As the last two posts were titled "Happy Holidays" and "Happy New Year", it's only fitting that this post should also have "Happy" in the title! And that's because that's what we are. We are happy! We are happy to be able to offer our beloved camp to even more children in this year, 2013, our 100th Anniversary year. We are happy to announce a new partnership with the Northwest CT YMCA! And lastly, we are happy to see that this whole process has led to a great conclusion. Yeah!
And now comes the tough part, of getting all this up and running in the short time we have before the summer. It will be an arduous undertaking, but we are confident that great goals will be accomplished. We've already received some requests for more information and some of you need to know dates and times now, as you are doing your summer planning. We hope to have those as soon as possible, and the NW CT Y is also working on a website to eventually answer all your questions. We are very thankful for the continued interest in Wa Wa by all of you, as we all know, it's a very unique place.
With that, we wanted to share the letter going out to all Supporters of Camp Wa Wa Segowea-
To supporters of Camp Wa Wa Segowea:
As we enter the new year, we wanted to keep you posted about the future of Camp Wa Wa Segowea. As you know, our three-year agreement with the Capital District YMCA came to an end this past November. The Board of Directors of Smith Park of New York has engaged in a strategic planning process to reaffirm the values that Segowea holds dear and plan our next steps. We cast a wide net through a Request for Proposal (RFP’s) process, approaching a number of individuals and organizations and inviting them to propose how we could work together to ensure the camp’s future. The RFP’s were due at the end of November, and the Board met in early December to review and rate them. That process is completed, and we are going to partner with the North West CT YMCA (with branches in Torrington, Winstead, & Canaan). We are hitting the ground running together to ensure the camp is filled with children for the summer of 2013, our 100th Anniversary!
We need your help. The camp has never been in better physical shape, but all of those improvements depleted our resources. Our continued goal is to ensure that we have enough revenue to plan for the future. Please consider a donation to Smith Park to P.O. Box 4994, Poughkeepsie, NY 12602. This is a critical time in the camp’s history. All of the hard work and sweat as well as the creativity of the past few years can’t be lost. Will you consider making a special, TAX DEDUCTIBLE, donation to help us continue the tradition of camping at Segowea? (check to SMITH PARK OF NEW YORK, a 501c-3 organization)
We also invite all of you to become members of SMITH PARK. An annual fee of $30 provides you with a membership in both SMITH PARK OF NEW YORK and FRIENDS OF SEGOWEA, our alumni association. You can vote on the members of the Board of Directors for Smith Park and know you have a voice in determining the future of camp. Smith Park’s Annual Meeting, March 2nd at noon in Poughkeepsie, is also an opportunity to come hear about plans for the coming year, be involved and provide feedback (Specific details of the meeting will be forthcoming). Membership fees can be paid at the annual meeting or be sent to P.O. Box 4994, Poughkeepsie, NY 12602.
All of you make Camp Wa Wa what it is: a place for children and grownups alike to be part of a very special community. For 100 years, we’ve all made new friends, explored nature at its finest and taken part in many traditions at camp. Please be a part of what Wa Wa will be in 2013 and beyond.
Sincerely,
John Fisher
Chairman, Smith Park of NY
We will continue to have more news on what's happening here at Camp, so stay tuned!
Here's some recent pics of camp taken in January, 2013, and a couple of the Smith Park Board, hard at work!
