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A MESSAGE FROM
Callum McKee
Happy Winter, Alumni Members!
We hope you are having a wonderful winter, and like us, are eagerly anticipating the arrival of spring, and with that...summer camp! We are excited to be back in touch, and to update you about the many interesting and exciting things that have been happening at our camps.
To begin with, I'd like to introduce Caitie Wright, who is the General Manager of Camping and Outdoor Services. Caitie has been in this role officially for one summer, and we have been thrilled with the obvious impact she has had, as she mentors our camp directors, spearheads a renewed focus on staff training and development, and launches and enhances other program initiatives. Caitie has as teaching degree, but has chosen a profession in camping, and we could not be more pleased! She began her camping career with us as a summer staff member, and after teachers' college, returned to direct Ki-Wa-Y. She then worked as the Director of Training and Development for all three camps, and now holds the General Manager position.
Our YMCA has undertaken a new and exciting strategic direction, and I am now in a Customer Experience and Technology role, with responsibilities that are more widespread across our entire association. I will continue to work in some areas of camping, including Alumni, but will now be in more of a consulting role. So, I will still see you all around, but unlike the past, I may not be able to rhyme off exact registration numbers in relation to past years...you'll now have to ask Caitie for those!
Learn more about other camp-specific staff changes below.
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LIT PROGRAM RENEWAL 
Our Leader-In-Training Program continues to build strong staff for our camps, with all three of our overnight camps now running its own camp-specific program! Each camp nurtures its own fiercely loyal campers, and when considering that obvious dedication, along with the training opportunity
for each camp to focus on the skills required to work at that specific camp, we were excited to shake things up a bit.
As well, each successful candidate will then spend their C.I.T. summer at the same camp as their L.I.T. experience.
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THANK YOU DONORS!
We are so happy to have an active alumni group, and so very grateful to both our regular and occasional donors. We appreciate every single cent that you give, and we continue to enhance the experience at our camps for our present and future campers and staff! Here are some updates, many with thanks to you, that have taken place at the camps over the past year or two.
Belwood's cabin renovations are continuing, with major updates last year to two cabins to accommodate the new L.I.T. program, and the building of a new cabin, called Cyprus.
Ki-Wa-Y Ropes Course
If you had been into the Three Sisters recently, you will have known...it was time. We are thrilled with the outcome.
Check out the updates of our other
recent projects here
.
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HELP SUPPORT YOUR CAMP!
Thank you to the many camp alumni members, their families and friends who continue to support K-W YMCA Camping.
To learn more about the exciting projects underway at your camp for 2019, and to donate, please click the links below.
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STAFF ALUMNI
FAMILY SPRING EVENTS
The purpose of these events is to give alumni staff members an opportunity to reconnect with friends from long ago at camp. As well, it is an opportunity for us to thank you for your time with us, and to thank you for your generous donations that help send kids to camp, and support the projects at each of our camps.
At every alumni event, we often hear about the people who SHOULD be joining us at these events. We know life is busy and we are always grateful to those of you who return to your camp roots and enjoy time with old friends, and we hope to see even more people at future events. Please tell your friends who are also staff alumni to join us!
Registration is now open for the 2019 Alumni events. Please register using the links below:
Camp Ki-Wa-Y - Saturday June 15 / Saturday June 15 to Sunday June 16
Camp Wabanaki - Friday May 31 to Sunday June 2
Looking forward to seeing many of you again in June 2019!
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OUTDOOR CENTRE EVENTS
Women's Weekend Getaway: April 26 - 28, and November 1 - 3.
Moms, daughters, sisters, aunts, grandmas and friends! We've already had one hugely successful Women's weekend, and there are two more, scheduled in April and November!
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STAFF UPDATES
We've had some staffing changes since we were last in touch!
Sherri Delaney, former Belwood director, and our first ever Alumni Development person has retired, eager to spend more time with her family, and a growing number of grandchildren! We miss her terribly, but we are thrilled that she volunteers with us, so we still get to see her from time to time! Paula McKee continues to work part-time with us, and is excited to have added some Alumni responsibilities to her communications role.
As well, we are happy to introduce Hilary Neeb, as an addition to our alumni team. Hilary has been a camper, counsellor, Waterfront Director, and L.I.T. Trainer with us, and now directs the day camp at Ki-Wa-Y in the summer. (Hilary's mom is also a Wab staff alumni member!)
Many of you already know this, but we have a new Wab director, with one summer already under her belt! Sarah Facey was a Wab staff member and camper long ago, and we're thrilled to have her back, as well as her assistant director, Josh Gillies, another former Wab camper and staff member. Learn more about Sarah and Josh
here
.
Amanda Ellison, a long-time member of Belwood's directing team continues in a full-time position with us, and we have welcomed Lauren Kteily as Ki-Wa-Y's Assistant Director.
Learn more about Belwood's Directors Stef and Amanda
here
.
Learn more about Ki-Wa-Y's Directors Nicole and Lauren here.
And last but not least, Woody (Dave Jackson) has "retired" from camp directing, but is still with us after moving into a facility role, in which he oversees facility management at all of our camps.
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FACEBOOK, TWITTER & OUR CAMP ALUMNI WEBSITE
Now that we have found you, we do not want to lose you, so please
keep your Camp
Alumni Profile
updated with us so we can keep you in
the loop.
Please forward this newsletter to other camp folk and help them reconnect too!
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K-W YMCA Camping - Morning Dip - February 2019
 
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