W.F. “Chief” Weiherman

William Frederick Weiherman was the Camp Director from 1923 until his death in 1963.  The exact origin of the nickname “Chief’ is unknown, but it was used fondly by Arcadians through the years out of respect for his leadership and guidance of the Camp.  Under Chief’s management, Camp Arcadia evolved from a Walther League Camp for young single adults with no buildings to a family retreat with three major structures: the Assembly, the Inn, and the Wigwam.  Chief Weiherman was a major force in the establishment and development of the Camp Arcadia we know and cherish today.  Without his strong central leadership, Camp might not have made it through some very lean times.  Chief had a singular dedication to making Camp a success, and worked tirelessly to see that it did succeed.

A renowned toastmaster and story-teller, Chief was a fixture around Camp Arcadia for over forty years, leading weekly hikes and participating in program activities.  But for all of his years spent in one place, Chief was not afraid of change.  Former Dean Richard Caemmerer recalled that for Chief, “the march of time was God’s gift—not to blot out the old but to merge it with the fresh and the new…Each new homecoming at Arcadia made discoveries of dozens of improvements, yet we were always glad to find the good things and people of the past.  ‘Chiefnmom’—always one word—were the symbol of this continuity.”  The spirit of maintaining the past while embracing the possibilities of the future was a key element of Arcadia: Vision 2002.  We believe that Chief would be pleased with the changes, especially the building improvements, which have taken place at Camp over the last decade.