Ninety From Four States Attend CT RTE

Ninety YMCA professionals from four states (CT, RI, MA and NY) participated in the Connecticut Regional Training Event conducted April 29 and 30 at the Holiday Inn in Waterbury, Connecticut. In addition, five YMCA Trainer Candidates were enrolled in this RTE, thereby strengthening the YMCA of the USA's Leadership Development and Training corps.

Pictured are (L-R): Back Row - Karen DiGiralomo, Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA; Barbara Glaude, Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA; Christina Simms, Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA;
Front Row - Wendy Stevens, Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA; Patrick Connolly, Northern Middlesex YMCA; Rhino Merrick, Camp Hazen YMCA

Volunteerism Subject of CT RTE

Greater Hartford YMCA East Hartford Branch Executive Brian Liss (left) and YMCA Camp Hazen Executive Director Denise Learned teamed to present the Volunteerism workshop at the Connecticut YMCA Alliance Regional Training Event, conducted at the Holiday Inn in Waterbury, Connecticut today. Hats off to all YMCA professionals who gave leadership to this Regional Training Event!

AYP Chapter Three To Meet in Mystic

SAVE THE DATE for the AYP Chapter 3 meeting on June 4th at the Mystic Seaman's Inn. AYP Chapter 3 President Wendy Stevens, Cheshire Branch Executive Director in the Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA (center), AYP Chapter 3 EAF Chair Patrick Connolly (left), and AYP Chapter 3 Membership Chair Mark Pooler (right) are looking forward to seeing you in Mystic, Connecticut!

YMCA Camp Mohawk Swings Wide The Gates To Its 89th Season

YMCA Camp Mohawk, in Litchfield, Connecticut, swings wide the gates to its 89th season in a few weeks. Patrick Marchand, Camp Director, ably assisted by Associate Camp Directors Nadine Thompson and Kristin Judd are excited about the new "Cowgirl Camp" and "Family Camp". The trio report 104 new "fans" on the YMCA Camp Mohawk Facebook page. YMCA Camp Mohawk is currently engaged in an Outcomes Measurement project regarding the "soft skills" learned by young women in this all-girls YMCA summer camp.

YMCA Leadership Development and Training

YMCA of the USA Vice President for Leadership Development and Training Terri Radcliff (center) met today with leaders of the Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA, a Y-USA-designated Training Partner YMCA serving YMCAs in Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Accompanying Terri on her whirlwind tour of southern New England YMCAs were Judy Jameson, CEO of the New Britain-Berlin YMCA (left) and Andrea Vignali, Y-USA Northeast Regional Training Manager (right).

Thomas Valentine Sullivan

"He was shipwrecked in the Antarctic, fell from a yard and was nearly killed; was attacked by pirates off the coast of Brazil; by the timehe was thirty-three he had made a fortune and lost it. Nonetheless, Thomas Valentine Sullivan's most long-lasting accomplishment was . . . he founded the YMCA in the United States."

From "Seaman Extraordinary" by Leonard M. Snyder
_____________________

A Boston sea captain and missionary, Thomas Valentine Sullivan was inspired by stories of the YMCA in England. With six colleagues, Sullivan called the first meeting leading to a constitution, and on December 29, 1851, the YMCA began at the Old South Church in Boston.

Central Connecticut Coast YMCA President Philip J. Dwyer, researching family genealogy recently, came across Thomas Sullivan's grave marker in the Woburn, Massachusetts cemetery. [See accompanying photograph provided by Phil Dwyer.]

YMCA Camp Sloper Celebrates 60th Anniversary

YMCA Camp Sloper, the day camp and outdoor center of the Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA, is marking its 60th Anniversary!

Walk into the Southington YMCA facilities this week and you will be impressed with the “sea” of orange tee-shirts and polo-shirts emblazonied with the YMCA Camp Sloper logo (it’s as if you were at Syracuse University!).

Photo (L-R): John Myers, Executive Director; Lynette Ferguson, Director of Membership; and Tony Palmieri, Chief Operating Officer of the Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA.

CT YMCA RTE Slated for April 29 & 30 in Waterbury

The Connecticut YMCA Alliance Membership and Program Network steering committee met today to advance the final planning for the Regional Training Event which will be conducted in Waterbury April 29th and 30th.

