[HANASHIR:1375] Saving Camp Swig

[Joel Siegel <siegeljd...>]

To the Hava Nashira and Bay Area Jewish Songleader Lists (and other
friends)

Shabbat Shalom everyone, and Shana Tova.

This is an email about saving Camp Swig.  To those of you on both the
hanashir
and the bajsln lists, my apologies that you will receive this message
twice.

I "grew up" musically (as well as spiritually to a large extent) at Camp
Swig in Saratoga, CA.
I consider it one of the most important Jewish experiences of my life.
The place is,
as a "makom" in more than just the physical sense, very dear to me.

I am sure that many people on these lists have also had incredible,
important, formative,
moving moments/days/summers/years at Camp Swig, which is why I am
sending
this email to you all.

It's long been rumored, but it looks like the time is drawing near:
Camp Swig is facing
sale and the end of its status as a UAHC camp.  Most of the operations,
and the sessions
for younger campers, have moved to a (really quite nice, but it still
ain't Camp Swig) new
site just outside of Santa Rosa, CA, named Camp Newman.

There is a movement building to save Camp Swig.

Some people have floated proposals, one of which I reprint below.  There

is now also a website up dedicated to all efforts to save the camp.

If you care about Camp Swig, I encourage you to visit the site, and to
give what you can
in money, time, energy, prayer, or whatever else you can give.

Here's the address for the site: http://www.insanelygreat.com/CampSwig/

I truly hope that 5759 (or for that matter 5760, or 5761....) will not
be the year Camp
Swig closes.  To everything there is a season, and all things end, and
this is one of
the truths we remember at this time of year.  But in my heart I do not
believe that Camp
Swig's time has come to an end.  There is still much potential in the
site, but it will
require a community effort to keep it going.

L'Shana Tova, all.  Sh'nat briut, sh'nat brachot, sh'nat k'dusha.

Joel Siegel

One proposal I received by email (written, as I understand it,
by Steve Krause) follows.  It has a "chain letter" element to it, as
well
as being something to read.  I have mixed feelings, to say the least,
about email chain letters.  I leave it to the list members to decide
what
to do with the information.  I am also sure that Steve Krause would
be happy if you contacted him by email if you wanted to get more
involved.  <skrause (at) knrlaw(dot)com>

From: Jennie Carmel Doberne <jdoberne (at) wesleyan(dot)edu>
Subject: Camp Swig Proposal(urgent please read!)
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 23:38:05 PDT

Jennie, This is something from Steve Krause. I mostly just thought you'd

like to know what's going on. Please consider adding your signature as
he has requested.

I am preparing to send the proposal to Dr. Newman, chair of the
Camp Swig/Newman Board, but there are woefully few signatures on it.
Only 30.  The problem is, I can't contact everybody.  You had asked
if you could help with anything...what would be great is if each of you
could search your address, email and phone lists and contact anyone
who you believe would like to be a part of this process, and tell them
to call (310) 657-7969 or email (skrause (at) knrlaw(dot)com) me to get their
names on this Proposal.  Then, tell them to call 10 Swig friends and do
the same thing.

The situation so far, as I understand it, is as follows: UAHC-NY
has given a potential buyer of the Swig site 2 months to determine
whether they are truly interested in purchasing the site, and has given
the Camp Swig/Newman Board one month to determine whether they want to
sell the site at all.

It is therefore extremely important that we move quickly in getting this

Proposal to Dr. Newman.  I intend to send this Proposal by the
beginning of next week at the latest.

I will enclose another copy of the proposal for you to send on
to others.  Thanks again for all your help.

