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 Getting together with friends is one of
my favorite things. But when I have a chance
to visit with friends, be inspired by great
speakers, and learn from the best in my
profession, that's like hitting a
home run!
Last month, ACA hit a home run with the
national conference, "Partnering
With Parents." All of us there were
inspired by our wonderful keynote speakers,
Bob Ditter, Jay Frankel, Richard Louv,
Marcia Tate, Wendy Mogel, Sam Abell, Faith
Evans, and Alex Kotlowitz. They have set
the bar high for future conferences with
their insight and timely remarks. Many
of our colleagues presented workshops at
the conference, as well, which keep us
informed and up to date on the latest trends
and information. Congratulations to Gwynn
Powell and her committee on a truly outstanding
conference.
In addition, the Council of Delegates
adopted new standards for accredited camps.
After much discussion and input from the
delegates, the National Standards Commission
presented their recommendations which now
become not only ACA's standards,
but the accepted standards in the camp
field. All of us owe the NSC our thanks
for their multi-year work, resulting in
an outstanding new document.
The national conference is also a time
to recognize individuals in our association
who have made significant contributions
to the camp field and the association.
It was a pleasure to see many of our colleagues
honored with ACA
awards. The association's
highest award, the Distinguished Service
Award, was presented to Cindy Moore, outgoing
chair of the National Standards Commission.
In addition, we had the opportunity to
honor Mary Ennis for her fifty-year tenure
with ACA. Congratulations to the award
recipients and thank you for giving of
your time, talent, and service to the American
Camp Association.
We now move on to the camp director's
crunch time, spring. Throughout the country,
facilities are being refreshed, programs
are being expanded, and campers and staff
are being recruited for the upcoming summer.
In preparation for the summer, Stephen
Wallace has shared with us a wonderful
article about the "Social Networking"
phenomenon that applies to campers and
staff alike, and how this phenomenon affects
camps.
Those of you who attended the national
conference will utilize the information
gained there as we move forward. ACA will
continue to provide pertinent information
such as Wallace's article throughout
the year. The American Camp Association
exists to benefit the public by providing
such information to both the public and
to practitioners, through not only our
national conference, but also through ACA's
ongoing communications, its Web site, www.ACAcamps.org,
and through the twenty-four sections who
administer the standards program and other
activities. Check out all that ACA has
done over the past year by clicking on
2005 Annual
Report.
I hope you enjoy these days of spring in
preparation for another great summer. With
help from ACA in the form of training and
knowledge, we should all expect a wonderful
camp season, full of home runs!
Ann Sheets
ACA President
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