Camp Sloane YMCA
October 30, 2013
Lakeville, CT
http://www.camp-sloane.org
Paul “Bear” Bryant truly lives up to his name. We knew upon arrival that Bear was going to have a lot to say and we had a lot to learn. He is opinionated and passionate about camping. As he puts it he can “talk a buzzard off a gut wagon”. He speaks fervently of the transformation that has been initiated at Camp Sloane. A transition involving some difficult decisions to bring camp out of the red and in to the black. Most notable, to stop all year round programming and focus completely on summer. Bear explains that this was a simple mathematical decision. That camps lose money in the fall winter spring running year round programming. That the cost of keeping the light, heat, water, and staff on lead to a net loss. At Sloane you can’t argue with the results. After years of losing money Sloane is once again making money and saving for rainy days.
Camp Sloane is the first camp in the country to purchase a Wahooo Drowning Detection System, http://www.wahooosms.com. All campers swimming at waterfront wear a headband. If submerged for more than 30 seconds an alarm sounds and immediately a search and rescue pair equipped with a locator enter the water. In Bear’s eyes the decision to invest in the system was simple. To paraphrase, “Adding this system to lifeguards make his waterfront safer and will someday save lives.”
-Jack