The Bigger Impact of Summer Camp

This is such a fun time of year at the Y. As school winds down and

summer approaches, there's a building frenzy toward one of our busiest times of the year - Summer Camp. Staff is hired and trained, sites are cleaned and prepped, registrations are made and all the like. I get the question asked of me daily - "Are y'all getting ready for camp?" I always answer yes and chat about all the preparations being made, when in all actuality, it's not so much me as the Youth Department Staff.

I suppose we do get excited about camp around here. We get to see kids all year long, but it's different at camp. I'm not sure if it's because of the setting, or the activities or simply since its summer, but things are so different at camp.

It occurred to me this morning as I was thinking about it, that Summer Camp has a really unique place in the collective memories and culture of a large part of our country. You can see it everywhere, from movies to TV shows and even commercials. Summer camp has become something of a rite of passage in the typical American kid's life. It seems that nearly everyone I meet nowadays has at least one great memory of Summer Camp that has stayed with them their entire lives. I love hearing them. I'm amazed that adults still remember the names of camp counselors, directors and lifeguards at the camps they where they spent their childhoods. Hearing people recount their stories always, and i mean ALWAYS brings a smile to my face.

I used to think that these memories were nothing more than simple things that stick in our memories for random reasons. But now, after being around Y camp staff for a few years, I'm thinking something different. It occurs to me that even when it looks to me like these young staff members are simply playing with kids, or loading buses or cleaning a scraped knee, they're actually choosing to spend Summer living with intention and making efforts to affect kids with their smiles, attitudes and character. Here's a little insight: I never went to Summer camp. So for me, watching this on a daily basis is like being at camp. And I love it. I know for me, a summer off in college was a time to shut my brain down, so, not to sound cheesy, but seeing these kids do what they do is inspirational.

It also occurs to me that those memories - the ones we keep all the way through adulthood - the ones from camp - those memories don't just happen to stick with us because they're fun, or we were having a good time. No, we carry those memories because someone, a counselor, or a lifeguard, or a camp director, was also living intentionally, working to affect us, and whether or not they realized it, helping to create the story of who we would become. The memories that stuck with us are those that someone helped us create.

So we're only a couple of weeks from creating some new memories that someone will be talking about 20 years from now. I can't wait to have the chance to get a glimpse of those special moments happening. Who knows, maybe I'll get to be a part of a new memory.

What about you? Do you have a special memory from camp? Was there someone who meant so much that you still remember his or her name? Tell me about it, share it. I'd love to hear the story.

April Fitness Tip - The Plank

Here's the April fitness video. This one covers the Plank. It's an easy exercise for the core that you can do almost anywhere. Is there an exercise you'd like for us to cover on the blog? Let us know and we'll schedule it! To view the video full size on our Youtube channel, click here.

Exercising: Find your Fun!

I've been thinking a lot lately about how physical fitness (or at least exercise) and spiritual well-being and true happiness seem to really go hand-in-hand. And yet, when we think of "getting fit," most of usually obsess over calories burnt, calories taken in, time on the treadmill, and the like. We never think about how exercise makes us happier people.

For a long time, my exercise routine and fitness regimen had the same meaning. As some of you know, when i started working at the Y nearly 5 years ago, I was substantially overweight. So I started to exercise with the simple goal of losing weight. I'd tried the whole "exercise" thing in the past, but could never stick with it. I think something clicked when I discovered something I love to do. Exercise should NOT be miserable, nor should it be something that feels like work. You gotta go out and find something that's fun. And that should be the very first thing you look for when you're looking to start a workout routine. Ask yourself: "Would I have fun if I _______ for exercise?" If the answer is no, move on. If the answer is yes, then you can start asking questions about target heart rate, calories burned, even what cute outfit you'll wear whilst doing said activity. But for goodness sake, start by having fun.

We're really good at attaching this idea to work. If I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times, "Find something you love to do, then figure out a way to get paid for it." No one ever questions this line of thinking, but it's not often that I've seen someone slogging through a treadmill run just stop and announce that "This is no fun, so I'm not doing it anymore."

