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2024 Annual Holiday Dinner

On Friday January 3rd, fifty-five members of the 2024 Camp Read Staff gathered at Durland Scout Reservation in White Pine Cabin. Sponsored & hosted by the Camp Read Association for many years, the annual dinner provides an evening of fun, fellowship and great food for the past summer’s staff, Greater Hudson Valley Council staff and CRA members.  Our recently appointed VP-Activities, Bailey Pitonza, did a great job of organizing the event but unfortunately could not attend.  Tom Dietz served as MC in Bailey’s place and thanked Jim Morgan, Sandy Owens and Keith Wiggers, Durland Ranger, and Bailey for their help with the event.  All received a resounding applause by the Staff.

Following Evening Grace, a delicious meal of salad, baked ziti, chicken cutlets, and mixed vegetables was enjoyed by all.  The meal was topped off with a delicious sheet cake prepared by Donna Ragusa, Scouter and Proprietor of Petite Sweets by Donna.

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VP-Membership, Wm Langham was introduced and received contact info from a dozen new members who joined the CRA mailing list.  Will is always at the ready with his “yellow pad” to sign up new members.

Tom provided an update of the Associations activities and projects:

  • The 10th CRA Reunion at Camp was held in September to celebrate 105 years of Camp Read and 75 years in the Adirondacks.  87 friends of Camp Read attended including 16 from the 2024 Staff as our guests.

 

  • One of the objectives at the reunion was to kick off a music program to preserve some of the traditional camp songs. An initial list of songs was distributed to all the reunion attendees, and recordings of these songs were made.  Our intent is to provide the music, words and recordings of the songs to the Staff for their use.  We also want to include songs performed by more recent Staffs to provide tunes sung at camp throughout the years.

  • The Staff were directed to our web-site: http://campread.org/reunion-2024 for an introduction into the music program.  You will find contact information there for Simon Riker, Music Program Leader, for those who want to add songs and/or participate in the program.

 

  • Projects completed and in process include: the Buckskin and Waubeeka Fishing Docks (installed in spring 2023), Waubeeka first year camper pavilion dedicated to David Terribile, Porcupine Lodge pavilion in Buckskin, and donation of another Staff Cabin.  The pavilions are in the planning and permit application stages.

  • Looking ahead, the annual Eager Beaver work weekend is June 6-8th, and hike weekend is September 26-28th.

Camp Read Association President Bill Daley spoke about his experience on camp staff. Bill indicated that while he hasn’t worked at camp since 1981, he did volunteer last summer to serve as one of the Fishing Merit Badge Instructors in Waubeeka.  He was very pleased to see that the camaraderie and teamwork of the Staff was very positive and the same as he had experienced on staff forty years ago.  Camp Read traditions live on! Bill also announced that he signed up to serve on Camp Staff again in 2025.

Every year outstanding Staff members are chosen from each of four camps: Buckskin, Waubeeka, Summit Base, STEM Ranch, plus Reservation Commissioners and the outstanding Manager from the summer. Selected by the Camp Directors, the awards are donated by CRA in recognition of and appreciation for a job well done. Bill introduced and congratulated the 2024 Staff Award recipients:

Reservation

AJ Medina


Buckskin

John Guven


STEM Ranch

Jacob Cassidy


Summit Base

Mcjefferies Ojarikre


Waubeeka

M. McGovern


Manager

Dan Murray

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L to R: John Guven, AJ Madina, & President Bill Daley

Rich Stockton, GHVC Scout Executive, thanked the Staff for a great summer and job well done.  He mentioned that there were still open positions for those who hadn’t signed-up for next summer.  Rich will resume his position as Reservation Director in 2025 as his son Davis will be working at the Greater New York Council and Ten Mile River Scout Camp.

 

In closing, thanks to all who helped with pick-up, set-up, serving and clean-up.  As always, a team effort.  Many hands make light work.

Until we meet again!

CRA Staff Dinner Committee

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