Dear Camp Jeanne d’Arc Community,
As members of the Camp Jeanne d’Arc Foundation, we are writing to you in response to the news regarding Canyonlands Camps taking ownership of JDA. It was quite a shock to us too as we were made aware of the sale after it had been finalized. And although the unknown can be difficult, we are excited about what this transition can mean for camp.
After spending some time to process the information, we offer you this: by investing in camp, Canyonlands is investing in the empowerment of our campers, and that we can get behind. Camp is, and always will be, about the campers. We are choosing to support this transition. In fact, it has pushed us to become as engaged as ever. By remaining engaged, we can guide the new ownership and support camp in ways that keep the traditions strong and the girls even stronger!
We have had the chance to talk with Caroline Matthews and Connor McCarthy of Canyonlands and as the members of the CJDA Foundation, we wanted to provide you with some additional information.
- The Camp Jeanne d’Arc Foundation is a totally separate entity from Camp Jeanne d’Arc and remains intact. It is a nonprofit organization with its own mission and budget.
- The Camp Jeanne d’Arc Foundation has its own separate bank account that currently holds the money raised from the Save Woodsheart campaign. The account has been transferred out of Randy and Sandy’s control and into the control of the Foundation board.
- Donations raised for the Save Woodsheart campaign will be directed to the Woodsheart project and Canyonlands has pledged to contribute the rest of the money needed to complete the Woodsheart restoration.
- The Foundation is stronger than ever. We have new board members poised to join the existing board (current members are still Liz Rambo, Lauren Cesiro, and Maria Salas). We expect to strengthen the organizational structure of the Foundation and more clearly define our mission throughout the next few months.
- The Foundation will, as it always has, house and support the Camp Archive. We continue to actively work to make the archive accessible to all aums everywhere.
- The Foundation will continue to work to support CJDA. We will hold our own board meetings to discuss Foundation goals and activities.
If you want to become involved in any way with the Foundation, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you are interested in joining the board, supporting Foundation activities (archive, fundraising for camperships, work weekend, alumnae relations) or just have ideas you want to share, you can contact Liz Rambo. We want to welcome as many voices as possible!
The Abbotts and Caroline and Connor will hold an open meeting on May 3rd at 7pm for any and all alumnae to gather via zoom to ask questions and air concerns. Please join us!
Best,
Liz, Lauren, and Maria