whispering pines

Fall 2015

CinCinnati Zoo and alumni gathering The Open House recruitment season took on a new twist in Cincinnati last March as the site was moved to a Saturday lunch at the Cincinnati Zoo. New families, returning campers and alumni were treated to an all-day pass to the zoo, a visit from a zookeeper with an owl, a great lunch and the Dave Martin/Amanda Macaluso camp presentation.

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information for Friends of YmCa hayo-went-ha Camps

Our own registrar extraordinaire, John Bouwmeester, was chosen as the first ever inductee into the Camp Administrator Hall of Fame, established by Camp Brain in 2014. Thirty five camp administrators from across the country were nominated. 35,000 votes were cast and John deservingly came out on top. If you have ever called camp with a question on anything

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For Youth deVelopmentFOR HEALTHY LIVINGFOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

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John Bouwmeester First induCtee into the Camp administrator hall oF Fame

summer Camp 2015 Our summer camping programs were full and successful in 2015! AHWH greeted 472 campers (324 two weekers and 148 four weekers) and HWH welcomed 402 campers (218 two weekers and 184 four weekers). Campers enjoyed incredible trips to Alaska, the British Virgin Islands, Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, Killarney Provincial Park, Pictured Rocks, Isle Royale, wreck diving in Lakes Superior and Huron, North Manitou Island, Marquette and Mackinaw area bike trails, mountain biking on the Keewenaw Peninsula and Marquette’s South Loop, the Jordan River, Wilderness State Park, the Pine River, sailing the North Channel of Lake Huron and mountain biking the Vasa Trail—to name a few! A great time was had by all as our camps once again brought fun, challenge, friendship and wilderness adventure camping to hundreds of very happy campers. Thanks to our summer staffs who continued to provide an incredible summer camping experience while instilling the Spirit of Hayo-Went-Ha that we all have come to cherish.

wolF sighting

Seeing a wolf is a very rare treat for any of our Isle Royale camp trips. Unfortunately, with reports of there only being three surviving wolves on the island, that treat may be even more remote. In the summer of 2014, one of our AHWH trips had a wolf encounter, as told here by Ellen Hinkley:

Leading seven young women on a backpacking trip across a deserted island in the middle of Lake Superior is nothing if not unpredictable. It takes over three hours on a harrowing boat crossing (fondly nicknamed the “Barf Barge”) to reach the island. Upon arrival, you hear a ten minute ranger orientation: the do’s and don’ts of Isle Royale National Park. This includes humorous tales of how to run away from moose, classic Leave No Trace policies, and finally a joke about wolves: “Here’s what to do if you see a wolf: just kidding, you won’t!”

Imagine our surprise then, when we saw a wolf. We were lounging on Rainbow Cove, a beach 0.8 miles away from the Feldman Lake campsite. We’d hiked seven miles that day and were enjoying a nice nap on the beach. Rainbow Cove is one of my favorite spots on the island; it’s the perfect place to watch the sunset while lying on the smooth, dark red stones. One of my campers was showing me a yoga technique when she suddenly said, “Ummm.....Nellen?!” We turned around, and there, at the foot of the path leading back to the campsite, was a wolf. It was too large to be a pup, but not as huge as grown wolves usually are. At the time there were nine wolves on the island; a pack of six, and a pack of three. Rainbow Cove is on the southwest part of Isle Royale, where the pack of six was believed to be roaming.

After both we and the wolf got over our shock of seeing each other, the wolf began to pace. It wasn’t menacing, merely walking back and forth between about ten feet. Its haunches weren’t raised, and its tail was innocently resting between its legs. All non-threatening signs, right? I had NO idea, but I hoped my knowledge of dogs was similar to that of wolves. The wolf continued to pace for what could have been 90 seconds or five minutes. My mind was racing with possibilities: Should I lunge at the wolf with our cheese knife if it gets too close to a camper? Is it best to seem uninterested or to make ourselves large and loud? Where are the other five wolves in the area? We can’t out-run or out-swim a wolf, should we stay where we are? If a wolf attack is a fast-evacuation, should we press our emergency SOS button now?

from dates to programs to what to bring, John has expertly and efficiently fielded your call and pointed you in the right direction. Camp forms, information packets, dates, prices and the minutia of getting your child registered and ready for camp are at John’s finger tips and he dispenses them with equal patience, humor and grace to hundreds of families, school groups and event participants day in and day out all year. John is an integral part of what makes our camps so successful, and this is a well-deserved honor. Congratulations, John!

