Camp Echo Monthly Alumni E-News January 31, 2004 Back issues are archived at The Camp Echo E-List now has over 700 members. Spread the word! If you want to be removed from this list, reply and let me know. ***** Next issue: late February ***** Contents -------- Send a Kid to Camp 2004 Camp Guide News From the Director Join the "Echo Spirit Team" Wish List Alumni Notes - Connie Blade & Family - Mary Fischl Wise & Friends - Dan McKibbin & Family - Sonny Lindner & Family Song of the Month: BIG BLUE FROG Send a Kid to Camp ------------------ Echo Alumni are invited to help us to "Send a Kid to Camp." We've partnered with the Ted Fund to provide an Echo experience for some of their "graduates". The Ted Fund sends economically disadvantaged, worthy Evanston 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders to local day camps. We'll be selecting some 6th grade "graduates" of their program to receive Camp Echo camperships. Checks in any amount may be sent to the McGaw YMCA Development Office, made out to Camp Echo, with memo "Send a Kid to Camp." 2004 Camp Guide --------------- The 2004 Camp Guide is available on the Camp Echo website. If you would like one mailed out, reply and let me know. The first August Family Camp Week (Aug 15-21) is nearly filled! Many openings remain in all our other family and adult camps. News From the Director ---------------------- The staff hiring process is well underway with 142 applicants. Once the paperwork is ready we'll begin sending out the 2004 Letters of Agreement. The following leadership structure for Echo 2004 was recently announced in the weekly staff bulletin: Elizabeth (Betsy) Allen will serve as my assistant for program. Betsy was a long-time camper and staff member at Echo and she has held many different staff positions, most recently as a one-week Town Run Driver in June of 2002. Betsy's husband Dave, who many of you know as the ETHS teacher "Mr. Allen", was Chris Hart's assistant in the early 1990s; he will be visiting Betsy frequently throughout the summer. They will live in Lakeside along with their son Jack. Betsy's title (tentatively) will be "Program Manager", as she will have as major a role in program as Rob Johnston does in property. Jordan Shea will be the Main Camp Director. He will be assisted by Lindsay Thompson, who will also have a major role in Aquatics. James Kinney, who was the Main Camp Director in 2002 and 2003, is working for his father these days and is taking a summer off from Camp Echo; expect to see him as a visitor or in future summers. Additional members of the leadership team in Main Camp will be Luke Larmee, Tony Marshall, Laura Gageby, and others yet to be named. Josh Stern, who many of you know as P'nut, will be the counterpart for Jordan with the Teen Camp programs. P'nut has a long history of involvement on the staff of Camp Echo, in particular with the trip and high ropes programs. He has spent the past few years in Hawaii getting an advanced degree, and is currently working afternoons in the Youth Center at the McGaw YMCA in Evanston. P'nut's title (tentatively) will be "Teen Adventure Coordinator" and he will be overseeing the adventure trip, high ropes, and birches programs. Josh Newman will return as the Adventure Trip Manager, ensuring that the Trip Center functions as a well-oiled machine. Misty Fils, will return as ABC Director, working with both high and low ropes. Christy Lombardi and Nate Baumgart will return as LIT/CIT Directors. They will report directly to Betsy Allen, but will work closely with both Jordan and P'nut as their participants will be involved in both the Main Camp and Teen Camp programs during the summer. Camper registration is also underway. We've completed two "waves" of registration with returning campers and new campers who are McGaw YMCA members. The third wave, new campers who are not Y members or who are members of other YMCAs, begins this week. As of Friday 1/29/04, we had 630 main campers (compared to 550 at this time last year) and 284 teen campers (compared to 206 at this time last year). We're 158 camers ahead of 2003 at this time. In spite of these terrific numbers, certain programs in certain sessions are wide open. Please encourage your friends, neighbors, nieces, and nephews to register for camp! There are still over 240 openings for entering 3rd through 8th graders, and there are openings on our bike trips, canoe trips, backpacking trips, and our four week trips to the Southwest and the Pacific Northwest. Join the "Echo Spirit Team" -------------------------- We're looking for volunteers to help at the Echo bus departures and arrivals in Evanston next summer. Give us an hour or two on a Friday or Saturday afternoon, or a Sunday morning. Mingle with the parents and campers and talk about your experience at camp. Help with the distribution of bus passes and loading/unloading luggage. To join the "Echo Spirit Team" hit reply and let me know you can help. Wish List --------- bugle refrigerator, along with a way to get it to Echo computers: 500 MHz or better PCs; iMacs or better puzzles Alumni Notes ------------ Connie Blade's husband, Greg Schlesinger, died January 9th, after a brave battle with brain cancer. He was 55 years old. Survivors include his wife, sons Nicholas, Brian, and David; one grandchild; a brother, Morley; and his parents, Alvin and Florence. A memorial service was held January 14th at Beth Emet Synagogue in Evanston. Memorial contributions may be made to Amnesty International, 322 Eighth Ave, New York, NY 10001; or Doctors Without Borders USA, PO Box 1856, Merrifield, VA 22116. Notes may be sent to the family at 1515 Lincoln Street, Evanston, IL 60201. Mary Fischl Wise, the winningest women's volleyball coach in the country since 1991, took her University of Florida Gators to the NCAA Division I championships on December 20 in Dallas. Wise had taken the Gators to the Final Four in 92, 93, 96, 97, 98, and 02. Wise now ranks as the first female coach ever to reach the title game, having led the Gators through a 36-2 season. Unfortunately, the Gators bowed to a strong USC team 30-25, 27-30, 19-30, 26-30. Echo alums John Fischl, Cathy Fischl Miller, Megan Fischl, Katie Tucker Trippi, Elise Lucky and Sue Mitchell all traveled to Dallas to watch the game. Even though her Florida Gators fell to the USC Women of Troy, the matches were outstanding and Coach Wise made everyone very proud. Unfortunately, Mary missed quite a party after the match when she left to fly back to Gainesville with the team while the Camp Echo contingent stayed overnight in Dallas. Dan McKibbin writes, "Just wanted drop a note and let you know how much enjoy the newsletter. My wife Aimee and I live 50 miles northeast of Seattle in the Cascade Mountains, in a town called Gold Bar. Our entire famly is looking at all coming for Family camp in another year to celebrate the parents 50th Wedding Annversary. Looking forward to more letters, Love Dan" Ava Lindner is an Echo camper from Alaska. Her grandparents are Camp Echo's next door neighbors. We purchased all the land north of the peninsula and west of the camp road from them in the 1960s. Ava's father Sonny competes in dog sled races in Alaska. Take a look at . Song of the Month ----------------- BIG BLUE FROG I'm in love with a big blue frog, And a big blue frog loves me. It's not as bad as it appears, He's got glasses and he's six foot three. Well, I'm not worried about our kids, I know they'll turn out neat. They'll be good looking 'cause they'll have my face And great swimmers 'cause they'll have his feet. Boom Boom, Boom I know we can make things work Because he's got good family sense. His mother was a frog from Philadelphia, his daddy's an enchanted prince. The neighbors are against it and it's clear to me And it's probably clear to you, too They think the value of their property will go right down If the family next door is blue. Well, I'm in love with a big blue frog, And a big blue frog loves me. I've got a tatoo on my chest It spells P-H-R-O-G! That's frog to me: P-H-R-O-G! Build The Spirit! -- Rob Grierson Camp Echo Director rg@mcgawymca.org