The Coniston Community has stepped up in a BIG way and hundreds of campers and alumni got involved in very unique ways to ensure the future of Coniston.
CONISTON BRACELETS 1st-year staff members, John Shelley and Ellie Wilson jumped into action when they heard Camp needed help by creating a fundraiser. These entrepreneurs sold homemade friendship bracelets and more importantly found a way of keeping the spirit of Camp alive during these times.
CONISTON TRIVIA NIGHT! On June 25, 2020 over 150 CIT groups across the country from the late 90’s through the 2010’s gathered for a special trivia night fundraiser to help support Camp during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the generosity of so many, thousands of dollars were raised.
More than just a financial boost, the night was an opportunity for old friends to reconnect, laugh, and reminisce about summers on the lake. Congratulations to the 2001/2002 CIT team who took home the big win to have the donations to Camp made in their honor!
CONISTON HATS After spending five summers at Coniston, Kiley MacLeod knew that she wanted to help the place that has given her so much. She created a fundraiser to sell custom embroidered hats.
Black lives matter. We apologize for not speaking up sooner to say this and make sure you all know that we are paying attention and that we as an organization unequivocally believe in the cause of racial justice, stand with the Black community, and condemn racism.
We didn’t release a statement earlier both because we were afraid to say the wrong thing and because we weren’t sure if we had anything valuable to add to this conversation. We also did not want to make an empty statement that isn’t backed up by concrete actions Camp is taking to become a more inclusive and actively anti-racist organization.
However, we realized last week that the wrong thing to say is nothing at all. We want you, our Coniston community, to know we are paying attention, we are listening, we are having conversations, and we are actively working on those concrete steps. We understand the importance of taking action and we hope you understand that it will take time to figure out how to translate the values each of us on staff and on our board holds individually into actions that an entire organization takes — including steps to make sure that we are truly living our anti-racist values and teaching them to campers during camp sessions when we are once again open.
Camp has always worked hard to teach and live the values of respect, honesty, inclusivity, responsibility, and caring. But we acknowledge that we need to and must go further and we’re deeply committed to doing that. We also acknowledge that, despite our good intentions, Camp has not always felt welcoming to every community member.
As a predominantly white organization, we have a special responsibility to our community to teach and model anti-racist behavior. History teaches us that movements for change are most successful when privileged communities use their voices to advocate on behalf of marginalized communities. And our hearts tell us that it is the right thing to do.
John Tilley, John McNair, Nicole Berthiaume June 10, 2020
The outdoors provides many people a breath of fresh air and a place to clear their mind and get some exercise during state’s stay at home orders and reopening plans. Getting out to enjoy the local bike trail or take a local hike is an activity that many have taken up to help provide structure or relaxation. Outdoor recreation has been increasingly sought after giving everyone the ability to exercise, clear their head or just take in some beauty while maintaining proper distancing measures. However, hiking mountains or exploring rivers does come with some risks.
With access to the outdoors there are many people and puppies (Yes, we said dogs!) behind the scenes that ensure the safety of those venturing to explore their backyards and communities. This past weekend, New England K9 Search and Rescue came to Coniston’s property to practice and train. At Coniston, these air-scent trained rescue dogs are able to practice land and water rescue scenarios to hone their skills and remain trained and ready to execute. This collaboration helps ensure the safety of many people exploring their local areas and allows New England K9 Search and Rescue an ideal free space to constantly train and keep people safe. Even during quarantine these volunteers help keep New Englanders exploring the outdoors safe in case of emergency.
New England K9 Search and Rescue aims to provide, without cost, trained search and rescue personnel and K9s to the law enforcement agencies of Vermont and New Hampshire to assist in their efforts to locate lost and missing persons. They offer assistance to the Upper Valley Wilderness Response team and have been helping the local area since its founding in 1981.
From Coniston, we would like to say thank you to the New England K9 Search and Rescue for volunteering your time to keep New England safe. We are very thankful we are able to collaborate with New England K9 in order to ensure a safer and better community.
Coniston staff make connections and are naturally skilled at adapting to a situation and solving problems effectively. In the summers, it is what they are asked to do on a daily basis, executing at a high level. With Camp unable to occur to ensure the safety of our campers and staff, it left our staff with the prospects of finding a new job or internship for the summer. With summer approaching many staff may be feeling overwhelmed with navigating the job and internship search in the current COVID-19 climate. However, we are privileged to experience the support from the Coniston community.