80 camp friends, including alumni from as far back as the 1950’s to campers signed up for 2015 enjoyed all the festivities. Included in the crowd were the son and daughter of John Fleming, Camp Director from 1928 to 1930. Many thanks to Cincinnati Zoo Director and friend of our camps Thane Maynard, who made the zoo visit possible and to the Bell Dental Group, Chuck Bell, Dave Bell and Mimi Petrie, who underwrote the event with a generous donation.

But wait, there’s more…on the Friday night prior to the Open House, Bruce and Mimi Petrie hosted a camp alumni gathering at their lovely home in Hyde Park. Nearly 40 HWH and AHWH alumni representing many generations of camping met, shared stories, reminisced, sang songs and laughed the evening away. A good time was had by all, as usually happens when camp friends get together.

For the 2016 Open House season, we plan to schedule a similar special event Open House and an accompanying alumni gathering in the Chicago area and do the same in Detroit in 2017. Stay tuned!

alumni gathering

hall oF Fame

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new Campership CollaBorationsWith the great success of our campership collaborations with Washtenaw Camp Placement Association, which sent 24 kids to our camps this summer, and Racquet Up Detroit, which sent 10, we have several great new collaborations to help bring the joy of camp to children that might not otherwise be able to have that opportunity. The news of the adventures of our Racquet Up campers and the growth and confidence that was instilled in them by their camp experience spread to other urban squash programs, as we joined up with Metro Squash in Chicago and the Cincinnati Squash Academy to bring some of their kids to camp. We also have teamed up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Michigan in Traverse City and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Bay Area in Midland to make summer camping available to some of their little brothers and sisters. These collaborations are bringing us great campers while helping diversify our camp population. Many thanks to the leadership of these organizations for working with us to make this happen and to our camp friends who have so generously donated to our Y Camp Partners Campaign to provide the campership funds that make this all possible.

Ariel Trahan, Katie Sulau and Margaret Walton at the White House

where in the world alumni

Mike Dunham 100 feet below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean on the wreck of the USCGC Duane

Meanwhile, the wolf began to howl. Fortunately, my campers were enthralled by the experience and didn’t seem to register the potential danger. While I was considering all of our options, my co-counselor and I prepared ourselves for the worst. Eventually, the wolf sauntered back into the woods, leaving us to revel in the crazy experience we’d just had. While I’m thankful to have encountered a rare wild animal, I’m also thankful my training and previous camp experiences prepared me to stay calm in a potentially dangerous situation. Most of all, however, I’m thankful the exhilarating five minutes ended with the wolf turning around and walking away.

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our pineY wood hillsHadley Robinson’s wonderful book chronicling the 100 year history of camping on Arbutus Lake is still available for $25 plus $5 postage. It would make a great gift! Contact camp (231-544-5915, 877-547-5915 or hwh@hayowentha.com) to secure your copy.

Bo and Joan Stockbridge at the Great Wall of China

Y oF the usa Capital deVelopment surVeY and reportDuring the summer of 2015, the Y of the USA, in conjunction with Lighthouse counsel and Domokur Architects, did a capital needs study of 46 of the 222 YMCA resident camps in the country. Our camps were chosen as two of the 46 to participate. They also did site visits to 8 of the camps, including Hayo-Went-Ha and Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the capital needs of resident camps for the purpose of securing funding for a resident camp capital needs grant. Our camps feature prominently and favorably in the report.

