It's membership renewal time |
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The Clippings
Central Atlantic Chapter
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Paula Green, Cathy Fromm, Len Wilson, Vicki Childs, Bettann Kramer, Allen Shaffer enjoying our chapter day at the beach. |
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'The best of times...the right time' |
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Cathy Fromm, Gary Graham, Deb Zvanut |
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'Champion' Ken White with Kurt Kaboth |
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Almost two years without getting together set the scene for a great turnout at the Wilson’s beach house in August. Retirees came from four different states to enjoy great food and each other’s company.
It was hot that day, but those that didn’t want to sit and chat under umbrellas could find a quiet space on one of many breezy balconies or quiet rooms in the cool air of the house. There was a buzz throughout the house that continued even after the food was ready.
The homemade salads and delicious desserts brought by the guests complimented the huge shrimp platter from John and Ted Schmiechen and the scrumptious roast cooked and carved by Ken White. Len and Joyce have a special friend that takes three days to brew his homemade fish chowder that is always savored, and none of the huge platter of steamed clams remained as leftovers.
Alan Shaffer contributed and auctioned off a huge collection of chocolate candies, the proceeds of which went to support YMCA Alumni projects with the Sioux YMCA. Deb Zvanut and Gary Graham provided slides and background information on the project.
The time was right to renew career friendships and update each other on what’s going on with family and interests. The event wasn’t over when most guests departed. Three couples stayed overnight to enjoy beach walks the next day, and two retirees gathered at a hotel in Atlantic City for fun and excitement there.
It was the best of times in what will go down as one of the worst of times for all of us, but it was the right time for members of our chapter to gather. Hopefully the fellowship will continue in coming months.
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Veronica Ellis, Ted Schmeiken, Frannie and Pete Smith |
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A big turnout on the Jersey Shore at the home of Joyce and Len Wilson. |
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'Welcoming a sense of normalcy' |
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Greetings!
Welcome Fall! Summer is gone with hopefully a lot of fun memories spent with family, friends and some vacation time.
One event that was very special was our annual summer picnic at the Wilson’s summer home in Strathmere, N.J. Forty YMCA retirees enjoyed delicious food, conversations and just getting caught up with everyone since last meeting in 2019. We want to thank Joyce and Len for their awesome hospitality.
The main event of the day was honoring our Chapter Champion Ken White. Ken’s Y career as an active staff member and retiree were outstanding. No one has done more to uplift fellow Y friends as Ken. Over the years, so many people have received postcards lifting their spirits when they were having a health or personal issue. I know from experience how it felt.
We have been busy planning some upcoming events. Nancy Gray, our Program Director, has been planning a great event at Jim Thorpe for Oct. 14. We will meet for lunch and then decide what exciting Attraction(s) we want to see: a train ride, museums, old time jail, etc. It should be a fun day exploring a fascinating little town with a lot of history. Cathy Fromm previously sent an email with more details.
Our Christmas/Holiday Luncheon will be held Thursday, Dec. 11 at the Lambertville Station in Lambertville, N.J. I hope we have a great turnout as this event is so much fun, especially with auctioneer Len running the World Service auction.
Also, the YMCA Alumni reunion committee is planning a phenomenal reunion in New Orleans, Jan. 12-15, 2022. This is one reunion you don’t want to miss. More information is covered in this newsletter.
Enjoy the beautiful fall weather, stay safe and healthy, and I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events.
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Barbara Taylor, President
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A fall getaway to Jim Thorpe Thursday Oct. 14 |
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Are you ready for a fall adventure? Jim Thorpe is the place to be Thursday, October 14. It’s a popular destination in the Pocono Mountains. The town is home to historic attractions as well as many unique restaurants. You can visit the Asa Packer Mansion, The Old Jail, the Mauch Chuck Museum, the Mauch Chuck Opera House or take a ride on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway.
· The Asa Packer Mansion is the home of Asa Packer, a railroad construction pioneer and politician. The mansion has 18 bedrooms and dates back to 1861. Tour price is $6 per person.
· The Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway is a 70-minute narrated tour on a diesel engine train that travels through the Lehigh Gorge State Park. All trains are wheelchair accessible. Standard Coach is $17; Open Car $20 per/person.
· The Old Jail Museum is a two- story structure built in 1871 housing 27 jail cells. The jail is best known for the Molly McGuire trial. Senior Tickets $8 per/person.
· The Mauch Chuck Museum tells the story of the Mauch coal mining town. The Senior price is $7.50 per/person.
· The Mauch Chuck Opera House ticket prices will depend on the show.
Meet at Molly McGuire's for lunch at noon. Please email Program Vice President Nancy Gray as soon as possible if you are interested in joining us.
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Simply the best... from Ken White |
Who does not like a Chocolate Chip cookie? Just those who like lots of Chocolate Chip cookies! Who does not have their favorite Chocolate Chip cookie recipe?
