by Mark Dibble, CEO
Camp’s alumni had a happy hour in December. I really wish I could’ve attended, but I was visiting my parents in Rochester, NY for the holidays. From all accounts, it was a great success because it was alumni led and staff supported, as any good staff-alumni partnership would be!
In a time when cynics believe schools and non-profits just see their alumni as checkbooks, and when institutions think the alumni are stuck in the past, something different is happening here and it’s been awesome to watch. In the last few months, our alumni committee has really thrived. We, as staff, recognize we can’t go it alone. Our alumni are our cheerleaders, our donors, our volunteers, our camper parents and so much more. We, as staff, are the temporary stewards of an institution they love; an institution that is just as much theirs as ours – or anyone who wants to be a stakeholder, for that matter. Last year when we hired our new boys camp director, Matt, there was an outpouring of support from our alumni. They called, they emailed, some even came to camp and spent hours getting to know Matt. Where else does that happen?
When my wife was looking for a job, it was a Matolly alumna who cut through the red tape to get her an interview. When my son needed a pediatrician, it was an Ocky alumnus who steered us to a wonderful doctor. Our realtor when we bought our house: a Matolly alumna. The first people to throw us a baby shower: an Ocky and Matolly alumni couple. The first person to visit our son after his birth in the hospital: a camp volunteer; second person: a Matolly alumna. We had lived here less than a year at that point, and they met my son even before my parents laid eyes on him! Camp is family.
If you’re not tapped into our alumni committee, I recommend that you do. It’s a great group and it’s really gaining steam. And camp is all-in on this committee. We’re going to find ways increase our support for this group in any way possible.
So what made me write this now? Three things.
- We recently put up gates at camp. It was not a decision we took lightly, as we want camp to be inviting. If anyone has entered an elementary school recently, you know that the standard of security there is extreme. The reality is, we serve more children than most schools do, and we do it in a much more expansive space. At the end of the day, our staff are what we rely on to keep kids safe, and they do a great job. But we have a responsibility to minimize all the risk possible. People were routinely driving into camp at all hours of the day and night. While they had no ill intent, often they drove fast and were on main paths when kids were present. It was not safe, so we put up gates.
An alum recently told me that the gates made her feel like she had lost access to her home. It broke her heart, she said – and that broke my heart – because camp really does belong to the alumni as much as anyone. We sell memberships that give people access to the camp. The cost of the memberships doesn’t cover the cost we incur by having such a program, but it helps. Also, forcing people to sign up for memberships allows us to run background checks on everyone who comes on our property. When you present your license at the front desk, we’re doing a background check on you. This is also new in the last two years, also to mitigate risk.
But I don’t want anyone to feel that they don’t belong here at camp. So if you want a membership, come purchase one. If you can’t afford it, just tell me and we’ll make sure you get one anyway. This camp is yours. If you just want to take a drive through camp to reminisce, we can make that happen as well. Just let us know. I’m always available at mark@ycamp.org.
- The alumni committee is planning an awesome alumni weekend for the weekend of March 9, and I want to see everyone there!
So join me in 2018 in not being a cynic! It’s going to be another awesome year at camp.
With love for and from the camp family,
Mark Dibble