THE
LOOKOUT
Weatherford Chapter
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Spring Fling was a wonderful time "connecting" again!
May 3-5, 2021 at YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly
Somebody said it rained, but nobody noticed!!! We were all too busy having fun at Spring Fling 2021! It was a great turnout, 50 plus! The Mountain knew we were coming and put on a wonderful Spring display of blooms, the Blue Ridge staff went out of their way to make us feel special and being together (especially with everyone vaccinated) was energizing!!!
Gary and Marcy provided the fun Monday night with a special YMCA BINGO games. Melissa Logan's update insured us that the YMCA Blue Ridge's past year was a challenge, but the future is bright!!. Joe Warwick inspired us with his morning watch message, "God is in Control." The Biltmore House and Gardens was quite impressive in spite of the rain and equally impressive was the tour of the brand new 10 bedroom (sleeps 26) Family Lodge addition to the Blue Ridge campus. Greg McKee, retired Hall of Fame Camp Director (Camp Greenville), led our fabulous campfire singing on Tuesday night! Wonderful food, good friends, a little wine, and lots of laughter completed an awesome addition to our Spring Fling memories!
Charles and I enjoyed hosting! Many thanks to all who attended,
Sherrie Cleveland
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Greetings from Y Alumni and Blue Ridge Staff |
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Ladies having a good time. |
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YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly CEO Melissa Logan with Y-Alumni President Phill Morgan welcomes us to the mountain! |
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PAT THRAILKILL won the "Y" GAME
Thank you
Gary & Marcy Schlansker
for the fun
YMCA BINGO NIGHT
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BILL HOOSON won the
"M" GAME
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PHILL MORGAN won the
"C" GAME
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BETTY KING won the
"A" GAME
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Tuesday we took group tours of The Biltmore House and Gardens |
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Greg McKee, retired Hall of Fame Camp Director (Camp Greenville), led our fabulous campfire singing on Tuesday night! |
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We toured the new 10-bedroom lodge!
As part of our Cabin Village Initiative, this new lodge represents far more than just a new building on campus; it's an opportunity for families, just like yours, to continue to bond and grow in fellowship at YMCA Blue Ridge for generations to come.
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Chapter President Phill & Marti Morgan Message |
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A big shout out of thanks goes to Sherrie and Charles Cleveland for planning a spectacular Spring Fling Gathering at Blue Ridge Assembly YMCA held a few weeks ago. I heard comments from some who said, “best one yet.” That could mean Spring Fling or gathering at Blue Ridge. Either way, it was superb!
I wonder if the wine had anything to do with people being so happy and relaxed? Hmm. Great idea of combining wine tasting and fellowship.
And let’s not forget Gary Schlansker who played a significant role of being actively involved in spring fling festivities. Gary arranged for the outing to Biltmore Estate and secured the tickets for our YMCA Alumni attendees. Gary arranged for a great evening of Bingo and served as Bingo Master. Gary also asked Greg McKee (from Camp Greenville) to come and entertain us with his gift of music as we all sat near the indoor fireplace and sang “our oldies music.”
I was on the edge of my seat as Joe Warwick shared the Tuesday Morning Watch as he described a harrowing experience while piloting his plane. As Joe was telling the story, I actually felt like I was in the cockpit with him experiencing every emotion while trying to stay calm in the midst of averting disaster. Joe said to himself- just remember the things I was trained to do. What a storyteller. Thanks for sharing Joe.
We are so fortunate to have such an active YMCA Alumni Weatherford Chapter. Why is that? Members step up to take on leadership roles. Members travel short and long distances to see one another and enjoy fellowship. Maintaining that connection is important. As a newly retired Y Director 8 years ago, I joined AYR (now called YMCA Alumni) Weatherford Chapter. I only knew a few persons when I attended my first chapter gathering, however, I knew of several others. I just had never previously met them. Now we know our chapter members and look forward to gathering together several times a year. If Marti and I have never met you, I hope our paths will cross soon.
Phill and Marti Morgan
Weatherford Chapter Co-Presidents
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Save the Date
Weatherford Chapter Fall Festival 2021
Monday, October 25 - Wednesday, October 27th
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IT’S BACK! We’ll be having dinner at the Red Rocker Inn, enjoy former YMCA CEO turned professional musician Mike Cook, and enjoy an opportunity to learn interesting information about each other. You’ll receive additional festival details in September along with the registration form. Until then, mark your calendar and be sure to join the fun! And start thinking about bringing a great silent action item for EAF and World Service fund raiser. |
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Silent Action Items,
Dinner at Red Rocker Inn,
Red Rocker's at Inn
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YMCA Alumni Travel Club
Message from Chapter Representatives Jean & Bert Bock
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YMCA CONNECTION IS COMING OUT JUNE 1ST AND IS ALL ABOUT TRAVEL |
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Now is the time to make plans to join us at
YMCA Alumni Reunion ’22
in New Orleans, Louisiana Jan. 12-15, 2022
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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.
