Rough draft Local history

Etna Spiritualist Camp

Have you ever been or seen the Etna Spiritualists Camp? Probably not unless you are looking to be a member, well I haven’t been able to see it. Though I had interviewed someone that has looked into the culture. If you have seen it you might know that it was originated in 1877, by Thomas Hendricks. Though Thomas has passed they still have people that are part of his family running the facility. The Etna Camp is located P.O. Box 125 Etna, ME 04434. The basic household would consist usually of One male, one female (if your married) and maybe your children though could be frowned upon if you got pregnant while in the camp. Depending on the camp counselors request. Camp Etna is a lot different than Etna as a community, the way they live and act around their basic life is totally different than any other normal economy. That would be why you hear so much people around the camp discriminate around the fact of them excepting more and more people and growing there community more. Camp Etna already has 27 acres of land for there camps and cottages. Though the people of Etna would rather the camp keep the acres down to where they are now. So as it is they have to try really hard to get anymore acres to grow. The main Idea of this paper will be based on the way that camp Etna is placed the way they live and a outlook on there daily life.
There is a lot of different things about the way they live, though during my interview I only got limited facts and off the Internet. One really basic thing that they really enforce to live there is you have to tell the camp counselor where you are at all times of the day, and if not the counselor then someone in a higher power of the camp. To go along with this you are not allowed to go to any clubs or party’s of the sort, any behavior like that will lead to being kicked out of the camp or severe punishment from the counselors. You can not share any secrets of the camp what so ever, if any are told you are put on probation. You have to make every camp meet that they have no matter what, even if it is an emergency they expect you to be there. Also you can not have anyone inside your home when your living in camp Etna only if they are part of camp Etna’s community, not even on the holidays, once and a while they will let you go and visit family. You have to believe in what the consul wants you to believe in or else you have to be put to work and are on probation again. There is absolutely no drugs or alcohol allowed on camp Etna it is forbidden, you could almost compare the rules this way through a college campus. There is a meeting that you have to attend to be part of the camp Etna society. This meeting talks about the rules and there religion and you have to vow to remain true to them. You can not have private relationships outside camp Etna, though you may have them inside if discussed with the consul. Even then you are not allowed to have sexual relations with this person, if it is found out then you can be put on probation or possible kicked out, they also may take your money away for the week. To get this money you have to work your way up the latter just like an actual job, when you first start out you would do typical things like washing the dishes for the church, also they have a field that you would have to mow and things like that, though as you get older if you remain true to the camp you can do easier work for example you could keep the paper work and the status of people in the town, then maybe eventually be part of the camp consul. You can not disobey the camp consul because that could possible lead to being kicked of the campus or long probation. In order to believe in their religion you have to believe in supernatural activities.
Now I will discuss some of the people within camp Etna, and some people outside of camp Etna and their opinion on each other. Most people outside of the camp, (the normal citizens of Etna) frown upon the people in the camp, a lot of the Etna citizens think we would be way better off if there was never a camp Etna. The people in the camp say that everyone is treated equal in there community though others think otherwise. The people in camp Etna are not widely introduced to technology like the normal outside citizens are, for example the t.v. the telephone especially cell phones. This would be another reasons why I could easily relate camp Etna to the Amish culture, though the religions are completely different. The people in camp Etna would consider themselves as one community which is something that I could agree on, they have a lot of pride in there community. The people in camp Etna would do not/ would not discuss there business much with other people outside there community, people find out the information they know now from former citizens of camp Etna or people that go there and try to be part of the community. Though it happens all the time the controversy's between the people of the camp and the people of Etna are not often recognized by other towns it’s not considered a big deal. Though other people know the people of camp Etna as “ Crazy Flukes”. You would have to under go many different rituals and believes in order for them to expect you. The people of the camp are said to be “ graceful and wanting peace”. Also they are said to be “caring though only to the people that want to be part of them”.
Now I would like to discuss the buildings inside of camp Etna, and the setting of the outside. They have a huge black wire gate that had camp Etna written in it, it’s locked every night. They are not allowed to have any type of pets or animals of the sorts. One of there rooms in the house are for a spirit they believe roams camp Etna. In each of the home each house has about 10 rooms though some may have a little more. Camp Etna has about 40 buildings or cottages in there community.
Some of the positives of being part of the camp are that you get a house, you can get free food from the church, you can get the feeling of being part of a community, you can use a free vehicle. A couple of negatives would be you have to work of your dept, you have no freedom of religion, you have no outside resources.
To conclude I think that if you believe in spirits that this would be a great community to be. Or if you want the feeling of belonging. Though it’s not the community for me.
According To: John Storen Etna, Me.