Inn Dedication and Chapel Designation

Between five and six hundred people attended the dedication of the Inn at Windsor on June 29, 2003. The service began at 4:00 PM in the Dining Hall/Gymnasium building, with worship and various musical specials. Choirs from Nashua Community Chapel and Walpole Emmaus Church ministered in song, along with a special gospel quartet formed just for the occasion.

Rev. Dr. Ken Mills, Superintendent of the Washington District brought the dedicatory address, describing the importance of “place” in the lives of God’s children. As the sermon concluded, the assembly moved to the front of the Inn where a dedication liturgy was recited by the entire congregation. (A copy of the program for the dedication is available here. The liturgy is included.)

In addition to dedicating the Inn, the chapel area of the new building was “designated”. Mentioning the fact that McLain Chapel had been destroyed, Board Chairman William Dyment announced that the new chapel would be named in honor of Neil and Gladys McLain. Tim Mather, staff member at Windsor Hills, transferred the nameplate from the old chapel to the front of the entrance to the new worship space as part of the service. The McLain’s were on hand for the festivities.

After a closing prayer, the Inn was opened for inspection. While the center section is operational, there were some minor details still needed for completion, including the painting of trim and the partitions in the public restrooms. Visitors to the rooms saw one memorial room completed as an example of what would follow. The Jack P. Cove room was decorated, not only with a brass plate at the door, but also with a framed memorial above the desk in the room. Included with the citation was a brief biography and a copy of an old revival flyer advertising a meeting in which Jack participated. Plans are underway to develop special citations for each room that has been designated as a memorial room.

The celebration concluded with a cookout on the grounds. Barbecued Chicken, along with hot dogs, hamburgers, standard picnic fare with sweet watermelon were enjoyed by the group.

The Dedication event saw the largest crowd ever gathered at Windsor Hills. It also created a desire on the part of many of the folks who attended to repeat this kind of event on an annual basis. The camp board has begun discussing the need for a meeting room large enough to hold a crowd of this size. You are welcome to send your opinion on this issue to the board, in care of Wdyment@aol.com.

 Click here for Dedication Service Outline in pdf format