TheCampHaleAlumniAssociation
Newsletter
MISSION STATEMENT: To build and foster positive working relationships with Camp Hale, the United South End Settlements, and all in the Camp Hale community, for the benefit and continued success of Camp Hale.
Spring 2017 Also available at: www.CampHaleAlumni.com
ENDOWMENT FUND HITS $250,000
After years of contributions and growth the Endowment Fund has reached the original target of $250,000. Now the CHAA Board has the ability to draw on the interest earned to add to CHAA's customary support of Camp Hale.
The Endowment Fund is a real demonstration of CHAA's life long and ongoing commitment to Camp Hale and the boys & girls who attend.
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Camp Hale Friends, Family, and Alumni,
On April 4th, 2016 I was appointed as President of CHAA from Brent who was the President at the time. I finished off his term and was elected President at our CHAA Annual Meeting on September 11th, 2016 at Camp Hale. I am honored that you voted me in as President and that you believe in me as a leader. I was a camper, LIT, and counselor dating back 40 years. I have been a proud member of the Board of Directors (BODs) since 2000.
I would like to start off by thanking Brent for leaving CHAA in a great place. We have a great BODs who are dedicated to our mission, which I remind you is, “To build and foster positive working relationships with Camp Hale, the United South End Settlements, and the Camp Hale Community for the benefit and continued success of Camp Hale.”
We are financially sound with money in our bank accounts and our endowment fund is at its maturity.
This is all exciting news but with a shrinking membership I ask you, what does our future look like?
I envision us strengthening our BODs in the near future. I want to accomplish this by focusing on the BODs at a committee level, and further at an individual level within that committee.
We are limited on time, as volunteers and I want to maximize the return, from that time, for each member. When an individual has an assignment or goal to meet, it is more likely it will be accomplished than if it is left for a committee to complete.
Individual accountability results in better productivity.
I envision reaching out to the Camp Hale Families and parents of campers, who are passionate about camp and how it has redefined their children.
I want these parents to sit at the table on our BOD as full members and alternates. Their voices, experience, and network are important to CHAA’s future.
As our membership gets older and smaller we must bring new faces to the table to secure our future and the future of Camp Hale.
We have a small group of dedicated women on the BOD that are very important to our success and future.
My goal is to increase that number so that there is equal representation.
I truly believe that diversity on our BOD is the key. We need those parents and women not just on our BOD but as part of our membership to help strengthen our weakening numbers.
We must find new ways to accomplish this. I’m confident that through this type of membership development we will have greater results in our fundraisers, alumni weekend, work weekend, and future events.
I am committed to our Camp Hale Permanent Endowment Fund. It was established on April 14th, 1997 by unanimous BOD vote.
I remind you that its purpose is “to perpetually generate income for the purpose of benefitting Camp Hale through USES.”
The intended goal is to accumulate $250K in interest and capital. Once the goal is attained money will be used to benefit Camp Hale on an annual basis.
One great way of doing that is by sponsoring camperships, which results in placing campers in beds.
The success of the fund is based on us finding new mechanisms to fund it. Not much money has been put into this fund over the last few years so it has been riding the market wave going up and down. We need to establish a way to fund this annually so that it matures resulting in camperships for future campers.
If you have any interest in joining CHAA or just being part of a committee/event please reach out to me. We can always use a dedicated individual.
Remember that feeling you got when someone sponsored you as a camper or when someone gave back to you? Well let’s keep the torch going, make it your turn to give back, and give that feeling to someone else. You won’t regret it. I promise.
Tom Hayes~ President (Hayes1513@aol.com)
IMPORTANT DATES
Cocktails for Campfires: Sat. April 29 - HUGE SUCCESS!! $12,000 Grossed!
Pizza Party "Meet the Staff": Sat. June 24, 1-4pm
Spring Work Weekend at Camp Hale: June 9-11
Old Home Day: to be announced - CHAA serves lunch to CH and Center Sandwich
Alumni Weekend: Sept 7-10
Fall Work Weekend: to be announced
Stay connected with the Camp Hale Alumni Association throughout the year.
