Dear Friends,

As fall fades away and we prepare for winter, it provides a time for reflection. We had a wonderful summer season at Winding Trails. The members were always great, even when the weather wasn’t. The Camp was successful. The Board of Directors were busy improving our facility and we had some fun programs including the Last Blast with fireworks. The following is an excerpt from my speech from that celebration. I wanted to repeat it for those who did not hear it, because for me, it really articulates the true spirit of Winding Trails.

I am often asked at social gatherings, what is Winding Trails? And I always had this standard answer. Winding Trails is a recreation area, we have members, we run a summer day camp, we have recreation programs, an outdoor adventure course, we run a cross country ski center in the winter, and on and on. And that was the answer I gave until the 50th celebration in 2005, when it occurred to me that for twenty years, I have described Winding Trails by what we do rather than what we are! That 50th celebration brought to light what we are.
Winding Trails is a community!

A community of people who share a natural environment together engaged in recreation

A community of people who celebrate the love and joy of family and friends

A community of people dedicated to showing our young people the wonder of nature

A community of people who believe that education is a life-long pursuit

A community of people dedicated to protecting and preserving forests and waterways

A community of people who appreciate that camp teaches skills that last a lifetime

And lastly, a community of people who care about your children as well as their own

I realize that Winding Trails is not all of these things to everyone who pass through the gate, however we aspire to be, therefore we all need to work hard to live up to that ideal. From my seat as the Executive Director, I see an amazing group of people and I count myself blessed to be part of your community.

As you read through this winter newsletter, my hope is that you truly feel a sense of community. Although summer may be the busiest time in terms of numbers at the park, winter certainly is not short of program opportunities. Take advantage of all your park has to offer. As always, if you have any suggestions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Scott Brown, CPRP
Executive Director