6 1 0 2 “My own self, At my very best, All the time”
Aspire Nobly, Adventure Daringly, Serve Humbly INSIDE Letter from the President......................... 1 A World of Good......................................... 2 My Odyssey Has Just Begun. . ................... 4 Alumni Spotlight: Chevaan Daniel. . ....... 6 Infographic: Where on Earth!?. . .............. 7 NLC: The Results Are In........................... 8 Rick Davis: A Life In Search of the Comic Denominator......................... 10 Take It In......................................................... 11 Codman Senior Leadership Summit. . ........................................................... 11 In Motion, On Mission Update............. 12 Post Cards from the AYF........................ 13 Save the Dates. . ............................................ 15 AYF by the Numbers. . ............................... 16 Merrowvista: Building a Camp.............. 17 Three Campers.. .......................................... 20 Fueling the Eternal Flame Society. . ...... 22 Annual Report. . ............................................ 23 Honor Roll..................................................... 24 Let's Keep in Touch.. .................................. 29 Songs of the Founder Fire....................... 29
Front cover photo courtesy: facebook.com/TerpstraPhoto
Special Removable Section
FOLLOWING THE THREAD
A letter
FROM THE PRESIDENT
There it was again, the thread. I asked her to excuse me as I (unlike the early founders) leapt for my cellphone to Google a poem by William Stafford that recently spoke to me as I read it. It seemed to be saying what Marilyn was saying in that moment:
Last week, I swapped my commute north to the Ossippee Mountains for a longer drive south to the Cape, where I boarded a ferry for Martha’s Vineyard. Camper, Marilyn Scheerbaum, had graciously invited me to come and learn about a youth leadership program in her community. The Vineyard in the fall is hard to resist, but even harder – an enthusiastic Marilyn. With a hint of guilt, I accepted the invitation knowing it would keep me from other work. As the ferry crossed the sound, I read up on the organization and prepared questions, challenging myself to make good use of time.
THE WAY IT IS
There is a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn’t change. People wonder about what you are pursuing. You have to explain about the thread. But it is hard for others to see. While you hold it you can’t get lost. Tragedies happen; people get hurt or die; and you suffer and get old. Nothing you do can stop times unfolding. You don’t ever let go of the thread
It was a powerful 24 hours, not because of what I learned in the meeting with the other organization, but better, what I learned and reconfirmed about the AYF through my time with Marilyn. You see, Marilyn spoke of her experiences at Merrowvista and Miniwanca and the role the people, the programs, and the philosophy played in shaping her, not only as a youth but as an adult; a mother, a citizen, a business woman, an athlete, a ukulele player, and most recently a novice chicken farmer with a flock of two. Into the evening we discussed how for each of us the journey towards best self and balanced living has been hard, wonderful, full of twists and turns and more than anything, unending. And then we celebrated just that – that it is unending.
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Marilyn helped me recognize that what is best about the AYF is the thread. It remains unchanged in an ever-changing world. Children are born. Campers grow and adventure. Former program participants become purposeful adults who do good in the world. Amazing people pass from this world and their light lingers long. We all suffer and celebrate. Nothing can stops time’s unfolding. We need to hold onto the thread.
In the morning we sat across the table enjoying fresh eggs, old songs, and favorite stories. She asked me about our current participants, the health of the organization, and hard questions about why certain things had changed. I asked Marilyn my current nagging questions: how we might ensure that the work of the AYF is not just “kid’s stuff”, and what can we as AYFers do to support each other in our larger community if we wish to remain passionately engaged in a mission that calls for our best in a world where far less than best seems the acceptable norm? How might we adults keep each other fueled as sources of light in a world with still too much darkness? How do we find the moral courage to be upstanders, not bystanders?
This issue of the Founder Fire celebrates individuals who have followed the thread and, in so many ways, form it; our early founders who specialized in the wholly impossible, Odyssey campers who peddled steep mountains in search of the high road, conference and school programs participants who learned to face life’s difficulties while also caring for others, now-adult campers using their gifts courageously to do a world of good, and Rick Davis, who inspires us still to perform seemingly impossible feats. We thank our growing list of supporters who I pray will never let go – for you keep our youth and our programs on mission and in motion.
In response, Marilyn began to talk of the things that link all of us, across the decades, who have been shaped by the varied programs and the unchanged mission of the AYF. “No matter when we came it seems we have shared values, shared hope, shared language, shared songs. We need to stay linked…there is a thread.” A thread…
And I thank Marilyn Scheerbaum for her example, and for pulling me off course so that I might stay on course. I have unending respect for Marilyn and for all you campers who will never achieve alumni status – choosing instead to hold the thread as you launch into the deep to pursue your best – aspiring nobly, adventuring daringly, and serving humbly at every age. Hold Tight!
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A WORLD OF GOOD
How alumni are serving the global community and putting the mission into action
ERR SHELDON K
FRANK SO
by Tovah Burstein
In some ways, Sheldon is living the dream that she first discovered at camp. “That feeling you get when you dig deep and bike to the top of camp hill—and you’re like ‘yes! I did that!’ I wanted that all the time. I wanted to lead trips as a way of life,” she said. Sheldon leveraged that drive and has become a professional athlete and high-level 7 years as a camper mountain guide. She is only the 12th American and leader woman to earn her American Mountain Guides 1999: Association certification, and is one of the elite Biked to the top group of approximately 225 guides worldwide who of Merrowvista’s camp hill hold this distinction.
Frank So has dedicated his career to international humanitarian work, and he credits his time at AYF Cedar Lake for some of his first cross-cultural friendships. “The ILC [International Leadership Conference] was an intensive experience. I connected with kids from Brazil, France, Italy, and all over the US, people of different religions, cultures, abilities, 4 years as a and socio-economic backgrounds. Sixteen is a Conference participant at Cedar Lake formative age to reinforce ideals of understanding and trust and I remain very close with many of the 1996: friends I made through ILC.” Frank has since I Dare You awardee devoted his time to some of the most violent conflicts 2016: in crisis zones such as Haiti and Darfur. He has Political Strategist worked for NGOs, the UN, and most recently turned his attention to the United States government. When we caught up with Frank, he was on his way to Philadelphia to help organize the Democratic National Convention. “The ten years I spent abroad illustrated how important the United States is in the global political sphere. I felt I had a responsibility to return and, in my capacity, be of service. I needed to advocate for policy and actions that progress values of tolerance and education.”
2016: AMGA certified guide and Ambassador Athlete with Outdoor Research
Part of Sheldon’s personal development has been building her own idea of best self. She practices positive self-talk, and focuses on her abilities rather than her deficiencies. “Sometimes I have to remind clients—and myself—that it’s okay that you aren’t a marathon runner or a Ms. personality or whatever —you just climbed Denali.” Beyond any individual expedition, Sheldon’s goal is to demystify the professional athlete and guide. She speaks at corporate events and gives presentations around the country focusing on building confidence in women and girls. “Sports are so important for women, because they allow us to experience really positive, empowered moments with our bodies. I thought to be a professional athlete I had to be super skinny, wear a bikini, and laugh while paddle boarding. That’s not true, but it’s an idea that I still have to work through.” Sheldon will often show a presentation of an incredible trip she led to the top of an iconic mountain, but she wants to break the magic of these accomplishments. “People think ‘but I can’t’ and I want to tell them— no one else knows what they’re doing, no one else thinks they can do it, calm down, you can probably do it. There’s tons of cool stuff out there. Just find your thing and go do it.”
Frank considers himself a global citizen, but right now, he is focusing on the national community. “We are facing some of the most challenging times in America, hands down. There’s such sadness and desperation, I think about the violence in Ferguson, in Dallas, and in Chicago, and then about environmental crises like Zika, drought, and Ebola. We have to help mitigate disasters and see the humanity in each other.” Frank believes that experiences like AYF programs challenge young leaders and encourage them to be people of action, as well as critical thinkers. “I think about that award, I DARE YOU. How are we daring each other? We need to dare each other to build trust and have faith in one another. And that takes courage.” For Frank, ILC discussions and reflections helped build his confidence and trust in others. “You don’t need to go to Darfur or work in the White House to have an impact,” Frank says. “You need to be active in your community.”
Sheldon Kerr photo courtesy: Krystle Wright
2
N JAMIE HEN
ERSON H P c M R E H HEAT
Jamie admits that the climate justice movement is often a whole lot like summer camp. “You do lots of group activities, talk about values, and sing songs. Making banners is a whole lot like arts and crafts and then hanging those banners is like a team challenge at the high ropes course.” The AYF helped deepen Jamie’s appreciation for the natural 10 years as a camper world, but his commitment to social issues was and village leader underscored by experiences before and after his 1999: time as a camper. Canoed the
For Heather, summer camp was a place of consistency against a backdrop of change. She had spent her grade school years moving around the world, following her father’s work in global development. Growing up overseas inspired her to pursue an international career. In 2012, Heather relocated to East Timor as the operations manager for a maternal and child health 2002: project. After centuries of colonization, and violent Hiked the 100-mile political disruptions in 2006, Timor had one of the wilderness lowest Human Development Index ratings in 2016: Southeast Asia (according to the United Nations Project Manager Development Programme), and one of the highest at Harvard Global maternal mortality rates in the world. “The goal of Institute the project was to help the government roll out their Basic Services Package at the community level. My local colleagues and I worked closely with existing structures such as the ‘suco’ [village] health committees, councils of elders, and traditional healers. We helped to identify health priorities such as sanitation, reproductive health counseling, and family planning.” Heather became the liaison between stakeholders, including donors, NGOs, and local leaders. “During my time at camp, I learned the strength of communities that come together to solve a problem, and that is the same approach that I apply to my work.” 12 years as a camper and leader
Allagash River
Jamie credits his parents for encouraging an interest in environmental and social justice issues. Then, as a student at Middlebury College, he took a class on climate change and all the social movements he cared about became fused. “For me, the climate crisis is the ultimate challenge. Whether you care about the economy, human rights, the environment, or any other social issue, climate connects them all.” Along with a few friends, Jamie started a campus group to encourage progressive climate action. They organized a group bike ride to the Vermont state house to demand legislative action and successfully lobbied Middlebury to commit to carbon neutrality. 2016: Co-Founder of international climate campaign, 350.org
That student organization became the seed for an international career in climate activism. Along with several other graduates and author Bill McKibben, Jamie co-founded the environmental advocacy non-profit that would become 350.org. “It’s been incredible to see such a movement come together over the last few years. I still feel that the world is in rough shape, but this movement gives me hope.”