In an effort to grow our presence online, we hope you will follow our pages and help share our main hashtag #camphalealumni. As we continue to support Camp Hale, this hashtag will help us capture important moments.
Visit: www.CampHaleAlumni.com
Facebook Page: Camp Hale Alumni Association
LinkedIn Page: Camp Hale Alumni Association
Twitter: @chaainc
Instagram: @camphalealumni
CHAA Board Meetings:held the first Monday of each month from 6pm – 8pm at the
Harriet Tubman House (566 Columbus Ave. Boston, MA 02118).
Join us at one of our upcoming meetings! All are welcome toattend.
WORK WEEKEND
It's that time of year again when Camp Hale needs you!
And, quite honestly, you need Camp Hale! The winter was pretty severe and inflicted itself on Camp Hale.
Mother Squam is calling, the water is rushing at Beede's Falls, and the Potholes are as cold as ever!!
CHAA is once again hosting the annual Work Weekend, and we hope that you can join us.
CHAA has been sponsoring Work Weekend for many decades and is a way to give back and help us maintain our beloved Camp Hale.
Last year's WW was a tremendous success with volunteers from CHAA, Camp Hale staff, and parents from Boston all working together to make necessary repairs.
If you are 18 or older, male or female, alumni, family, or friend, we would love your help this year to get Camp ready for the boys and girls. We have all sorts of items on the to do list, so finding a job for whatever your skill set will be easy.
CHAA provides a place to sleep(you need a sleeping bag or sheets, blankets, pillow), good plentiful food, and materials.
If you have tools and know how to use them, please bring them.
Please contact Tofee Shamatta at tofeeshamatta@gmail.com, or via the CHAA Facebook page, or text Oscar Anthony at 912-313-1538 if you are interested in joining us this year.
Even if you can't make the trip, you could help by donating to CHAA so we can buy lumber, paint, screens, etc. needed to keep CH in one piece! To make Donations go to our website camphalealumni.comand make sure to put Work Weekend Donation in the comment box on the bottom.
We are also looking for corporate sponsors - so if you have any suggestions or connections please let us know.
Tofee Shamatta ~ Work Weekend Chairman (tofeeshamatta@gmail.com)
CAMP HALE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
453 South Main Street, Attleboro, MA 02703
www.CampHaleAlumni.org
CHAA Organization Chart
APPENDIX II
(Amended)
February 6, 2017
Board of Directors
Officers
Vote/Appointment/Replacement
Term Expires
Tom Hayes
President
Vote
Sept. 18
Brent Hayes
Vice-President
Vote
Sept. 18
Chris Attles
Treasurer
Vote
Sept. 19
Joe Shamatta
Clerk
Vote
Sept. 17
Frank Anthony
Vote
Sept. 17
Kasey Blume
Vote
Sept. 18
Nick Haddad
Vote
Sept. 19
Barry Hayes
Vote
Sept. 18
Ira Kligerman
Vote
Sept. 19
Fred Lopes
Vote
Sept. 16
Amy Shamatta
Appointment
Sept. 17
Tofee Shamatta
Vote
Sept. 17
Kern Tyler
Vote
Sept. 19
VACANT
Secretary
Alternate Directors
Charles George (Requested)
Vote
Sept. 19
Wally Keniston
Vote
Sept. 19
Courtland Townes
Vote
Sept. 17
VACANT
removed 2/6/17
Vote
Sept. 18
VACANT
resigned 2/6/17
Vote
Sept. 18
VACANT
removed 2/6/17
Vote
Sept. 17
Honorary Membership
Jerrell Cox
USES-Contractual
Karen Liberatore
USES-Contractual
Standing Committees -Appointments
Committee Name
Committee Chairman
Members
Alumni WE
Tom Hayes
Brent, Barry, Tofee
Work WE
Tofee Shamatta
Kasey, Joe, Fred, Nick
Events
Tom Hayes
Sub Committees
Event
Chair(s)
Members
Old Home Day
Chicky George
Alan Abboud, Steve Jacobs
Spr Fundraiser
Tom Hayes
Brent Hayes, Barry Hayes
Pizza Party
Tom Hayes
Brent Hayes, Barry Hayes
Finance
Chris Attles
Tofee, Alan, Nick, Kern, Brent
Fundraising
Oscar, Kasey
Tom, Karen, Jerrell
Membership/Communications
Kern, Kasey
Karen, Brent
Sub Committees
Admin Support
Wally Keniston
Historian
Bob Nicholas
Info Tech
Oscar Anthony
Mark ElBach
Internal Comm
Ira Kligerman
Newsletter
Joe Shamatta
Ad Hoc Committees (TBA)
MR. BOB’S CORNER
Greetings fellow Haler’s, I hope everyone is well.
