This summer, hundreds of children and teenagers will spend a week or maybe an entire summer at the YMCA of Greater Charlotte’s day and resident camps. Counselors at more than 15 locations will pour their hearts into summer camp in an effort to assure each camper has the best experience possible. I say this with great certainty as I myself began my YMCA journey at camp.

My first experience with the YMCA was as a camper at the High Point YMCA’s Camp Cheerio. At that time in my life, YMCA camp had a life-changing impact on me. My dad passed away when I was very young. The mentors and leaders that camp provided were a timely blessing to me and my mom. I later joined the staff at camp as a Counselor In Training (CIT), then Junior Counselor, then Senior Counselor.

As a camper and counselor I saw first hand what the YMCA could do in a child’s life.

First, the Christian mission of the YMCA is lived out at camp every day. As a resident camper, I was with my counselors 24 hours a day for two weeks. They became role models, teaching me the values of faith, respect, responsibility, honesty and caring. As a counselor, I learned the value of hard work. Staff leaders constantly encouraged us – praising and valuing our work. I also learned that work can be fun. Don’t get me wrong -- being a resident camp counselor was hard work. But after the cabins were cleaned and the activities were prepared, we had a blast working for the YMCA.

As I was approaching graduation from Wake Forest, I had to start thinking about a job -- What was I going to do next? I considered teaching history at my old high school or joining the military. Then the light came on for me. I thought of working for the YMCA. I had spent every summer at the YMCA for years and I loved it. So when I received a job offer in Charlotte for the Assistant Youth Director at the Dowd YMCA, I decided to take it. The summer after graduation in 1972, I said goodbye to the last round of campers, drove home to Thomasville to pick up my belongings and moved to Charlotte. In a matter of 12 hours I had started a new life in Charlotte with our Charlotte Y. What could be better?

Over the years, I’ve worked in a variety of positions in different branches with the YMCA of Greater Charlotte. I worked with youth and teens. Eventually I became the CEO in 2000. Thinking back on those summers at camp, I see how the values and priorities I learned prepared me for a long, fulfilling career.

If you’re a parent, I encourage you to involve your child (or children) in YMCA camp this summer. One doesn’t have to make YMCA work a career for camp to have a lasting and wonderful impact on his or her life. We often hear from “graduates” of day and resident camps about the memories they have from camp and the difference it has made in their lives. Rest assured your camper will learn and grow through a carefully planned, mission-centered curriculum that teaches children to make healthy choices, build relationships, develop skills and become a servant leader. And who knows where the experience may take them in the future!

Sincerely,
Andy Calhoun, President and CEO