More recently, Heather has returned to the Boston area. “I was surprised to find that the challenges here were so similar to the ones I had seen abroad. It still came down to talking with different community leaders and stakeholders and encouraging them towards a shared objective.” Heather always knew she wanted to work for a mission-driven organization, but she isn’t sure yet where her path will lead.
Jamie maintains that summer camp helps prepare young people to make change for the better. “I think empathy is incredibly undervalued as a leadership skill. More than a classroom, the AYF helps teach kids how to really be engaged, and how to work together to take on common challenges. So many of our problems in the world could be addressed if we had a greater sense of understanding and community.”
Camp is still alive and present for Heather. In her own way, she has been able to bring that spirit to each of the places she has lived and worked, including Ethiopia, Swaziland, and Ukraine. “I used to worry that I had to be at that place—camp—in order to be that person—my best self—but I’ve come to realize that we can all find ways to share that magic wherever we go.”
3
Excerpts of learning, wisdom and reflection: Vespers shared by Miniwanca Odyssey
Olivia
us all Miniwanca has taught nd, how to challenge our mi oming bodies, and spirits to bec will our best sel ves. Now we ght tau s take the valuable lesson the th to us and share them wi rest of the world.
Emma
A flower does not grow one to be prettier than the in es next to it. It simply liv its own harmony.
Throwing away the and self-doubting mentality the building yourself up is e. best advice I can giv
Hannah
nger, Ever since we were you ve lea to us d tol people have a g vin lea , lity rea no trace. In cal ysi ph a t No trace is okay. trail trace, but an intangible ers oth e pir ins t of actions tha rd. wa for it to pay
Campers of Miniwanca’s Voyageur and Odyssey groups celebrate in Lake Michigan after completing their journeys 4
Kate
Sara
It may have ta to bike through but it could take mountains to un
ah
Julieanne
Karli
d I will al ways be a noma l. sou of the mind and of the the Odyssey has shown me value of change and of movement.
aken us days h mountains, years for those unfold within .
ocated I know that my recipr ers care and support for oth m the had the power to carry over mountains.
Mylia
will The mountains in life nd sta ll wi ey Th never move. ge en all ch d an their ground ve ha ns tai un mo you . But if the e tak to it’s ing yth taught me an . on ad he e lif in each obstacle
Makenzie
back. It is important to look and t pas the at To look back ep ste the of are become aw ills, nh dow h oot uphills, the sm . me ped sha y and how the ile wh k bac k I will loo moving forward.
. . . My Odyssey Has Just Begun
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
CHEVAAN DANIEL
THE CHANGE He Wished to See by Madeline Welsh
“It was so cold!” says Chevaan Daniel, of his first memory arriving at AYF Cedar Lake in 1995. “For a boy from a tropical island, this may as well have been the North Pole, not California.” It was the first of many revelations at Cedar Lake for Daniel, who had Throughout all of this, he remained in Sri Lanka, working with mentor and made his first trip overseas, to be at the AYF camp in its inaugural year with the Chairman of the Maharaja group, Rajendram Rajamahendran, whom a group of campers from all over the world. “I arrived at Cedar Lake doubting Daniel considers an impactful figure in his life, inspiring him to be his best. my own potential. I left knowing for certain that With the Maharaja group, Daniel has taken to embodying the change he I could lead,” he says. Today, returned home wishes to see happen on a larger scale. He is currently deeply involved in to Sri Lanka, Daniel is a leader in the media the ‘Gammadda’ Initiative, a unique project that resolves problems faced by industry of the island nation, and a voice for rural communities with direct and immediate intervention. humanitarianism and grassroots development, in a country still facing the aftermath of 30 years “We decided to move beyond traditional reporting, rather than depend on of civil war. politicians and a regional bureaucracy to provide solutions.” With teams focusing on building roads, bridges, and water reservoirs, they are leading After finishing school, Daniel began his career the charge to complete these national projects. “We want to be active in media working in radio and television, first as participants in creating the future of this nation, and not passive observers,” a typist and translator. By his twenties, he was a household name in Sri says Daniel. Lanka as a well-known news anchor for MTV News. He made stops back in the United States, as a Fulbright scholar, working in New York at NBC, For Daniel, the initiative is another way to use and share the gift he first before eventually reaching his current position as Group Director of Capital discovered during his time with the AYF. “It was at Cedar Lake that I learned Maharaja group, Sri Lanka’s largest conglomerate with businesses not only the first lessons in compromise, patience and understanding. Even though in media, but in manufacturing, power, energy, and national security. camp at Cedar Lake lasted for just seven days each year, each of us went through a plethora of emotions and challenges. And we had no choice but Sri Lanka is nestled in the Indian Ocean off of the southern coast of the to sort it out amongst ourselves. I learned that misunderstandings that arose Indian subcontinent. Home to a population of 20 million, it is a multi-cultural as a result of cultural differences could sour teamwork if it wasn’t handled and multi-religious society with two national languages, Sinhalese and Tamil carefully,” he says. (English is widely spoken as well), and practices Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. From 1983 until 2009, there was intermittent fighting between the government and a separatist group called the Tamil Tigers, who wanted to form an independent state for Tamils, the second largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka. Media in Sri Lanka has been historically public, and controlled by the government, but private media has proved to be a powerful force in recent years. For Daniel, this has meant scrutiny both on him and his team. In 2009, the Maharaja company’s television headquarters in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital, was attacked by a group of 20 armed assailants who destroyed broadcast equipment, held staff members hostage, and attempted to burn down the station’s facilities. After appearing on CNN to discuss the attack, an order was issued for Daniel’s arrest. Several months later, he had to spend some time underground again, when information about an attempt on his life emerged. 6
SRI LANKA
140
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4
8
19
Washington
Montana
North Dakota
Minnesota
New Hampshire 2,634
United States
51
Wisconsin
13
310
Oregon
New York
31
Iowa
Nebraska
Illinois
2
37
Utah
Colorado
41
370
Kansas
Missouri
24
29
California
271
Oklahoma
19
1
Arizona
New Mexico
56
247
Indiana
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Tennessee 17
Virginia North Carolina 16
Alabama Mississippi
Texas
South Carolina
44
30
Connecticut 25
12
24 6
Rhode Island
W. Virginia 47
35
Massachusetts 6
6
Arkansas
111
280
41
Kentucky
7
32
Maine
36
Michigan 5
13
Vermont
Georgia
New Jersey 5
Washington, D.C.
1
22
Hawaii
Louisiana
64
65
Florida
Maryland
2
1
1
9
2
Australia
Brazil
Canada
France
Germany
2
13
1
3
Ireland
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
10
2
6
7
3
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
Venezuela
Where on Earth!?
The home communities of AYF 2016 campers, staff, NLC participants, and NLA recipients 7
THE RESULTS ARE IN: A SUMMARY OF A FOUR-YEAR STUDY OF THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE BY DR. BOB DVORAK & ROB SCHUMACKER CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
In the summer of 2012, Dr. Bob Dvorak and Rob Schumacker of Central Michigan University began a longitudinal study of the National Leadership Conference (NLC) in an effort to document measurable change in the skills and abilities of participants over the course of their years in the program. Given the preexisting conference curriculum, which focuses on leadership skills, civic engagement, and positive youth development, the goal was to assess the outcomes and personal growth of young adults. Based on the data provided in this report, two primary points can be made:
Approximately 566 participants completed assessments from 2012-2015. The primary assessment tool was The Review of Personal Effectiveness with Locus of Control (ROPELOC). The ROPELOC measures important psychological and behavioral factors that constitute life effectiveness, such as time management, social competence, leadership, self efficacy, and self confidence, and is specifically designed for assessment of experiential programs, such as NLC.
Stability and Consistency: Over the four-year study period, responses and results from NLC participants were very stable. There were increases in mean ROPELOC scores, as well as increases in almost all of the fifteen individual leadership factors. Despite participants’ repeat exposure to the ROPELOC survey, data patterns remained consistent from year to year. This would suggest that the NLC program and curriculum continues to produce a consistent and positive increase in leadership skills and attributes.
THE IMPACT OF NLC
The data would suggest that participants consistently experience personal development in several of these factors from year to year. These young people have an increased ability to handle difficult situations and find solutions (self efficacy). They improve on their ability to manage stress and maintain self-control (stress management). They improve their planning, efficiency, and use of time (time efficiency). And they are ready to cope with life’s changes (coping with change). In fact, all factors (except for external locus of control) showed at least modest gains. Though the four named above started with generally lower initial mean scores, they also showed the largest increase post- over pre-conference.
Key Factors: Given this consistent pattern of results, NLC staff can direct attention to target specific factors and prioritize as necessary to achieve desired outcomes. Self efficacy, stress management, time efficiency, and coping with change all demonstrated strong positive increases across the four-year study. This may mean “keep up the good work and maintain focus on these areas.” It is also worth noting that some factors such as leadership ability, open thinking, and self-confidence were consistently scored high at pre-conference and remained high over the course of the program. These may represent those areas of “keep doing what you’re doing” in regards to planning and refinement.
Participants also ranked statements about internal locus of control highly throughout the duration of their conference careers. This would suggest that participants strongly believe they have internal responsibility for their actions. They began NLC with this belief and it persisted, both over the course of their first conference and their subsequent years at NLC. Congruently, participants maintained very low scores on external locus of control, suggesting that NLC participants believe they have responsibility for success, not that external forces determine personal outcomes.
Further examination of the data from 2012-2015 will delve into other subsets of NLC participants. There is also a fair amount of self-reported qualitative data on participants, their leadership skills, and to what degree NLC curriculum impacted them. Entire cohorts (participants who were in the study for all four years) can be examined for trends in their responses. Likewise, all first-years can be compared across all four years of the study in order to analyze the initial impact of NLC on participants. The AYF can utilize the results from this study in numerous ways. It provides documented evidence of participant development, and supports efforts to evaluate and assess the impact of AYF programs.