It's time to change that. And if you want, you can start at the Y. Consider this my personal invitation. If there's a regularly scheduled fitness class that we offer that you've always wanted to try, come on! There's space for you. If you don't like it, you can leave. If it's fun, you might just be on to something. Here's a list of what we've got to offer. Check it out and choose one. And I want to hear what you chose. Tell me about your class in the comments on this post, or leave it as a comment on the Y's Facebook Fan Page.

I run. It's fun to me. So now how about you? What do you do to exercise that's Fun? I want to know! Let's hear it!

Today's healthy food: Quinoa (pronounced /ˈkiːnoʊ.ə/ or /kwɨˈnoʊ.ə/,). Quinoa is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a grass. As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds. I love this stuff. Check out this site to learn more about it and find great recipes.

March Fitness Tip - Standing Back Squats

Here's the first of a new monthly fitness video blog series for you. This one covers the standing back squat. Is there an exercise you'd like for us to cover on the blog? Let us know and we'll schedule it! To view the video full size on our Youtube channel, click here.

A little taste of holiday cheer

Our guest blogger this week is Drew Smith, our Development Director.

When is the last time you went caroling? I highly recommend it this holiday season…it will warm your soul on a cold December evening. Whitney Kahn, our senior program director and I took a group of 8 high school kids caroling last night and it was awesome! All the kids are active members of our Leaders Club. I mentioned to Whitney that I wanted to take a group of Leaders who can carry a tune (Lord knows I can’t!) on a little trip around town to go caroling to some of our donors. So the kids enthusiastically embraced the idea, went to work on learning three different songs to sing (Silver Bells, Angels We Have Heard on High, and Deck the Halls).

So we ventured out and stopped at about a dozen homes and I only wish more folks were home. About half the folks we went to see were home, so I guess in baseball terms we were batting .500 which is a great number…but when you’re out there caroling, you want to sing to actual people.. But it really didn’t matter…and I wish everyone could have seen the huge smiles on the faces of these kids when they heard this right after their first carol of the night, “I haven’t been Christmas caroled in years! Thank you, thank you, you guys were great!”

Even when folks weren’t home they sang anyway…and maybe the neighbors got to hear the harmonized vocals of these 8 high school students donning their Santa hats with mini flashlights and cell phones in hand to illumine the sheet of lyrics in the darkness of the night.

What really struck me was how these teens just totally immersed themselves in this endeavor. They were loving it…really having fun…going from house to house singing carols, joking with each other, and counting down the minutes until the post-caroling pizza party. (By the way the pizza at Carmine’s in Eastgate was amazing). While they scarfed down the pizzas they were talking about doing it again next year! And we’ve already got some plans in place to make it bigger and better, so stay tuned.

So if we didn’t get to your house this year, keep a lookout for the YMCA Leaders Club carolers in 2010.

So when's the last time you went caroling? And what's your favorite Holiday Song? Share your favorite memories and we'll pick the best one for a great YMCA Prize in January!

Beating the Winter Blahs, YMCA Style

As I sat and watched the rain fall in the parking lot, it occurred to me that this time of year, as the days get shorter and the temperatures get colder, it becomes easier than usual to slip into a bit of a funk and let your spirit start to droop a bit. With the winter weather, the lack of sunshine, the hustle & bustle of the holidays, and stress that comes with life's daily grind, we often find ourselves deep in a rut of winter doldrums before we know it.

Then it occurred to me that the YMCA is the perfect place to discover new tools for fighting the winter "blechs." Here are some great ways you can "Beat the Blahs."

1. Try a new Fitness Class.

There's no better place to try a new class than the YMCA. Here there's no reason to worry about what people think of you or to be concerned about embarrassment. We're all about beginners (and intermediates and experts) so go ahead, Zumba away, even if you have no rhythm. Try that Yoga pose, because falling means you're trying, and sign up for Bellydancing, because everyone will look kind of silly (except for the instructor). Check out our fitness classes here.

