TYME OUT Blogs!

There is nothing better than a parade to kickoff a momentous celebration of 30 years of TYME OUT.  As you can see from the pictures, TYME OUT once again was a very viable part of the “BIG” Stone Bank parade.  We decided to take this opportunity  to let all our neighbors know that we have been around for 30 years, “bringing young people and faith together.”  We have been at our present location in Stone Bank for 13 of these years, but we had other stops in Pewaukee, Milwaukee and Mequon.   Sister Kieran who is our foundress, believed that retreats and camps are the best way to bring faith and youth to common ground.  TYME OUT has been that common ground for 30 years.

I would like to thank Brett Kell, one of our board members and newsletter designer, for his great design on the banner which you now can see on the side of our building (see picture).  His talent in design has helped us get our message out there to the larger community.  Thank you, Brett!

Of course, no 4th of July parade would be complete for TYME OUT without the creativity of Lea and Jen.  It was their idea to kickoff the 30 year anniversary theme at the parade.  They convinced me to bring out my old 1955 Ford pickup to carry our message down the streets of Stone Bank.  Thanks, Lea nd Jen.

Watch for more celebrations throughout the year to make 30 years of TYME OUT something to remember!

Margie

    That’s “Tex” belting out a song!

The summer months mean summer camp at TYME OUT. Rob Zilmer (a.k.a. “Tex”)  first came to TYME OUT as a camper in 1997 and returned year after year through 2004.  In 2005 Rob returned to TYME OUT as a Camp Staff and is spending his second summer with us in that role this year. The reflections below are his thoughts on seeing camp from multiple perspectives.

Twelve years ago camp was all about having fun with friends I saw about once a year. We would all show up at the TYME OUT Youth Center on a Sunday and be in paradise until Friday. Camp was our chance to be with the people we wanted to be with – people who understood us, had our same problems and our same joys.

And camp didn’t just happen in the summer. Camp would be whenever one of my friends from TYME OUT called me, or when I saw a friend at Summerfest or at school. Camp was a state of being, the feeling of contentment that I got whenever the idea of TYME OUT crossed my mind.

Now, when I’m older and – presumably – wiser, camp has taken on a deeper, more subtle meaning. For the kids I still want it to be what it was for me, but as a staff member, I have higher expectations and hopes for the experience. Camp is my time to be with kids who are like I used to be, or like I still am. Camp is my opportunity to provide the same safe environment that I enjoyed, and to make kids smile the same way I smiled – with abandon.

I don’t know what the future holds – for me or for camp. I hope that I find my calling and a way to be happy forever like I am now. For camp, I hope that it continues to improve as it has in recent years (by leaps and bounds). I’d like enrollment to get to the point where we have to turn away campers – not because I’d like to turn away campers, but because then we might be able to expand. I hope, very dearly, that the staff continues to be as excellent as it is now, full of people who genuinely care about the campers. And if any or all of these things come to pass, I’ll be a very happy camper!

“TEX”

 I wanted to have you all meet Emily Carl, our summer intern.  She is part of the Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges, Inc., internship program.  She has been with us for 5 weeks and we are very glad to have her.  I will let her explain what she is doing with us.  Welcome to TYME OUT, Emily!

If someone would have told me almost ten years ago that I would be working at the TYME OUT Center, I would have imagined myself as a Junior Counselor at Camp Brainbusters. Little did I know that I would be led back to the Center as a college student job hunting for a summer job that might help me pay the bills and get some money put towards a scholarship. I was a “brainbuster” for three years when I was younger and had only realized this past winter that TYME OUT is a youth retreat center and not just a cool place to go to camp. I’m working over the summer as the Program Evaluation Intern. My ultimate goal is to help create a new evaluation tool for the Center which means that I’ve needed to become as familiar to TYME OUT as possible and learn about the mysterious logic model. Since I started interning here, I have learned a lot about TYME OUT through staff interviews; reading about the Confirmation, Relationship, and Social Justice retreats; and going through hundreds of registration cards ranging over three months-worth of retreats. So hopefully by now I have a better idea of what TYME OUT is about!

A few of the main objectives that I have noticed are to provide an environment where kids can feel open to be themselves and deepen their faith, to live out the mission and be role models, and to allow kids to have a fun time even if they didn’t have a particularly meaningful retreat. Some other things that really stuck out to me when learning about TYME OUT is how important the mission is and how everyone cares so much about each other. A few weeks ago, Ben told me that he hoped I was feeling like a part of the family and, even though I’m just a summer intern, sometimes I feel more like a foreign exchange student. Everyone has been so welcoming and helpful which has really meant a lot to me. The staff at TYME OUT really does function as both a staff and a family which helps the environment in the workplace. Each staff member is brought together by the fact that they all strongly believe in the mission statement. Another thing that makes the staff a family is the fact that they all have lunch together. Even if everyone is narrowed in on their own tasks for the day, they all come together to have a meal and talk about what is going on in each others lives. Everyone has their own specific job to do that is different from everybody else’s but, at the same time, everyone needs to work together and communicate in order to let the Center function as efficiently as possible and fulfill the mission.

This is where the logic model comes in. After taking an online course about the logic model and doing lots of research, I feel that the logic model is an invaluable tool that will help program evaluation and communication at the TYME OUT Youth Center. The logic model is basically a graphic description of how a program is meant to work. I’ve been working on a presentation about the logic model to give to the staff and hopefully from there we’ll be able to work on a more effective evaluation system. (At least that’s the plan J) 

Emily Carl (aka, Chica)

Imagine spending a full twenty-four hours with your grandson or granddaughter playing games, praying together, eating delicious kid-friendly meals, and enjoying the company of other grandparents and their grandchildren.  Last week, we had the delight of doing just this with 6 families on our annual Grandparents and Grandkids Overnight and our theme was the goodness of creation!

As we came together Sunday night, we experienced the timeless reading from Genesis, remembering the awe and wonder that accompanies creation.  Grandparents spent time with their grandchildren talking about favorite memories and hopes for the future.  We walked the outdoor labyrinth together the next morning and did an art project in line with our theme.  The overnight included so much more, but we can’t give away all the secrets!  The pictures will give you a taste!As the event drew to a close, we ended with a prayer service where I heard the following comment: “Now when I look at a sunset or a beautiful summer day, I’ll remember who to thank!”  I am confident that God looked at our simple gathering of faith, fun and fellowship and saw that it was very good!                                                                                                                                                                        We have one more Grandparents and Grandkids Overnight this year on August 9-10.  Grandparents with their 10-12 year old grandchildren are welcome to join us.  Space is still available and this program is accessible to all Christian denominations.  I hope you can join us in the future!  Please call us at 262-966-1800 for more information.

Did you know?  Independence Day commemorates the formal adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.  However, it was not declared a legal holiday until 1941.