Conference Center Had Humble Beginnings
By Pat Symonds

During the preparation of the centennial book, limited time and tight deadlines made it difficult to carry out extensive research, resulting in insufficient coverage of some places and events. To remedy these unintentional oversights, we are attempting to fill in some gaps through articles in Epiphany. Pat Symonds of Anchorage responded positively to our request for information about the development of the Meier Lake Conference Center and provided us with the following article. We are grateful to her for this story, of which only she and a few others have full knowledge. - Carol A. Phillips

Meier Lake Conference Center came into being by the contributions and efforts of numerous faithful stewards of God's bounty who shared a vision and were surely moved by the power of a beneficent Holy Spirit.

Over a period of several years during the 1950s, Eddie and Bertha Meier of All Saints Church, Anchorage, gave the Missionary District 40 acres of their 120-acre homestead near Wasilla, to be used as a camp. Then, Oakley and Louise Brown, also of All Saints, gave a quonset hut which had been their home; this was moved from Anchorage to Wasilla by volunteers. Although the quonset lacked sewer and water, a well had been drilled. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the site was used sparingly for camping by Southcentral youth groups.

By the 1970s, St. Mary's Church was actively involved in faith encounter movements, popular in the Christian community, and was seeking conference center-type accommodations.

They used a Methodist center near Anchorage but had to plan their activities at least a year or two in advance because this facility was so solidly booked.

A camp committee had been formed. It was led eventually by Bud Davies of St. Mary's.

The committee sought support for development of the Meier property and put together a plan for a lodge and ten cabins.

The Missionary District became a Diocese in 1971. In 1974, Bishop Cochran was elected fourth bishop of Alaska. The Rev. Bob Jones became president of the Standing Committee in 1975, and I was elected to serve on that committee.

The Missionary District had been given $300,000 by a Mrs. Wahl of Chicago, and this fund was still intact. In 1976, the Southcentral Camp Committee submitted its plan to the Standing Committee, which voted to give $160,000 from the Wahl Fund. According to the Camp

Committee's plan, this amount would develop all utilities (electric, sewer, and water), improve the road to the lake site, and build the lodge.

Jim Burns of St. Christopher's, Harvey Prickett of St. Mary's, and myself from All Saints formed a fund-raising committee that obtained pledges of $80,000 to be paid over a five-year period by All Saints, St. Mary's, St. Christopher's, and numerous individuals. It was understood from the beginning that the conference center would have to be self-sustaining, as the Diocese did not have money for operating expenses.

In the summer of 1977, after materials arrived, improvement to the Meier property and construction began. The Rev. Larry Spannagel was volunteer superintendent of the project.

Ralph Sallee, an industrial arts teacher in Palmer and a member of St. Bartholomew's, was on-site construction manager. Through Ralph's contacts and influence, a plan for the lodge had been submitted to Georgia Pacific of Bellingham, Washington, for precut materials. Ralph advised the committee that Georgia Pacific was always generous with materials, and that he would also start a shower house utilizing leftover materials, and labor when it wasn't needed on the lodge. Ralph worked for $7 per hour, and his recruited teacher friends and industrial arts students were paid $5 per hour. They weren't quite volunteers -- but almost. Church members in Southcentral congregations pitched in to prepare the site, unload materials, paint, and do whatever they could to help.

By the end of the summer, the road was improved, utilities were established, and the lodge and shower house were completed. The Meier family was so pleased with the results that they gave an additional 40 acres, which included most of the lake, to the Diocese, making a total of 80 acres for the Center.

Meier Lake Conference Center was dedicated by Bishop Cochran in November 1977, with 200 attending the celebration. That winter several activities were held at the Center. It was obvious that sleeping accommodations and a residence for an on-site manager were needed to generate the income essential to become self-supporting.

The Conference Center Board worked out a plan for five cabins, each with four rooms, and for a duplex. Bishop Cochran had sent the Rev. Mark Boesser to Wasilla to be chaplain of the Center, as well as to develop a new church and to be the Bishop's representative to other developing churches of the area. We needed a residence for the chaplain and for a caretaker. The Committee again went to Ralph Sallee and Georgia Pacific. First Security Bank loaned $115,000. Pledges on the $80,000 continued to keep the operation going. In the summer of 1978, the duplex and cabins were built, with Ralph supervising the volunteer help. The project was very short of money. Finally, in the winter of 1978-79, the Boessers moved in, as did Wilson Valentine, our first volunteer caretaker. We were able to operate as a full-fledged Center. That year we had to use some money from the pledges but were mostly self-supporting.

