By GLENN ROLFE, Delaware State News
MILLSBORO, Del. (AP) – Except for several adults and children dying tied up and a couple of youngsters playing ball or badminton, there was little activity as the midday sun beat down on Carey’s Camp.
Around 5 o’clock that evening is when the camp began to come alive.
Coincidentally (or maybe not), that’s also when the Sugar Shack opened, with about two dozen flavors of ice cream, plus smoothies, homemade cakes, candy and other sweets.
With the help of their children and grandchildren, Michael and Daphne Jones have run the establishment at the camp for about 12 years.
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“We rent the building. Whatever little profit is left, we keep it. It’s a lot of work, a lot of work. Our whole family works here,” said Mr. Jones, also an employee of the Sussex County Housing and Community Development Department.
“We are very lucky and fortunate to be able to do this year after year. I grew up here all my life. We had our own cabin, right next door. We call them tents. So I grew up right across from this place. Our family has had a tent here for probably 70 years.”
Mrs. Jones makes coconut cream pies, lemon meringue and chocolate meringue, along with rice pudding. Candies that cost a penny when Mr. Jones was a boy now cost quite a bit more.
“It has been an ongoing thing. My parents got this when I was probably 4 or 5 years old. Back then they called it the patisserie. The kids call it the Sugar Shack,” she said. “We actually found the sign at a yard sale. I said, “We’ll call the patisserie the sugar shack.”
The Joneses’ ties to Carey’s Camp include their son, Discover Church Pastor Curtis Jones, who was a speaker.
The 15-day camp is a multigenerational tradition in its 132nd edition. The gathering offers worship, music, vacation Bible school, youth services, food, fun activities for children and “the presence of God.”
On the open tabernacle stage one night were Sherri and Randy Miller, a husband-and-wife gospel duo from Cleveland, Tenn., who play about 150 concerts a year.
They say Carey’s Camp is something special.
“I grew up as a singing girl with my family (the Singing Rambos), and we used to come to Carey’s Camp in the seventies. I was barely 4,” Ms. Miller said. “As I grew up, we lost touch and then reconnected with another friend of ours in the music business. They said they still do Carey’s Camp. About eight years ago, we started coming back. We do a concert here during the week.
“And we love it. We love what they do here,” said Ms. Miller, who has performed with the likes of Dolly Parton, Charlie Daniels and The Judds. “Through thick and thin, they just keep going. … We are very fortunate to be here.”
Added Mr. Miller, who can play nine different instruments and also toured with The Kingsmen Quartet: “It’s always a good time.”
For Carey’s young visitors, that fun included vacation Bible school, complete with a little tie.
But with limited running water and no washers or dryers, the teachers relied on the sun to complete the project.
Keri Justice, director of Carey’s Vacation Bible School for more than 20 years, ordered 330 shirts. “There were over 150 children and over 200 people involved in total,” he said.
In addition to the tie-dye, there were fire truck rides, rides, water slides, bounce houses and a family picnic dinner.
Cheryl Roach and Amanda Millman helped with the shirts.
“It’s all family here,” Ms. Justice said. “Your family sticks to you for everything. That’s why Amanda is here.”
Meanwhile, back at the Sugar Shack, business was picking up. The boarding tent of the camp was also open, for other concessions.
“Before that, we had the boarding tent on the other side. We did that for 20 years, where the food was,” said Mr. Jones. “We saw all the kids grow up and have kids. You see the same faces year after year. It’s really fun.”
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