anyway, a commu-
nity," he said.
 Advertising in the Lake City
Reporter's magazine, Currents, has
produced "fruitful" and "excellent"
results, Chamberlain said.
 "From my experience, you (the
Reporter) have helped us position
ourselves as a premiere site for
weddings and receptions locally,"
he said.
 Call the camp at (386) 364-
5250, e-mail frontdesk@campweed.
org and visit www.campweed.org.
. "There really isn't anything like
it in the area," Chamberlain said.


I'


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