We got pretty glowing reviews in the site reports and were featured prominently in the final report. The reviewers concluded that Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha squarely meets the challenges of preserving the camps history while continuing to meet industry standards. They also concluded that Camp Hayo-Went-Ha is a leader in adventure camping. The mixture of traditions with 21st century skills and programming sets a strong example for YMCA Resident Camps who would like to include trip programs into their traditional program. Finally, they praised our website as “what parents are looking for in a camp’s internet presence” and “offers a strong presence on the web.”

As a result of the survey, an anonymous donor gave a grant to the YMCA of the USA in the amount of $4.7 million for the purpose of assisting camps with their immediate capital needs projects. Our camps were awarded a $40,000 matching grant to build two new cabins at AHWH to replace Stardust and Sherwood and to rebuild the waterfront steps at HWH. David and Laura Sue D’Annunzio provided a matching donation for the waterfront steps and Julie and Tom Gentile provided a matching donation for the cabins. Both projects will begin in September and will be completed before the snow flies in November.

Y oF the usa donor honor rollThe Y of the USA has an Honor Roll for donors to organizations that have given a minimum cumulative contribution of $100,000. YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps are incredibly lucky to have nine such donors: Bruce and Jackie Cook The Cook Family FoundationDave and Laura Sue D’Annunzio Jim and Carol GoetzDan and Julie Graham Bob HicksNancy (and posthumously, Peter) KleinpellGrace MacDonaldMargaret and Michael Valentine

Certificates and letters from the Y of the USA CEO and National Board Chair have been sent to each donor. The donors’ names will appear on a travelling honor roll that the Y of the USA exhibits at events. Many thanks to our Honor Roll donors!

“Camp manna”If you are watching a movie about a camp in the near future and the scenery looks familiar but not quite right, showing a camper walking from his AHWH-like cabin to Bonbright Lodge and swimming at the AHWH waterfront, it is because Gorilla Pictures, LLC is filming the movie, “Camp Manna” at both our Arbutus Lake and Torch Lake sites after the 2015 summer camp season ends. The film will be the story of an Australian youth who comes to the US after the untimely death of his parents and is sent by his godparents to a religious camp and, as David Yuhaus would say, hilarity ensues. You can follow the movie’s progress at its website, www.campmannamovie.com.

Felicity Stevenson and Audrey White on Mt. Fuji in Japan

alumni rememBerWe love to hear from our alumni:

I attended HWH for about six summers in the late 90s. I believe there might still be a plaque with a Green Bay packer hat attached in the boathouse. I wanted to make sure you heard how important this experience is for a boy who later (tries to, at least) become a man. Life can be pretty tough and the values and experiences from HWH are always there. Mostly subtle ways. But sometimes literal ways, too – I keep an album of campfire songs on my phone. —thomas Babinec, hwh 1990’s

I have just returned from Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha. I am an alumni, on the Camp Advisory Board, and the mother of five daughters. This year at camp, I have a division leader on Ad Staff, three counselors, and my youngest just returned from a 16-day canoe trip through Killarney Provincial Park as a camper. I was visiting to get the feel for present day camp – it has changed greatly since I was a camper at Arbutus. No longer are the days scheduled around classes where your challenge is to get to the next level in activities such as sailing, swimming, archery, or tennis. Arbutus today is trip-based and more about group growth while building individual confidence. I saw the Leadership Corps open their new Gaga pit that they spent four weeks building from the ground up in Happy Hollow. The whole camp was there to support their efforts, and to participate in playing a few rounds to initiate the new pit. The experience was invigorating and an example of successful teamwork along with celebrating as a community. One highlight of my visit was watching Leaders Follies where Counselors and Staff put on a Skit night for the entire camp. Everyone was in TGMcD for the event, seated on the floor from youngest to oldest. It was the best entertainment I have seen in a while. The MC’s were dynamic, the skits were hilarious, and the crowd was having a terrific time. The LCs danced to “Survivor” which really illuminated women’s confidence.... sending the message: “watch out, here we come!” A great statement and reminder for everyone to recognize and embrace a woman’s power and what we have to offer society. Then the Ad Staff did their dance. I had witnessed their practice that took place approximately 30 hours earlier and couldn’t believe what they pulled off. Unbelievable coordination and choreography to the Pitch Perfect final competition number. Amanda Mac even participated and that was the kicker. The audience went wild and chanted, “best skit ever.” The final act of the evening was a sister tradition which involves peanut butter and jelly. What troopers they are. Another highlight was attending Final Banquet which was a sentimental occasion with loads of yummy food and lots of treats for the campers given to them from their counselors. I loved listening to the trip ditties even though I didn’t get most of the references. What I did get was that memories and the life-long bonds were made on the trips and will always be cherished. The slide show was terrific and a great way for campers to see other campmates on different trips. I left with a complete understanding of why my daughters continue to come to camp. At Arbutus, they are free, they are accepted, they are having a blast while working or on cabin trips, they are setting examples for campers and providing them with an unforgettable experience. They are HOME. —mimi dyer, ahwh

