What a great summer camping season we had at Camp Howard this year. So many stories to tell. New Camp Howard Summer Program Director, Bill Fogarty, finished his first summer as Director of the summer camping season. A near record 1450 campers enjoyed the use of the camp during the six week season that ended August 17.
We will begin telling the stories over the course of the coming weeks to give you some insights into the summer.
I have to admit it has been hectic these past few weeks transitioning from Track and Field Championships to our CYO Appreciation Dinner then to the operation of our wonderful summer camping program at Camp Howard. So much fun and activity but a lot of work behind the scenes to make it happen for the kids!
It takes an exceptional team of people to make it all happen and that is what we have at CYO/Camp Howard. An EXCEPTIONAL TEAM!
Today I went to the bus which is one of my favorite experiences. I have written stories about the kids at the bus and how hard it is for some of them to leave their parents for the first time and how equally hard it is for the parents to let them go. Tender, touching moments between parent and child. A huge act of trust from parent to Camp Howard and we take it seriously.
Around 175 campers climbed aboard the Camp Howard bound busses and headed to camp today. I drive the luggage bus to camp, help with delivery of luggage and in the meantime have a first class view of what is taking place around me as the campers break up into cabins, cabin groups and get a counselor. It is never the same and always exciting for the kids.
Our new Camp Director, Bill Fogarty, from the St. Juan Diego parish is on his second full week of camp and doing a great job. He brings a lot of experience to the role along with wisdom, understanding, patience, and a great attitude. He has hired a first class staff representing several of the parishes in the greater Portland area.
Camp Howard continues to be one of those Catholic traditions that youth experience today and will look back on as a great memory. That’s our goal! Plenty of time to sign up for sessions 4,5,6,7!
See you at camp!
Eagle Scout candidate Danny Dooney and his team of helpers made a significant impact on the Wy’East campfire pit at Camp Howard. Danny organized an effort to enlarge the performance area, replace the single campfire pit with two fire circles and lay pavers to provide a flat surface for activities in front of the fire pits. The effort was a hit and it can be viewed here in a series of pictures.
Thank you, Danny Dooney and team for the well executed project! Greatly appreciated!
If you attended the first Champions of Faith benefit dinner for CYO/Camp Howard this past September, please note that thanks to YOU, we were able to accomplish a very important project at the camp. For fifteen years, the most desired improvement to the camp at the request of the kids, has been to heat the pool. Thanks to YOU we were able to accomplish that this year and we would like you to know about it!
A pool heater was purchased, ditch dug to connect it to the propane tank, wire cage built around the heater, filled the propane tank, covered the ditches, replanted the grass… just waiting for the kids so we can fire it up and heat the water! Takes one hour to heat the water one degree, so I am told, and the temperature will be around 80 to 83 degrees when “up to temp.”
Looking forward to surprising the kids with warm pool water this summer!
Thank you, Champions of Faith!
Camp Howard is a great place for youth to spend time at in the summer. The camp offers rental opportunities year around and a seven week camping season in the heart of the summer.
After adding an addition 100 bed occupancy to the camp in 2001, there is always plenty of room for campers to attend the camp EXCEPT ONE WEEK.
The last week of camp is an interesting week. Counselors are heading back to college, camper numbers are much lower, so we schedule Joe Bushman’s football camp down at the sport camp. He and his team take over Cougar Den Unit and Greenwood Unit. Joe and his team have been coming to camp for several years and they are a great group of guys and gals.
This lowers the number of campers we can take the last week of camp during a session that is normally low anyway. But believe it or not, this particular session has filled for week long campers. So check out the other 5 weeks and find the week that will work best for your schedule and get registered for what promises to be a great summer of camping at Camp Howard.
I enjoy sports as much as or maybe even a little more than the average person. Sports have been an important part of my life since I was a small child playing on my grade school teams.
I am concerned about the way sports have taken over Sunday mornings and family holidays such as Fourth of July just to name one!
Sunday morning should be set aside for those who take time to worship God. What a message we send when we choose sports over God!
My niece plays club volleyball and I have asked her to vote with her feet and let her coaches know at the beginning of the season that she plans to be with family on the Fourth of July, and Labor Day, and Mothers Day, and Fathers Day…
A Bishop in Iowa has taken on the topic which I appreciate. I encourage all of us to follow his lead and take back Sunday mornings, family holidays and religious education time!
