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Wednesday, September 11, 2013

September at YMCA Camp Wa Wa Segowea!



It's September at camp and that means a few different things!  The campers are gone, but their presence is still felt in the air.  The board games are still out in the lodge, the docks are still in the water (for just a little while longer) and you can still imagine hearing a very busy dining hall at lunchtime.   But the overall quietness of the place is hard to get used too!  It has been busy for a couple days though, with a YMCA Day and then a Smith Park Board meeting happening in late August and early September.  There will be some noise here this coming weekend, as it's our first work weekend!

Yes, this Saturday and Sunday, we'll be working on several projects around camp.  The main project is working on the Property Director's (Rhet Amos) home, otherwise known as Page Lodge.  That alone is a big project and we'll probably still be working on it at the next work weekend in October (12-13th).  But we're looking for a good amount to be completed this weekend.  So if you have some time, please consider coming on up and lending a hand.  There'll be some down time of course to enjoy a boat ride or a game of ping pong.  We'll be serving meals- lunch and dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday.  You can RSVP to campwawasegowea@gmail.com or visit the Facebook page for the event and sign up there.  If you can't make this one, but can make it in October, please let us know too!  

In the past, we have invited you to be a part of the many events at camp, to tell us what camp means to you and participate in activities surrounding camp.  We now are asking you do something directly that involves one of our camp community.  

David "Skip" Falk was our Camp director for a few years back in the early 1970's.  He was a young director at the time (22 years old), and he lived and breathed Wa Wa Segowea.  in 2010, Skip told a few camp stories which you can see and hear on videos on youtube- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p8xwlBiyms.  He continues to support Wa Wa financially to this day.

Skip at this time, resides in Texas (with his wife Brendia) and has been battling cancer for the past 4 years. I'm sure he would love to hear from any and all members of the Segowea community. We're asking you to send a simple card, letter or even a postcard saying hello, maybe wishing him well, perhaps sharing a camp story, all would certainly make his day.  His address is  2010 Baron Sky Lane, Richmond TX 77469         

Please feel free to share this with your other friends and family as well.  His memories of camp are very precious to him and he truly loved camp. In his words- "The physical beauty of the place, the isolation, just bringing a group of people potentially who were strangers into a group who weren't strangers and the acceptance of each other. It was a really unique time period for a 22 year old! " Thank you! 

In the dining hall at camp, you see a few plaques honoring important people in camp's history.  Right in the middle is one for Frank O'Van Ness, who was the first camp director and was from 1910 to 1940.  Recently, his granddaughter, Carol Bradford made the trek out to camp for the first time in 70 years!  She and her husband, Bob, paid us a visit (coming all the way from Pennsylvania!)  on September 7th.  They were nice enough to pose for a picture and at the same time, brought a picture of her granddad, that we hadn't seen before!  She also mentioned her dad was involved in camp as a chaplain back in the 1940's.  She stayed for a little while reminiscing on the front porch of the lodge and made a nice donation to the camp endowment.  Thanks Carol and Bob! And come back soon!



Lastly, we've collaborated with a company called Picaboo Yearbooks on bringing you two different books on camp.  The first is filled with pictures from this summer. It's a 20 page yearbook and is chalk-full of memories to last a lifetime.  Relive the fun times, recall the friendships, and remember the counselors who made your campers’ summer magical. Reserve your copy of the 2013 YMCA Camp Wa Wa Segowea yearbook.  Visit the link to place your order now!  http://nwcty.org/wawa/yearbooks.htm

The second book is is a specially made Camp History book!   YMCA Camp Wa Wa Segowea is proud to announce that as part of our centenary celebrations, we are creating a 60 page, high-quality history book that will chronicle the Camp’s journey over the last century.   Visit the link to place your order now!  http://nwcty.org/wawa/yearbooks.htm

Thanks and we'll see you at camp!