Cook Challenge and Camp aCCess grantOur 2015 Y Camp Partners campaign is an opportunity to make a difference in the life of a young person. This year, Bruce and Jackie Cook again generously established a $20,000 challenge which for 2015 was bolstered by a $10,000 matching grant from the YMCA of the USA’s Strategic Initiatives Fund. The YMCA of the USA’s Strategic Initiatives Fund is specifically designated to provide camperships to new youth and teens who have never before attended YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps. Contributions of at least $600 between April 1 and June 30, 2015 were matched by the Cooks with $400 and by the YMCA of the USA’s Strategic Initiatives Fund with another $200. This dollar for dollar match created a $1,200 win for YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps campership campers.

We had 70 donors step up with a donation of at least $600 which, with the matches, brought in an amazing $80,050.50. With the additional donations for camperships that did not meet the matching level, we raised a total of $90,674.50 during our three month drive! Of note, and to let you know how invested our summer staffs are in our great camps, the AHWH summer staff donated $1,398 and the HWH summer staff donated $2,252.50! Thanks to Bruce and Jackie Cook and the YMCA of the USA’s Strategic Initiatives Fund for offering up this challenge and to all who met the challenge to help deserving boys and girls who would otherwise not have the opportunity to enjoy a great YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps experience.

Rob Wilkinson at Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France

heritage CluBLeaving a gift to YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps in your will or trust, by beneficiary designation, or another form of planned gift can make a lasting difference to our programs, facilities and future generations of campers. Many gifts cost you nothing now, there is no minimum contribution, and you are not locked into a decision you make today. You can leave a gift in a trust or a will, make a gift of all or part of funds remaining in a retirement plan or make YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps the beneficiary of a life insurance policy, certificate of deposit, brokerage account, bank account or donor advised account.

Those who make legacy gifts will be included in our Heritage Club, members of which will be recognized in our Annual Report and on our website. The current known members of the Heritage Club are listed below. If you have made a legacy gift and your name is not listed, please contact Jim Austin, our Director of Development and Alumni Relations so we can thank you.

Jim and Louise AustinPhilip BraunMindy BrummetDavid and Diane ComfortThomas CookBruce and Jackie CookDennis DruryDavid EllesThelma HansenCarol ManchesterSteve and Joan McLainG. James Williams, Jr.Samir Yousuf

ross CCC The Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan has a Community Consulting Club that organizes teams of graduate and undergraduate students to work on projects for nonprofit organizations. YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps’ application was accepted for a project to evaluate the profitability and economic productivity of our Fall-Winter-Spring programs, and to identify and recommend strategies to increase profitability without compromising our mission. Six students spent three months analyzing participants, costs, revenues, retention and other information and presented their findings to the Camp Board in December 2014. They concluded:

1. Outdoor Education serves as an important part of the Hayo-Went-Ha portfolio of programs and increasing growth rate while maintaining a high retention rate will further increase the value of Outdoor Education in the Hayo-Went-Ha portfolio.