Bob Dvorak and Rob Schumacker are faculty members at Central Michigan University. They can be contacted at
[email protected] and
[email protected] 8
HOW THE ROPELOC WORKS
NLC participants showed a significant increase in their ROPELOC mean scores in all four years of the study. Pre-conference average scores ranged from 6.10 to 6.22. Post-test averages ranged from 6.40 to 6.52. The largest difference between the two was observed in 2012 (An increase of .40 ROPELOC points on the pre- and post- mean), with the smallest mean difference observed in 2014 (.25 ROPELOC points).
Each item of the ROPELOC is measured on an 8-point scale, ranging from “FALSE, not like me” (1) to “TRUE, like me” (8). Participants ranged in age from 14-21 years old with a mean of 17 years old. The trend in reported gender of participants was towards a larger percentage of females. This percentage was highest in 2012 at 63% and lowest in 2013 at 51%.
Overall ROPELOC Trends Pre-test
Post-test
6.6
6.4 6.3 6.2 6.1 6.0
6.50 ROPELOC VALUES
6.5
6.52
6.48 6.40 6.22 6.15
6.10
2012
2013
2014
9
6.20
2015
Rick Davis This year’s end-of-season staff gift at Merrowvista was a t-shirt with the logo of the founder fire under a big-top tent with a quote from Rick Davis, former camper, leader, volunteer and passionately enkindled spirit, describing why he ran away to join the circus. In a 2013 interview at the Ringling Brothers Clown College Hall of Fame, after a long career of performing and teaching circus arts to young people, Rick described his experience of the circus as “an amazing coordination of humanity for a common purpose.” He goes on to explain the incredibly diverse community that is the big top. So many people of dif ferent nationalities, age groups, and backgrounds, all with remarkably unique skill sets, coming together; their own sense of time and space, and language, “all to perform these seemingly impossible feats…not to create a factory or build a million widgets…but rather all just to create a moment of magic” for others. Richard “Ricky” Hall Davis, 64, passed away in September 2015, after a year-long battle with brain cancer. Rick’s association with the AYF actually began long before he was born. His parents Hartwell and Nancy Davis met as leaders at Miniwanca in the early 1940s, where they were the respective buglers for Boys Camp and Girls Camp. Rick and his brother Roger were among the very first Four Trails leaders at Merrowvista. In 1969, Rick, a young student at the time, had to make the difficult choice between using his two tickets to Woodstock, or co-leading the fledgling Outpost program. That summer, he led a group of older campers in the construction of a lean-to shelter on property loaned by the Holbrook family in Vermont.
A Life In Search of the Comic Denominator by Jim Davis
where he began a career as a circus clown, originally touring with the Ringling Brothers’ Barnum & Bailey Circus. It was later that he began what he called his “search for the comic denominator.” This passion to connect people through laughter and a shared yearning for magic would drive his career that
followed. After a stint with Circus Odyssey in Puerto Rico, Rick was inspired to travel to developing countries, giving free clown performances to any organization willing to feed and house him. Supported by the Peace Corps and Project Troubadour, he traveled to villages, orphanages, and refugee camps in 15 countries, including Brazil, Honduras, Costa Rica, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Senegal, St. Vincent, the Dominican Republic, and China. Typically, he would arrive in a village and begin strolling around in character and playing an accordion. Within minutes, the entire village would follow him back
to his trunk, which served as his stage, where he performed magic, skits and mime. Later, with Project Troubadour, Rick used this model with a group of musicians seeking to connect through universal themes in music. A veteran entertainer, Rick performed at the 1982 World’s Fair, Radio City Music Hall, the White House, Walt Disney’s EPCOT Center, and First Nights across New England. He also had a love of Gilbert and Sullivan, and appeared in numerous operas with the Raylynmor Opera. For a time, his character as ‘The Professor of Totally Useless Skills’ taught an abundance of fun tricks and stunts at schools and in shows across New England that were eventually the subjects of two books, Totally Useless Skills and Totally Useless Office Skills. Rick also developed websites, creating schoolshows.com, an online directory connecting schools with independent educational assembly programs. Later in life, Rick recognized that teaching circus arts to youth was his true calling and passion. He felt one of his greatest accomplishments was helping to found the American Youth Circus Organization (AYCO), which is dedicated to that purpose. He served on AYCO’s board of directors from its inception in 1999 until his death, and he was a powerful force in keeping AYCO going in its early years. He and his wife Jackie also founded CircusLearning LLC, a southern New Hampshire organization offering youth-centered circus arts through its programs, Silver Lining Circus Camp and Flying Gravity Circus. More than anything, Rick was a steward of the possible, always keeping the AYF close to his own heart. Living in southern New Hampshire, he made frequent visits to the Canaan Valley, regularly volunteering his skills and trekking up to the Ledge to reconnect with the magic of this community. And now his connection has come full circle, his words inspiring a new generation of leaders to recognize the value of camp, an amazing coordination of humanity for a common purpose.
After graduating from Alleghany College with degrees in psychology and philosophy, Rick realized he wanted a living philosophy, one that embodied the wonder and amazement of life in this world. Shortly after, he enrolled in the Ringling Brothers Clown College in Sarasota, Florida, 10
Take it In
If I had to sum up camper in one phrasemy experience as an Avail Take in the sights and, it would be “Take it in”. did in the communitiesounds of the service we whether we were play s of West Michigan, summer school progra ing games with kids in a A camper’s reflections on her clear trash from a beam, climbing sand dunes to to the stories of the el utiful beach, or listening learning as an Avail Senior houses with. Take in derly people we built fairy fellow tribe members,the hugs. T he hugs from Avail is a verb meaning Take in singing with campers and leaders... “to be of use”– a fitting name the sunsets, the hot suyour new friends. Take in for Miniwanca’s in-camp program and the friendship bran, the sand in your shoes for high schoolers, focusing on I have had the most celets on your wrist… leadership and community service. mazing experience get to know my fellowa19 The program has become a central ting A v a il g ir o ls f the girls o Miniw , aspect of both Boys Camp and anca. I have atrniedd atoll Girls Camp over the past several take in every fmem re flections of growthory, because they serve as years, as each Avail group has shaped its own experience and me, and my developm within myself and around that of those around it. loving and positive penert into a balanced, strong, at her very bessot,nallwhtho is her own self, e time. – Eliza, Avail Sen ior
CODMAN SENIOR LEADERSHIP SUMMIT by Jiin Cruz
This past March, Merrowvista piloted an exciting new program with longtime partner in Boston, Codman Academy. The Senior Leadership Summit, two years in the making, came from a shared dream of a semester school model. For the seniors, it is their fifth and culminating program at Merrowvista and one of their capstone experiences with the school. The original visioning of the program brought with it some specific objectives. That, for students: Developing my best self matters, not only to me but to the people around me as well. Students are set up to see the ways their education impacts not only the way they imagine their own lives, but how the broader community can benefit from their growth as well.
With the balance of skills and abilities I am gaining, I can actually make an impact on things. Students are given opportunities to link their academic learning directly with their ability to understand, interpret, and affect the world around them in diverse ways. I can see ways to make a positive difference in my community and in the wider world. In the critical moments when this connection is realized, students are inspired to invest themselves in goals that include community needs, and see more clearly their personal opportunity for service.
The summit also required the Merrowvista staff to adapt to a different type of curriculum delivery. Facilitators collaborated with Codman faculty to
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create lesson plans, co-teaching content to students. Classes combined academic lessons, leadership development, and themes around social justice. In math class, for example, students learned about statistical analysis, while designing an experiment on the high challenge course. They attempted to track the ways that social norms (support, encouragement, advice, etc.) impacted their perceived levels of individual success, discussing the implications of their findings as they related to their Boston communities. The Merrowvista team is again excited to have the opportunity to hone the program with this year’s senior class.
IN MOTION, ON MISSION CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS AS OF AUGUST 1, 2016
Help us reach our goals! We are tremendously grateful to those who have contributed to the campaign thus far, and we hope you will continue to support us to its conclusion and beyond.
Program Scholarships and Operations GOAL:
$2,500,000 These dollars will support our program operations and enable new groups of youth to discover their best self at Miniwanca and Merrowvista.
Facilities Restoration
Gifts and Pledges to Date:
Planned Giving
Program Scholarships and Operations
$441,000
GOAL:
$1,500,000
Facilities Restoration
$697,000
Undesignated Donations
Contributions go directly toward restoring and enhancing existing structures at both Miniwanca and Merrowvista, so that a new generation of young people has a place to learn, laugh, and grow.
$2,431,000 Planned Giving
$3,647,000
GOAL:
$4,000,000 These gifts ensure that the AYF will deliver on its mission for years to come. Those who make planned gift pledges become members of the Eternal Flame Society.
Since the campaign launched in January 2014: 1,400 individuals have made contributions to the AYF
This includes: 500 first-time donors, 90 multi-year pledges, and 25 individuals and families who have
joined the Eternal Flame Society,
AYF’s legacy giving initiative.
If you are interested in making a pledge, a donation, or need additional information, please contact Scott Myers (
[email protected]). Thank you so much for your ongoing trust and confidence. 12
A T S I V W O R R E M
Merrowvista Alumni Reunion
S! D N E I R F R L FOUNDE
CALLING
AL
A
ALL F
! S D N E I R F OUNDER
CALLING
Miniwanca Boys Camp Reunion
A C N A W I N I M
-4, 2 er 1
TO
TO
Send me to a Founder Friend!
Send me to a Founder Friend!
m/m vreu nion 27, 2 017 • ay f.co Hum bly Dar ingl y•S erve
PLACE STAMP HERE
PLACE STAMP HERE
Aug ust 2 5Asp ire N obly • Ad vent ure
TO
TO
Send me to a Founder Friend!
Send me to a Founder Friend!
