Heraclitis said, “The only constant in life is change.” Change, in and of itself, can be challenging for those of us who value our routines and our relationships. However, we can also choose to look upon change as an opportunity, and that is how I like to view it.
Change has always been a key component of camp. No two summers are ever the same. People come and go. Cabins are rebuilt. New programs are added, and some old ones disappear. Camp is dynamic, and each person makes their own unique contributions to Keystone. New ideas are always welcome. We want to always do our jobs better with each passing day. We want our campers and their families to feel cared for as members of the Keystone Family.
We are in the midst of big changes this winter. We have said a very fond farewell to Anna McCall, our Administrative Director. Anna had worked for us since April of 2016, and we were grateful for all of her assistance and service over the years. Her daughter, Averie, is a Keystone camper, and will continue coming to camp. Anna will now get to experience camp drop-off in line with the rest of our families! Fortunately, Anna has not gone far and is close by when we need a quick consultation. The Henderson County Government is lucky to have her in their budget office.
Stacey Rice is our new Administrative Director. Stacey lives in Henderson County with her husband, Drew, and their dog, Dixie. Both Stacey and Drew have camping in their backgrounds. Stacey is a graduate of both Drake University and Shenandoah University, with bachelors degrees in journalism and environmental studies, respectively. She is also a family and wedding photographer. Very fortunately, Stacey already knew our database, CampMinder, after several years of working for Adventure Treks, a travel adventure program for teens. This let her hit the ground running. Stacey loves customer service and communications, and we are all excited about adding her to our team. We think everyone will enjoy working with Stacey.
We are also waving farewell to Martha Sharp Hughes today. The U-Haul is packed and ready to head to Chicago. Martha is excited to experience city living and a new career path. Because she is moving so far away, we are all very sad. In addition to her official Assistant Director title, Martha was our Director of Fun and Whimsy. We are also sad to lose Harriet, her red-footed tortoise. Harriet was a great addition to Keystone, and an excellent assistant when Martha worked with homesick campers. I know we are all grateful for Martha’s garden parties and stunning costume events. The picture of Martha with the llamas from the Washington Post Sunday Magazine will always be one of our best memories of her. Martha has promised to visit. As you all know, “It is goodnight and not goodbye…”
We are very pleased to announce another addition to our year-round staff: Jess Wiegandt, Keystone Staff Lead Paddler 2019 and 2021. Jess is well known to our campers and our staff members. She is originally from Roanoke, Virginia and a graduate of Brevard College with a degree in Wilderness Leadership. Jess has just completed her master’s degree in Film and Media Arts at American University in Washington, DC. Her first day with us will be on Monday, January 10th. Jess has the immediate goal of expanding our paddling program and our other wilderness adventures. She will be working closely with MED and Heidi on summer staff and programming. Welcome to Admin, Jess!
We also want to offer hearty congratulations and best wishes to MED and her husband, Wyatt. Mary-Elizabeth Dixon and Wyatt Amacker were married on November 19th in MED’s hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a gorgeous wedding, and we are all so thrilled for MED and Wyatt. MED is working remotely in her new hometown of New Bern, North Carolina with occasional trips to camp through the spring.
Gee, that’s a lot of change! And I haven’t mentioned any building projects…We do have a few of those irons in the fire; more later on those. Even in the coldest part of winter, we are very busy planning and working to make 2022 the best year yet!
Happy New Year, Keystone Girls!
Love, Page
