June 13, 2008

LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth

The Way I See It
by Steve Elkins, Editor
With Memorial weekend and the Black and White Beach Ball behind us, we’re moving into mid-June and starting to get a feel for what the summer will be like. Though in the big scheme of things the summers are all much alike, they each still have defining characteristics that set them apart. For CAMP Rehoboth, 2008 will always be about our construction. For the world, it will be about the price of oil and the economy, the continuing war, the presidential election, and the Olympics. Here in Rehoboth, for visitors and residents alike, I hope this summer offers a welcome respite from the stresses we all feel both at work and in the world around us.

At this year’s Black and White Beach Ball, Development Advisory Board Chair, Beth Cohen, delivered a message that included reminders of the many uncounted things that CAMP Rehoboth does as a matter of course. She reminded me how important it is that we keep talking about them and sharing them with everyone. In CAMPmatters on page 6, Murray includes some of Beth’s comments, as he writes about the things we take for granted.

I recently attended a GLAAD media seminar in Wilmington. Aside from the information I obtained at the seminar, I was struck by how impressed the “man from GLADD” seemed to be with the cooperation we have in our state among the many organizations who participate in the Equal Rights For All Coalitiona statewide coalition of close to a dozen groups working for equal rights in Delaware. I am also a member of the Delaware Human Relations Commission, and though the GLBT community has not as yet achieved equal protection in Delawaresomething we’ve worked on for a long timethe commission is committed to seeing it happen.

Last week, I was a review panelist for Public Allies. Public Allies is part of AmeriCorp and places young adults in a ten month program with non-profit organizations. As a part of her presentation to the panelists, a young woman spoke about how one of the most eye-opening things she did in the course of the ten months was to participate in the Public Allies workshop held here at CAMP Rehoboth. The young woman is not gay, but after her visit she was able to go back to the conservative organization she had been placed with, and tell leaders in that organization that anti-gay remarks they were making were unacceptable.

Some of our readers will have noticed that this year there is no Beach Bookour guide to summer beach houses and residents. Though we have produced The Beach Book for 15 years, we felt that interest was waning, primarily because everyone now has cell phones with them all the time. Though the Book served as more than a phone book, we thought we would see if anyone noticed that it was no longer around. If you miss it and feel that we should do it again next year, please let me know.

Two events loom on the CAMP Rehoboth horizon, Love weekend events over the July 4th holiday, and the CAMP Rehoboth Follies later in July. Love tickets, host and sponsor packages (see page 23) are available online at camprehoboth.com or at the CAMP Rehoboth office. Anyone thinking of entering a Follies’ troupe in this year’s production, should call CAMP and we’ll email the the Follies Troupe Guidelines.

Again, as I’ll be saying all summer long, please stop by CAMP Rehoboth to see the construction progress on the new wing of the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center. Though the CAMP Rehoboth Courtyard is open, we are still a construction site, and we ask for your patience throughout the summer season. This is a thrilling time for our community, and there are many ways to helpfrom volunteering to making a financial donation.

LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 18, No. 06 7 June 13, 2008