THE BABBLER Spring 2015 1 From our Camp Director, Janet Igoe Paddack One of the many wonderful aspects of being a camp director is getting to attend American Camping Association Conferences. I get to listen to experts in every aspect of the camping industry (have you ever thought of Ma-He-Tu as part of an industry?) and share with folks from hundreds of other camps our common problems and maybe even some solutions. It’s great to experience the larger community of camping, with the common culture of campfires, songs, s’mores, and FUN! Having just gotten back, I’m running on overload with new ideas, useful information, and different perspectives, all taken from this remarkable interchange between professionals with a common purpose. Yet, strangely, the strongest impression that I always bring home from these conferences is not what we have in common with other camps, but how incredibly unique we are. Now you may be thinking, “DUH! You had to spend three days in Atlantic City to figure that out?” I know it’s preaching to the choir to be telling all of you that Ma-He-Tu is special, but let me explain. First of all, we are tiny! Most camps at the conference have as many staff members as we have campers. So many di- rectors have told me that their camps started out our size, but have gotten so big that now they don’t even get to know every counselor, let alone every camper. Can you guess who was the envious party in those conversations? We are a single gender camp. Most camps are co-ed. And I really don’t even want to begin to share with you all the problems that directors complain about in those situations! We are very inexpensive. We have been able to keep our tuition so low because of the generosity of all of you, in terms of both time and money, and because of our unique location in Harriman Park. Many camps charge close to double what we do for a comparable program. I wonder how many kids sit at home each summer because other camps are just not affordable. Our gate is open! We have no full time year-round staff, which is good because we have no year-round office to house them. Our board is left to handle just about everything — meeting once a month, kind of like nomads, wandering from one church basement to another. Most camps choose their board members by the amount of money they are willing to donate and fully expect them to vanish once they write that check. We choose members by the amount of hours and elbow grease they are willing to contribute, because we could never stay open without those priceless contributions. While these are some of the things that now set us apart, I would guess that years ago they were the very things we had in common with other camps. A large part of what makes us so special is that we have somehow managed, in an ever-changing world, to simply recognize a good thing when we see it. Year after year we have made the changes and improvements that have enhanced our site and our program, while resisting the changes that would make us like other camps, but so very different from who we are and who we were meant to be. When past campers and staff members re-connect with Ma-He-Tu they almost immediately ask, “Do you still…?” How wonderful that we can almost always answer, “ Of course we do!”
Transcript
THE BABBLE R Spr ing 2015
1
From our Camp Director, Janet Igoe Paddack One of the many wonderful aspects of being a camp director is getting to attend American
Camping Association Conferences. I get to listen to experts in every aspect of the camping
industry (have you ever thought of Ma-He-Tu as part of an industry?) and share with folks from
hundreds of other camps our common problems and maybe even some solutions. It’s great to
experience the larger community of camping, with the common culture of campfires, songs,
s’mores, and FUN!
Having just gotten back, I’m running on overload with new ideas, useful information, and
different perspectives, all taken from this remarkable interchange between professionals with a
common purpose. Yet, strangely, the strongest impression that I always bring home from these conferences is not what
we have in common with other camps, but how incredibly unique we are.
Now you may be thinking, “DUH! You had to spend three days in Atlantic City to figure that out?” I know it’s
preaching to the choir to be telling all of you that Ma-He-Tu is special, but let me explain.
First of all, we are tiny! Most camps at the conference have as many staff members as we have campers. So many di-
rectors have told me that their camps started out our size, but have gotten so big that now they don’t even get to know
every counselor, let alone every camper. Can you guess who was the envious party in those conversations?
We are a single gender camp. Most camps are co-ed. And I really don’t even want to begin to share with you all the
problems that directors complain about in those situations!
We are very inexpensive. We have been able to keep our tuition so low because of the generosity of all of you, in terms
of both time and money, and because of our unique location in Harriman Park. Many camps charge close to double what
we do for a comparable program. I wonder how many kids sit at home each summer because other camps are just not
affordable. Our gate is open!
We have no full time year-round staff, which is good because we have no year-round office to house them. Our board is
left to handle just about everything — meeting once a month, kind of like nomads, wandering from one church basement
to another. Most camps choose their board members by the amount of money they are willing to donate and fully expect
them to vanish once they write that check. We choose members by the amount of hours and elbow grease they are
willing to contribute, because we could never stay open without those priceless contributions.
While these are some of the things that now set us apart, I would guess that years ago they were the very things we had
in common with other camps. A large part of what makes us so special is that we have somehow managed, in an
ever-changing world, to simply recognize a good thing when we see it. Year after year we have made the changes and
improvements that have enhanced our site and our program, while resisting the changes that would make us like other
camps, but so very different from who we are and who we were meant to be.
When past campers and staff members re-connect with Ma-He-Tu they almost immediately ask, “Do you still…?” How
wonderful that we can almost always answer, “ Of course we do!”
2
From our Board President… It is always exciting to start off of our
camping year. As the work of the Board
of Directors goes, January is the time to
reinvigorate the Board and begin to get
things happening for the summer.
Our registrations continue to come in and we begin to hire
our staff. We begin the planning of everything else that
must happen before the staff arrives in June.
This year, we kicked things off with new, exciting, and
productive meetings.