Michael Bergmann – CYO Track and Field “Legend”
From the CYO Awards Night Banquet May 22, 2012:
In 1997 when I began my role as Executive Director of CYO/Camp Howard, another person joined on as a volunteer on the Track and Field Commission. I am sure that he was as amazed as I was at the disorganization of the program. God has a way of bringing the right people at the right time to fix things and little did I know the gift that came in the package of this individual.
I went to lunch with him toward the end of the winter as we were looking ahead to Track and Field. I showed him a booklet that Herb Lommen had put together for his CYO program and I asked Mike to help me update it for the purposes of a starting point for the CYO Track and Field program. Sort of a primer for coaches you might say. We went to work on that book and used it for several years to train coaches in the sport for CYO.
Our Commission grew and our coaching base improved. We soon had a commission filled with very astute track and field members. John Cronise joined the group and helped us get a timing system in place. With this capability, it was John Cronise and the CYO timing system that got the high schools started with similar timing systems.
For the first several years we would run championship events and let the teams know a few days later who won the event! We did not have a software program to help us score the event in a timely manner nor the expertise at the time to do it by hand.
We evolved from 600+ athletes in track and one regular season meet per weekend to some 1600 participants today with four track meets per weekend. Today we are nationally recognized, we constantly hear positive comments from people about the efficiency of our meets. For example:
Shalane Flanagan, will represent the United States in the Marathon in London this summer. She attended the CYO Meet of Champions this past weekend thanks to her running coach, Jerry Schumaker whose son runs for CYO out of St. Thomas More.
She was amazed at the organization and efficiency of the CYO meet and commented that her own state meet was no-where near as organized.
Youth Runner Magazine makes a point to attend our Meet of Champions every year now to find stories about some of the very best track and field participants in the nation right here in Bridge city!
The CYO Track and Field program has developed to this point of sophistication because a man with a passion for the sport and a vision for where this program could be, stepped up to volunteer. Thanks to his leadership, others joined such as Paul Boileau, Jim Bridges, Sean Phillips, Alisha Hamel, Kelly Alfieri and others that have served previously on the commission.
Mike Bergmann called me as I was on my way to the Roadrunner Track and Field meet last weekend and told me he was going to step down from his role as Commission Chair. I told him I knew this day would come eventually. He told me he has done all he can do. The program is in tip top shape, the commission is loaded with capable people and he has other work to do. He also mentioned he won’t be far away.
Mike would be the first to say it was not he alone who accomplished the great works of the Track and field success. It wasn’t. If it weren’t for the others who came to help we could not have achieved what we have over the past 15 years. But I will say that from my observation post, Mike brought the leadership we needed to get the program to the place it is today, and the individuals who joined forces were essential in making this program one of National recognition.
We have bestowed two legend awards in the past 15 years. The first was to Fr. Carl Gimpl for his efforts at Camp Howard. The second was to Dick Weigel for his several years of Board leadership in the organization. Tonight we are honoring Michael Bergmann with our Legends award for 15 years of service and excellence in the CYO Track and Field program.
Thanks Mike! – Love Sister Krista
Matthew Ferguson won the Cadet Boys High Jump Championship May 20th At the CYO Meet of Champions.
Allyson Thom from the Cathedral won the 400 meter Dash for Cub Girls at the CYO Meet of Champions May 20, 2012. She had a time of 1:03.53 just missing the record 1:03.18 set in 2010 by Olivia Gabriel.
Champion: Allyson Thom from the Cathedral
Second: Mia Schneider from the Madeleine
Third: Maija Pham from Christ the King
Tim Malueg from St. Clare won the Cub Boys 100 Meter Dash with Spencer Adrian and Aidan Maloney nipping at his heels. This writer notices some developing talent coming out of St. Matthews in Hillsboro. You heard it here first! Tim Malueg had a sensational Meet of Champions winning three of his three races. Lets keep an eye on him!
CHAMPION: Tim Malueg from St. Clare
Second: Spencer Adrian from All Saints
Third: Aidan Maloney from St. Matthew
CYO/Camp Howard 