PLACE STAMP HERE
PLACE STAMP HERE
A
Hum bly Dar ingl y•S erve
017
boy s-ca mpreun ion • ay
f.com /
Asp ire N obly • Ad vent ure
Sept emb
SAVE THE DATE
Brain Games Trivia Night
Apr 21 Apr 23
Volunteer Weekend
6:30pm Boston Button Factory
@Development
2017
Nov 12
@Miniwanca
2017
Alumni Programs and Events 2017 2017 2016
@Development
Apr 30
Donald Danforth Jr. Memorial Dinner and Auction
ayf.com/brain-games
ayf.com/volunteer-weekend
ayf.com/golf
@Development
@Merrowvista
@Miniwanca
May 14
Jul 19
2017
2017
May 01
May 12
Jul 23
Donald Danforth Jr. Memorial
Volunteer Weekend
Summer Seminars for Women
ayf.com/golf
ayf.com/volunteer-weekend
ayf.com/ssw
@Miniwanca
@Merrowvista
@Miniwanca
Aug 12
Aug 25
2017
Aug 09
Aug 27
Sep 01
2017
Golf Tournament
Sep 04
Alumni Reunion
ayf.com/family-camp
ayf.com/mvreunion
ayf.com/boys-camp-reunion
@Miniwanca
@Miniwanca
@Merrowvista
Jun 17
National Leadership Conference ayf.com/nlc
Jun 25 Aug 04 Summer Camp ayf.com/miniwanca
15 A
Boys Camp Reunion
Jul 02
2017
Jun 10
2017
Summer 2017
Alumni & Family Camp
Aug 17 Summer Camp
ayf.com/merrowvista
AYF
BY THE NUMBERS In 2015, AYF served
6,683 People
from
and
44
19
States
Countries
at Miniwanca, Merrowvista and St. Louis
76% of campers and 48% of National Leadership Conference participants received financial assistance and discounts through our scholarship funds.
SUMMER:
535 Campers
CSP:
2,526 Participants in 43 Programs
NATIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARD:
NATIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE:
867 Recipents
290 Participants
SUMMER:
606 Campers
CSP:
1,859 Participants in 38 Programs
16 A
Merrowvista BUILDING A CAMP
1
by Sarah Forbes Orwig
Lyford A. Merrow
“We specialize in the wholly impossible.” 1 Such was the spirit driving the earliest days of the American Youth Foundation. In last year’s Founder Fire, we described the discovery and planning of Camp Miniwanca. But that was not the AYF’s only big project that year. Just as Miniwanca was racing toward opening day of the 1925 camp-conference season, a similar race was on in the mountains of New Hampshire. Land had been secured late in 1924 – hundreds of acres, in fact – with the help of Boston businessman Lyford A. Merrow (In-yan-ite 2 – Stone Face), who called Center Ossipee his home. And work had begun on a road into the camp. But it was not until April 1925 that the directors could make the crucial site visit needed to design and develop the New England location, variously known as Lost Brook Glen or Camp Ossipee, in time for the August 1925 camp-conferences.
Our narrators will be Herbert Mayer (Kicica 2 – Comrade of Mine), a Boston University professor and camp-conference graduate chosen as the very first director of this New England camp, and John L. Alexander (Kinji-Gissis 2 – Shining Countenance), the key founder of the AYF’s fourfold philosophy.
with a view of sunsets, but close enough to the center of the action, where the Night’s Doings activities would follow. Add in an administrative building, along with structures for teaching the AYF’s curriculum, and the cumulative effort would become the American Youth Foundation’s New England home.
THE PLANNING VISIT
With all these needs in mind, the three men traveled a newly built road into the yet-to-be-built Camp Ossipee, envisioning the campers they would be welcoming four months later – and all the years to follow. Here are some of the sights and sounds of their visit that day, in Mayer’s words:
As was true with Miniwanca, the directors knew exactly what they were looking for. Their New England conference programs demanded specific features that wove the landscape into camp activities. What was on their list? Sites for tent platforms and ‘villages.’ A large central dining hall, roomy enough to welcome the hundreds of campers who would fill it in the coming summers. An assembly building that could double as a worship space. A lake suitable for swimming instruction and boating. A grove for a council circle. An inspirational outdoor gathering place for the evening ‘Hillside’ vesper services – preferably Merrowvista Tents – 1925
Article continues on next page u 17
1 “Although previous expeditions to Sentinel Mountain and the Lost Brook Glen brought about acquiring the site, the actual task of laying out the camp was not begun until April 17.” 3 Experts had already been hired for site construction and were acting on instructions from Mayer, Alexander, and Merrow. “On Friday morning a party made up of the three already mentioned and the architect, builder, and superintendent made a tour of inspection. After a ride along roads just recovering from winter’s grasp, the group set out on foot. For a distance the newly made road afforded good walking, then the clank of pick and shovel disclosed the construction work in progress. Now and then came the rumbling blasts of dynamiting huge bowlders. Soon the party was picking its way along the rough mountain trail, leaping over swollen streams, stumbling through dead leaves, splashing over ‘Bull Run.’ ” 4
Alexander added his description of that site visit:
Alexander, ever the philosopher, waxed poetic.
which slope to the lake with the mountain battlements in the rear, we – the architect, Kicica, Inyanite and I– staked out the great new Dining Room and approved the reconstruction of the ClubChapel from the great, old-fashioned, high-peaked, workmanship-built barn of massive frame and timbers. Then we followed the open spaces on the slope towards the Lake and located the Tent Houses. Back on the ridge, the old colonial Headquarters House looked benignly down on us, and we could easily people these surroundings with the smiles, laughter, and shouts of twelve score eager older boys and girls. Camp Ossipee is a ‘Knock Out!’”
Mountains in two feet of snow. There is no question about the quality of the name of these majestic, old hills under such conditions. As I write these lines in Center Ossipee Inn at Mountain View with Kicica opposite me and look out through the west windows, Sentinel and Danhole Mountains and grim, old, pinnacle-pointed Chocorua are glistening white. I assure you that I am really glad that the snow was postponed until our actual survey of the camp site was concluded.” 8
1 “Over at Camp Ossipee on the high lands, 1 “It is really wonderful to be in the White
A CLOSER LOOK
Much was accomplished during that chilly springtime site visit, but in many ways the essential work had just begun. Alexander and Mayer still had to assure themselves that the new plans would work seamlessly with their program. So, back they went, just the two of them, on Saturday morning, to take an even closer look at the landscape. “As we worked,” Alexander wrote, “the roar of our mountain cataract as it plunged over the falls was making music in our glen, lined with giant trees and gigantic rocks. The murmur of the tumbling waters – our gravity water supply – clear, cold and sparkling, always was an obbligato to our planning and surveying.” 5 Picking up the narrative, Mayer notes,
1 “Scanning the landscape for anything of Herbert Mayer – 1921-22
How does an organization design and build a camp in four months? And why build a camp in New Hampshire, when the AYF’s office was in Chicago? Vision and experience made it possible. Lyford Merrow’s business and civic connections did much to support the young American Youth Foundation in establishing its New England camp. Next, the four-fold program had deep roots in the northeast. Starting in 1920, the four-fold camp-conferences, under John Alexander’s direction, expanded to Geneva Point on Lake Winnipesaukee, in New Hampshire. That location, still operating today as Geneva Point Center, is about 30 minutes away from Dan Hole Pond. Mayer had served as director of the Geneva Point conferences since 1921, so he was more than ready to take the reins of the new Ossipee camp.
special value to camp life, [we] completed [our] task after a long trampling. Neither of the directors will forget the first meal at camp. A lunch carried from the hotel spread upon a table rock in the center of camp more than met the physical requirements. In true thrifty fashion a part of the lunch was set aside for a later time.” 6 They promised to return Sunday afternoon and again on Monday. Just in case they missed anything. Just to make sure they were building the best camp they could. And then the weather changed. “Early Sunday morning the snow began to fall. Without any intermission it continued for twenty-four hours,” said Mayer, with no apparent exaggeration. “There was nothing to do but stay in the hotel or walk on the porch. Roads were blocked. Automobiles were stalled...The last trip to the property arranged for Monday was also impossible.” 7
18
THE MOUNTAIN RANGES AND VALLEYS
Even as they immersed themselves into the details of day-to-day camp life, both Alexander and Mayer thought of the camp in the context of its larger surroundings: Sentinel Mountain and the Ossipees, Mount Chocorua in the White Mountains, the Presidential Range, and all the valleys and small lakes and rock outcroppings that they knew would uplift and inspire the campers for generations to come. To paint a picture of the camp’s geography for future campers, Mayer offered this sweeping, bird’s-eye view:
1 “From the boulder shores of Danhole Lake, nestling in a mountain valley, to the crest of the Ossipee ramparts stretches the camp property, more than 700 acres… The lake shore is as rugged as the mountain side. ‘Glacial pebbles,’ some as big as the Log Cabin, are scattered in riotous confusion along the water’s edge… To those brave spirits who will endure the fatigue and bruises of climbing the rocky mountain side, there remains the glorious thrill of a matchless landscape panorama.” 9 THE SUMMER OF 1925
Once the snowstorm relented and travel was possible, Boston was the next stop on their itinerary. There, they began ordering equipment for the camp: pipes for plumbing, lumber for tent platforms and new buildings, dishes, cooking and serving equipment, cots, tent canvases, chairs, and everything else needed by the end of July. All plans for Camp Ossipee progressed. In his final message to campers in June, Alexander wrote, “August days will people these delightful scenes with a new life as the Pilgrim founders build their new homes among the granite hills and sandy shore of Ossipee. My happiness will be multiplied to find no Founder absent. Put wings to your feet and fly quickly to the Great Council Rock in the Glen of the Lost Brook.” 10
A view of the farmhouse, original to the property when purchased.
Two young men dive from the raft on Dan Hole Pond – 1938
The plans were good. The camp came together quickly. The work was speeding toward opening day when in early July, a serious loss occurred. Lyford Merrow, who surely saw much of the camp taking form that summer, passed away on July 4th in his hometown of Center Ossipee. The foundation responded by memorializing him with this name: Camp Merrowvista. Every camp program honored him with a memorial service that summer, and a spirit of gratitude continues to this day. As for the first Merrowvista camp season, the “wholly impossible” became a reality: CAMP MERROWVISTA!
“From the first call of reveille to the last sounding of taps, each day seemed like a new voyage of understanding on a vast sea... and when, at the close of day, we took our personal inventory of that day’s accomplishments, how surprised we were to see how many leagues we had traveled...” 11
1
The "glacial pebbles" Herb Mayer described in 1925.
Notes 3 – 7
Quotations can be viewed in the June 1925 Founders' Four-Folder
Later in this piece, Kinji referred to Whittier’s long-form
8
“We specialize in the wholly impossible” was published in the October 1925 issue of The Founders’ Four-Folder, page 13.
2
9
1
The names – In-yan-ite, Kinji-Gissis, and Kicica – are acknowledged here to identify the three men, who refer to each other by these monikers in their narratives.
