For a group of alumni, staying connected means more than coming back — it means helping shape what comes next.
As featured in Letters from Camp Magazine – Fall 2026.
Lake Wapogasset, home of Icaghowan
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For YMCA Camp Icaghowan board members, Sunday mornings in the summer often begin with a flurry of text messages in the group chat.
“Anyone interested in staying after the meeting to help paint the doors?”
“Working on updating the staff lounge and looking for a few items. Can anyone help?”
“Planning on some gardening after the meeting — who wants to join me?”
This group of volunteers isn’t simply gathering once a month around a boardroom table. During the summer, they’re right in the middle of camp life, painting doors, unloading luggage, pulling weeds, setting up for camper arrival, connecting with alumni, and finding countless ways to support the staff and campers they care so deeply about.
In 2025, Executive Director Georgia Ellingson shifted the Camp Icaghowan board year to run from March February through November, placing a greater emphasis on meeting at camp during the busy summer season. Her goal was to create more opportunities for board members to work alongside staff, strengthen relationships, and stay connected to the everyday life of camp.
“Our vision was to create a board experience that allowed board members to participate with the parts of Icaghowan they were most passionate about. This has become a dynamic advisory board that brings expertise from many walks of life, energy, passion, and action to help Icaghowan sustain legacy, while evolving into the future. More than meetings, this group is hands-on, supporting staff, campers, and the care of our spaces.”
Summer Sundays
Those summer meetings often begin the same way, not around a conference table, but with campers arriving by the carload.
On a sunny Sunday morning in July, several board members arrive on the island early to help carry tables, set out signs, and assist staff as they prepare for camper arrival. Cars filled with nervous parents and excited campers line the isthmus, waiting for the check-in process to begin. Board members are in place, ready to direct traffic, unload luggage, answer questions, and help create a warm welcome from the very first moment families arrive.
Board member James Hein (Camper and Staff 1980s-2000) said, “I love helping because it frees up the staff to engage with the kids.”
James and Ruth’s Work Leadership Camp (WLC) group in 2001
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James and Ruth Hein, with their children
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For about an hour, the pace is nonstop. Cars pull up to A-Field as parents hug their campers goodbye while board members and staff unload luggage. As one car leaves, another takes its place. Groups of campers fill the field, playing games and meeting new friends while check-in continues around them.
Some campers arrive looking unsure, while others jump out eager to return to a place they love. James shared that Georgia and Program Director Gretchen Hoff (camper 2000-2008, summer staff 2009-2015) have done an incredible job preparing both staff and board members to make every family feel welcome.
“Check-in is so much fun,” James said. “I love seeing the kids’ excitement as they experience the first day of camp. I also love seeing alumni who I used to go to camp with.”
It’s one of the board’s favorite ways to serve. Every suitcase carried and every question answered allows counselors to focus on what matters most, helping campers feel at home.
When the last camper has arrived, and cabins begin filling with excited voices, the board quietly steps back.
As James explained, “Camp is full, and kids are everywhere. The staff need to be engaged, it’s game on. If we can help with the little behind-the-scenes tasks, the staff are able to be fully engaged with the campers.”
More Than Check-in Day
Check-in day may be one of the most visible ways the board supports camp, but it’s only a small part of what these volunteers do throughout the year.
Board members work to strengthen Camp Icaghowan in countless ways. They help raise support for the annual fund, plan community events, brainstorm improvements with Georgia, volunteer at work days, and serve as ambassadors for camp throughout the community.
For many, serving on the board isn’t simply about giving back. It’s about staying connected to the place that helped shape who they became.
Susan Borden has experienced Camp Icaghowan from nearly every perspective imaginable. She was a camper from 1977–1985, served on staff from 1986–1989, returned as camp nurse in 2006, later became both a camper parent and staff parent, and has now served on the board for four years.
Ruth, Melissa Ingram, and James at Icaghowan on check in day. Melissa was part of their WLC group in 2001.
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Susan and Dori Estrella at the 2025 staff banquet
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Her love for Camp Icaghowan pours out of her so intensely, that it feels tangible.
“Camp taught me about community and belonging. It showed me what genuine connection feels like and helped shape my sense of self-worth. The experience was profound. I learned the true meaning of family at camp, and I’ll always be grateful for that.”
Today, board service has become another meaningful chapter in that lifelong relationship.
“Being on the board is another way to connect with camp in a meaningful way,” Susan shared. “I think the board is a bridge that honors old traditions and treasured memories while helping camp grow into the future in a thoughtful way.”
Susan isn’t alone in that feeling.
Peter Wieczorek, Camp Icaghowan’s Executive Director from 1997–2004 and a board member since 2018, was drawn back by many of the same reasons.
“I joined the board because I wanted to give back to the place that was so important to my family and me. I wanted to share my time, talent, and experiences as best as I could. I wanted to stay connected to the place that shaped so much of who I am.”
Continuing the Story
Stories like Susan’s and Peter’s are exactly why Georgia believes the board plays such an important role in Camp Icaghowan’s future.
“The board is an important part of the Icaghowan community. Camp doesn’t end when summer does. And for those who love Icaghowan, your experience can continue long after your last summer. You can help ensure that future generations experience the same magic that shaped you.”
James agreed.
“Even if you’ve been away, you can re-engage with camp at any time, and you get the same benefits you did as a camper or on staff.”
For many people, camp is measured in summers. But Camp Icaghowan’s impact isn’t confined to a single season or stage of life.
It lives on through the people who choose to return, not as campers or counselors this time, but as volunteers, advocates, and leaders.
Whether they’re directing traffic on check-in day, painting a cabin door, mentoring staff, helping with work projects, or making decisions that will shape camp’s future, board members carry forward the same spirit of community that once welcomed them.
Their work is a reminder that camp isn’t simply a place you attend. It’s a place you belong, a community that grows stronger because each generation chooses to give something back.
Board members Libby Dominguez, Susan, Molly Johnson and Dori Estrella, spring 2025
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Camp Icaghowan’s board is stewarding a place that they love. And there is always room for more voices at the table.
YMCA Camp Icaghowan Board Duties
- assist at the bus stop or camp check in
- volunteer at camp during spring and fall work days
- event planning committee
- make connections with local business and community partners
- fundraising calls and emails
- time, talent, treasure- give to camp in a variety of ways
Each of these tasks is important and helps camp immensely. Contact Georgia.Ellingson@ymcamn.org to learn more and to get started!