Participating in today’s session were: Meg Ballard, Karen Backus, Melanie Carfore, Patrick Connolly, Kathe Davies, Steve Gionfriddo, Mark Pooler, Tony Sharillo, Shannon Silver, Christina Simms and Jamie Wilcox.

Rhode Island YMCA Alliance Advocacy Day 2009

Under the banner of “Healthy Choices”, YMCA leaders across The Ocean State gathered at the State House in Providence today for the 2009 Rhode Island YMCA Advocacy Day. YMCA youth leaders from the Pawtucket and Central Falls YMCA greeted members of the Rhode Island General Assembly, presenting them with pedometers and charts noting the number of steps (and calories burned) from the House and Senate Chambers to various locations in the State House.

Rhode Island YMCA leaders presented their legislators with YMCA portfolios, which included a Rhode Island YMCA Alliance Fact Sheet, Activate America literature, an America On The Move Adult Step Conversion Chart, 100 Ways To Eat Healthier, and Healthy Family Home booklets.

Photo: Representative of all six Rhode Island YMCAs, Newport County YMCA Executive Director Pete Milinazzo (left) met with Rhode Island State Senator Louis P. DiPalma (Democrat - District 12, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, Tiverton) at today’s Rhode Island YMCA Alliance Advocacy Day at the State House in Providence.

Schools, Rec Departments, Health Agencies, and YMCAs Collaborate

Emblematic of the collaboration inherent in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Healthier Communities Initiative is the statewide leaders gathered today in Cheshire, Connecticut to advance the Pioneering Healthier Communities funding opportunity.

L-R: Jason Cohen, CPRP, Colchester Parks and Recreation, representing the Connecticut Recreation and Park Association; Sam Becknel, Jr., MPA, Project Manager for the Activate America Healthier Communities Initiatives; Dr. Michael Buckley, Connecticut Association of Schools; Andrew Roberts, Chair, Connecticut Alliance of YMCAs; Philip J. Dwyer, President, Central Connecticut Coast YMCA; Eugene Nichols, Health Program Associate for Nutritionj, Physical Activity and Obesity Prevention Programs of the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Healthier Communities Initiative

Today the Connecticut YMCA Alliance Activate America ® Capacity-Building YMCAs (and those aspiring to be so) for a Technical Assistance Meeting, to prepare YMCAs across The Constitution State to assemble funding proposals under the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Pioneering Healthier Communities Initiative. YMCA State Alliance collaborators – Connecticut Association of Schools, Connecticut Recreation and Parks Association, and the Connecticut Departments of Public Health – shared in the leadership of this highly-interactive conference, hosted by the Connecticut Association of Schools.

Connecticut Department of Public Health Deputy Commissioner Norma Gyle keynoted the morning program, emphasizing the epidemic of chronic disease in the state. Dr. Michael Buckley of the Connecticut Association of Schools stressed the power of collaboration among public schools, municipal recreation departments and YMCAs. Connecticut YMCA Alliance Chair Andrew Roberts, CEO of the Greater Waterbury YMCA, highlighted the opportunities YMCAs have to shift the prevailing culture to one with greater emphasis on healthy lifestyles. Jay Cohen, President of the Connecticut Recreation and Park Association, introduced the audience to the concept of the “default option”, as communities make it easier for individuals to “choose healthy”.

Philip Dwyer, President of the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA, who is vice chair of the Alliance’s Public Policy Committee, organized today’s session and gave leadership to the conference program.

Activate America ® Project Manager for Healthier Communities Initiatives, Sam Becknel, Jr., MPA, offered a national perspective on the unique opportunity presented to the Connecticut YMCA Alliance to address one of the most pressing society issues confronting the United States.

Commendation to the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA, Darien Community YMCA, Greater Hartford YMCA, New Canaan Community YMCA, Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut, Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA, Valley Shore YMCA, Wallingford Family YMCA, Greater Waterbury YMCA, Westport / Weston Family YMCA, and the Wilton Family YMCA for participating today.

