It’s not commonly known that I did not get the first camp job for which I applied. Pastor Conrad B. Youse did not offer it to me. Pastor Youse was the administrator for the Lutheran Camping Corporation for Central PA in 1989 when I applied to be a summer counselor at Camp Mount Luther. They were desperately in need of male counselors and so I was encouraged by some summer staff to apply, even though I was only 17-year-old and did not meet the age requirement of 18 for the job. Since they were desperate, maybe Pastor Youse would bend the rules.
I interviewed for the position and received a phone call a little while after that. Pastor Youse said that he could not offer me the counselor position because I was not old enough, but he could hire me for kitchen or maintenance staff. I declined since I wanted to be a counselor and decided to go to Senior High Camp that summer instead.
The following year, I applied again, and this time Pastor Youse hired me. I had another interview and by then I could tell him about my future academic plans after high school. I was very impressed when later that summer, as I was walking down the field with him, Pastor Youse remembered I was going to Penn State to pursue a journalism degree. That was the beginning of a 35-year relationship with one of the giants of Lutheran outdoor ministry.
As a counselor, Pastor Youse seemed larger than life. He would pop into camp to check on things as he had responsibilities for three camps. Mount Luther was the furthest geographically from his base so his trips here were less frequent that Nawakwa and Kirchenwald. His leadership was quiet and strong. He commanded respect. We were amazed that if he stayed overnight at camp, he’d sleep on a picnic table. He’d get up early in the morning and run, usually around the perimeter of the field.
We also had our fun with him. One week, staff introductions included us singing the “Connie Youse Club” theme song, a parody of the Mickey Mouse Club Theme. When he’d be at camp, we’d sing “Gray Squirrel” at mealtime songs because we knew he didn’t like it. (He would later tell me that his dislike of the song was more of an act, the song was okay he just didn’t like doing the motions and being called out for it.) We were a bit afraid of him, he was the boss, and he was stern, and we knew that he was loving and kind and had a heart for sharing the gospel through outdoor ministries.
Connie retired just as I became the director of CML. The first spring of my tenure, I attended his retirement celebration with two other CML staff. Eleven years had elapsed since he hired me to work at camp. He told he has glad for my hiring as exec and that Mount Luther had a bright future. I told him he was a big part of why I was where I was today since he gave me a camp job and mentored me as a young staffer. I know that I joined the chorus of many camp staff voices that day who showed their appreciation for the work of Connie Youse.
Over the years since, I’ve had the opportunity to spend a little time with him. He and his son, who succeeded him at the camping corporation, visited Mount Luther. I ran into him at Kirchenwald, where he served in retirement as maintenance person until just the other year. He would ask about Tom and Wes Watters who he worked with and tell stories. I even heard the man swear. In the last 25 years, I also got to see human side of Conrad B. Youse. He was also affirming of my work at camp and excited to hear of new developments. I always enjoyed catching up with him, hearing old tales, and being able to stay connected to an important figure in my life.
In April 2023, I gathered with his family and a few camp colleagues as Pastor Youse was awarded the Celebrated Lifetime Ministry Award at United Lutheran Seminary. In accepting the award, he told some tales and pointed to several in room (including me) who he knew he had a small role in developing into who they were today. As he always has been, he was humble. He praised God for what he was able to do and the gifts he had been given to do them. He thanked his family for their support. He was a little embarrassed over all the attention.
So, it shouldn’t have surprised me as much when I received a text message telling me that Pastor Youse had died. He had a relatively short illness, and I’m sure didn’t want people to make a fuss over. But I was surprised. And I was saddened. He left his fingerprints on me, on Camp Mount Luther, and on outdoor ministries in Central PA and beyond. He took to heart the Great Commission and lived his life as a servant of God. He was role model, and mentor, and a challenger to make things better. And I am a better person and camp director because of him and his example.
Well done, good and faithful servant. Rest in peace, Pastor Youse. May God grant you eternal rest and may perpetual light shine upon you.