03/19/2024
Spread the love

By Erin Smith

Construction of the new women’s dormitory and a men’s bath house at the White Lake Future Farmers of America (FFA) camp, were the topic of the Elizabethtown-White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon meeting on Tuesday. Alycia Thornton, Director of Development with the North Carolina FFA Foundation, spoke to the group about the changes planned for the camp.

A groundbreaking for the new facility was conducted on August 1st at the camp. Thornton said the project is expected to cost $1.5 million. She said $700,000 of the funds needed for the project have been raised through donations. The State Employees Credit Union made a $400,000 grant and BASF Corporation contributed $250,000 and contributions have also been received from Farm Bureau, Farm Credit and individuals.

The White Lake FFA Camp was established in 1928. Thornton said that first year the campers had to bring five live chickens and other staples with them for their meals. Today they don’t accept live chickens. The first year the camp opened, many of those in attendance had never seen the Atlantic Ocean and so for many years, a trip was planned to take the group to the beach each year.

Thornton said for a number of years, the camp was attended by men. Recently, women have begun to attend the camps and make up 70 percent of the leadership positions of FFA. The existing girl’s dormitory was constructed in 1979. As the number of women joining FFA grows, it was determined there was a need for more dormitory space for women at the camp. The proposed new dormitory will add 72 beds for women which gives the camp the capacity to house up to 500 women.

There is also a need to construct new men’s bath house as the current one is outdated.

There are also four historic cabins that remain at the camp. Thornton said two of the historic cabins are being offered to anyone who can move them out of the camp and the remaining two will be preserved.

Thornton also shared that one individual left a gift to FFA in his estate. She encouraged everyone to consider FFA when they are planning their estate gifts.

For more information or to make a donation, contact Thornton at 919-513-7068 or by email at aamclamb@ncsu.edu.

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