2. Conferences, Retreats and Events programs are important in that they help Hayo-Went-Ha cover fixed costs during periods of low usage, allowing Hayo-Went-Ha to remain open year round and not incur shut-down and reopening costs.

3. While summer camp is the largest source of income, it has the lowest growth potential, as we are not far from capacity. On the other hand, the Outdoor Education program has the largest potential for growth and by continuing the high retention rate of school groups, expanding to new groups and practicing cost efficiency, our Outdoor Education program should help our overall economic condition.

The group’s report was shared with the Camp Marketing Committee to take action on.

We hope to apply for another project in the fall to continue in the same vein with a feasibility study of school groups around Michigan that want outdoor education as a part of their curriculum, whether such groups would travel to northern Michigan to participate in an outdoor education program and analyze pricing.

London, England – Leighton Standish, David Martin, Jake Jones, Huw Williams, Matt Hill

Delany Stevenson in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

hwh um-msu tailgate

Wilson’s Prom, Australia – Maggie Valle, Josh Madden, Shannon Flower, Eliza Buckley, Maddie Boyce, Sam Kelly, Ellie CK and Cassie Lea.

amBassadorsYMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps rely heavily on our camp friends to promote, support and assist our camps in successfully providing wonderful experiences for each and every camper. Those volunteers that excel in doing so are made Ambassadors, a group that, thankfully, grows every year. We are pleased to acknowledge the following friends of our camps as the latest group of Ambassadors. Thank them when you get the chance.

Katie Butler (AHWH 100th Celebration)

Jane Brushfield (AHWH 100th Celebration)

Sami Clegg (AHWH 100th Celebration)

Frances Cohen and Marco Polar Bear (AHWH 100th Celebration)

Jodi Hamilton (AHWH 100th Celebration)

Craig and Ginger Hupp (HWH Camps/Racquet Up Fundraiser)

Thane Maynard (Cincinnati Zoo Open House)

Kerrie McIntyre (AHWH 100th Celebration)

Tim McKendrick (Fund Development Committee; Needs Assessment Committee)

Bruce Petrie (Cincinnati Alumni gathering)

Dan Platt (Work Weekend with his Boy Scout troop)

Sachi Smys (AHWH Volunteer Leader)

Geelong, Australia – Kevin Flanagan, Holly Mitchell, Peter Helyer, Nathan Rode

State YMCA of MichiganYMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps919 N. East Torch Lake Dr.Central Lake, MI 49622www.hayowentha.org

For Youth deVelopmentFOR HEALTHY LIVINGFOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

NONPROFIT

ORGANIZATION

US POSTAGE PAID

CENTRAL LAKE, MI

PERMIT NO. 19

state YmCa oF miChigan YmCa haYo-went-ha Camps staFFdavid martin, CEO, State YMCA of Michigan; Exec. Director YMCA Camp Hayo-Went-Ha, dmartin@hayowentha.org

amanda macaluso, Director YMCA Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha, amacaluso@hayowentha.org

david Yuhaus, YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps Director of Outdoor Education and Retreats, dyuhaus@hayowentha.org

maribeth Brown, Finance and HR Manager, State YMCA of Michigan, mbbrown@hayowentha.org

reneé dewindt, YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps Director of Food Services, rdewindt@hayowentha.org

John Bouwmeester, Registrar YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps, registrar@hayowentha.org

Jim austin, YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps Director of Development and Alumni Relations, jaustin@hayowentha.org

doug gillespie, HWH Buildings and Grounds Director, dgillespie@hayowentha.org

richard murray, AHWH Buildings and Grounds Director, rmurray@hayowentha.org

simon helyer, HWH Assistant Camp Director, shelyer@hayowentha.org

Join usVisit www.hayowentha.org to register or for more information.

Huw Williams celebrating his 21st birthday at Mont Blanc, French Alps

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