In January, we were notified by the Metro New
York Synod of the Lutheran Church (MNYS),
that we were a recipient of a $15,000 grant
through The Wider Church Fund. This Fund was
established by the Synod Council in 2004 and is funded
through a 10% tithe of the net proceeds from property
sales. These grants are intended to help fund programs
outside of the synod’s regular operating budget.
Ma-He-Tu’s award is for scholarships for deserving girls
in MNYS churches. We have already been contacted by
several churches and hope to hear from others. The girls
must be recommended by their Pastor to be eligible for a
scholarship for this summer.
We have attempted Board retreats in the past at
K-24; however, this year we had a Board retreat
in February at the Bear Mountain Inn. We secured
a great rate for our stay and came away with an
updated mission and vision statement as well as a revision
of our committee structure. If you haven’t visited in a
while, the Bear Mountain Inn has undergone an extensive
renovation and has lunch, dinner, and brunch in their “1915
Restaurant”. As you might guess, they are celebrating the
100th anniversary of the Inn this year.
In March we had a Board meeting in the morning
and then headed over to the venue for our second
Casino Night! What an evening that was! By all
estimates, we were able to add around $7,000 to our
scholarship fund and $15,000 to support operations. Please
consider joining us in the future for this fun evening!
Immediately, post-Casino Night, your Board
continued their efforts. Janet “Igoe” Paddack
and I interviewed a cook for the summer and
some of our Board members met with several Board
members from the Camp Ma-He-Tu Foundation Board.
In March, several folks attended the New
York/New Jersey Tri-State Camping
Conference. We always hunt for new
programs, listen to new and innovative camp ideas, and do
some shopping for the canteen.
Is there a theme here? This group of Board
members are tireless workers whose mission it is
to maintain, improve, and move
Camp Ma-He-Tu into its octogenarian decade.
We are unlike any other camping entity that we have found
while intermingling with the camping community.
Our registrar, Marion Schumacher, informed me the other
day that she had a mother call to ask questions about
Camp. It was clear that the mom was reading a list of
questions to ask. Many publications list questions around
this time of year, “what to ask the camp director”. The last
question was, “What makes your camp different and why
should I send my daughter there?”
Ma thought for a moment and recalled some of the many
conversations we have had as a Board over the last few
years. Her answer? We are different from all other camps.
We have had an all-volunteer Board of Directors for the
last 78 years that have put their heart and soul into this
Camp. No one has been paid year round, and we are con-
tinually able to provide a safe, loving, Christian environ-
Chair of the Strategic Planning and Organization Committee
During a
beautiful winter
weekend this
February the
Board of Directors
met for a weekend
retreat at the Bear
Mountain Inn. The
weekend was filled
with a lot of hard
work and laughter. It was wonderful to look out over
Harriman State Park, the home of our wonderful camp
and be able to spend time thinking about the future of
Camp Ma-He-Tu and the Board.
The focus of the retreat was to assess how the committee
structure we put into place a number of years ago has been
working and to reorganize where we needed. We were
able to make some changes to committees and committee
memberships, which will make this already very productive
board even more productive.
On Saturday morning we spent some time talking about our
lives outside of camp and our experiences with camp in the
past. What a diverse and successful group of people we
have keeping the campfires burning at K-24. As we went
around the group, it amazed me that there was at least one,
and in many cases, multiple board members at camp every
summer since 1956.
We can all be proud and confident that this amazing group
of people will continue the traditions of our camp for many
years to come!
Camp Ma-He-Tu Foundation By Nicole LaBorde — Foundation BoD
The Camp Ma-He-Tu Foundation
is growing a permanent income and financial
stability for Ma-He-Tu. Even when economic
times get tough, it will become a financial
cornerstone.
We hope you will join us in building this financial
foundation as quickly as possible, while Ma-He-Tu enjoys
excellent enrollment. Please see our website for how you
can help! www.mahetufoundation.org
The Foundation thanks all who have furthered Ma-He-Tu’s
endowment since the Fall Babbler publication. These gifts
have come through recurring on-line contributions, one-
time donations, or pledge fulfillments.
Wilma Ahrens Jane Bahnsen Jessica Symmes Bowen Susan Chiaravalle John David Crews (in honor of Jean Swedberg) Carol & John Crews (in honor of Jean Swedberg) Page Croyder Ruth Dyer (in honor of Mary & Andy Lindgren, Janet & Bruce Adams, Page Croyder) Donna Ferrara Nancy Fletcher Joanne Chiaravalle Harling Vickie Johnson Linda Gamble Mary & Andy Lindgren (in honor of Ruth Dyer) Messiah Lutheran Church (Staten Island) WELCA Messiah Lutheran Church (Staten Island) Outreach Mark and Claire Morris Gayle Mohrman Ruth Hrdlicka Muenzen Jessina Riano Joan Rogusch Jennifer Olsen Russo Karen Shafonda Lynne Steketee Jean & John Swedberg (in honor of Ruth Muenzen) Faith Symmes Janet Tings
We are also delighted to acknowledge a pledge of $10,000
in honor of Jeannie Bionda, a former camper and generous
benefactor of Ma-He-Tu. The anonymous donor wrote:
“Over the last several years Jeannie Bionda has, without any fanfare, donated
tens of thousands of dollars to Camp Ma-He-Tu. I want to acknowledge her incredible generosity and self-effacement in a permanent way, by donating $10,000 over the next five years to Ma-He-Tu’s endowment fund. While I wish I could give more, I know that this money will grow and become an enduring legacy in Jeannie’s honor.”