Patricia Hunt Sinacole, founder of the human resources consulting firm First Beacon Group and mother of one of our Counselor In Training directors, volunteered to sit down with the Coniston staff via Zoom to help them navigate finding summer employment and continue to professionally develop. Pattie covered many topics from immediate plans such as improving resumes and LinkedIn profiles to reaching out to employers and providing valuable skill sets to gain experience. Pattie sat down with every attendee and helped tailor a plan to their specific needs for summer internships or employment. Each plan depended on the attendees interests and motivations for summer employment, such as gaining industry specific experience or financial compensation. At the root of the conversation was the opportunity to pivot the skills utilized at camp to lead staff to a summer that helps them gain valuable experiences.
Among the many ideas and pieces of advice offered was the idea of pivoting the skills our staff excel at during the summer and utilizing the connections they make. Whether it is embracing entrepreneurship and helping a restaurant or retail company adapt to new guidelines through remote internship or utilizing the childcare and lifeguarding skills learned at camp and offering childcare, staff were encouraged to look at their own skills and recognize creative ways towards a summer that fulfills their professional needs.
Coniston staff was also encouraged to utilize and recognize their networks including family, friends, their schools resources and of course the Coniston Community. Conistonians were also sitting in on the call as prospective recruiters and looking to gain information on the current needs of staff, while offering their advice for career exploration and experience. Coniston staff member Michael Hawley, found an internship in wealth management through the Career Counseling meeting with Pattie showing the power of Coniston connections at work. If you have any opportunities or are willing to offer guidance for staff or recent alumni please post in the YMCA Camp Coniston Career Development Group on LinkedIn or contact nicole@coniston.org.
Conistonian Cassie Short, a teacher at Wellesley Public Schools as well as the track coach, has used her passion for running as a way to help frontline workers. On May 8th, Cassie conducted a Miles for Masks fundraiser. Beginning at midnight, Cassie began running with goal of running 32 miles in 24 hours. All the donations she received are to help raise funds for Boston Medical Center Corporation. As Cassie wrote “With no true “races” on the calendar to train for I want to use my running platform to raise money for Boston’s frontline workers. If they can work endless 12-hour shifts, I can certainly test my limits for 24 hours.” If you are interested in hearing more about Cassie’s initiative or follow her progress on Facebook and Instagram.
Tremigo and the Sierra Relief Kitchen:
Part of the COVID-19 response is adapting, overcoming and coming together as a community. Conistonian Rachel Graf-McCabe, daughter of longtime camp nurse Patty Graf is doing just that. This past December, Rachel Graf-McCabe opened Tremigo Mexican Kitchen in the Tahoe area. When the pandemic hit and stay at home orders were put in place many in the outdoor recreation and tourism hub of Tahoe were left without jobs and found themselves without funds for food. Although restaurants were closed Rachel and her fellow restaurant owners knew there was a way they could help serve their employees and community members. Alongside other restaurants in the area the Sierra Relief Kitchen was started. With volunteers and donations of groceries, equipment and technical support the Sierra Relief Kitchen was up and running quickly, providing meals to residents in need. Every Saturday the Sierra Relief Kitchen is offering food and relief to their local community. At first, they thought they may be serving around 40 people but since it has begun, they have served up to 750 meals in a day for take-out and delivery. In all that the pandemic has brought it is increasingly important to see and experience the wonders of community coming together. Thank you Rachel!
Welcoming new members into the Coniston Community is always exciting and it brings joy when our alumni and community welcome a child to their families. We would like to extend a congratulations to alumni and community member who have experience the joy and happiness of welcoming new members to their families.
Congratulations to Ben Mark and his family who welcomed Madeline Anne Mark on January 4th.
On Saint Patrick’s Day, Former Boy’s Camp Director, Sam Coleman and his family welcomed Lawrence Harper Coleman to the world.
Morgan Milardo Schermerhorn had a baby on October 29th. Welcome, Theodore Joseph Schermerhorn.
On December 20th, Meridith (Astles) Lee and family welcomed Lucca Margaret Lee into the world.
We are incredibly happy for all of our camp alumni and families who are starting or growing their families and can not wait to welcome them to the Coniston Community!
In response to COVID-19, a Communications Committee was formed to support the communication needs for Camp. Without this committees support and hard work the Coniston Community would not be as well informed.
The committee is chaired by Board Member, Lynne Delise, and a group of highly talented communication and fundraising alumni. Members of the committee include:
Anna Kelsey, Grassroots Prospects Manager at Democratic National Committee Liz Morris, MBA Candidate | The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and Formerly the Assistant Director of Planned Giving for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Joe Whelan, Assistant Director of Development, Regional & Global Programs at University of Delaware, MBA Candidate
Doctors, nurses, and public health officials are an essential pillar in providing our society with comfort and safety. In many cities in lockdown, healthcare workers are thanked every night for their work. A chorus of applause and cheers echo through the city from the apartments and balconies along the empty streets. A daily act of gratitude to the people who are working above and beyond. Coniston would like to extend an enormous thank you and encourage others to display their gratitude to healthcare workers in our local community and nation.
