THE
LOOKOUT
Weatherford Chapter
| | | A Message from the new Chapter President Laura Kamperman | |
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Happy Spring YMCA retirees and friends!
Twenty-eight of us just returned from our Spring Fling in Charleston, SC. There was a little of something for everyone: Charleston history on a group carriage ride, ghost stories on an aircraft carrier, various individual tours, shopping expeditions, culinary adventures and even making s’mores around a campfire, courtesy of the hotel! These are wonderful experiences, but what makes them special is that we are making new and cherished friends. This is better than a travel tour because many members return each year and every year new people join us. Also, these aren’t just any people, these are Y people! Even if you don’t know any of them at first, you will find that you have a lot in common. So, come join us in the fall at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly. Not only will you make a lot of new friends, but you will also witness the resilience of the YMCA first-hand as the Blue Ridge YMCA recovers from the devastating floods from hurricane Helene. Besides, this is the best place to see magnificent fall colors! I look forward to seeing you then.
Laura Kamperman, Weatherford Chapter President.
| | | | A Message from Vice Presidents of Service Gary and Marcy Schlansker | |
Generous! Mary Tikalsky the World Service Director, YMCA of the USA said; that is what I think of when I think of the Weatherford Chapter. In 2025 you were the number one Retiree Chapter donating to EAF. You rose to the occasion when Blue Ridge called following the damage from the hurricane and as a result; Blue Ridge is close to being back to 100% operational for the summer of 2026. The National Service project has been a resounding success and soon the “Twigs” will be under construction. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Here is an update on the World Service 2026 campaign.
2026 YMCA World Service Update - Weatherford Chapter
Thank you, YMCA Weatherford Chapter, for your generous support of YMCA World Service. Your continued engagement each year helps make stories like this possible.
2025 Impact: YMCA Alumni gave more than $239,000 dollars and hundreds of volunteer hours—helping to raise over $2 million dollars to serve more than 1 million people in 60+ countries. Thank you for being part of this global impact for youth and families.
Supporting mental health in Latin America: The Latin America and Caribbean Alliance of YMCAs is expanding “ELEVA,” a regional prevention program that equips young people to manage stress, anxiety, and depression through peer-led workshops, social-emotional learning, and community awareness campaigns. With support from YMCA World Service, ELEVA now serves youth in Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay—and trains adults as mentors to strengthen intergenerational support. To date, ELEVA has reached 1,400+ youth and adults, trained 44+ peer trainers, and delivered 1,000 workshop hours. Participants reported a 45% improvement in mental health knowledge, skills, and attitudes. To learn more, please watch this short video about ELEVA.
“ELEVA helped me understand depression and why we have both happy and sad moments. If I ever go through it again, I’ll know how to handle it. I met others my age who were struggling, and we were able to share our experiences and support each other.” – Teen participant, YMCA Honduras
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Vice Presidents of Programs Moe and Mary Bell
Thank you Moe and Mary Bell for planning, coordinating and hosting an outstanding Annual Spring Fling in Charleston, SC this past April 13-15, 2026!!!
| | Highlights from our Spring Fling! | | We began our Spring Fling with a group meeting at the Charleston Harbor Resort Hotel. Moe shared all the plans for us then he introduced Paul Stoney. Paul is the CEO of the YMCA of Greater Charleston. He shared some great stories about Charleston's YMCA history. | | Charleston Harbor Resort Hotel | | | We had dinner at the "Reel Bar" at the hotel and then we departed to the USS Yorktown for a Ghost Tour! Nobody saw a ghost but we learned a lot about the men who served on the ship from 1943-1970! | | |
In the evenings we gathered by the Fire for Fellowship at the Resort.
The hotel provided graham crackers, Hershey's chocolate and marshmallows for us to make s'mores.
| | Tuesday morning, we all took a private Water Taxi from the hotel to the Waterfront Park at the Historic District. | | We walked a few blocks to the Old South Carriage Company. We divided into two carriages and discovered Charleston's unique charm and rich history on this popular one-hour carriage tour. | | | | After the tour we had free time to go to lunch and explore the Historic District. Some people went to Fort Sumter others went to tour a Plantation. | | | |
Save these dates! October 26-28, 2026
Weatherford Chapter Annual Fall Festival
at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain, North Carolina!
Kevin and Tania Griffin had so much fun at the Spring Fling this year that they agreed to host the Fall Festival, again!
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Also save these dates!
December 2026 (TBA) Annual Christmas Party via Zoom.
April 2027 (TBA) Spring Fling, somewhere fun in the Southeast. Send Moe and Mary Bell any ideas you may have on where this event could be held and if you would like to host it!
June 16th-19th, 2027 YMCA NATIONAL ALUMNI REUNION to be held in Kansas City, MO.
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Weatherford Board and Chapter members arrive in Charleston a day early and enjoy dinner together.
From left around table are: Mary and Moe Bell, Betty and John King, Nancy and Ed Ryszkiewicz, Gary Schlansker, Charles and Sherrie Cleveland, Marcy Schlansker, and Teri and Bill Hooson.
| | Weatherford Chapter 2026-2027 Board Member Information | | |
President:
Laura Kamperman
Somerset, KY
LKamperman1@hotmail.com
Vice Presidents of Program:
Moe & Mary Bell
Rock Hill, SC
Moebell9622@gmail.com
Vice Presidents of Service:
Gary & Marcy Schlansker
Greer, SC
geschlansker@gmail.com
Secretary:
Carole Forbes
Ft Mill, SC
carole.forbes0720@gmail.com
Treasurer:
Ed & Nancy Ryszkiewicz
Birmingham, AL
nancyeryszkiewicz@gmail.com
Membership Chair:
Tom & Beth Blackman
Lexington, KY
thomasblackman@yahoo.com
Newsletter:
Vacant (Ed & Nancy Ryszkiewicz agreed to continue as Newsletter Editor
and Nancy Reece, nwreece@gmail.com, volunteered to be backup.)
Past President and Care & Concerns:
Charles & Sherrie Cleveland
Winston-Salem, NC
Charles73148@gmail.com and sherrie.cleveland@gmail.com
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