Interim Director's Message
Fri Feb 17, 2012

There was a spectacular sunrise this morning on top of Little Scaly Mountain. Despite the fact that it is still the middle of February, this is the kind of day that makes spring feel so tantalizingly close. We hope that you are enjoying a mild winter as well, and beginning to plan your next visit to The Mountain. Although my responsibilities here revolve around organizational leadership and financial accountability, I am a program director and educator at heart. The Mountain needs to function with a very lean staffing structure as we stabilize our financial condition. We are committed to programming quality and integrity and our core UU values will continue to be the foundation from which all of our programs and services will be delivered. This reality is critical to our future success and I hope this gives you confidence in us as well. What follows are some suggestions that may help you to decide when to come join us for a special event in your life. There are links to our website that will lead you to additional information and how to register.

Weekend dates are almost completely booked. Please make an inquiry soon if you are trying to coordinate a retreat for your congregation, family or organization. We are preparing for the arrival of our Board of Trustees this weekend for their Winter Meeting at The Mountain. We will also be hosting the annual gathering of the Atlanta Knitting Club as well as a family reunion, not an uncommon weekend for us. With our wide variety of accommodations, excellent meeting spaces and an experienced staff, we are able to flex schedules and design a program to meet the specific needs of almost any group, from 10 – 80 guests. Mid-week business, from Monday – Thursday, is particularly welcomed.

We have several Mountain-designed programs we want you to know about. The traditional kickoff to spring here is our Volunteer Work Weekend, scheduled for March 30 – April 1st. There will be plenty of fun, fellowship and music mixed in with seasonal work projects. You are invited to join us for the Memorial Weekend Mountain Homecoming, May 25-28. The Annual Members Meeting will be held on Saturday, May 27th, hosted by the Trustees. Over the long weekend you will be invited to participate in stimulating workshops, outings, music and more. Delicious meals and a surprise evening concert will anchor a wonderful holiday celebration.

This is the time of year when parents and their children are making decisions about summer – family vacations, jobs, volunteering, camp, academic enrichment, sports, etc. MountainCamp presents an investment opportunity in the continued growth and development of your child. Our program is grounded in UU values, is focused on age-appropriate activities, and is guided by our counselors, who are carefully selected, trained and supervised to be outstanding role models for your children. The camp experience can be transformative as a young person gains self-confidence, builds positive peer relationships, and expands their understanding of who they are and what they think they can accomplish. Our program is designed to progress a child through several stages of development, from Beginner Camp (for 6-8 year olds) all the way through the Ascender Program and Counselor-in-Training (for 16-18 year-olds). Scholarship assistance is available and we continue to build a more diverse camper population. UU Families and those families who share our values are all welcome. We know that friendships established at MountainCamp and Youth CONS are often the strongest relationships that your children will make as they grow up and gain their independence. We will launch a new, on-line registration system on March 1st. Please read the detailed descriptions for each camp session on our website and feel free to call if you have any questions.

Early August will feature two programs we want to bring to your attention: August 5-9 will be our Intergenerational Family Camp. August 10-12 will be our MountainCamp Staff Reunion. All former counselors, coordinators and employees of the Mountain are invited to come back to relax, reconnect, and celebrate your time spent working here. We will wrap up the year with a Thanksgiving Family Celebration, November 21-25. This is a big year and we hope you will be a part of it. Best wishes to you and your family and we look forward to seeing you!

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