Patty Johnson has been a part of Skyland Camp for Girls since 1975, and her legacy spans generations.
When alumnae hear her name, many stories follow. Some of Patty’s earliest campers (now alumnae!) remember her because of the scary ghost stories she told. Some alumnae remember her archery skills, and report learning how to use a bow and arrow under her direction as an archery counselor. Other alumnae recall, with great love and fondness, her beautiful voice while singing along with her guitar. And recent alumnae know her name from the book she wrote for Skyland’s Centennial Celebration: In the Land of The Sky: Celebrating 100 Years of Skyland Camp for Girls.
Regardless of how most remember Patty, there is always one theme. She was (is) a brilliant connector! Alumna quotes include “She was always a great listener,” “she made people feel important,” and “she had an uncanny ability to connect, in open and nonjudgmental ways, with campers and staff of all backgrounds.”
We wanted to get to know Patty even BETTER, so we took a recent opportunity to sit down and have some conversation.
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How did you first learn about Skyland?
In 1975 there was an ad in the Charlotte Observer. The ad was for an Archery Counselor and a Hiking Counselor at Skyland Camp for Girls. My dad was a bow hunter, but liked target shooting better. While I’d never taught archery, or worked with young children, I loved working with teens, and I knew how to shoot.
Bunny Brown hired me, after a phone interview, in 1975. I started two weeks later and I’ve been on Skyland Hill, in some form or another, every summer since then.
What was your work outside of Skyland?
My undergraduate degree is English Literature with a teaching certification, and my graduate degree is in Counseling. I retired in 2014 after 30 years as a school counselor with Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system.
What does Skyland represent to you?
When I was teaching, Skyland was my home away from home. It really has been a second home to me. I quickly discovered that I fit in better at Skyland than I did anywhere else.
Here’s a really funny story that perfectly exemplifies what Skyland means to me:
One summer, Bunny turned to me during banquet, and said “Patty, why don’t you offer the blessing”? I was completely tongue-tied, and the Cheers (TV show) theme song just popped in my head and before I knew it, I was reciting the words to that song: “Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got.”
And for me – both then, and looking back now – Skyland really is much like Cheers – a place where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came. While it’s so true, it still makes me laugh to think of that banquet blessing!
What is your favorite Skyland food?
Shepherd’s Pie! It was always served at Monday dinner. (and if you were able to get some Italian dressing to drizzle over the top, it was simply divine!!)
What was your favorite Skyland outing?
I really liked going to Pisgah Forest. I liked the whole thing, especially how the Upper Cove made us feel like we were so isolated. It was wonderful. I had never camped at home, so this was a real treat.
What is a Skyland conversation that you had that changed you, or changed the world?
Well, this was a surprise. There was a camper whose grandfather had passed away a few months before camp started. As a counselor, we had a long talk under a big glorious Skyland tree, and we talked about her grandfather. The next year, as part of an application for a school or summer program, that camper was to get a letter of recommendation from someone who had been an influence on her. She told me that the conversation under that big oak tree, about her grandfather, was the most meaningful conversation she’d ever had. That meant a lot to me and was probably the first time I realized the power of the conversations and connections that we had at Skyland.
What is a Skyland experience that changed you, or changed the world?
During my first summer as a counselor, I was really homesick. Three people had a significant influence on my life during that time. Beth Clifford and I played music together. I still have a cassette tape of that time and still cherish it.
During that first year, somebody told Potts that I was homesick and she came to my cabin to talk with me for a while. It was really neat because I was a 19-year old and she was an older “cool” woman (maybe in her 30s) who took time to come and connect with me.
The most influential experience that summer was with Hempy, and she helped me fit in without even knowing it. Beth asked me if I would sing a song at Vespers while she played the guitar. We practiced and learned it, and performed it one Sunday. After Hempy heard that song, she approached me and was so kind when she expressed how happy she was that I was there that summer. It was in that moment I truly started to feel a part of Skyland.
How did Skyland influence you in other ways?
Two ways. It was a place where I learned that problems don’t necessarily mean drama. If something breaks, I learned how to fix it. There was no drama over problems – we just resolved them at Skyland.
Skyland also led me to my career. I was moving toward a teaching degree, but wasn’t really excited about student teaching. A colleague knew that I loved working at Skyland, and recommended I consider working as a counselor where I could work with individuals in small groups, as well as one on one. I loved it. My 30-year career as a school counselor can be credited to that ad I answered in 1975.
What about the Book?
I’ve always been interested in the history of Skyland. One of my biggest regrets is not spending time with Hempy and Frances during my first few years at Skyland back in the 70s. I’ll bet their stories of “Skyland’s beginning” would have been wonderful.
As Skyland’s Centennial Celebration was being planned, a Skyland colleague said “you should write a book.” And so I did. With the help of fellow Skylanders, many interviews, Hempy’s original photo album, public archives, and loads of research, the book came together. It’s called In The Land Of The Skyland – Celebrating 100 Years of Skyland Camp for Girls, and is available for purchase at this link, or by contacting Skyland’s general email at mailbox@skylandcamp.com.
It’s loaded with great old photographs, and the history of the actual hotel that was built in 1898 (now Skyland’s Main Lodge/Big House). The book chronicles the opening of the hotel in 1898, Skyland’s launch in 1917, Granny’s auction purchase in 1920, all the way up to Bunny’s introduction to Skyland in 1943.
The greatest find in my research was locating the auction bill that had been advertised in the Asheville Citizen newspaper in 1920. The auction was planned to be a huge social event, complete with entertainment, souvenirs and more. The property was to be divided into parcels and sold. As the story goes, Granny was present at that auction and placed the winning bid for “the whole kit and caboodle.” And the rest, they say, is history. We’re already working on Volume 2, and will be interviewing more alumnae for that book.
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Patty currently serves as Skyland’s secondary historian (next to Bunny Brown of course!) and supports Skyland summer operations in a variety of ways from dishwashing to substitute archery instructor, admin support to on-site counselor (in between her research and archive work). She also attends Memorial Day Alumnae Volunteer Work Weekends where she can be found planting flowers, painting, working in the kitchen or sharing stories and songs around the campfire.
Thank you, Patty Johnson, for having the courage to respond to that newspaper ad 43 years ago. We love the difference you have made, and the connections that you have inspired during your time at Skyland. We love you!!
#BecauseOfSkyland
Sherry Brown and Patty Johnson, circa late 1970s.
Skyland alumnae Beth Clifford and Patty Johnson while enjoying Skyland’s Centennial Celebration in August, 2017.