They originated from the Council of Chiefs – a tradition Ernest Thompson Seton established in sincere respect for the systems of honor and recognition he had observed when living among Native American peoples.
poem “Snow-bound,” the last four lines of which are: “The traveller owns the grateful sense / Of sweetness near, he knows not whence, / And, pausing, takes with forehead bare / The benediction of the air.”
The Founders’ Four-Folder, March 1925, pages 25-26 The Founders’ Four-Folder, June 1925, page 13
10
11 Memories from Evelyn Seufert, President of the “Firsts,” reflecting on the first summer at Merrowvista, October 1925
19
Visit ayf.com/history to access our archives, where you can learn more about the early years of the AYF including the first summer of 1925.
Yasmin
Teach the children. We don’t matter so much, but the children do. Last June, AYF alumnae Catherine Dugan and Grace Liao spoke with Merrowvista camper Yasmin, fresh off her canoe trip on Newfound Lake. The two women sponsor Yasmin as part of a growing group of alumni that have chosen to support campers over the course of their entire AYF experience. Catherine is a firm believer in the ripple effect. “Helping Yasmin go to camp is a gift that can multiply,” she said. “No matter how long [Yasmin] finds camp fulfilling, contributing to the sponsorship program will continue to give to Merrowvista’s and other campers’ communities.”
Grace
Show them daisies and the pale hepatica. Teach them the state of sassafras and wintergreen. The lives of the blue sailors, mallow, sunbursts, the moccasin flowers. The three women connected during EZ time, a block of time in camp to nap, write letters home, read a few pages of a book, or play gin rummy with the deck of cards an enterprising friend thought to bring for the session.
Catherine
20
Three Campers, One Community by Anthony Marvullo
with a passage from Upstream, by Mary Oliver
The three women took full advantage of their conversation. For Yasmin, it was a chance to connect with interested, interesting adults, real-world people with a vested interest in her success as a camper. For Catherine and Grace, it gave them a rare (and coveted) opportunity to check in with a young woman looking to make the most of her AYF experience. They talked about Trailblazer trips, song challenges outside of camp, past experiences at Dan Hole Pond, and what the future holds for Yasmin as she prepares for her next summer as a Four Trails Explorer.
Yasmin agreed and told a story about how she becomes her best self outside of camp.
“At school?!” said Grace.
Grace and Catherine asked Yasmin about Village Insights during the canoe trip. For campers on overnight trips, a ‘VI’ is a chance for the group to come together after a long day of paddling or hiking or biking, and debrief the day, or talk of life outside of camp. “We talked about how we are a community made closer,” said Yasmin, referring to that first night of the trip.
“Yeah, you’re not allowed to so they looked at me weirdly.” Grace and Catherine were pleasantly surprised by Yasmin’s boldness, maybe even a little envious. When they were campers, they said, they would be embarrassed to stand in front of camp and sing a trip report or a song during councils.
Give them the fields and the woods and the possibility of the world salvaged from the lords of profit. Stand them in the stream, head them upstream, rejoice as they learn to love this green space they live in, its sticks and leaves and then the silent, beautiful blossoms.
“A lot of school friends kind of understand camp,” she said, “but they thought it was weird with song challenges. And then sometimes at school, I do that when everybody’s quiet—I’ll bang on the table and scream for a song.”
“That’s great!” said Catherine.
“Yeah, everybody was quiet. We looked at the stars and there was a shooting star. That was my favorite part of camp so far.”
And the frisky ones — inkberry, lamb’s-quarters, blueberries. And the aromatic ones — rosemary, oregano. Give them peppermint to put in their pockets as they go to school.
Grace and Catherine enjoyed connecting with Yasmin, and love the idea of sharing a place and a community that inspires each of them to be at their best, no matter where they are.
For Catherine, there are a few reasons why she and Grace chose to sponsor a camper together. “The sponsorship program represents a really important step towards Merrowvista being a more inclusive space,” she wrote, “especially for young people of different races, religions, socioeconomic experiences, and home communities. I appreciate that Grace and I are sponsoring Yasmin together! It has been a great way to keep Merrowvista in our hearts and families even as we are outside of the Canaan Valley.”
The gong of the bell rang out, signaling the transition to the afternoon’s interest groups.
The womens’ conversation turned to the challenge of describing this kind of summer to people back home- to try and tell an inclusive story to people outside of camp.
“Do you know where you’re going next?” said Grace in the caring, even tone of a village leader.
“Yes,” said Yasmin. “To the tree between the Eating Lodge and the Bahn.”
“Ok,” said Catherine. “Have an awesome rest of your day!”
Attention is the beginning of devotion.
“I always thought it was hard to talk to friends at home about camp,” said Catherine. “What do I tell them about? Will they understand?”
21
THE ETERNAL FLAME SOCIETY Alumnus John Drew explains why he is passionate about investing long term in the AYF mission.
d posi ti ve histor y an g n lo a ch su s ha F ion Why AYF? Th e AY se n d th e 4th ge n erat to t ou ab e e’r W y. il with m y fa m us from of th e AY F stay with es lu va e Th . ca an to Min iw e n ex t. on e ge n eration to th
of AYF programs? e lu va e th is t ha w u, For yo to da re . to le ar n , to ex pl or e, rtun ity G ivin g ki ds th e oppo er, th ese ki ds en ri ch m m su y er ev er th ge By com in g to ly an d ir itua ll y, athl etical sp , ly al ur lt cu es lv th em se e of th ese pa rticipated in som ’ve I . ly al tu ec ll te in ve th ei r ti m e he re! progra m s.. . th e ki ds lo
ti n ue th e
W e n ee d to con e… us ca be F AY to is My legacy ca m ps d Min iwan ca . Th ese vista an good wor k at Mer row to su ppor t th em ! ar e th e best. W e n ee d
We are able to grow our community and serve a more diverse population of young people because of the support of donors like John. We hope you will consider contributing to the AYF mission through a legacy gift. To learn more, visit ayf.com/donate or call us at 314-719-4343. 22
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | Operating Actuals: January 1 to December 31, 2015 REVENUE
Breakdown of 2015 Revenue
Program Fees (Camps, Conference, Schools)
$ 4,177,689
Releases from Restriction: Construction
$
280,962
Contributions (Grants, Donations & Other)
$
678,480
Endowment Draw
$
658,938
*
11%
Program Fees
5%
*
12%
Endowment Draw
72% TOTAL REVENUE, SUPPORT & DRAW
Contributions
Releases from Restriction
$ 5,796,069
EXPENSES
Breakdown of 2015 Expenses
Program Support
$ 4,002,276
Facility Maintenance & Construction
$
522,976
Administration/Operations
$
346,635
Scholarships Awarded
$
700,679
Alumni Relations & Fundraising
$
223,503
TOTAL EXPENSES
$ 5,796,069
6% 4%
Program Support
9%
Alumni Relations & Fundraising
12%
Scholarships Awarded
69%
Facility Maintenance & Construction Administration/Operations
For more information about our financial statements, including our annual audit, and annual IRS Informational Return Form 990, please visit ayf.com/publications.
*The above numbers do not reflect all activities related to the IMOM Campaign.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Thank you for continuing to support and share our mission with others.
David G. Danforth
As a nonprofit organization, the American Youth Foundation depends on the generosity of our alumni, families and friends. We are so grateful for the support of the many volunteers and donors who give their time and resources to help move our organization forward.
Chairperson
Christopher Danforth Vice Chairperson
A. Neil Sweeny Treasurer
Pamela R. Evans Secretary
D.D. Danforth Burlin, Esq. Donald Danforth III William H. Danforth, M.D. Glenn E. Davis, Esq. Kevin J. Hunt Jeffrey McDonnell, CFA Daniel Miller Elizabeth Mulcahy Telthorst Jason Purnell Deborah A. Seidel Andrea Van Cleve Patrick West
Your commitment allows thousands of young people to experience the core values of four-fold balanced living every year, and it enables the AYF to continue to build toward the future, creating important foundations that ensure the health of our organization for years to come.
ADVISORY MEMBERS
Kay Bell Jean Booker J. Patrick Mulcahy Marie Oetting
23
HONOR ROLL | Campaign and Contributor Donations, from January 1 to December 31, 2015 The American Youth Foundation extends our deepest gratitude to the following individuals, corporations and foundations for their generous support of our programs and the children we serve. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list. Please accept our sincere apologies for any errors or omissions.
The Bailey Family
Clara McLeod
The Drew Family
Jay and Diana Baumohl
Buz and Kimberly McOmber
The Drucker Kids
Kay and Harvey Bell
Microsoft Matching Gifts Program
Wayne Duckworth and Family
Wendy and Lee Bendersky
Daniel and Anne Miller
Kimberly and Brad Earnest
Kathleen Beyerman and Rick Hawkins
The Montie Family
Bruce Edwards
Gary J. Bloomfield, Ph.D.
Michael and Lynn Mulcahy
Frances Ekern and Family
Antonio Munoz and Begona Garcia
Marjorie Goetzke Entorf
Ocean Hill Collegiate Charter School
Edman and Virginia Gray
Christena Bolton Jean Booker and Geraldine Thompson Teresa S. Bowers Kara and Jim Brittingham
FOUNDERS CIRCLE ($10,000+)
The Buchta Family Laverne Bunting Louis and Rochelle Cain
The Albers-Kuhn Family Foundation Liz Calhoun Anonymous Gerard Oprins and Cindy Christensen Jane Brock-Wilson The Dalton Family
Harriet Collier
David and Christina Danforth
The Cook Family
Mrs. Donald Danforth, Jr.