Until recently, as the grandchickens (I called my kids “chickens” so now I have “grandchickens”) got older, the demand for cookies became real. In order to meet the demand, I was in search of a good recipe.
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Thanks to King Arthur Baking company, my main source of flours and bread recipes, I found one. It’s a bit unique by having vinegar in the dough and an abundance of chocolate chips. A combination of butter and shortening is another refinement. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
--Chapter cookie – Ken White (I sell them for $19.95)
(Photo: Three amigos at lunch -- Ken White, Kurt Kaboth, John Jorgenson. Hint: They didn't order cookies, although martinis were an option.)
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Fundraising Goal For 2022, Scope of Project
Set By National Service Project Committee
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A budget and fundraising goal for the first phase of the YMCA Alumni Service Project has been set after many hours of volunteer work by committee members, Sioux YMCA leaders, architects and others.
Central Atlantic Chapter Representative Gary Graham has announced on behalf of the committee that a goal of $100,000 has been set for Phase One of our project with the Sioux YMCA to build a village of tiny homes in Dupree, S.D., home base for the Y. A fundraising campaign will begin in January. Gary chairs the fundraising committee, while chapter member Mike Graves chairs the Major Gifts effort.
The first phase includes necessary site preparation work, such as
foundation, surveys, borings, utility hook-ups, architectural drawings, and
all materials needed to build the prototype 485-square-foot tiny home with
a loft and outdoor deck. That includes lumber, roofing, insulation, sheet
rock, windows, doors, lighting, appliances, and HVAC.
The home itself is projected to cost $56,000. The plan includes purchasing
two shipping containers used for storage on the site and eventually
moving the containers to rural locales on the reservation and becoming
“twigs” (small Y branches).
A local tribal member will be retained by the Sioux YMCA and funded
through the project who will work with the first volunteer teams next spring
and then finish the remainder of the home during the rest of the year.
The entire scope of the initial project, including seven tiny homes and two
“twigs” will be completed over as many years as needed. The total multi-
year project is expected to cost $600,000, but we will learn much more
about final costs after the first phase is completed
(Image: architect's approved rendering of our tiny homes)
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A summer at
The Sioux YMCA
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A report from Andy Corley, Executive Director, The Sioux YMCA
The whole organization was working on making summer 2021 the best summer it could possibly be. It had its challenges, with the short staff limiting our capacity for summer camp we were still able to impact 140 campers! We hosted our first ever color war and it went off with a great success. The Purple team gave it their all, but ultimately the Green team was the victor! Congrats to all who put in their hard work this summer.
Camp Marrowbone:
Over the summer we continued our efforts to ensure that no child went hungry. We delivered meals to 10 different communities over the course of 10 weeks, giving out 18,205 youth meals. Our partnership with Meals on Wheels has also continued within the Dupree community.
Current plans for forward motion and growth involve building a trusting partnership with youth groups on the Pine Ridge Reservation. We hope to expand our potential for bringing campers and staff in from Pine Ridge next summer. Additionally, we are working on staff retention and hope that the majority of our 2021 staff will return in 2022, to continue to build trust and consistency with the campers and communities.
Feeding program:
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Over the summer we have seen this program grow serving an average of 45 elders each day. As we move into the fall our youth meal delivery has come to an end, offering dinner in person for the youth in Dupree. Meals on Wheels continues as normal with the hopes of expanding to other communities.
Volunteers:
We had a slow start to welcoming volunteers back to the Sioux Y. The beginning of summer brought a larger group of YMCA Alumni and Board Trustees out to help get camp into tip top shape for the summer.
Toward the end of June we welcomed a volunteer from the Muscatine Y in Iowa. John brought a love of yoga and deep interest in learning more about Lakota culture. Our last volunteer visit came at the end of summer with the return of a group from the Pierce and Kitsap Counties YMCA located in Tacoma, WA.
Day Camp:
We served over 750 kids this summer during day camp. We also were able to take the kids on weekly field trips. We got to visit different YMCAs to swim and do amazing things like fossil hunting and digging for geodes. Some of the highlights from the summer are seeing the excited and proud faces during camper of the week awards ceremonies.
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We also gave awards away every week to the most honest, responsible, caring and respectful kids which was also new this summer. During pirate week we got to take our kids over to the Pierre YMCA and in true pirate fashion take over their pool and make their CEO walk the plank. The biggest highlight of the summer to me were the dedicated kids who never missed a day or a field trip the entire summer and seeing the new friendships they made. |
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Still time to let the good times roll in New Orleans |
Y'all come. It's time to cut loose. Join YMCA Alumni for Reunion '22 in The Big Easy Jan. 12-15, 2022. There's also space left on the Caribbean Cruise to follow Jan. 16-24. Click the button for details and to register. |
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YMCA Alumni trips on tap for 2022 |
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Central Atlantic Chapter Leaders
Click on name in blue to send email.
The mission of YMCA Alumni is "to enable members to promote a nurturing worldwide Christian Fellowship that provides educational, social, service and charitable opportunities."
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