We rented out the Center to groups that did their own cooking, and also began a catering service for those who required or requested it. Mildred Boesser helped in this endeavor, as did Alice Holinger when she came on board as volunteer caretaker in 1979. Alice was a full-time, resident, volunteer caretaker for three years. We received help and support from many members of Southcentral Episcopal churches, much needed when we served 50 to 125 people. All the money we made went back into the Center. The Diocese and St. David's paid the Boessers, and their housing and utilities were provided by the Center. The caretaker received the use of one-half of the duplex and utilities. No wages were paid from Center funds.

The Board of the Center is made up of two people from each Episcopal parish in the Anchorage/Mat-Su area. Many people who served on the Board contributed substantially to its health and well-being. Chairpersons have been the Rev. Larry Spannagel, the Rev. Bob Thwing, Pat Symonds, Harry Brelsford, Ed Thielen, and Kerry Kimura. Bob Dickson organized the Board into a legal entity as a branch of the Diocese and served on the Board for several terms.

Other Episcopalians contributed untold hours by supporting Center activities. Jim and Lynn Burns brought the Cursillo movement to the Diocese, utilizing the Center. The Rev. Bob Thwing and a group of ecumenical faithful used the Center for Beginning Experience, a group for divorced or widowed persons. Marriage Encounter, led by couples from Southcentral Episcopal churches, was a popular program. During the first few years the Boessers, and, later, staff from the diocesan office, and, eventually, the Southcentral Camp Committee, were faithful stewards of summer activities for youth and families. The Diocese held many meetings at the Center, including some diocesan conventions. Meier Lake brought us together. We met in fellowship, fun, and worship. We got to know each other.

The Center became increasingly popular with other religious, educational, and charitable groups, which not only brought in revenue but afforded the Episcopal Church the opportunity to do outreach to the community. Many of the groups were small -- 10 to 25 people. When fully utilized, the Center could accommodate 80 people. The Board decided a second lodge, fully self-contained for small groups, was needed.

Using money generated by use of the Center and the final pledges from the $80,000, another building was started, this time with all- volunteer labor. David Newlin and John Gourley of St. David's, Wasilla, poured the foundation and concrete floor. The Rev. Joe Aprill of Homer and the Kenai Peninsula framed the building. Over a two-year period the building gradually took shape. The diocesan fund-raiser, Venture in Mission, provided approximately $40,000 to the Center, and part of it was used for this building.

By 1984 I had devoted seven full-time years to the Center, first as treasurer and then as chairman of the Board, all the while maintaining the catering service. In spite of experiencing some severe losses in my personal life, I had found much fulfillment. The Lord had blessed me in ways beyond belief. But I needed to move on.

We were all blessed when the Center's Board was able to hire David and Ingrid Cook, who had managed an orphanage on Kodiak Island and were looking for a new venture. Multi-talented David manages, repairs, builds, and improves. He has turned the quonset into a shop and garage. He completed the second lodge building. He is remodeling the main lodge to become handicap-accessed. All the buildings have been improved and are well maintained. Ingrid continues the catering service, sharing her profits with the Center. Through this couple's efforts advance payments were made on the $115,000 bank loan, and it was completely paid in 1995.

During the past ten years, in order to protect the wilderness environment and have more room for activities, the Board, with the Cooks' help, has concentrated on obtaining the property adjacent to the original 80 acres. The Center now has 177.5 acres titled to the Diocese. The Meier family has agreed to sell the remaining 40 acres of their homestead to the Center; when finalized, this transaction will make a total of 217.5 acres.

To summarize the finances, the Diocese provided approximately $200,000 in cash, from the Wahl Fund and VIM. The Southcentral churches and individuals provided approximately $80,000. Activities at the Center have generated the income needed to do the rest. For $280,000, we have a million dollar center. All our stewardship ventures should be as successful!

In 1996 Meier Lake Center continues to be fully utilized by the Southcentral nonprofit community, but Episcopal Church support has weakened. Cursillo and Beginning Experience groups no longer function; Marriage Encounter is supported by only a few. The camp committee, led by Kitza Durkop, Don Schultz, and the Rev. Jim Basinger, provide youth camps in the summer, but family camps have not been supported. Occasionally, a diocesan or Southcentral meeting or retreat is scheduled or an individual Episcopalian schedules a qualified group in which they have an interest.

How are we going to better use this valuable asset which has been acquired through the Grace of God by the best efforts of so many led in the Spirit? What do we need to do to bring us all together again to explore the Christian world in fellowship and good cheer? How can we use the Center to build up the Kingdom of God and reach out to those who do not yet know and love Him? What can I do? What can you do? I am listening, Lord.