Steve Krause  (CIT '86, Counselor, Rosh Eidah, Songleader,
Hagigah Artist)

PROPOSAL

Introductory Statements:

1. WHEREAS, the original purpose of Camp Swig - namely, to provide
Jewish content and education to children and young adults in a superior
camping environment - is now being performed in large part by Camp
Newman;
2. WHEREAS, we have been advised that Camp Swig has become an economic
burden to the UAHC due primarily to the departure to Camp Newman of
winter weekends and adult retreats;
3. WHEREAS, it is a severe administrative challenge to attempt to run
two campsites with only one director, and, as a result of this effort,
Camp Swig has suffered; and
4. WHEREAS, the UAHC in New York has considered selling the Camp Swig
property and giving up the site in the Santa Cruz mountains as one
solution to these economic and administrative challenges;

May we therefore offer the following observations:

 Camp Swig has fallen into a state of serious disrepair.
 Currently, the only UAHC Camp which provides intensive leadership and
artistic training to the children of the Reform movement is Camp Kutz,
in New York.
Many potential Jewish leaders and artists on the West Coast are
unwilling or unable to attend a camp on the other side of the country,
and the skills of these potential Jewish leaders are therefore not
cultivated properly.
Many members of the West Coast Jewish community, both clergy and
laypeople, are invested in retaining camps that are primarily devoted
to
providing a uniquely Reform Jewish educational and camping experience.
A long-term vision of the camping experience on the West Coast would
very possibly dictate retaining the Camp Swig site in some form both
useful and profitable to the UAHC; and
The sale of the Swig property may very well result in the UAHC missing
a prime opportunity to dramatically improve the Reform camping
experience on the West Coast, at a cost much less that that which will
be required if and when the UAHC decides to purchase another site at a
later date.

We therefore make the following recommendations:

A. REVISING THE CAMP SWIG MISSION STATEMENT

1. That the mission statement and purpose of Camp Swig be revised,
where
the UAHC will now endeavor to make use of the site to create an
intensive Jewish leadership and artistic experience for Reform Jewish
youth on the West Coast;
2. That the UAHC shall consider hiring a separate Director and
administrative staff for the Camp, whose purpose will be to carry out
the mission statement described above; and
3. That the UAHC shall allocate the funds necessary for improvements of
the facilities at Camp Swig to allow it to become self-sustaining
through both summer and winter programs, or, in the alternative, that
the UAHC impose a moratorium on the sale of the Swig property for such
a
reasonable time as to allow us to explore the possibility of
fundraising
for that purpose.

B. EXPLORING WAYS TO MAKE THE SWIG SITE ECONOMICALLY SELF-SUSTAINING

1. That the UAHC evaluate the following uses for the Camp Swig site to
determine whether, given the necessary improvements to the facility,
the
following programs could be offered during the non-summer months to
make
the site economically self-sustaining:

Winter weekends
Adult retreats
Elder Hostel activities
Isomata-type programs with a Jewish arts focus
Weddings and receptions
Convention site for Jewish organizations

C. FORMATION OF AN AD HOC COMMITTEE

1. That the Camp Board establish an ad hoc committee to consider the
recommendations made above;
2. That PARR representative Rabbi Steven Chester be made a member of
that committee;
3. That this ad hoc committee be charged with evaluating the viable
alternatives for retaining the Camp Swig site in a manner consistent
with the recommendations made above;
4. That this ad hoc committee shall further be charged with examining
the books and accounts of Camp Swig and Camp Newman, in order to
determine, as accurately as possible, the true financial condition of
the Camps, in order to determine what actions are required to render
the
Camp Swig site economically self-sustaining;
5. That this ad hoc committee shall be separate and distinct from any
other committees which may have been formed for the purpose of revising
the administrative structure or operation of Camp Newman; and
6. That the ad hoc committee shall report on its findings to the Camp
Swig/Newman Board in as timely a manner as possible.

D. COPIES OF THIS PROPOSAL HAVE BEEN SENT

Carbon copies of this proposal have been sent to the President of PARR
and the Chair of the PARR Camping Committee in the hope that a
partnership may be established to address this issue which will include
the rabbis of this region, many of whom have helped to build and
populate Camp Swig over the past four decades.