Stacey and Phil Corcoran
John and Sally Danforth
Christopher and Molly Danforth
William H. Danforth, MD
Ms. Elizabeth G. Danforth
Dorothy Danforth-Burlin and Johannes Burlin
Glenn and Susan Davis
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Hanes Harris Family Charitable Fund
W. Joseph Deuble
Catherine Dugan and Grace Liao
The Mulcahy Family
Elaine Eadler
Elizabeth Mulcahy Telthorst and Dean Telthorst
Pamela R. Evans and Dr. Diane M. Radford
JoAnn Mulcahy
Debra Ferrari and Emily Ferrari
O’Brien Family Foundation
Dan Forbush and Family
The Pillsbury Foundation
Eric and Deana Fox
Deborah A. Seidel
Jerry and Connie Fritz
Joseph and Marlene Toot
Graphic Packaging International
Sarah Forbes Orwig
Robert and Sally Harrison Tom and Shirley Fleming-Oxtoby Jennifer and Kenneth Harrop The Palomaki Family Thomas Haubenstricker Margaret Ride Peterson and Family Reeths Puffer Middle School
Richard Burst
Cody and Carrie Smith
Kuhn Foundation
Keith and Virginia Smith
Ava Lancaster
St. Louis Christmas Carols Association
Melinda Love and Sean Bryant
Standard Process
Martha MacMillin and George Plesko
Jeff and Ellen Steinwachs
Lauren March
Mike Stevens and Peggy Walker-Stevens
Elizabeth C. Marshall
Stifler Family Foundation
John and Nancy McMillan
Barbara W. Strawn Mary Struckhoff The Daniel & Henry Company
Lindsay Morton
Michael and Jennifer Trippeer
Susan M. Mulcahy
U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management
Bill Nicholson
Thomas and Carolyn Vaughan
Patrick O’Hagin
Susan W. Venn
Patrick and Kim West
Patricia Cobb Jones
Whitehall District Schools
Karpel Solutions
Julia Gerber Woodward and Family
Kennelwood Village Inc. Anton Thane Ketcham Harold and Susan LaPine Jeffrey and Jennifer McDonnell Vanette McKinney and Family Nestle Purina PetCare Company Marie P. Oetting Eleanor and Ed Shaheen The Unangst family John R. Woods Foundation
ADVENTURERS CIRCLE ($1,000+) Allstate Insurance Philip and Meredith Anson Julie and Mike Austin Mrs. Melvin C. Bahle
Amy and Nathan Kostal Travis Krous The Kysela Family Lake Forest Dental Lakewood Board of Education Lakewood Rocky River Rotary Club Keith and Monique Lawton Jeffrey Libson and Family Kelsey Livingston Logan University David and Mary MacMillin Elbert Magoon and Family Allen Mahler and Family Andy and Nancy Marr The Mason Family The McDermott Family Kip and Carol McGilliard
Heather McPherson Malcolm McPherson and Deborah Hoover
Jory Johnson and Family
Emily and Dennis Knuth
Susan H. McLeod
A. Neil Sweeny and Family
Kristy Weber
Ward and Carol Klein
Tucker Branham
Jane Koten
Craig and Katherine Hyland
Kevin and Jana Hunt
Ann and Gregory Boren
Linda Slagell and Family
Washington University Athletics
Kenneth and Bonnie Hargreaves
Kregg Bodily
E.Chandlee Bryan
Kristin Day-Hinken
Kent Precision Foods Group
Laura Bliss
Heather and Douglas Kiley
Walmart
John Drew
Amy Becker
James and Mary Roberts
HeplerBroom LLC
Gage Kent
Beaumont Consulting, Inc.
A. Jason Brauer
John Hecker and Family
Dr. Chandlee Dickey
Thomas and Hunter Bailey
Jennifer Rhodes
Barbara J. Washburn
Donald and Susannah Danforth
Jay Aronson and Family
Janice Biggs Braswell
Anna Kay Vorsteg and Vicki Boyd
Anonymous
Mark Arnold and Kathryn Koch
Jennifer Keller and Mary DeBisschop
Monica and Mark Hatfield
DIRECTORS CIRCLE ($5,000+)
Amy Jordan
Carolyn Anderson and Barry Edwards
Kaspick & Company
Marian Reineke
Andrea and Peter Van Cleve The Weaver Family
Robert and Cynthia Grimm
PATHFINDERS CIRCLE ($250+)
Meg Nystrom Dr. Richard and Ethel Phillips Barbara Pierson Barbara S. Queal John Reichenbach and Family Michael Roberts Florea and Clay Sansing The Schantz Family Elyn S. Schmitz Carolyn A. Sharp
Kevin Byerley The Challoner Family John and Kay Clark Marshal and Mary Ida Compton Cord Moving and Storage Paul Craun and Family Peter DiGasbarro Cathleen Dorinson and Family Deborah Ducar Derek Filcoff Neil Fisher and Meryl Loonin Fusion IT LLC Diane E. Gabelhouse Wayne and Margo Gagnon R D Geddes Trust Michael and Nancy Goyda Dave and Laura Grabowsky Christopher W. Gregg Ken Grosskopf Susan and James Gullickson Karen and Jesse Gwidt D. Won and Myung Hahn Beth Haney Brooke M. Harrington Amy Harvey and Jennifer Tucker Mrs. Barbara Henrichs Houghton Mifflin Matched Giving Program
LEADERS CIRCLE ($500+)
P.J. Smith
James W. Abshagen
Edie and Charles Spencer
Anne F. Hughes and Stanley Livingston
Robert Steiger
The Humphrey Family
Kate Stein
Impressions Direct
Martha Allard and James Cartiglia Photeine Anagnostopoulos Babson Capital Management, LLC. Joe Baty Nancy Brokaw and Family Susan J. Buckley
Susan Snedaker and Family
Janet G. Strube Ms. Kelly Tappel The Thomas Family Geraldine J. Thompson
The Cady Family
Robert and Mary Trainer
Amy Campbell
Elizabeth and Gadalia Vainer
Christian and Carol Campos Daniel Cassidy and Family Louise Orcutt Cleveland and Family The Rev. Robert M. Close, Jr. The Cobin Family Commerce Bank of St. Louis Charles Daniel Alice and Richard Dickinson David and Megan Dietrich
24
Michael and Donna Warren Robert and Margaret Watson Paul and Marianne Weichselbaum Linda and Nicholas Wenri Phyllis Carrington Wertime and Family Anne Westerhold and Family Dickson and Ann Whitney Mr. & Mrs. Delbert Williamson Mary Jane Wiseman
Liz and Daniel Jackson The Jaeger Family Juliet Johnson Reese and Hollie Johnson The Kaplan Family The Karr Family Ben and Veronica Kent Douglas and Heather Kiley Lisa Kralina James Langan Thomas Marshall and Judith Marshall Jobbitt Martin and Timoli Matthews The Maxeiner Family Hugh and Caroline McLaughlin Julie and Steve Meadows
HONOR ROLL | Campaign and Contributor Donations, from January 1 to December 31, 2015
Donor names in bold have made a multi-year pledge to the In Motion, On Mission Campaign. Denotes Eternal Flame Society Member
Dean and Pat Messinger
The Bowers Family
Helen Davis
M. Kay Hannah
Ms. Mary V. Kelman
Tom and Anne Moore
Mr. Henry W. Boyd III
Mary Pat Deane
Robert Harlan and Family
Mary Kennedy
Scott Moriearty and Family
Tim and Martha Boyd
The Defoe Family
Kathryn Mellis Harper
Key Private Bank
Andy and Molly Mulcahy
Thomas G. Brackman
Kim Denney and Michael Doyle
Dolores and Robert Harris
Marilyn and Alan Kieffaber
Network For Good
Lynn H. Bradley
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Dick
Adolph and Veronica Harris
C. Benjamin and Sondra Kirby
Catherine Okhuysen and Anne Williamson
Mark Bramer
Nancy Dickinson
Dr. and Mrs. William R. Harvey
Pat and Lucy Kirby
Steve Osborn
Vincent and Jill Bresch
Ardath Dixon
Todd Havens
Emily and Greg Klimek
Larry and Debbie Brown
Dogwood Promotions, Inc.
Ellis Hay
Paula Klotz
The Brown Family
Hallie Dovich
Robert and Michele Hayden
Randy and Laura Kniffen
Will T. Brown
Mark Drew
Prudence Heaney
Karen Knodt
Eleanor Bryan
Audrey Durrua
Keith and Sherrie Heffington
Sara J. Kremer
Reba K. Bullen
Elizabeth Early
The Hegarty Family
William and Pamela Kuehling
Edward B. Burrow, Jr.
Sylvia Ellis
Katherine D. Hein
Evelyn and Thomas Kurtz
The Bushouse Family
Eye Health Services
Robert Lam
Sandra and John Butler
Carolyn A. Faber
Catherine Campbell Henn and Family
Charles Cammack III
Katherine Falk
Cari Hensley
Mariann Laue Baker
Alan S. Campbell
David and Beverly Farrell
Meg Campbell
Barbara J. Felton
The Cannon Family
Daniel and Katherine Ferriss
Isabel Carreras
Frank and Eileen Field
Nadine Chalmers
Terry Finn
Arlene S. Chamberlain
Colonel Jack D. Fisher
Steven Parker and Family Amanda Perkins Catherine Powell Chloé Risto Barbara Roden and Family Nancy Rogers Mallory Rusch Adam Russell Marilyn R. Scheerbaum Brian and Sara Schneidewind Manoochehr and Maryann Sharifi Bailey Sheats David Simmons Christopher Spiek Elizabeth Spinner
Alix B. Hill Carl and Sue Hill Nancy and Raymond Hill Shane Hinde Sarah Knight Hindle and Winston Hindle Leslie and Bruce Hoffmeister
Julie and Donn Stengele
Jana Lane and Family Donna Leach Laura and Buddy Leach The Lemaire Family John and Katy Lilly Patricia A. Lintala Robert and Joan Lohrey Jean Ann and Charles Luckhardt Lyndsey Lunsford
Mark Tapper
Elizabeth Lupfer
The Thompson Family
Kaylene Lyons
Maura Tobin
Frank Maggiorotto
Tom and Sharon Trafton Fred Turner and Family
Sara Marblestone and Sheri Tracey
Bob and Nancy Wagoner
Jacob Martensen
Alan Ward
Byron and Marianna Martin
Rachel Watson
Byron Martinell
Weiss Family LLP
Leslie and George
Charlie Wheeler
Jay Todd Max
Brad Whittaker and Caitlin Hughes-Whittaker
Carolyn C. McCollum
Astrid Wielens and Bridget Stearns
Catherine McDonald
Rev. Amy E. and Brian McCreath Gregg Merz
Matt Ziemianski
Christopher Milano
Joe Zuccarello
Beverly C. Miller
CHALLENGERS CIRCLE ($100+)
David Chernoff
Dona Foerster and Family
Stephen M. Abbott
David and Debra Clarke
Missy Foote and Family
William and Dorothy Achor
Peter Claybaker and Kelley Mahar
Byron Foster and Family
Mark and Cindy Adams
Laurel Clayson
Sally and Robert Anderson
Penny Perkins Coffin
Lafayette and Antoinette Frederick
Hayley Anson
Christi Collins
Benjamin Applebaum-Bauch
Timothy Conway
Everett and Sheryl Asmus
James and Martha Cook
Phil and Kathy Baggett
Lara Cooper
Nancy Baldwin
Dr. Margaret H. Cooper
Mary Bannister
Lannon Hoy Corley and Family
Karen Baratz
Tom Cowan
Clarence Barksdale
Ross Ann Craig
Reverend and Mrs. A. Otto Baumann, II
Elizabeth Crawford
Douglas and Karen Beattie Ann and Harlan Beckemeyer Rachel and Brad Bene Terri Bennett The Bhuyan Family Thomas J. Blanke The Bleeke Family Amy J. Bohigian
Jill Millis and Family
Helen M. Crawford Nikki Crawford Ann Crosby Charles and Nola Crowe Beverly Crute Jiin Cruz Margaret and Michael Curl Grace Danforth Jamie and Nathan Daugherty
The Gallagher Family The Garner Family Sarah Garner and Family Laurie and Bruce Geisel Lucy Gintz
Sandra Holcombe Shirley Ann Holt Hale and Family Gwen Houser Susan Melson Huffman Jennifer Hull Helaine R. Hunscher Jody Jones Hunter Kathryn R. Hunter Mary and Ronald Husted
Peter and Emily Glore
Jonathan and Sarah Igoe
Brian and Rebecca E. Goldstein, Esq.
