Hey, CLC Alumni, does anyone else remember learning this song?
I was thinking about these words just the other day, and I remember singing this at many a council fire. What wonderful words they are to live by. And it got me to thinking about the lessons we are all taught at camp. Some of those lessons are practical skills, like paddling a canoe, building a one-match fire, or fixing a toilet. Some of them are more about attitude, like trying new things, having self-confidence, accepting others no matter what, and being a good team player. Many are metaphysical lessons about how to use Christian Science every day for healing, growth, or solutions to anything that might come up.
I am so grateful for the staff members that helped teach me these lessons when I 
was a camper and for those I worked with and learned from when I joined the staff myself. Staff puts in a LOT of work to make camp the happy, harmonious, busy and beautiful place that it is. As the seasons change and you start to think about Spring Cleaning and renewal, the Crystal Lake Camps Alumni Board would like to ask you to think about ways you can support and show appreciation for this summer’s staff.
This spring we are inviting you to help refurbish the basement of Alford Hall into a comfortable, inviting staff lounge.
What can you do to help? Look around your house. Do you have any of these wish-list items (in good condition) that you could donate by the first week of May? If not, would you be willing to contribute a few dollars towards some new floor tiles? Take some time to help clean/move furniture? Anyway, here’s the list Camp gave us for you all to consider:
- A large table and chairs to sit at, play games on, etc.
- A coffee table
- A bookshelf or two
- Area rugs
- Floor lamps
- Table lamps
- A large refrigerator
- Bean bag chair(s)
- 2 dehumidifiers
- 1 large Air Conditioner
- Board games!
- RECENT books or magazines (we have plenty of old ones)
- Food – soda, hot chocolate, tea, popcorn, candy, or anything else that wouldn’t go bad for 2 months
- Throw-pillows
If you want to bring or send these donations with others coming for the Spring Cleanup Weekend in April that might consolidate trips. Or if it’s a large item, like a fridge, we might be able to use the camp truck to pick it up.
For some more information on why we are refurnishing the staff lounge:
- Since getting wireless internet in the Lodge, the office has become the main hang-out for counselors. It can become extremely loud and distracting for the office manager, director, and other staff who are working there. It is also frustrating for the counselors on their time off to get shushed or asked to move.
- When so many are on the internet at once in the office, this takes up bandwidth on the limited internet access, and slows down work in the office.
- The Alford Hall basement is currently humid, stuffy, outdated and not a place where most people want to spend much time. Getting A/C and more dehumidifiers, covering the cold cement floor with new carpets, and updating the furniture and lighting will help create an inviting space JUST for counselors.
- Currently, campers come in and out of the office during the day when counselors are on their time off and “plugged in” – it sends a mixed message to campers who aren’t allowed phones or wifi-devices themselves
- The basement of Alford Hall is a more central meeting space between the boys and girls camps, rather than the office which is located in the heart of girls camp. It is a bigger space than the office, is away from the rest of camp work, and has wifi as well.
Happy Spring Cleaning!
– Betsy Huffman
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