As I write this column in the still cold, grey days of February, it is encouraging to know that by the time this newsletter is printed and mailed to you, it will truly be Spring. Perhaps some of you are even sitting outside amidst daffodils on a sunny, spring day as you read this! Both Jeanne and I were delighted when, just a few days ago, we went from our house to the Conference Center, and an enormous flock of robins swooped across the road right in front of us. Ah, spring is coming!

Spring is always welcome, yet winter here has also been awesome! There is a great and peaceful beauty in the winter, even when it includes a major snowstorm that left us without power for four days. Our electricity came back on at 4:30 pm and two very faithful groups from South Carolina arrived right at 5:00 pm! Actually, the Center is quite busy in the winter months, filled mostly with enthusiastic young people who come with their church youth groups. They enjoy skiing during the day and experience some very powerful spiritual programming prepared by their youth leaders in the evenings. Many groups of various denominations also enjoy the opportunity to worship with us at the Church of the Holy Cross on Sunday mornings. We are thankful for these young Christians who bring enthusiasm, boundless energy, and a loving spirit to our valley. We are also thankful for those adults who use their gifts to mentor and nurture these young people. Their presence with us here at the Valle Crucis Conference Center keeps us ever aware of the "awesome things he has done on earth," not only in the beauty of nature but also in the goodness of people of all ages. Thanks be to God!

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Tom Eshelman, Executive Director

Mildred, Marc, Esh, Keith, and Marian standing behind their new serving line.

Rise and shine! It's time to cook breakfast at the Valle Crucis Conference Center. So crack and scramble 300 eggs, bake 200 hot biscuits, broil 450 pieces of bacon, stir up a big pot of grits, and don't forget the coffee, tea, hot chocolate, milk, cereal, and the Center's own sorghum molasses. And that's just to get the day started! We repeatedly get rave reviews of the Center's food - breakfast, lunch, and dinner - and that is thanks to our outstanding kitchen staff: Marian Miller, Kitchen Manager; Esh Donaldson, Assistant Kitchen Manager; and their devoted assistants Mildred Tester, Keith Birnie, and Marc Stanard. We are truly blessed to have such a talented and dedicated kitchen staff who work hard to creatively plan and prepare the meals, graciously accommodate special dietary needs, and miraculously make it all simultaneously nutritious and delicious!

Our new fire alarm system received its final inspection and approval from the fire marshall. Our guests are now assured that in the unlikely event of a fire there will be appropriate warning and response from both the sprinkler system and area emergency management. The system is truly state-of-the-art, and is tied into the sheriff's department and four local fire departments.

We are especially grateful to the Episcopal Foundation for funding the installation of this system throughout all our buildings. Our thanks to them for recognizing the importance of protecting this valuable historic property and, more importantly, our guests.

Even the snow can't keep one young visitor from enjoying a peaceful moment on the Inn's porch.

"Just a note to say thank you for all you did to make our stay at Valle Crucis such a blessing. Jesus said, if someone asks for your coat, give them your cloak also. You all really demonstrated that kind of extra mile of love for us ... The kids have not stopped talking about the trip and what it meant to them. We had a number of kids hear the Lord speak to them through the conference.

Thank you again."

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Glenn Starr and Dustin Salter and the enthusiastic young Christians from All Saints Episcopal Church, Orlando, Florida and St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Winter Park, Florida

Many of you are very aware of how fully booked the Center has been this past year. We had our best occupancy last year with over 11,800 person nights. This is a blessing for us but it presents some challenges as well. In order to be fair to all who wish to visit, we need to strictly enforce our deposit policy. After your visit, we must receive your deposit to confirm next year's reservation within two weeks or we will open that date to those on the waiting list. So, please, if you plan to return with your group, be sure to get your deposit to us on time. Thanks!

The Apple Barn is almost synonymous with the Valle Crucis Conference Center. Its distinctive red siding can be seen all the way across this sacred valley. It was built in 1911 as the first dairy barn (that's right, DAIRY, not apple!) with a concrete floor. It also housed the cheese factory which had a storage vault with cork ceilings and six inch thick walls so the temperature would remain constant year round. The Apple Barn, as it is called now, serves different purposes today: meeting space for groups; wedding reception space for local families; and, of course, barn dances for the community.

The Apple Barn has never had insulation or a heating system, making it only available when the weather is reasonably warm. And because of its age, it needs some general maintenance. Our planning for the future includes these renovations so it can be used year-round.

We have consulted initially with restoration architect John Horton from the N.C. Department of Archives and History. He assured us that we can accomplish these renovations and still maintain the historical integrity and appearance of the barn.

A percentage of all rental fees for the Apple Barn will now go into the renovation fund. We are also looking for larger gifts from donors interested in preserving and improving this important site.

For more information, call Tom Eshelman at 828-963-4453.

All Saints Episcopal Church, Winter Park, Florida
Betsy Ashburn
Mr. & Mrs. Allen W. Chilson
John & Faye Cooper
Wilda Dockery
Jeanne Finan & Tom Eshelman
Diane H. Flynt
John Goodrich
Mr. & Mrs. Edgar Hamilton
Sally Hatch & Gary Swartz
Ann & Mason Hawkins
Judith Homer
Dorothy & Harding Hughes Jr.
John Huie
The Rt. Reverend Robert H. Johnson
Arthur Korff
Dan Linker and Company
The Reverend & Mrs. Scott Oxford
Dagmar & Wright Sherrad
The Reverend and Mrs. Bancroft P. Smith
Genie Stone
Harper Thayer
Lee & Nancy Wakeman

We continue to work to keep our facilities looking great. The outside of the Farm House was recently painted and the inside of the Bunk House got a fresh coat of paint, too. Several bathrooms in the Inn have been painted and lots of the "details", such as the radiators and the sprinkler pipes, are now newly painted. Other improvements in the Inn include more towel racks and new toiler paper holders, as well as new blankets for the beds.

We have an attractive new buffet line in the dining room as well as several new oak tables constructed by maintenance department head Dale Townsend and his crew. We also extended the well and have increased our water flow to 32 gallons per minute. All this means better looking facilities and better service for our guests. Please let us know what we can do to make your stay more comfortable.

The Center's Board met in February and was joined by Bishop Robert Johnson, who braved icy roads to speak at the meeting.

We welcome three new members to the Board of Directors:

• Susan Garland from St. James, Black Mountain
• David Yates from Holy Cross, Valle Crucis
• Reverend Ken Asel from St. Paul's, Wilkesboro

Our 1998 officers are:

• John Goodrich, President
• Sally Hatch, Vice President
• Margaret Lehmann, Treasurer
• Reverend Morgan Gardner, Secretary

We are especially grateful for the dedicated Board service of both Chip Schwab and Jerry McBrayer whose terms ended in December. They both gave generously of their time and talents to the Center.