Letters From Camp Magazine – Fall 2025

Letter from the Editor

For 13 years, I gave the same speech at our closing ceremony every week:

Camp has changed over the years, but the spirit of camp has remained the same since the beginning. When camp started, the goal was to create a place for kids to come and have fun, learn new things, be outside, and make friends. And most importantly, to be a place where everyone belongs. 

Camp will always be part of you, and you will always have a home here. You being here at camp made this week special. You are part of the history of this summer. Welcome to the camp family! I am glad you are part of this community.

That speech was true back then and is still relevant today. Even though these words were not delivered at a Y camp, each time I work on this magazine, I feel transported in time as those core messages return to my memory. Every story I collect puts an exclamation point on every statement in that closing address.

Whether you were a camper, staff member, parent, volunteer, donor, or played some other role at camp (or maybe even all of the above), your story is part of the history of your camp. Your contribution to the community is what makes camp such a special place. 

Camp history is a consistent theme in this issue and has been a regular topic in my role as director of alumni philanthropy. I have the pleasure of speaking with camp alumni and listening to their stories—whether recent or from decades in the past—and I truly love listening! 

Camp stories are each completely unique, but nearly every one of them includes something about connection, belonging, learning, growing, and the feeling of being part of camp. 

As you sit down to read Letters from Camp, know that I’m imagining all of us together, sitting around a fire, sharing stories, feeling connected, finding meaning in belonging to each other. This magazine, in a sense, is our campfire —our place where swapped stories build community and create meaning.

We’re grateful to have you joining us around this enormous Y Camp campfire. 

As always, it was an honor writing and compiling the stories in this issue. Please continue to reach out and share your feedback, ideas, or unique camp story. 

Thank you for reading!

Natalie King
Director of Alumni Philanthropy and Editor of ‘Letters From Camp’