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John Nixon

2004

Deerwoode was an experience that I have carried with me my whole life. Only Deerwoode alumni can truly understand the experience that we endured as young boys, adolescents, and young men. From taking that first Greyhound from Augusta, wetting my bed in Cabins 1 and 2, running to the river to pick a leaf in the middle of the night, jumping in the pond at 1st period, making my first lantern, being dunked in a canoe, going down sliding rock, capturing the flag, camping out at Cove Creek, going to Cherokee on the 5 yr. camper trip, learning to water ski behind the old green Chevy wagon, learning to drive that old green station wagon, trying to survive Mayes’ intense basketball program, watching the Apollo land, practicing songs for campfires, playing guitar for the girl’s camps sing-a-longs, getting the nerve to ask a girl to dance, winning the decathlon as a camper and a JC, (even when Mayes thought I was washed up and gone to pot), taking on the responsibility as a JC, doing PC, doing KP(!), and running to the little teepee in the middle of the night……. to basically learning to never quit, achieve your goals, and DON’T BE A WUSS ! That’s what Deerwoode was all about and my parents realized it too. I only wish that my son and nephew could have the same Deerwoode experience that Alex and I had; and of course, the influence of Bill Mayes & Co. Thank you Deerwoode !!!!

The panther, rednecks firing a gun at our campsite on Lake Glenville, trying to go AWOL to Illahee, listening to Hank, the primer incident at Illahee, 1st time being short sheeted, 1st time short sheeting a cabin buddy, going down Toxaway Falls, the list a goes on……