Millstone 4-H Camp unveils new dining hall, nature trail

ELLERBE — Millstone 4-H Camp celebrated the dedication and ribbon cutting of their new dining hall and nature trail Thursday morning.

The original dining hall was one of the main buildings constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Work Progress Administration created by Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was completed in 1939, with all of the lumber used from the camp.

Millstone, now in its 83rd year of serving campers, received a much needed facelift from the additions, said camp director Keith Russell.

“The dining hall is in many ways the centerpiece of camp,” Russell said, adding that it leads to the all important unstructured time with meaningful conversations. “One of the first questions from campers is ‘What are we going to eat today?’”

Plans to renovate the dining hall have been ongoing since 2016. Carolina Farm Credit was the main source of funding for the project, contributing $250,000. The new facility bares the Farm Credit name.

Carolina Farm Credit CEO Vance Dalton said that 4-H is such a prevalent organization that change the course of a person’s entire life.

“We believe that, if the future of agriculture is to exist, it’s to exist through out youth,” Dalton said. “We seek ways to reach out to those young people and introduce them to agriculture and leadership opportunities.”

4-H is the largest youth development organization in North Carolina, educating nearly 200,000 young people each year through the NC Cooperative Extension.

“Through the support and guidance of the College of Agriculture and Life Science and NC State Extension, 4-H is growing the next generation of leaders and equipping you with the skills to succeed,” said interim dean of CALS Dr. John Dole at the ribbon cutting.

Now, Millstone will be able to serve 180 individuals per meal in an air-conditioned space to avoid the hot North Carolina summer conditions. Restrooms have been added along the outside deck, so campers no longer have to travel back to their cabins to use the restroom.

Summer camp director Heather Henry’s favorite part of the renovations is a new courtyard area, which will now be more of a inviting, communal space where campers can gather for some pre-meal songs.

State 4-H Council President Guillermo Estrada said this dining hall will help “educate, inspire and enhance the minds of thousands each year.” State 4-H Council Reporter Bliss Pointer, a former Millstone camper, recalled how welcoming camp and how each counselor makes it a priority to make kids have the best experience possible.

“I thought it was amazing that the counselors remembered my name and always reminisced about the summers before,” Pointer, a first time camper in 2017, said. “It was just like seeing an old friend after a year apart.”

The Millstone Creek Teaching Trail was sponsored and made possible by Duke Energy. A half-mile trail will serve as an environment where campers can learn more about nature through educational placards while traversing through camp.

Henry said some exciting activities at camp this summer for new and returning campers alike include the water trampoline, which first arrived last summer. Additionally, Millstone has a new archery and riflery range on camp grounds.

All of the traditional camps for Millstone are waiting list only, with some registration spots available for their specialty camps. More information on their camps can be found at millstonehcamp.com

“It’s going to provide a comfortable, relaxing space allowing campers as well as folks through the year to renew their body and prepare for the new adventures that unfold every day,” Russell concluded about the new dining hall.