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EAF Message from Chairs Nancy & Bill Reece |
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You can also mail your donation to:
Emergency Assistance Fund
YMCA of the USA
Financial Development 16th Floor
101 N. Wacker Dr.
Chicago, IL 60606
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In the first quarter of 2021, the Weatherford Chapter has raised $5960 year to date. Through April 1st EAF has received 7 Grant requests. After review by the National EAF Caring Committee, 7 Grants have been approved and awarded totaling $23,350. Two of the recipients are Y Alumni members from across the country. Remember that membership in YMCA Alumni is required to be eligible to receive a grant.
We thank you, our generous Alumni Chapter members, who give from their hearts to help insure that EAF is there to assist our Y colleagues with financial aid when an unexpected emergency occurs. Your support is sincerely appreciated.
Please prayerfully consider a generous gift to EAF. You can give securely online by going to https://www.ymcaalumni.org/member-info and scrolling down to the EAF section on the page. You’ll also find a link to the grant application should you need to apply.
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World Service Message from Chairs Glenn & Sharon Mease |
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We are off to a good start in continuing our tradition of World Service support from our chapter members. Usually, I share some numbers and a bit of what World Service is doing with our support. This time I want to reflect on what our support means significantly beyond the dollars we share.
2021 is going to be another tough and challenging year for many of our international Y’s and the staff that is leading them. First, the covid epidemic is not nearly as under control for them as it is becoming for us in the US. As you have no doubt read vaccine rates are low as are supplies. So, the Ys will continue to stretch resources and improvise to meet needs. Secondly, in many cases the political scenes are changing. The Y and its leadership are operating in a challenging and sometimes hostile environment. Think of the personal stress that the leaders of these Ys are feeling. Through World Service we let them know that they are not standing alone as they meet the challenges. Through your support they know others care and support them. Seeing and feeling that support is very significant and encouraging to those leaders.
Our chapter’s challenge to every member is participate at any level you can whether it is a dollar or a thousand. It is our opportunity, your opportunity, to stand with them. Let’s have more of our members participating than ever in 2021. If you haven’t participated before, do it this year. If you are already a regular supporter of World Service, please continue and even expand your support if possible.
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INTERNATIONAL SERVICE CORPS (ISC) |
Message from Laura Kamperman
As many may already know, the Y International Service Corps (a group of Y Alumni working to support YMCA's worldwide) is hosting a work week this summer June 9-12 at the Sioux YMCA Camp Marrowbone. A team of Y Alumni from around the country will be constructing, rehabbing and cleaning the camp, which sat vacant last summer, to prepare for campers this summer. For those who can't attend the work week, but would like to help the camp, they have created a wish on Amazon where you can purchase things they need and have them shipped directly. Most of the items on the list are things that are always needed. For larger or one-of-a-kind items, contact the camp at 605-365-5232 to verify the item is still needed. You can find the link at the top of the page for Sioux YMCA or go to this link: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2W88NLXHKCSPW/ref=cm_go_nav_hz.
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NATIONAL SERVICE PROJECT (NSP)
Message from Harriet Hoskyns-Abarahall
“A Maniac with a Mission” was what our President, Phill Morgan, chose to call me! He was introducing my presentation at our Chapter meeting in Blue Ridge in May on the eagerly – awaited and exciting Project chosen by the National Service Project (NSP) Task Force. I admit to being at least a Female with a Focus. For those of you who have not been able to read the excellent articles in May’s Connection I am attaching a link which will bring you up to speed on the NSP’s new partnership with the Sioux, SD YMCA. I commend to you in particular the piece written by the Y’s Executive Director, Andrew Corley
The latest Big News from the Task Force is that an architect for the Tiny Homes and Twigs has been selected. We could hardly have hoped for anyone more suited to the task. She has worked at the Sioux Y’s resident camp, Camp Marrowbone, she knows the area well, and is a veteran on the Sioux Y’s Board of Trustees. She has had her own architectural firm in Brooklyn, NY for a decade. So soon we will have architectural renderings of at least our first Tiny Home.
You may have heard that the overall goal of the Project, as far as our Chapters are concerned, is to present every Member, as well as interested family and friends, the opportunity to volunteer with the Project, regardless of their background with the Y or elsewhere. There are four main areas of opportunity: Boots on the Ground involving on-site work for a week in Dupree, SD; Fund-Raising; Marketing and Communications; and Support Services, so crucial to the underpinning of the Project. Much of this work can be accomplished remotely and with close contact through zoom and other social media.
I am asking each of you to think seriously about the area in which you might like to serve. In the coming weeks we will be sending out a Survey of Interest via this newsletter, for you to complete. It is in no way a commitment but we know we have a wealth of talent and experience among our Members which could be so useful to the Project and so rewarding for those who join us. We plan to make this Project a rich cultural experience for all involved.
If you have any questions at this stage, please direct them to me at [email protected] . I would love to hear from you.
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Weatherford Chapter Committee Members Information |
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Co-Presidents:
Gastonia, NC
Program Vice Presidents:
Greer, SC
Secretaries:
Franklin, VA
Treasurers:
Marietta, GA
Membership Chair:
Hoover, AL
Editors:
Birmingham, AL
Past Presidents:
Covington, GA
EAF Chairs:
Franklin, TN
World Service Chairs:
Charlotte, NC
Caring Committee Chairs:
Covington, GA
Chapter Travel Club Reps:
Athens, GA
Chapter Historians
Morganton, NC
ISC Representative
Somerset. KY
NSP Representative
Atlanta, GA
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