Joan and Richard Innis Robert and Ginny Istnick
Larry and Nancy Goodlund
Eileen and Sindelar Ivan
Douglas Goodrich
John Hancock
Jeanne E. Goodwell
The Johnson Family
Karen M. Grane
Janelle Jones
Barbara J. Greig
The Jones Family
David and Debra Grimm
Eli Judge
Mark and Cheryl Grimm
Todd and Sarah Kallman
Paul M. Gross
Carl and Marybeth Kantner
Thomsa E. Haas
Elizabeth Kantner
Robert Hagemann
Aleta Keel
Dawn Hammersley
Jeff Keiser
25
Kathy Mills Laura J. Mohr Scott and Jane Molden Erin S. Monolo William and Martha Monroe Jason Muchow Anne Mueller Ed and Barb Mumford Brooks and Amy Murphy Scott and Katie Myers David Nagy The Nielsen Family Paul and Sheila Nollen Mr. Brian O’Loughlin and Family Christine and John Orsborn Mary Tess O’Sullivan Sara and Matthew Ottman Dorothy K. Parker Carol Paronis William and Debra Patterson Bonnie and Evan Pearson Mary Pendleton Anne Pennock
HONOR ROLL | Campaign and Contributor Donations, from January 1 to December 31, 2015 Perinatal & Pediatric Services, Inc
William C. Stude, Jr.
Erik and Meghan Arnold
Adrian Coss
Kenneth and Margaret Perkins
Summer Seminars for Women
Judy Baker and Barry Baker
Catherine E. Cox
Lois Perry
The Swanson Family
Bonnie Barenholtz
Mary Craven
Jennifer Pett-Ridge and Family
Luella Swisher
Gerry Barnett
The Curtis Family
Jennifer and John Philley
Piroska L. Szabo
Doreen and Billy Beaudette
Jerry and Ellen Dalton
Karl and Doris Pierson
Ashley Tarkington
Stephanie Beckman
The Davidson Family
Steven and Frances Piesbergen
Michael Tchou
Eva Bednar
Clark and Karen Davis
Ann and Jesse Pittman
Keith Tebbe
William Behr
The Davis Family
Suzie GordnerPollak
Carol Teener
Richard and Barbara Bell
Dell Giving / Your Cause, LLC
William Poston
Jeanne and Mitchell Tomlinson
Meg Bergen
Loren Denton
Jeff Prince and Beth Firmin
The Twiddy Family
Lance Bernhardt
Tracie Detwiler
Doris S. Pruitt-Strain
Fred Vahle
Steve Bernstein and Amy Little
Betty J. DeWitt
Suzanne Pullen
Jean Van Buskirk
Barbara and Douglas Berry
Barbara Ruhl DeYoung and Family
Jason and Amanda Purnell
Margaret Van Cleve
Jan Conversano and James Besl
Marcella L. Deysher
Ms. Jan Queal
Norma Jean Vavra Klein
Sara Lou Bicknell
Janet and J. Edward Diamond
Gary and Christeen Raeker
Betsy Vicente and Family
Kerry Bjorkman
Shannon Dickerson
Rancocas Valley Regional High School
Thomas and Lynn Wahle
Christy L. Bland
Gerald and Joan Diehl
James and Helen Randels
Stuart Walker
Elizabeth Blew
Barbara D. Doerrer-Peacock
John and Vicki Waller
George Bohigian and Family
Natalie Dohr
Dr. Charlotte Ward
Lisa and Barry Boucher
Joann M. Donham
Chad Warner
John Ford Bowyer
Rachel D’Souza - Siebert
Jane and James Weingartner
Melissa A. Boyle
Tauna and Douglas Durand
Gail and Randy Weller
Cindy Brewbaker
Mr. and Mrs. Karl Eberhard
Amy Wendholt
Ruth Britton
Tessa Endress
Marla Westerhold
Julie S. Brown
Scott Evans
P. Cooper and Debbie White
Molly Browning and Family
Tod Ewing
James Williams and Family
Merrill Buettner
Kristy Falcon
Beth Wilson
Grace Burghoff
Brigitte Falwell
Katherine Wissman
Nancy E. Burke
Chris Farrar
Nancy and William Wittkamp
Katie Burrows
William Feiler and Patricia Feiler
Douglas Woodward
Sarah Caliendo
Alan B. Feltmarch
Aaron Wright
Rev. Cammack
Mrs. Evelyn Ferguson
Holley Young
Dennis Caplinger
Suzanne Lilly Ferrall
Noble Carpenter
Amy Fikes
John and June Carter
Francille and John Firebaugh
Phillip Ranney Nancy Ratliff James Redmond Janet Reece Kimberly Reed Lyndsey and Blate Reichardt Jane A. Reynolds Sandra Nelson Richardson Don and Deborah Riley Charles Rimmer Ms. Roy B. Rinehart James Ringwald Jean Robertson Elizabeth B. Roghair Richard and Victoria Rubin Clare and Frank Sanford
DARERS CIRCLE ($1+)
Melissa Sarver
Andrew and Grace Abel
Theodore Christner and Claudia Trautmann
Matthew Fitch
SAP Software Solutions
Charla Abernathy
Stacy Chriswell
John and Anne Foltz
Scott Ruppert
Thomas and Carole Sawa
Carol and Loren Ford
Steven Schrepper
Robert and Sylvia Frank
James Schultz and Lela Ivey
Mark Gabrenya and Family
Thomas and Kathleen Schweich
Virginia Bollman Galle
Ginger G. Scott
Mary Gates
Shouhei Senno
Fred and Vicki Gatling
Mary Margaret Sequino
Sharran L Gavin
Harry Shapiro
Henry and Mary Kay Gempeler
John Shea
Mrs. Peggy Piper Gissendanner
Dennis and Patricia Sheidler
Milt and Maggie Gonzales
Joshua and Brie Shelley
Grace Goodman
Billie Shelton and Family
Andrew Gossard
Linda S. Shirk
Jane and David Gossard
Janet Silvester and Family
Jean Marie Gossard
Bill and Peggy Sly
Pamela Goudy
Carey Smith
Elizabeth Gowan
Douglas Smith and Family
Anne Graham
Becky Smith Nancy Solon and Family The Sonricker Family Laura K. Spence Eva M. Stahl Jacob and Karen Stampen The Stemmler Family Gladys Stevenson Bruce J. Stuckel
Carol Fitzsimmons
Thomas Grossman and Family The Grubb Family
Tisha Achorn
Abigail Claeys
Deborah K. Ahrens
Bradley and Mary Collins
Arden Alexander
Dr. and Mrs. Thomas D. Collins
Barbara J. Anderson
Sally H. Connell
Michael Andreani
James and Patricia Cook
Caroline Anson
Peggy Mill Copeland
Kathleen and Judson Armstrong
Mrs. Elizabeth H. Cornelius
26
Donna Grunik Laura Haas Frank Hackmann Suzanne Halm David E. Hanpeter Norma B. Harlow
Bob Harmon and Carolyn Metzger Harmon Beth Hasek Wilmar and Marie Haubenstricker The Heininger Family Elizabeth Herr Cyrena Hight Jeff Hiler Calista L. Hillman Ruth Hintz Frederick S. Hird Kathryn Hodgdon Mimi S. Holmes Stefani Holmes Gwendolyn Hood and Family Michal T. Horace Elizabeth Howland Stuart Huffman iDesign William Ireland Wael and Roxanne Jaber Jane Rosborough Jackson Melvin Jenkins Douglas and Beverly Jensen Heidi and Jim Johnson Terri and John Johnson Cecil and Lisa Junkin Nancy and Charles Kaelber Janet Karr Dorothy Keence Hannah Kennedy Keren and Taylor Family Faith Killough Flora E. Kitzman Daniel Kocarnik Judy and Michael Koehl Clarence and Marilyn Kohring Ann and Lionel Kreamer Jane Kuipers Michael Lalli Liza Lanphier Elizabeth and Stephen Lazowski Mary Lee-Clark Max Leslie Mrs. Geneva Lewis Jill Lewis Les and Jill Linder Peter and Margaret Link Eileen Dressel Lischer Jeanne D. Lischer Christopher Litterio and Family Phyllis Little The Litwiller Family Matthew Litzinger Jo Wang Loi and Family Stephanie Lookenbill Megan Lumnah Marc Lusskin Brad Lutz Kathleen Madrey Fisher David Magoon Will and Annie Malan Herman Manuel Harriet Marshall
Donor names in bold have made a multi-year pledge to the In Motion, On Mission Campaign. Denotes Eternal Flame Society Member
HONOR ROLL | Campaign and Contributor Donations, from January 1 to December 31, 2015 Anthony Marvullo
Hannah Patterson
Kenneth Sorensen
Dwight Ziegler
Carol Maus and Family
Sarah L. Paugh
Margaret Stamm
Helen Ziercher
Christopher Mayer
W. Robert
Tyler Stengele
Joseph and Marlene Mayer
Pascual Perazzo
Susan Stewart
Barbara Cosner McCabe
Edward Peters
The Stillman Family
Herschel and Mardell McClurkin
Stuart and Debbie Pettitt
Sarah Stillman
HONOR/MEMORIAL
Gale and Martin McDerment
Alexandra Philippides
Alan and Linda Stockdale
Elizabeth McDonnell
Annie Piffel
Jean Storch
Sarah McDowell
Lois and Ron Pollard
Scott and Carol Strawn
Emily McIntosh
Martin and Mary Proudfoot
Janet Streiff
Sean McIntosh
Sharlyn and Stephen Radcliffe
Anna Sylvester
Alisa and Robert McKenrick
Kristin and Michael Reck
Jean E. Tanner
James McWilson
Karen Redfearn
Nancy Tellier
Donna and Robert Meagher
Douglas Reeves
Michelle Thompson
Suzanne and Thomas Meirink
Caroline Reinstadtler
Dr. Margaret E. Towner
Alec and Deborah Melnick
Brent Repp
Rebecca Melnick
The Resch Family
Barbara Trzebiatowska and Natalie Nowicki
Kathryn Meyer
Laurie Rinehart-Thompson
Barbara J. Michael
Caroline and Wilbert Robertson
