Dear CRS Community, as I reflect on our past year and think about our next year, three things come to mind.  I am inspired by our mission and we had another great year.  I am reminded that LAJF is closing in our 90th year of fulfilling our mission and that we are as a community moving ahead!

Mission Accomplished

When most of us think about Camp Rising Sun, we think of the summer program that guides 120 campers through a summer as a basis for fulfilling our mission.  On this scale, we had another wonderful summer fulfilling that part of the program. However, I would also point to the efforts the staff has made this year to expand our mission beyond the summer experience.  The combination of a successful Camp season and work on new initiatives to support our college-bound alumni are examples of our community accomplishing the mission of the Foundation.  I would encourage you to take a few moments to reflect on our success and let it sink in!

Ninty Years

2020 marks our organization’s 90th year of operation.  This puts us in rarified air.  I believe our ninety years is a testament to both the validity of the mission and the resilience of the organization.  Further, I believe a milestone such as this deserves more than a moment to celebrate. As we move towards the July 2020 Alumni Reunion, it is my hope that we engage our global community throughout the world. Please consider helping staff, regional alumni associations, and the Board to connect with our community in an uplifting way that reflects our success over these 90 years as we grow, thrive, and envision our future!   

Our values include celebrating the diversity within our community and our world via the inclusion and respect for individuals. As our world struggles with these constructs, I see our community impacting our world in a significant and positive way!  With 90 years of community contribution as our legacy, I think this year is a great time to celebrate. I encourage each alum to dig deep and consider how each of us can contribute to this celebration of our 90-year legacy. Can you help? Do you have questions on how you could help?  You can reach out to me at email timothyconners@gmail.com, or via phone number +1-612-670-5028. Please feel free to contact me!

Moving Ahead:

I would feel incomplete if I did not comment on how our community is “Moving Ahead”.  Moving Ahead has been my mantra as president. I would offer as evidence that we are in fact moving ahead by noting that our program continues to be strong and we continue to make progress on our sustainability challenge.  However, I think what is most important is that our community is “Living the Mission in their daily lives”. My personal inspiration to remain connected to this community comes from those in our community that are “Living the Mission”.  If you have not read their stories, I would encourage you to review these stories in the LAJF blog!  

Finally, I want to thank those that have chosen to work to sustain our program.  Sustaining our program comes in the form of time, treasure, and talent. Thanks to the more than 700 donors, and many more volunteers that have donated thousands of hours to serve on our board committees, help select campers, organize events in our regional associations.  Without these volunteers, we would not be where we are at today! You provide me with the inspiration to serve in my current role. Thanks so very much for supporting our transition from one omnipresent leader of LAJF to the group of many that fill the role of leading and sustaining our organization and our community.

I would be remiss if I did not also acknowledge our staff who have put their hearts and souls into driving our mission.  This group shows dedication and passion on a daily basis. Please, join me in applauding their efforts.  

With a dedicated staff, hundreds of donors and volunteers serving the Foundation with thousands of hours of effort, we are “Moving Ahead”.  I hope you make the choice to join the celebration with us as we celebrate 90 years of Camp Rising Sun!