Camp Echo Monthly Alumni E-News December 23, 2002 Back issues are archived at The Camp Echo E-List is now at 546 members. Spread the word! If you want to be removed from this list, reply and let me know. ***** Next issue: "around" January 20 ***** Table of Contents ----------------- Save The Date: All-Time Alumni Reunion Project SOAR Benefit: "Make a Sure Bet on a Child's Life" Camp Echo Website Donations Sought Top Ten Song List Photo Contest Alumni Notes - Andy Hammerman - Julie McGinn - Libby Coss Announcements - Al Head, Echo West Reunion in Boulder Colorado January 10th - David Plotkin, Los Osos Scandalosos at Nevin's December 29th - Katie Laatch, seeking partners for camping trips in March Lost Alumni Save The Date: All-Time Alumni Reunion ------------- Saturday, December 28, 2002 at Prairie Moon in Evanston On Sherman between Lake & Grove Starts at 8:00 pm, following the 2002 Staff Reunion (digital photo display ... TP items for sale ...) (cash bar ... we're providing chips & salsa dips) Alumni Dinner -- Chuck Heisinger invites anyone from the late 60's/early 70's era who would like to join him for dinner to meet in the billiard room at Pete Millers at 6:30. Project SOAR Benefit: "Make a Sure Bet on a Child's Life" -------------------- January 25, 2003 in the Sebring-Lewis Center of the McGaw YMCA. Project SOAR is the McGaw YMCA's mentoring program. Currently over 60 children are matched with caring adults -- Northwestern University students or volunteers from the community -- at no cost to the family. Mentees receive a free YMCA membership as well. Project SOAR is supported by grants, individual donations, and McGaw YMCA operating revenue. Proceeds from the benefit will help support the annual Project SOAR weekend at Camp Echo in May, and provide fee assistance for mentees to attend Echo in the summer. More information is at . The invitation is at . Camp Echo Website ----------------- The Camp Echo webiste is chock full of fun stuff. Check out the history pages; the calendar page; and the memories page. Donations Sought ---------------- Wouldn't it be great if we showed movies on the bus ride? If you have any G or PG video tapes you no longer use, send them to me! We're going to see if we can set up a darkroom in the basement of the Craft Shop/Boat House. Can you donate any of these things: - 35 mm camera - enlarger - trays - safe lights - chemicals, if still "good" - paper, if still "good" - paper safe - tools to handle and mix chemicals - cropping easels - dust brush - developing canister - cloth gloves to handle negatives - pring dryer Other items we could use next summer: - a candy vending machine for the staff lounge - 6 pair youth or trainer water skiis - 8 four-man tents - 6 camping/cooking stoves - 2 kayaks - 2 canoes - 2 computers, Pentium II 500 MHz or better - 8 walkie-talkies and a base station Top Ten Song List ----------------- Several groups of alumni have talked about putting together a CD of "camp songs". Knowing that we may eventually have a number of different performers and singers, we're going to kick off this project by having you, the alumni, vote for your Top Ten Camp Echo songs. Chuck Heisinger has volunteered to collect your votes, tablulate them, and research the recording rights for the top twenty or so. Send your Top Ten list to: and use the subject line "Top Ten". (Don't hit reply to send a song list!) Photo Contest ------------- Send in your best Echo sunset picture and we'll post all those we receive on the Camp Echo website . Alumni Notes ------------ Andy Hammerman writes, "Just wanted to let you know that we had a great visit with newlyweds Claire Carver and Jan Hassleman who came to Ecuador for their honeymoon! Claire and I have managed to meet up in odd places every 4 or 5 years -- Worcester Ohio, Grand Teton Wyoming, Olympia Washington, etc. It was great catching up. For old times sake we went horseback riding, but we were sore afterwards. We had a great Thanksgiving Feast and did some high altitude unicycling! I now have a Steve Carver CD down here to listen to him from far away. Hope you are having a good Chicago winter." Julie McGinn writes, "The McGinn family attended a two-state, two-day swim meet in Browne Deer, Wisconsin over the weekend of December 6-7-8. Who did we see but Jon Brenner, who was there coaching his LaCrosse YMCA swimmers! Although we only got to exchange 'hellos' it was very nice to see him. It was a HUGE meet with at least 20 different YMCAs from Illinois and Wisconsin. Although I don't know any results from Jon's team (you will have to ask him!) I do know that Zach McGinn's medley and freestyle relays came in second (against an amazingly FAST team), and Zach placed 9th overall in 50 breast, 7th overall in 50 free, and did really well in his other events (can't remember exact placement, great Mom that I am! The whole weekend was great fun." Libby Coss writes, "This is for all our Camp Echo buddies -- click on the horses." Announcements ------------- Al Head writes, "This is to all of the 'Echo West' folks out there. There is a fairly strong contingent of Echo alumni out here in the Rocky Mountain State, so I've gathered, and I know that I for one rarely have the opportunity to get back to the McGaw Mecca for reunions and such. Therefore, I am proposing we have a Colorado Camp Reunion. I would love to throw together a ho-down up here in Boulder for any and all who can make it on Friday, January 10th. There are quite a few of us here in Boulder and more, I know, in the Denver area, so if you're down to bring back a little Echo funk into your life, come on over to my place and let's get a little rowdy. RSVP to me directly at . I will provide you with directions and info. I have been collecting some change on the corner, and might be able to provide a small amount for the slush fund, but otherwise, bring refreshments, instruments, music, talents, wigs, costumes, and whatever you want to rock and we'll try to make up our own lyrics to 'bee-sting.'" David Plotkin writes, "My band, Los Osos Scandalosos, is playing at Nevin's Live in downtown Evanston on Sunday December 29 (conveniently the night after the reunion.) The opening band, Lucky Ned Peppers (whom I know nothing about) will go on at 7 and the Osos should hit the stage sometime after 8 and play for at least 2 hours. It's $5 to get in and promises to be a lot of fun. The band includes myself and 4 other graduates of the ETHS class of '02, all of whom attended Echo as a camper for at least one summer and are considering applying for staff positions this year. Details about the show can be found at . We would love to see as many Echo faces out there as we can." Katie Laatsch writes, "I am looking for someone to go on various trips with this spring (around March): kayaking in Baja on the Sea of Cortez; rock climbing at Cochise Stronghold in Arizona, Mt. Lemon in Arizona, Joshua Tree, or pretty much anywhere else; and canyoneering in the San Rafael Swells or Escalante in Utah. Email me if you are interested in doing any of these or if you need a partner for any other trips." Lost Alumni - (email bounces) ----------- Megan Burke is not at Marci Gray is not at Share The Spirit! -- Rob Grierson Camp Echo Director rg@mcgawymca.org