2. Volunteer in a Youth Program.

Want a guaranteed laugh? Come and be a part of one of the YMCA Youth Programs. There isn't a funnier, more positive group of people on the planet than the kids in our youth programs. It doesn't take any special talents necessarily (although hidden talents are always a bonus). If you can do elementary math or help with geography homework, you're good to go. We'll guarantee at least a giggle every day you come to volunteer, plus you'll be making a difference in a kids life.

3. Find a Workout Buddy - at the Y.

Even for the most dedicated of us, time spent on your own on the treadmill can eventually become like running in circles on a human sized hamster wheel, no matter how great your "World's Best Workout" iPod playlist is. At the Y, we're about relationships, and what's so important to us is that you're in environment where you can feel comfortable discovering people here to build those new relationships with.

4. Go for a swim.

Nothing's better for thumbing your nose at Old Man Winter than taking a dip in the pool when it's freezing outside. Now I know, our pool is indoors and climate controlled, but it's still pretty cool to take a swim when most of the water outside is frozen solid. There's plenty of time for lap swim, recreational swim and aqua aerobics in our pool. Check it out on our pool schedule.

5. Just hang out here.

One of my favorite things about working at the Y is the never-ending treasure chest of fantastic life stories our members bring. From World War II veterans to Best Selling authors, Pioneering Educators to Amazing Athletes, the stories abound. Simply ask and you'll discover a sampling of what makes our town so interesting and fun to live in.

So that's my list of great things to do at the Y to beat the winter blues. How about you? What's your favorite part of the YMCA during the winter?

Looking for more great lists? Check out this one by one of our newest CHCYMCA members Molly Buckley - 5 things to keep in mind over the holidays.

Connecting our community for the better.

This week our guest blogger is Drew Smith, our Financial Development Director:

Greetings and Happy Holidays! My name is Drew Smith and I’m the financial development director here at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA. What does that title mean? Well, I’m basically a connector. I connect investors to the CHCYMCA - a great nonprofit organization that is serving the community in so many ways on a daily basis. Did you know that we have a standing commitment to make sure that no one is turned away from the YMCA based on his or her financial resources? Anyone and everyone who wants to be a part of the CHCYMCA is welcome, regardless of ability to pay. You know, most people think of our community as affluent; with an abundance of highly educated people from all over the globe. That’s true, but it’s also true that there are people who live and work here who struggle each day to make ends meet.

By connecting investors with the YMCA, we have the funds available to award financial assistance to hundreds of people every year right here in our community. People who need afterschool care for their children, summer day camp for their elementary schoolchildren, or seniors who need a place to take water aerobics classes. Those are just a few examples of how a donor’s gift is invested.

This is arguably the worst economy since the great depression, but our YMCA has received a record number of annual donations totaling more than $132,000 as of this writing. Still, we’ll award approximately $250,000 worth of financial assistance to local children, families, and individuals…so you can see there are unmet needs.

During the holidays, many of us take time to give thanks for our blessings and reflect on how fortunate we are for health, happiness, and good fortune. But for some of our neighbors, the holidays might not seem as bright or cheery…there are financial woes, unemployment concerns, and a decision of whether to pay the rent, or buy groceries.

Looking to make an end of the year donation and want 100% of your gift to stay local without part of your donation going to administrative fees, etc.? Please consider a gift to the We Build People campaign. You can make a gift securely online through our website. Just click the Donate Now button on our home page. You can always send a check or use a credit card if you’d like.

I think this is a great time to be thankful for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA. Imagine what our community would look like without it? Imagine if the 250+ kids who attend afterschool at the Y had to find somewhere else? What about the dozens of children who learn the potentially life saving skill of swimming every year at the Y? I’m also very thankful for the hundreds of annual donors and volunteers who graciously donate their treasure, their time, and their expertise to help others. The YMCA is devoted to serving this community, and it’s awesome to see this community respond!