July 2021 Newsletter
Greetings!
Stahl Award Reminder
Deadline
September 1st is the deadline for submissions of the Nomination Packets to John Coduri.

YMCA ALUMNI
F. WILLIAM STAHL AWARD

Committee Criteria for Selection

RECOGNITION OF F. WILLIAM STAHL
In recognition of the dedication and commitment of F. William Stahl to the YMCA, the YMCA profession, and the art of written communications, the YMCA Alumni presents an award to an Alumni member in his memory: The F. William Stahl Award. The Award shall be presented every three years from a baseline from 2011, providing there is a suitable candidate as determined by the Award Committee.

LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE
F. William (Bill) Stahl, a prolific writer, was editor of several AOS (Association of Secretaries) publications, most notably the FORUM, the forerunner of Perspective, produced by APD (Association of Professional Directors), AYP (Association of YMCA Professionals). At one time Bill edited three AOS periodicals simultaneously while still serving on staff of the Baltimore YMCA in Maryland.

CRITERIA FOR THE AWARD
A nominee must have made a significant contribution toward the advancement of professional knowledge and skills through written expression, the arena of Bill’s greatest contributions. Examples of such written expression are communications, creative materials, public relations, management and historical research. The works should be primarily, though not necessarily exclusively, produced during service as an active or retired YMCA director. The recipient can be a living or deceased member of YMCA Alumni.

PRESENTATION OF AWARD
The Award should be presented at a YMCA Alumni national, regional or chapter meeting. More recently, the Award has been made once every three years at the YMCA Alumni Reunion.

Nominees not selected can be re-nominated for future consideration.

Reviewed and approved by the 2011 Stahl Award Committee and reaffirmed by the 2022 Stahl Award Committee, John B. Coduri, Chair.


 GET IT DONE!

By Harriet Hoskyns-Abrahall

These were the three words uttered by a Sioux leader in immediate response to the Sioux Y’s proposal a few years ago to build a Volunteer Center to house visiting staff. This year 20 Alumni volunteers from Alumni Chapters all over the US took on another assignment to “get it done”, that of preparing the Sioux Y’s Camp Marrowbone to serve almost 500 Sioux Children over a seven – week period this summer. 
The camp is on lake Oahe, 1 ½ hours from the Y headquarters, which are another 3 hours from Rapid City, SD. The location is something of a challenge. Add to that the age of the senior volunteers, the muddy track for the last mile to camp and some extremely hot weather, and the venture might not seem attractive.

And yet it was. Here is why. First and foremost, we were building and repairing the camp for a very needy group of children, aged 7-17, some of whom had never left their villages, let alone the reservation. What a revelatory experience it would be for them, with activities from dormitory sleeping to paddle boarding, and meeting Counselors from many different parts of the world.
 
Then we found ourselves in teams where hardly anyone knew anyone else. Our desire to get to know one another as we worked together made us feel, at the end of our week, as one volunteer put it, “like brothers”. Further, there was the satisfaction of painting the exterior of seven large cabins, constructing four very classy latrines and two platform tents, plus the Director’s Cabin, a splendid 12’x 24’ building on top of the hill above the camp. So heartening too, was getting to know the small permanent staff, each one of the six dedicated and highly competent, in tune with the Sioux needs and ready to lend a hand to whatever it might take to make the Camp a better place. And, perhaps best of all, especially for those who had not visited the Cheyenne River Reservation before, was learning something of the Sioux customs and the harsh ways of living on their barren land. 

And we GOT IT DONE!  It was a transformative experience. It is also one that many of you could enjoy as construction for the National Service Project (NSP) will be under way next year. There are two different weeks in May and two in October 2022 where Alumni volunteers can sign up - no experience necessary. If you cannot make it to South Dakota, there are three NSP Committees on which you can serve: Marketing and Communications, Fund-Raising and Volunteer Engagement These will all be undertaken remotely; I have been surprised at how well I have got to know my fellow Zoomers over the past 18 months. If you have any questions or would like to know more about the opportunities being offered by the Project, please contact me at hh_a@bellsouth.net.
Cabin painting-low! 
View of camp- enlarge to see letters MARROWBONE on hill, like HOLLYWOOD!
Cabin painting -high!
Start of Director’s cabin
Start of steps for platform tent
 Washing up for 100 people-dishes unused for 2 years due to pandemic



Save the Date!
Annual YMCA Alumni
Weatherford Chapter

Fall Festival October 25-27, 2021
YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly
See you all on the Mountain.

Reminder to bring a Silent Auction Item for EAF and World Service.
Now is the time to make plans to join us at 
YMCA Alumni Reunion ’22 
in New Orleans, Louisiana Jan. 12-15, 2022
YMCA Alumni Reunion 2022
Let the good times roll...
Laissez le bon temps roulet
Reunion registration and hotel booking is now open. Register separately for each. Make the decision to be with us in January in America's most unique and exciting city.
Connect again…
Register on line at ymcaalumni.org! Click on “Reunion ‘22” for all the info.


Weatherford Chapter Committee Members Information
Co-Presidents
Phill & Marti Morgan                    phillmrgn1@att.net
Gastonia, NC                 
Program Vice Presidents:
Gary & Marcy Schlansker                geschlansker@gmail.com
Greer, SC
Secretaries
Pat & Sybil Newman                    patnewman@hotmail.com
Franklin, VA                     
Treasurers:
    Carl & Janet Ward                     carl.ward43@gmail.com
    Marietta, GA               
 Membership Chair:  
    Molly McGregor                        mcgregors1575@gmail.com
    Hoover, AL                           
Editors
Nancy & Ed Ryszkiewicz                 nancyeryszkiewicz@gmail.com
Birmingham, AL                          
Past Presidents:
    Bill & Teri Hooson                      bhooson@aol.com
    Covington, GA            
EAF Chairs:
    Nancy & Bill Reece,                    nwreece@gmail.com
Franklin, TN
World Service Chairs
Glenn & Sharon Mease,                 gmease@aol.com
Charlotte, NC   
Caring Committee Chairs:
Bill & Teri Hooson                      bhooson@aol.com
Covington, GA            
Chapter Travel Club Reps:
Jean & Bert Bock                       jbock@bellsouth.net
Athens, GA
Chapter Historians
        Dave & Gail Cotton                      davidcotten1942@gmail.com
        Morganton, NC
ISC Representative
Laura Kamperman LKamperman1@hotmail.com
Somerset. KY
NSP Representative
Harriet Hoskyns-Abrahall hh_a@bellsouth.net
Atlanta, GA