Its’s hard to believe another Camp season is upon us,
and, as Mr. Tofee said recently, Work Weekend is a great way
to get involved, and make a difference.
So much always has to be done, and any help will certainly
go along way.
Cabin Cleanup was always one of those challenging times, for both camper,
and counselor.
Counselors had a tough time getting the campers to get all of the things done in a relatively short period of time, most of which went on making the beds.
There was the inspection, which in the 70’s was done by Jack Costa, and then later on in the 80’s by Chris Cato .
Who remembers the grading system? Superior; Quite good; Unsatisfactory; Awful; Miserable. Read the capital letters, what do you spell out? (Hint it’s a large lake).
The winning cabin would get treated to ice cream at the Dari Maid (yes, its spelled correctly). This sometimes involved piling into a counselors car, the old VW, or later, the van.
In the photo, we see Mr. Dave Pieri (left) demonstrating the incorrect way for a counselor to supervise cabin clean up, as you can see the campers are using the cleaning implements as weapons, and engaging in combat. This is second trip of 1987.
Actually, Mr. Dave was coaching the Bugs Cabin in the proper use of the Shaolin long pole, so all is fine. Just kiddin’ Mr. Dave.
We used to have Pow Wow ceremonies, on the last night of camp, along with the Banquet.
One memorable year, Mr. George Vounatsos, was our Chief, and we brought him to the council ring on Big Red, it was truly unbelievable.
We had all the kids come down to the council ring in the usual way, the Kitchen Aides led them in as tribes, and I was Paga Hee, the medicine man.
We were drumming at the council ring.
Mr George got into Big Red, at the docks. The two paddlers were Tim Childers (bow), and “Big” Jerry Little(stern). Mike Puopolo held the torch, and Jim DeMaggio played the drum. The closer they got to Leaders Point, the softer we played the drums, and the louder Jim played.
Without any prior knowledge Mr. George stood up, arms folded, and maintained his balance, without any problem.
Watching them come in, was truly an awesome experience, and I know all the campers that were there, were completely blown away, in fact we all were.
The Pow Wow’s were always a lot of fun to do for the kid’s, and are part of many great Camp Hale memories.
Before I move onto Pieri’s corner, I would like to acknowledge the passing of Mr. Chuck Kimball. I will miss seeing Chuck at camp. I have spent many alumni, and work weekends in Chuck’s presence and enjoyed talking with him.
I hope to see all of you this year at one or more of the events, and as always please send me any memories, photos, stories you would like to share.
PIERI’S CORNER
During the early 1960’s, Alex Barghout was contracted to remodel
the kitchen, dishwasher room, and part of the dining hall.
Paneling was put up, along with new cabinets, counter tops, shelving
and new tile floors. This greatly enhanced the looks as well as the functioning efficiency of these important areas.
His crew also did some extensive grounds work including enlarging of the old
parking lot, erecting the railroad tie wall to help alleviate the erosion problems, widening the court area and the road, as well as cutting in the road behind the dining hall.
The final part of this project was placing the totem pole that had been carved by Nick Haddad.
During the off-season in the fall of 1973, two of the three cabins down by the lake shore were totally destroyed by fire (those were the old Minks, and Porkies from way back).
It was decided to build two fully winterized cabins at the top of the hill just off the ball field.
