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Fall Finds Abundance of Activity at Hiram House
by Russell R. Grundke, Executive Director
The first summer camp program of the 21st Century has come to an end. Hiram House Camp served over 1,000 Junior Day, Day Camp and Resident Campers.
Hiram House 2000 is taking shape. Ground breaking for the first new cabin is scheduled for November. With much hope and effort, this “Trustee Cabin” will be ready for occupancy March of next year.
The new sewage treatment plant is in the planning and development stages. The architect and engineer are reviewing the camp road system and placement of the new dining room.
Fall programs at camp are booked. The Westside Montessori School, from Toledo, and the Mentor, and North Ridgeville School Camps are scheduled for September and October.
The staff is hard at work getting ready for the Pumpkin Festival on Sunday, October 8th. Joanne Giusto-Grundke is coordinating this event. She is seeking volunteers and donations for supplies and the flea market.
The Hiram House 2000 momentum that started in January is picking-up and receiving much attention. The enthusiasm and personal involvement have become contagious.
I would like to thank all who have been involved for their interest and efforts toward the project. I encourage all of you to become a part of Hiram House 2000.
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Meet our Trustees
John B. Hollister Jr.
Vice President — Development
Thousands of Hiram House campers may not have known his name, but he has helped to enrich their lives, nonetheless.
John B. Hollister Jr., or “Jack” as he is better known, has tirelessly supported the camp since he first joined the Board of Trustees in 1963 at the urging of former Chairman Paul W. Walter. For nearly twenty of those 37 years, Hollister has actively raised monies for the annual “Campership Fund” and for other capital improvements through his role as Vice President-Development. Most recently, he has been involved in the formation of the Hiram House 2000 campaign. He also served a term as President of the Board.
Reflecting on his experiences Hollister said, “There was a need for ongoing resource development. I was in a position to help and have been very glad to be of service”. He added, “Over the years, I have worked closely with Richard Ward, of Reward Inc., Hiram House trustees and staff. Through our combined efforts and the generosity of countless individuals, businesses and organizations in the community, we have been privileged to raise thousands of dollars each year to benefit those Northeast Ohio children most in need of ‘Camperships’ and to provide the necessary funding for many worthwhile camp projects.”
While Hollister says his fundraising years have been rewarding ones, it is time to move on. He plans to retire from development activities by the end of the year, although he will still remain on the Board. A successor will be named at the annual meeting in December.
Now president of Federal Resources, a marketing-consulting firm in steelmaking raw materials, Hollister spent 49 years in the field of metallurgical and energy raw materials, including a long career with Cleveland Cliffs. He retired as senior vice president in 1986.
He and his wife, Betty, live in Hunting Valley where he is a Village Councilman. They have a daughter, three sons and six grandchildren. One son, John B. Hollister III, followed in his father’s footsteps, now serving as a trustee and on the Hiram House 2000 Committee.
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“Trustee Day” at Summer Camp A Hit with All Ages
The young and the “young at heart” enjoyed a day of fun and learning at the “Trustee Day at Summer Camp,” held in June. Both trustees and campers spent the morning interacting with one another and re-discovering the joys of camp.
Trustees also were presented with an update on the Master Plan for Hiram House 2000 at the quarterly meeting that followed. The next quarterly meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for 9:00 a.m., on Saturday, September 23, at Hiram House.
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E-mail Greetings from Former “Zoo Sue”
The camp’s web site at www.hiramhousecamp.org regularly receives much interesting e-mail. Here is one from a former staff member:
“Greetings! While helping my secretary prepare for her daughter’s departure for a summer camp counselor’s job, I re-lived some of the memories I had of my days as a Zoo Instructor at Hiram House Camp in 1970. I was nicknamed “Zoo Sue”.
“This is the first time I’ve looked for Hiram House Camp on the Internet, so I thought I’d write a bit and let you know that not only do the children have a wonderfully positive experience there, but this is one counselor who also came away with some very good memories!
“I’m glad to know the camp is still growing. Keep up the good work! Thanks for the memories!”
— Susan Demjen Tonnies |
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Hiram House
Happenings - 2000
Sunday, October 8
Annual Hiram House
Pumpkin Festival
November
New Trustee Cabin
Groundbreaking Ceremony
(Date & Time to be Announced)
Saturday, December 2
Board of Trustees
Annual Meeting
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Hiram House Today
Visit the annual Pumpkin Festival this fall at Hiram House Camp, located at 33775 Hiram Trail, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Sunday, October 8, 2000.
Enjoy autumn colors, food, rides, games, crafts, animals, entertainment, and fun for all ages, set on 172 wooded acres in the scenic Chagrin Valley!
Featured attractions will include the: Haunted Cabin, Petting Farm, Tug Boat, Rocket Car, Pony, and Hay Rides, Clowns, Face Painting, Candle Dipping, Flea Market, Raffle, Hiking Trails, Games, Frontier Fort, Pumpkins and Mums Sale.
Food and Refreshments will include Ribs from Outback Steakhouse, Pizza, Pancake Breakfast, Hamburgers, S’Mores, cider, donuts, and more.
Park for free at Orange Schools, on Chagrin Boulevard (East of I-271) and take the free Shuttle Buses to the Camp. (No pets or picnic baskets, please.)
Admission is $3 Adults, $2 Children, ages 2-12, under age 2 free. (Some items may require an additional fee.)
Proceeds from the event will help benefit the Hiram House “Campership Fund” to help provide a life-enriching summer camp experience for disadvantaged children of all backgrounds throughout Northeast Ohio.
For more information, please call Hiram House Camp at: (216) 831-5045.
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Ohio Historical Marker Awarded to Hiram House
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The Hiram House is one of a select group of historically significant Ohio organizations to be awarded an Ohio Historical Marker by the Ohio Bicentennial Commission, in conjunction with the Ohio Historical Society, the Longaberger Legacy, and Reward Inc.
Hiram House was Ohio’s first “Settlement House” and among the first in the nation, founded in October 1896 by George A. Bellamy.
A permanent bronze marker will be presented to Hiram House next spring by the OBC. A special dedication ceremony will be held at the camp for the community at a date to be announced. |
Memories of Summer Camp 2000
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| Campers enjoyed new friends, fun times, and great memories at Summer Camp |
As autumn colors spread throughout northeast Ohio, summer days begin to fade away to just a warm memory.
But what a great summer memory for many area youth who learned firsthand the wonders of nature, self-esteem, self-confidence, and group dynamics through their experiences at camp.
More than 1,000 campers attended Hiram House Summer Camp this season, according to Executive Director Russell R. Grundke, who noted “it was a wonderful group of children and staff.”
Fond memories of Summer Camp 2000 will undoubtedly linger. Yet, it’s never too soon to start dreaming about next year when Summer Camp 2001 will be held June through August. Registration will begin after the first of the year.
In addition to both Day, and Residential Summer Camps, Hiram House also offers School Camps each spring and fall, plus year-round Group Retreats for area businesses and organizations.
For more information, please call (216) 831-5045 or visit online at: www.hiramhousecamp.org. |
Program Director Scott Wylie
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| Program Director Scott Wylie instructs campers on the Ropes Challenge |
Scott Wylie knows that special feeling when a child’s eyes “light up” and you can tell you’ve reached him or her. He knows because once he was that child.
Long before his path brought him to Hiram House Camp as its Program Director, he was here as a young camper marveling at his first taste of nature.
A Cleveland native, Wylie said, “When I came to camp as an 8 year old in the 1970s it made an impression on me. I grew up in the city. This was my first time in the woods. At first I was nervous. Then it struck me that there were no sounds of ambulances, police sirens, or gunshots. Gradually, the woods became a safe haven for me - a place of refuge.”
Camp also became his inspiration and motivation for his career later in life.
“As we sat around the evening campfire, our counselor talked with us about the importance of setting goals and dreams for our future and how to reach them. He later told me my eyes ‘lit up’.”
That lesson stayed with Wylie and helped him to focus on high school and sound choices through his teens that later would enable him to come back as a summer camp counselor himself, then a unit leader and finally, after college, as a full-time administrative staff member in 1998.
Today, he is Program Director for the camp. His responsibilities include overseeing the counseling staff, scheduling, recruiting new summer camp personnel programming, and working with families, schools or groups that visit Hiram House.
“I can relate to the kids. Even if there’s a need for discipline, I listen and talk to them. My goal is to make camp fun and educational. Not just for the campers, but for parents, teachers, and staff too, so that everyone is smiling.”
Executive Director Russell R. Grundke said, “Scott is very dedicated. Both campers and staff respect him. His positive attitude and own experiences make him uniquely effective in this role.”
Enthusiasm. Excitement. Confidence. Cooperation. Responsibility. Respect. Thirst for knowledge.These are just a few of the traits Hiram House strives to inspire in youth through its outdoor activities and educational programs, Wylie explains.
And, every time Wylie sees a young camper’s eyes light up, he remembers that small boy from long ago, - and knows that he and his staff are making a real difference in a child’s tomorrow. |
 The Run for Hiram House Raises
Thousands for Campership Fund
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Over $11,000 was raised for the Hiram House Campership Fund during the Second Annual Run for Hiram House on August 19 in Beachwood.
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| Pictured below (l to r) are: Hiram House Executive Director Russell R. Grundke, Hiram House Trustees Jack and John Hollister, Christian & Timbers Vice President Tim Smith, WOIO/WUAB 19-43 TV’s Stephanie Roberts. |
A big “thank you” to Run sponsor Christian & Timbers, with co-sponsors Weatherchem, Media First, the Ferro Foundation, Daybreak Graphics, Duke-Weeks Realty, Hausser & Talyor LLP, McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Haiman Co., Verizon Wireless, Royal Appliance, and also to supporters AquaCool, Trifles, Massotherapy Associates, Marriott, Charley’s Crab and Wild Oats.
Some 200 walkers and runners participated in the 4-mile Run and 1-mile Walk. See results on: www.ctnet.com. |
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November Groundbreaking Planned for Trustee Cabin
Groundbreaking ceremonies will be held this November for the first of several new residential cabins to be built at camp as part of Hiram House 2000.
The 4,200 square foot structure will house some forty campers, plus six staff, and be built on the site of the aging Becker Cabin which will be demolished.
Cost of the cabin is $350,000 and will be funded through monies pledged from the Hiram House Board of Trustees as part of a $5 million dollar capital campaign, which began earlier this year. Up to four more log cabins are being planned, along with other new facilities.
According to Trustee Harvey J. Schach, Construction Committee Chairman, work also is progressing on a new $300,000 waste treatment plant, along with required widening and repaving of the camp’s main roadway.
Trustees, officials, dignitaries and the public will be invited to attend the ceremonies. Date-time to be announced.
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| Design by Schmidt Copeland Parker Stevens - Architect, Landscape Architect, Planner |
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