STUDENTS ATTEND YMCA NATIONAL CAMPING CONFERENCE IN COLORADO THE TIMES - SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE OFFICE OF YMCA RELATIONS NEWS


Director of YMCA Relations Harry Rock and students Kate LaBelle, Dana Prazynski, Kim Rioux, Joe Murphy, and Chris Maddy at the YMCA National Camping Conference in Estes Park, Colo.


YMCA CLUB HOLDS PLANNING SESSION


On Saturday, Oct. 9, students Joe Murphy, Chris Maddy, Dana Prazynski, Kate LaBelle, and Kim Rioux and Director of YMCA Relations Harry Rock traveled to the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colo., to attend the YMCA National Camping Conference celebrating the 125th anniversary of the YMCA camping movement. Te five-day conference included numerous workshops and presentations by many of the top camping professionals in the United States.


Perhaps the highlight of the conference for Murphy and Prazynski was the opportunity to sit at the same dinner table with President and Chief Executive Officer of the YMCA of the USA Neil Nicoll. Te group took two excursions into Rocky Mountain National Park at elevations exceeding 11,000 feet above sea level. Besides the outstanding views, walking in the falling snow and throwing snowballs created a memorable experience.


Te YMCA Club leadership team takes a break from planning the semester’s activities for the club.


Te leadership team for the YMCA Club held their fall planning meeting in the new YMCA Club Room in the Stitzer YMCA Center. Te purpose of the meeting was to plan out the semester’s activities for the club, which will include weekly meetings at noon on Tuesdays in the YMCA Multipurpose Room within the Stitzer YMCA Center, service projects, leadership activities, and YMCA conference opportunities. In attendance were Bryan Bierman, senior program director; Dana Prazynski, program director; Elliot Irizarry, membership director; Garrett Brolsma, development director; Jamie Kriger, budget and finance director; and Annie Bridson, marketing and communications director. Assistant Director of YMCA Relations Erin Friedman and Director of YMCA Relations Harry Rock, who advise the club, were also on hand.


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YMCA CLUB OFFERS OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN BEYOND THE CLASSROOM


Beyond formal education, the YMCA professional studies program encompasses a plethora of opportunities to grow personally and profession- ally. Te cornerstone of the learning occurs through the YMCA Club, which centers on leadership and professional development, volunteer service, and educational YMCA travel opportunities. Whether it is attending a YMCA conference, facilitating “values lessons” to teens, helping plan a campus event, or being a part of the Leadership Summit, the YMCA Club promotes a variety of activities that help students grow as leaders and as professionals. Serving others is a core philosophy shared by Springfield College and the YMCA, and the YMCA Club embraces that philosophy.


Volunteerism is at the heart of the YMCA Club; service projects include planting urban gardens, implementing college/career exploration programs for teens, and providing leadership for youth pro- grams. YMCA Club members explore the world through the YMCA international studies program, YMCA conferences, short- and long-term volunteer placements, YMCA exploratory trips, and academic-based internships. In addition to the club’s focus on personal, professional, and community development, YMCA Club members have fun together. Members seek out opportunities to connect with each other socially, whether through movie nights, BBQs, or dances. Simply stated, the YMCA Club has fun!


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