These cabins would be used by administrative staff and families during the camping season, and rented out during the off-season. By the summer of 1975, these cabins were being utilized.
Bob Nicholas ~ Historian (Elah1991@msn.com)
CHAA COMMITTEES NEED YOU
CHAA has six “Standing Committees”, most of which are responsible for multiple functions.
Finance Committee: Develops budgets. Tracks expenses. Maintains financial records. Prepares reports. Manages the Endowment Fund. Responsible for filing reports to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Fund Raising Committee: Responsible for planning and organizing major fundraising events (Cocktails for Campfires; Golf Tournament; Annual Fundraising Letter; etc.). Identifies, nurtures relationships with, and solicits donations from potential donors.
Membership Committee: Maintains regular communications with membership via. the Newsletter, Web site postings, and email. Maintains the CHAA Web site. Works to expand CHAA membership. Solicits and collects dues.
Work Weekend Committee: Works closely with the Camp Hale Director to identify facility needs. Recruits CHAA members to attend the Work Weekends and work on projects as needed to assist with the opening and/or closing of camp.
Alumni Weekend Committee: Plans, provides leadership for, and coordinates all aspects of the annual CHAA Alumni Weekend, including the fundraising auction.
Events Committee: In coordination with the Camp Hale Director, plans, organizes, and implements events such as Old Home Day lunch, camper Pizza Party, and gatherings for CHAA members that are primarily social in nature.
The organization needs YOU to join a committee and pitch and in order for CHAA to be a strong, successful organization.
The Board invites all members to find something on one of the committees (descriptions below) that you can help out with.
Don’t have much time? That’s OK. Just pick one event or function that you can support.
Have more time? Volunteer to chair just one of a committee’s events (e.g., the Event Committee’s “Pizza Party”).
How do you sign up? Just send an email to CHAA President Tom Hayes (Hayes1513@aol.com) letting him know of your interest.
And Thank You in advance for helping CHAA be the best support for Camp Hale that it can be.
Nick Haddad ~ CHAA Board of Directors
THE LAST WORD
Well, this has been a great year so far.
As you read in the headline, our Endowment Fund has matured to the point where we can skim off the interest and donate it to Camp.
We have been working on reaching our goal for about 20 years.
Some of you have been asking why this fund is so important to us. Well, it’s simple really. It makes money for Camp.
Sure we do a couple of fundraisers, and we made some decent money in the past couple of years, but, it really is a drop in the bucket when it comes to the overall cost of running Camp for a season. CHAA wants to fill as many bunks as possible.
At the Cocktails for Campfires Fundraiser, we were asking for your help to sponsor a camper for a full session. That donation would have been $2500. So you can multiply that by 80 kids and get a rough estimate as to what it costs to run Camp for 1 session.
Now multiply that by 2.
So the few thousand we raise at the CfC event, and the few we raise at the Alumni Weekend Auction really only scrape the surface of the total cost per summer.
Now, as you know, we are not getting any younger. Most of us aren’t getting any richer either. Putting on events that we do requires a lot of volunteer time and effort.
Putting on these events is also kind of risky, meaning that if it’s gonna rain on AWE not too many people will show, and thus the profits from the auction will be lower. Same for the CfC at Clery’s, risky. We never know if people are going to be generous or not, and can’t predict what the profit will be. We do know it ain’t gonna be $500K.
Having an endowment is not without its risk either, in that a lot depends on the stock market. If it booms, we boom. If not… well … we make less.
But it is much less risky, and we don’t really have to do the legwork to put on an event.
So, knowing that in 20 years they would be 20 years older, the people that drafted the Endowment policy and started the fund really had some good sense. It can be likened to starting a college fund for your kid 2 years before they go to college.
So thank them when you see them, and help us build the fund to a $MILLION so we can send all the kids to Camp on us.
(Photos from the Cocktails for Campfires event can be found on our FaceBook page.)
~Joe Shamatta - Clerk/Newsletter Editor (DrJoeShamatta@aol.com) The End