Every summer about this time we write about the opening of Y camp and give well-deserved praise to our hardworking team of camp leaders who spend months preparing to safely receive thousands of kids for the summer. Under any circumstance, this is a feat of organization which is awe-inspiring. However, they’ve never had to pull this off in the midst of a global health crisis. That was novel, to say the least.
This summer, our camp team had to prepare in an atmosphere of uncertainty as to whether we would even operate, and figure out how to do so safely in the face of clearly understandable fear and uncertainty.
While safety has always been job one, in any other year the focus after that would be on how to come up with innovative ways that ensure that Y camp kids have happy, busy, challenging summer experiences filled with imaginative activities that are fun, engaging and memorable. Accomplishing that while also inserting temperature checks, social distancing, endless hand washing and the wearing of masks by all counselors takes some doing.
Just one look at the newsletter linked below will show you exactly what a great first week it was and what a superb job our associates did to accomplish this. If there is any such thing as "normal" in the midst of all that is going on around us, Y camp appears to have accomplished it. It certainly was a welcome sight to see delighted campers, who badly needed some normalcy, and their parents who undoubtedly were relieved and happy to see their children finally having fun again.
Hats off to Lana Smith, Vice President of Camp, and all those across the Y who helped get us to this milestone. Every camp summer is memorable. Summer 2020 will go down in the record books as an unparalleled accomplishment.
Well done, team Y!
All the best,
John
John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland