Welcome Campers 2002!
School Groups & Summer Camps Set
by Russell R. Grundke, Executive Director
The 2002 year commenced on a very busy, but exciting note.
By the beginning of February, both the Day and Junior Day Summer Camp registrations were closed and a waiting list established. The Summer Resident Camp also showed a marked increase in early registrations. Current registrations indicate over 1,000 campers will be served this summer.
Hiram House will be hosting several new schools for Spring Outdoor Education. These include Bolton Elementary School in Cleveland, Keystone Schools in Lorain County, and Madison Elementary School in Lakewood. Among the returning School Camps this spring will be Dunham, Raymond, and Stafford Schools in Maple Heights, Garfield School in Lakewood, Madge Youtz School in Canton, Agnon School in Beachwood, Portage School in Barberton, and Cardinal Schools in Geauga County. Several other area school systems will be joining us in the fall.
The “Fresh Air Camp” sponsored by the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital will also be returning in June.
As the cold, winter days turn into warm springtime and summer, I would like to welcome each group and individual that will experience camp in 2002. This experience will not be forgotten by young or old. Hiram House is ready to serve them and will do so with all of the enthusiasm and effort that has been our trademark for over 105 years!
|
|
United Way Recognizes Hiram House for 9/11 Disaster Relief Efforts
Hiram House Executive Director Russell R. Grundke (in photo, at left) presented a check for $10,000 to K. Michael Benz, President and CEO of United Way Services. The United Way recognized Hiram House, a partner service agency, for its “Star-Spangled Support.” Hiram House donated proceeds from sales of U.S. Flags it had on hand to the American Tragedy Fund to benefit the victims and families of September 11th.
|
Trustees Elect 2002 Officers
Name Area Business Leaders to Board
Two Greater Cleveland area business leaders were elected to The Hiram House Board of Trustees at the recent annual meeting and officers were elected for 2002.
Joining the Board were new trustees C. Keith Swaney and Thomas A. Grimm.
C. Keith Swaney is President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial Officer, of Park View Federal Savings Bank. He also serves as a Director on the bank’s Board of Directors. He joined Park View Federal in 1962 and has held a number of positions, including Treasurer and Executive Vice President, before assuming his current responsibilities.
A native of Brownsville, Pennsylvania, he attended Youngstown State University and California University. Mr. Swaney previously served on the Hiram House Board of Trustees for several years during the 1980’s and early 1990’s. He has two sons and two daughters and lives in Auburn.
Thomas A. Grimm is Manager, Stratgeic Planning, for Eaton Corporation. In addition to his new position on the Board of Trustees, he will also serve as a member of the Hiram House Capital Campaign Committee. He earned a Masters in Business Administration degree from Carnegie Mellon University and is a graduate of Southern Methodist University where he earned a dual degree in History and Finance.
A native of Chagrin Falls, Mr. Grimm graduated from Orange High School and attended Hiram House Camp as a youth. He now lives in Bainbridge with his wife, Katie, and two daughters., Hannah and Elizabeth.
In other business, the Hiram House Board of Trustees elected Officers for the 2002 term. Re-elected were Robert M. Benedict, Jr., President, John M. Fulton, Vice President-Treasurer, and Russell R. Grundke, Secretary.
Benedict is Vice President, Finance & Administration, of IdeaStar, in Cleveland. He is a resident of Auburn. Fulton recently retired as Senior Vice President, Charter One Bank, in Cleveland. He lives in Chagrin Falls. Grundke is Executive Director of The Hiram House, operating Hiram House Camp.
|
|
|
Hiram House
Happenings - 2002
Sunday, May 5
1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
"Spaghetti Dinner at Camp"
(Reservations Required)
June 10 - June 14
Pre-Summer Camp
(Staff Orientation)
June 16 - July 26
Summer Resident Camp
June 17 - August 2
Summer Day Camp
June 17 - July 26
Summer Jr. Day Camp
Sunday, October 13
10:a.m. - 4 p.m.
Annual Hiram House Camp
Pumpkin Festival
Saturday, December 7
9:00 a.m.
Board of Trustees
Annual Meeting
(other Board meeting dates to be announced)
|
|
Hiram House Today
Construction on 2nd New Cabin due in 2002
- GAR Foundation Awards $60,000 Challenge Grant -
Construction Committee Chairman Harvey J. Schach gives the Cargile Family a tour during the dedication of the first new log cabin, which opened in the fall of 2001. The second cabin will feature a similar design. Its two wings will house up to forty-six campers, plus four staff, with a central lounge-meeting room, activity areas, restrooms, screened porch, and 4,200 square feet of living space. The rustic all-weather cabins are designed with access for special needs campers. Construction is set for later this year.
The GAR Foundation has awarded Hiram House Camp a $60,000 Challenge grant to build the second of five new residential log cabins as part of the new Lodge Village. An additional $120,000 in matching funding has been raised to meet grant requirements.
The Akron-based GAR Foundation is a private, independent foundation, established in 1967 as a charitable trust by Galen J. Roush, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Roadway Express.
The GAR Foundation has distributed over $115 million since its inception to support charitable organizations within the Foundation’s areas of interest.
“This grant will assist the camp in improving its residential facilities so that it can continue to provide high quality services to campers for many years to come,” said Deborah Hoover, GAR Program Officer.
According to Executive Director Russell R. Grundke, Hiram House plans to begin construction on the second new cabin later this year.
Expected costs to build and equip each of the five new cabins is $450,000, as part of the Hiram House Campaign. To donate or for more information, please contact Hiram House at (216) 831-5045 or click here.
|
|
 Hiram House received a record number of requests for Summer Day Camp,
Junior Day Camp and Summer Resident Camp registrations this year.
Hundreds of enthusiastic young campers and their families attended our Information Meeting in March (in photo). We welcome them all to Summer Camp in 2002 and look forward to a wonderful, fun-filled season of excitement and discovery.
Open registration is held, starting each winter, for all Summer Camp programs on a first-come basis. For more information or to be added to our mailing list for next
summer, please call the camp office at (216) 831-5045. (ACA Accredited Camp)
|
|
|
A Day in the Life of Nikki: a Hiram House Camper
 7:30 a.m.
Nine year-old Nikki wakes up to the ringing of the bell outside her cabin. She jumps out of her bunk to wash her face and brush her teeth, eager to start her first day at camp.
7:45 a.m.
Allison, her counselor, helps Nikki tie her shoe laces nice and tight for a busy day of running, hiking and exploring.
8:00 a.m.
Nikki and her cabin buddies skip arm in arm through a path in Pioneer Circle that leads to the dining room. They have been assigned the daily chore of table setting for the Pioneer Girls Unit.
8:15 a.m.
Nikki is among the other boys and girls singing songs, raising the flag and listening to the announcements of the day’s activities.
8:30 a.m.
Nikki can’t remember the last time she had such a large, hardy breakfast as the plate of pancakes and cereal are gobbled down in just a few bites. Then, the cabin of camper buddies rush back to their bunks accepting the challenge to win their honor log award for the cleanest cabin.
9:30 a.m.
Nikki and her group go to arts and crafts where she has fun making hand dipped candles, just like the early pioneers.
Next, Nikki travels to the Challenge Course where she and her group must work together to complete a special task.
11:00 a.m.
For the first time, Nikki and her friends learn how to hold a bow and arrow and hit a target at archery, under the watchful supervision of the camp specialist.
Noon
The campers assemble to sing songs and listen to the events of the afternoon. They have a busy lunch of swapping stories of their morning and munching on
chicken patties, carrots and apples. Nikki then takes a quick nap in her cabin to rest up for the afternoon.
|
1:30 p.m.
Nikki practicies swimming the crawl stroke in the Olympic-size swimming pool. She feels like a professional athlete as she proudly completes a lap. Later in the afternoon she joins her group of campers to search the forest for signs of nature and take their collection of acorns, leaves, twigs, and pebbles to create a nature collage.
5:00 p.m.
Leftover pine needles and wood are saved for a campfire at Fort Tom. With some guidance, Nikki grills her own hot dog over an open fire. Following kitchen capers after the cookout, Nikki and her counselor and friends search through the woods for clues to solve a campwide mystery game.
8:00 p.m.
Tired girls gather their sleeping bags and blankets and walk to Fort Tom for a sleep out for the night. While looking up at a blanket of stars, a counselor points out a shooting star and tells the girls to make a wish. Nikki smiles because she knows her wish has already come true.
Editor’s Note: Nikki’s story is typical of a Summer Resident (overnight) Camper’s Day. Summer Day and Junior Day Camp activities are similar but with later starts and
earlier finishes to their daily schedules.
Send a Child to Summer Camp
To help send a child like Nikki
to Camp this summer, please make a generous donation to the Hiram House “Campership Fund” by clicking here. These funds will
benefit disadvantaged area youth. Hiram House is a 501 (c) (3)
non-profit organization.
Your gift will be greatly appreciated.
|
|
|
 - Save the Date! May 5th -
“Spaghetti Dinner at Camp”
A “Spaghetti Dinner at Camp “will be held this spring, on Sunday, May 5, from 1 to 5 p.m., at Hiram House, and is open to the public. Area families and residents are invited to attend.
Proceeds will benefit the Hiram House “Camperships for Kids Fund” to help send underpriviledged area youth to Summer Camp.
Cost is $8 for adults and $5 for children (ages 10 & under). For information or reservations, call (216) 831-5045.
|
|
 Summer Camp Employment Now Hiring
Are you looking for a rewarding employment experience this summer?
Hiram House is currently accepting applications for our Summer Camp staff.
Each season the camp seeks area college and high school students with experience and interest in child development. They then work under the supervision of a qualified director and our program staff and participate in an intensive week-long, in-residence training program. In 2001, some thirty-four different universities and high schools were represented by our staff at camp.
Positions are open for counselors, lifeguards, health clinic, and program staff. The season runs June to August.
Please contact Hiram House at (216) 831-5045 for more information or apply online: Hiram House Employment.
|
|
Calling All Staff-Alumni
Since its origins in 1896, Hiram House has employed thousands of Ohio residents, as well as those from many other states and nations, and served tens of thousands of our area’s youth.
Are you a former member of the Hiram House staff or a former camper? If so, we’d love to hear from you.
Send us a note or email and let us know where you are today, when you worked at or attended Hiram House and in what capacity, and how your camp experience affected your life or career. Some of these stories will be published in future issues of the newsletter.
Write to Hiram House Camp, 33775 Hiram Trail, Chagrin Falls, Ohio 44022 or Email to: info@hiramhousecamp.org
|
|
Letters to Camp
Hiram House is most grateful to receive many wonderful letters from campers and their families. Below is an excerpt from one of these letters sent recently by a Cleveland mother whose children attended camp last summer.
“...I would like to take this time to thank you for allowing my children a once in a lifetime opportunity. This opportunity could not have been afforded without the generosity of your organization’s “Camperships”.
These camperships have allowed my children to experience life beyond kickball in the street, and for this, I would like to express my deepest gratitude. Thank you so much.”
- Sincerely, Fonzetta M. Hill
|
|
Thanks for Readers Response To Survey!
Many of our readers answered the recent survey in the Winter 2001 issue of Hiram House TODAY. Our sincere thanks to them all.
We were pleased to learn that the majority of those who responded said they regularly read and enjoy the camp’s newsletter and have a positive view of Hiram House, its staff and services.
We also received many great questions and suggestions for articles, some of which are included in this newsletter and others which we will try to use in future issues.
If you haven’t sent in your survey to the camp office, there is still time. Your comments and opinions are always most welcome. - Editor
|
|