[L-R: Howard Thiery, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Southington, CT;
Bill Marci, Director of Recreation, Southington, CT;
Joe LaPorte, Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, Southington, CT;
Tony Palmieri, Director of Operations, Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA;
Wendy Stevens, Branch Director, Cheshire YMCA, Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA;
Karen DiGirolano, Health and Wellness Director, Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA]

CT YMCA Alliance Marketing Committee

Natalie Zembrzuski, Director of Marketing for the Greater Hartford YMCA (center), is chairing a Connecticut YMCA Alliance Marketing Committee, formed to shape a statewide YMCA positioning program for the Alliance. Joining Natalie in the first meeting of the Committee are Chris Pallatto, Wheeler Regional YMCA Branch Executive Director (GHYMCA), and Angie Matthis, Director of Marketing for the Greater Waterbury YMCA.

Vanessa Boulous Feted By Y-USA RCMS

Thanks to Mike Repass we have an electronic archive of the recognition accorded YMCA Senior Resource Director Vanessa Boulous by the Northeast Regional Committee on Membership Standards at its semi-annual meeting in Boston this week.
Vanessa has served as primary staff liaison to the Y-USACommittee on Membership Standards, and has recently accepted a senior management post with the YMCA Retirement Fund.

Passing The Gavel in Brookfield

Michael Matson, Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut outgoing Board Chairman, left, hands the gavel to newly elected Chairman Robert D. Belden, Jr., right. Mr. Belden was elected Chairman at the YMCA's Annual Meeting on March 30, 2009. Also elected to the Board at this meeting were: Jim Arconti, David Dear, Sharon Dornfeld, John Dulina, Paul Loftus, John Madzula, Jay McDougall, Wendee Nussle, Mark Propper and Mitch Weston.

Partnership To Fight Chronic Disease

The Connecticut Alliance of YMCAs was represented today in ceremonies at the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford at the launch of the Connecticut Chapter of the Partnership To Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD). The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease is a national, bi-partisan coalition of patients, providers, community organizations, business and labor groups and health policy experts committed to raising awareness of the policies and practices that save lives and reduce health costs through more effective prevention and management of chronic disease.

Pictured are (L-R): Gary Kozak, Member of the Connecticut YMCA Alliance Public Policy Committee; David L. Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP, Director of the Prevention Research at Yale University School of Medicine; Gail Hannon, Director of Health and Wellness at the Norwalk YMCA; Cindy Armijo, Executive Director of the Norwalk YMCA, and member of the Connecticut YMCA Alliance Public Policy Committee; and Philip J. Dwyer, President of the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA, and Vice Chair of the Public Policy Committee of the Connecticut YMCA Alliance.

Dr. Katz, who keynoted the Connecticut YMCA Alliance Annual Meeting a year ago, asserted that we must all "part the veil of statistical anonymity", and put a human face on the leading cause of death in this country. Katz emphasized that chronic diseases - heart disease, stroke, diabetes - can be controled through behaviors - stopping smoking, proper nutrition, and regular physical activity.

Dr. Paul Bluestein, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of ConneciCare, Inc. urged all in attendance "to assist Connecticut residents in making the very difficult decisions and behavior changes which lead to healthier lives." Daniel Torres, President of the Latino American Chamber of Commerce of Connecticut, noted that the incidence of chronic disease in the Latino population far exceeds this demographic group's 9% of the population.

Tragedy In Binghamton, New York

The thoughts and prayers of YMCA leaders across the nation are with the residents of Binghamton, New York, as this community heals following the tragic shootings at the American Civic Association.

Broome County YMCA President Rick Peterson tells us:

"The YMCA is about six blocks form were this happened. The tragic event has brought a crush of media to the community that are only seeing the negative and not what is good about the area. However we will get through this and I'm sure the community will be strong in the end. "

I am confident that the Broome County YMCA will play a significant role in the healing going forward.

Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut Elects Board

Congratulations to the ten newly elected members of the Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut Board of Directors. The attached picture was taken at the Association's Annual Meeting on Monday. Seated, left to right, in the front row: Jay McDougall, Mark Propper, Sharon Dornfeld and Paul Loftus; and in the second row, John Madzula, Mitch Weston, David Dear, John Dulina and Wendee Nussle. Missing is Jim Arconti.
The Regional Board now seats 31 community leaders, YMCA advocates and business professionals. This is the largest board in the association’s history; a real testament to the spirit of the YMCA.