We also extend a resounding thank you and Class A Clap to our camp nurses who provide safety and comfort to thousands of kids every summer at camp. They are a driving force in making Coniston a welcoming and comfortable place. However, it’s not just Coniston that they impact. When they are not supporting our campers and staff many of them are school nurses and help keep children stay healthy and safe all year.
Our nurses are so important to us. While they are keeping camp and their local communities healthy and strong they are also helping our communities stay connected. Many of our nurses have taken on the role of helping send hundreds of kids to camp on camperships from their local districts. By doing this, many children who may not have had the chance, have had the opportunity to enjoy a summer (or many) by the lake as campers then as counselors, Program Directors, Boys’ and Girls’ Camp Directors and leaders in the Coniston Community. Beyond the Coniston Community, our nurses are also dedicated to send members of the Concord Refugee Community to Camp, giving more people summers at Coniston. Their work cannot be quantified as they are a cornerstone to the camp and local community. Words could never explain our gratitude for your efforts and selflessness.
To our camp nurses and all healthcare workers, who tirelessly work behind the scenes we say thank you for taking time away from your jobs and lives. You truly are the best.
We are excited to announce the Jocelyn B. Tetel Campership, which provides the Coniston Experience to a deserving child so they may make new friends and participate in the Coniston program that gave Jocelyn so much joy.
Jocelyn grew up in North Carolina, attended Coniston from 1971 through 1979, and is the Vice President of Advancement for the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Her independence, leadership, and social skills were shaped through the nine summers on the lake. Her memories of Camp often include mental snapshots of waterskiing and sailing, shooting a bow and arrow and sleeping out under the stars—and even teaching synchronized swimming as a staff member. But most importantly she met one of her dearest friends to this day—and though they have never lived in the same city—their friendship sustains the distance.
If this past year has taught us anything, it is a deep understanding that learning to connect with others is the very lesson that kids need most at Camp.
She is so pleased that the essence of the Camp remains the same and it is still offering these same experiences to young people today. The best way she can show her appreciation for Coniston is to give a campership in perpetuity—meaning the campership follows the camper through their entire Camp journey to ensure long-term development then transfers to a new camper.
From 2015 to 2019, we doubled full camperships to 165. We believe having a Coniston filled with campers from all walks of life is stronger for every child.
Many things are taken into consideration when awarding a full Coniston Campership to a child. Initially, children and their families submit an application, the previous tax year forms, and are assessed through professionals such as school counselors and nurses. Next, the family’s income is screened using the federal free and reduced lunch income eligibility guidelines. Then the family’s income is multiplied by three—making it more equitable. Then our registrar and CEO discuss each application to determine camperships.
Additionally, we offer campership opportunities for families who may have a difficult story to share that may not be reflected in their finances. Such as families in cancer treatments, families who have suffered a loss such as a house fire, or even children who are being raised by grandparents.
MAKE A CHILD’S FUTURE YOUR LEGACY
How does this work? Because of generous donors like Jocelyn, the Coniston Endowment Fund is growing and providing the life-changing experience of Camp to many deserving children—regardless of financial means. The endowment also helps Coniston moderate inevitable cost pressures—rising prices, inflation, and unexpected expenses. This gift was given as a three-year pledge from gifts of stock.
Gifts can be given to children through Coniston in many ways:
Check or Online Reoccurring Credit Card Gift Multi-Year Pledge Estate Gift Stock or Mutual Funds Matching Gifts Corporate/Foundation Philanthropic Gift Life Insurance Policies
If additional information is needed to help your gift-giving process go smoother, please contact lindsey@coniston.org.
Local communities are a shared experience for all humanity. At first glance it is counterintuitive that in order for each of us to achieve our maximum potential as individuals, a group of people needs to come together to provide an atmosphere that supports each of us. The stronger that group is, the better chance the individual has of achieving their possibilities!Coniston’s local community is no exception. We are especially grateful for our partnership with Bar Harbor Bank and Trust. In December 2019, Bar Harbor Bank pledged to send local children to Coniston and improve the pavilion. Renovations will provide space for more children to play, develop, and grow by reconfiguring the old bathrooms and constructing an adjacent stage. Bar Harbor Bank has also been an outstanding ally for Coniston amidst the global pandemic. Their staff were instrumental in helping Coniston navigate the Paycheck Protection Program more commonly known as PPP. Due to this partnership and effort, Coniston acquired funding to pay all its staff, including afterschool supervisors and employees throughout the 2019-2020 school year and summer.
After spending five summers at Coniston, Kiley MacLeod knew that she wanted to help the place that has given her so much. She created a fundraiser to sell custom embroidered hats.
