Lake Whitney Ranch Receives ACA Accreditation
Kenn L. Dixon
The American Camp Association® (ACA), a national organization with more than 12,000 individual members and 3,100 member camps, recently accredited Lake Whitney Ranch (LWR) in Clifton, Texas. LWR’s 800+ acres exemplify the beauty and tranquility of Texas. On the south side of the ranch, 400+ acres feature large oaks, wildflowers, all types of wildlife and several waterfalls. The other 400+ acres provide open natural space, perfect for large groups.
“The ACA accreditation puts LWR in an elite group of diverse camps accredited nationally by ACA,” Hector Perez, Lake Whitney Ranch director, shared.
LWR is owned and operated by Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists based in Alvarado, Texas. Its staff run a summer camp program at LWR each year, which is also part of the accreditation process.
ACA accreditation affirms that an organization meets the highest standards of best practice and establishes the organization’s credibility as effective and professionally sound. That means that Texas Conference and its summer camp at Lake Whitney Ranch conducts its work in an effective and ethical way.
“This is a significant achievement for our organization, and we are extremely proud of the hard work it took for this recognition, especially by Deborah Gendke and Madilyn Gonzalez,” Carlos J. Craig, Texas Conference president, stated.
This accreditation also provides assurance to stakeholders that LWR is delivering high-quality programs, conducting its operations successfully and managing its funds effectively.
“ACA is the only independent accrediting organization reviewing camps in the country administered through a peer-review process,” said Bill Wood, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists Camp Ministries coordinator. “We are proud Lake Whitney Ranch joined its sister camps in the Southwestern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists to become ACA accredited.”
For information about how Texas Conference impacts local communities throughout Texas, visit TexasAdventist.org.
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About American Camp Association
The American Camp Association® (ACA) is a national organization with more than 12,000 individual members and 3,100 member camps. ACA is committed to collaborating with those who believe in quality camp and outdoor experiences for children, youth, and adults. ACA provides advocacy, evidence-based education and professional development and is the only independent national accrediting body for the organized camp experience. ACA accredits approximately 2,400 diverse camps nationally. Accreditation provides public evidence of a camp’s voluntary commitment to the health, safety, and overall well-being of both campers and staff. For more information, visit ACAcamps.org.
About Texas Conference
The Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is the administrative headquarters for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the eastern two-thirds of Texas. It is our mission to empower members, pastors, churches and schools in our territory to share the gospel message with their friends and communities. The Texas Conference is comprised of over 60,000 members amongst 325 churches and companies, in addition to its 28 schools and Lake Whitney Ranch. For more information, visit TexasAdventist.org.