Marjorie Miller
Paul and Susie Robillard
Curt and Jane Milliman
Marty and Ann Robinson
Emily Milliman
Jim Rosborough
Joseph and Kathryne Mitchell
Lisa Rosenbeck
Thomas and Nancy Mohs
Darius Rucker
Monsanto Fund
Gary Ruggiero and Family
Rebecca and Bruce Montgomery
Helene Saunders and Family
Mary Mooney
Julia Schenck
Nancy Weidner
Carolyn J. L. Moore
Trisha Schleusner and Corey Vollink
Virginia Welles Kelley and Kyle Wescoe
Ronald and Jane Scholl
Michael West
Lesley and Thomas Schuldt
West Mound Investors
D & G Seymour
Katherine Westgate and Family
Raymond and Carol Shanabruch
Katie Whelan and John Dallman
John A. Shearer
Lauren White
Will Shelton
Stephen White
Sarah Shepherd-Browning
Ruth and Charles Whiteman
Brad Shively
N. Jane Whitton
William and Patricia Simmons
David and Mary Wicker
Christofer Simonton
Courtney Wiher
Judy and William Sindecuse Hayden
Wendell and Mary Williams
Amy Skalinder
The Wolf Family
Eric Moore and Julia Wolfe Mary Morningstar Tony Morris Bill Morris Michael and Mary Motyka Michael and Joan Mullen Stephen Murrill and Family Helen and Jack Naleid Mary Cooper Nelson Marty Neuman Bruce and Marcia Newton Carolyn Ohle and Todd Cooper Sarah and Katsuo Okuma Mary Olch Sverre Olsen and Family William Orndorff and Family Wilson and Joanne Overall Ginger and Michael Partee
Monica Smith Ross Smith Leslie R. Snyder John and Mary Lee Sonderman
United Way Silicon Valley Charlene Urban Susan and Donald Vercruysse Amy von der Heydt Robert Walrond Cinda Lou Walton Dr. and Mrs. Donald L. Weaver Stephen Webster Gene Weeks
In honor of Girls Camp Reunion 2015 Karen Baratz Amy Becker Meg Bergen Amy J. Bohigian Ann and Gregory Boren The Cannon Family Christi Collins Lara Cooper Elizabeth Crawford Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Dick Diane E. Gabelhouse The Gallagher Family Karen and Jesse Gwidt Amy Harvey and Jennifer Tucker Elizabeth Herr Mimi S. Holmes Gwendolyn Hood and Family The Humphrey Family Liz and Daniel Jackson Jory Johnson and Family Janelle Jones Emily and Greg Klimek Emily and Dennis Knuth Harold and Susan LaPine Elizabeth and Stephen Lazowski Rev. Amy E. and Brian McCreath Buz and Kimberly McOmber Vanette McKinney and Family Barbara J. Michael Jennifer and John Philley Christine and John Orsborn The Pillsbury Foundation Jennifer Rhodes Nancy Rogers Clare and Frank Sanford Deborah A. Seidel Amy Skalinder P.J. Smith Nancy Solon and Family Eva M. Stahl Janet G. Strube Mary Struckhoff Susan W. Venn Susan and Donald Vercruysse Julia Gerber Woodward and Family Katie Woodward Holley Young In honor of YG Cabin 30 of 1971 Sarah Forbes Orwig
Emily Willingham Kelley and Bruce Wolff Robert and Pamela Wunder Gordon and Lana Yaney
27
In honor of Bruce Barmby Kip and Carol McGilliard
In memory of Roberta Blanding Sara Lou Bicknell
In honor of Ann B. Boren Grace Goodman In memory of Thomas P. Bowlus Robert Harlan and Family In memory of Susan Lee Bowyer John Ford Bowyer
In memory of Bill Comfort Michael and Nancy Goyda In honor of the Danny Grads Jane Koten In memory of Ming Djang and Chung Kuo Liao Catherine Dugan Thomas Liao & Beverly Sha and Grace Liao In memory of Sue Hartman Amy Jordan In memory of Nilva Jean Henderson Ann Crosby Cecil and Lisa Junkin Florea and Clay Sansing In memory of Wendell Herring Eileen Dressel Lischer In honor of Patricia Cobb Jones Anna Kay Vorsteg and Vicki Boyd In honor of Elliot Kastner Stifler Family Foundation In honor of Heather Kiley Kristy Weber In memory of Sandra P. Kirkbride Charla Abernathy Kerry Bjorkman Merrill Buettner David Chernoff Clark and Karen Davis Gerald and Joan Diehl Tauna and Douglas Durand Mrs. Peggy Piper Gissendanner
Elizabeth Gowan Anne Graham Donna Grunik Suzanne and Thomas Meirink Wilson and Joanne Overall Jean Robertson John and Mary Lee Sonderman Charlene Urban Helen Ziercher
In Honor of Susan Marshall LaPine Janelle Jones In honor of Eric and Brian MacMillin Martha MacMillin and George Plesko In memory of Florence L. Mahler Allen Mahler and family
HONOR ROLL | Campaign and Contributor Donations, from January 1 to December 31, 2015 In honor of Elizabeth C. Marshall The Johnson Family In memory of Jennifer Mason Marilyn and Alan Kieffaber The Mason Family Monsanto Fund In Honor of Mary Ingalls Mathewson Sylvia Ellis In honor of Erin K. O’Brien The Karr Family Janet Karr Courtney Wiher In memory of Earnest Ohle Carolyn Ohle and Todd Cooper In memory of James Preston Orwig Dr. Margaret E. Towner In honor of Jacob and Anne Palomaki’s 50th wedding Anniversary Alix B. Hill In honor of William, Debra, and Margaux Patterson Phillip Raney In honor of Chloé Risto Carolyn A. Faber Beth Wilson Anonymous
In memory of Edward and Bernadette Schuette Julie and Donn Stengele In memory of Shirley Shearman Gerry Barnett Grace Burghoff Jerry and Ellen Dalton Tracie Detwiler Henry and Mary Kay Gempeler Thomas Haubenstricker Wilmar and Marie Haubenstricker Cyrena Hight Katherine Falk Donna Leach Laura and Buddy Leach Herman Manuel Kathryn Meyer Thomas and Nancy Mohs Lois and Ron Pollard Suzanne Pullen Shouhei Senno Linda Slagell and Family Jacob and Karen Stampen Gladys Stevenson Janet Streiff Robert and Mary Trainer
Weiss Family LLP Mr. & Mrs. Delbert Williamson Dwight Ziegler Anonymous In memory of Helen Sheidler R D Geddes Trust David Nagy Dennis and Patricia Sheidler In honor of Linda Smith Kelley and Kyle Wescoe In honor of PJ Smith Karen Baratz Ann and Gregory Boren Tucker Branham Sarah Shepherd-Browning Stacey and Phil Corcoran Mary Craven Margaret and Michael Curl Edman and Virginia Gray Karen and Jesse Gwidt Amy Harvey and Jennifer Tucker Elizabeth Herr Gwendolyn Hood and Family The Humphrey Family Liz and Daniel Jackson Janelle Jones
28
Harold and Susan LaPine Stephanie Lookenbill Sara Marblestone and Sheri Tracey Barbara J. Michael Susan M. Mulcahy Sarah Forbes Orwig Jennifer and John Philley Marty and Ann Robinson Nancy Solon and Family Susan Stewart Julia Gerber Woodward and Family
In honor of Anna Kay Vorsteg and Vicki Boyd Kathryn Hodgdon In honor of Anna Kay Vorsteg Houghton Mifflin Matched Giving Program Jane Koten In memory of Martha Wasson Photeine Anagnostopoulos Bonnie Barenholtz Noble Carpenter Janet and J. Edward Diamond Eye Health Services Fred and Vicki Gatling
Pamela Goudy Dave and Laura Grabowsky Thomas and Molly Grossman Suzanne Halm Joan and Richard Innis Eileen and Sindelar Ivan Key Private Bank David Magoon Elizabeth McDonnell Perinatal & Pediatric Services, Inc. Raymond and Carol Shanabruch David Simmons Joseph and Marlene Toot
In memory of Louise Hoerner Williamson Thomsa E. Haas Clare and Frank Sanford In honor of Eugenia Zavaleta Jane Koten
LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH STAY CONNECTED WITH THE AYF
AYF.COM
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If you have experienced an AYF program, directly or indirectly, we invite you to complete a brief survey in order to inform AYF’s programming and planning.
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SONGS OF THE FOUNDER FIRE
Old Chairs to Mend
Enthusiastically reintroduced by Neil Sweeny, and joyously embraced by the Merrowvista community.
1.
Chairs
to
mend
old
chairs
al,
Fresh
mack
to
mend,
2.
Mack
-
er
-
-
er - al,
3.
An - y
old
rags,
an - y
old
rags. Sung in a three part round
29
NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID ST. LOUIS, MO PERMIT NO. 5283
American Youth Foundation www.ayf.com Merrowvista 147 Canaan Rd. Ctr. Tuftonboro, NH 03816 603-539-6607
Development Office 6357 Clayton Rd. Saint Louis, MO 63117 314-719-4343
Miniwanca 8845 W. Garfield Rd. Shelby, MI 49455 231-861-2262