YMCA seasonal camping staff brings skills, good energy to Cheyenne River

MARKSVILLE – As we all know, children and youth are our hope for the future. If the youthful seasonal staff at YMCA of the Seven Council Fires (YSCF) Camp Marrowbone is any indication, our future is in very good hands.

Catherine May Burke, 23, from Belfast, Ireland, Misohn Kimble, 23, from Los Angeles CA, and Mary Qureshi, 22, from Suffolk, England, all say that their parents and friends were encouraging and supportive of their coming to SD for the summer to serve on the YMCA camping staff where approximately 95 percent of the campers are Lakota.

According to new YSCF Camping Director Nick Nathanson, “Mary, Misohn, and Catherine May are an integral part of the Camp Marrowbone team. Their dedication and commitment to bringing the best possible experience to our campers is unmatched.”

Nathanson agrees that the three all have wisdom far beyond their years and that perhaps they all have “very old souls.”

Burke had worked with Nathanson in previous camp settings. Being new in his position as Camping Director at YSCF, Nathanson reached out and recruited her to come to Camp Marrowbone as his Assistant Director for the summer. Burke completed a degree in computer studies in England, then earned a post-graduate certificate in education.

Burke reports that she and others on the seasonal staff have found local people to be welcoming and friendly. She says there seems to be a “high level of trust” in the community that the YSCF camping program is doing good work with the children and youth. She is surprised that people who live many miles from one another in the rural countryside of South Dakota still maintain a tightknit sense of community. 

Burke said her experience working at a mental health agency in England has been helpful to her in the camp setting. She makes herself available to both campers and other staffers when anyone might need a listening ear and/or a motivational pep talk. She likes to bring people together in a positive way. She mentioned the nightly all-camp meeting when all the campers and all the staff get together as being especially meaningful to her and seemingly to others as well.

Burke has greatly enjoyed learning about Lakota culture, including traditional dances like the potato dance and the practice of saging. She said that working with the campers is very rewarding, especially when she sees a child who arrived at camp shy and fearful begin to “light up” and become more engaged and outgoing. She said, “That’s worth more than any paycheck!”

Burke finds the most challenging aspect of her position to be the need for keeping track of “1000 different things going on at once.” Since the start of the camping season, she has become more skilled and has gained confidence in her ability to multitask effectively.

Nathanson also recruited Kimble to Camp Marrowbone to serve as the Boys Village Leader. Nathanson had been Kimble’s high school basketball coach during Kimble’s 2017-18 senior year at high school. The two stayed in touch after Kimble’s graduation.

Kimble is now an elementary physical education teacher and basketball coach during the school year and “loves kids.” He said that one of the strengths he brings to the Camp Marrowbone camping program is his experience as a coach, his personal experience with sports, and his experience in life. He says that the campers have taught him patience and creative problem-solving skills as well as communication skills.

Kimble said the young male campers often confide in him about their struggles and feelings. He uses positive team-building skills as a major tool in creating positive experiences for the campers. He says his goal is “to be the person (for the campers) I didn’t have when I was growing up.”

At times he finds the limited resources of the camp to be challenging. For example, the camp does not have a full basketball court. Being a basketball coach, he misses that and would like to have full court basketball for his campers. However, Kimble says he is learning to improvise sports and games using the resources that are available at the camp.

Kimble remarked, “The Lakota are the most unified people I’ve ever seen. They make stuff happen.”

Qureshi, 22 years old, has a degree in English Literature and is in the process of earning an advanced degree in Equality and Human Rights Law. She researched camping positions on-line, considered several opportunities, decided that the Camp Marrowbone program would be “a perfect fit” for her, applied and interviewed on-line and was hired. In reflecting on her camp experiences so far, Qureshi said her biggest surprise has been “the size of the spiders!”

Qureshi has enjoyed learning about the Lakota culture and language, saying excitedly, “The campers taught me to count to ten (in the Lakota language)!”  

She mentioned that being at camp has taught her a lot about herself and has given her the opportunity to learn new skills and enhance existing ones. She had never had camping experience before coming to Camp Marrowbone and had not had experience working with groups. She said, “I’m open-minded and like to try new things.”

Qureshi calls herself a “good listener” and noted that “kids all want to be heard” and have their experiences validated. She finds this to be true also of the other staffers and wants both campers and staffers to feel comfortable talking to her about whatever may be on their hearts and minds.

To parents who may be hesitant to allow their children to come to camp, the three have this to say:

• Burke: “Camp can be so rewarding. Accept and trust the unknown when you send your child to camp. It’s a place where kids can be kids.”
• Kimble: “Camp is a very inclusive, accepting, and welcoming place for all ages and all abilities.”
• Qureshi: “We’re here totally for the kids. Our priority is kids having fun.”

Because of the generosity of donors, fund-raisers, and volunteers, most campers attend camp on scholarship. Parents can also note that later this summer there is a family camp scheduled at YSCF where parents and/or grandparents and/or other family members can accompany their children to camp. For more information, go to www.siouxgmca.org.

To someone who might be thinking about applying to be on staff next summer, Burke would say, “If you are ready to make a change to a young person’s life – take the opportunity by the hands! It is by far the most enjoyable and rewarding type of work out there. Camp has a wide range of job options from working as a lifeguard to organizing amazing all-camp programs. It is by far the most exciting and fun job out there and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys making a difference for future generations! Beyond this you can develop your own personal skills and qualities which you will take with you for life.”

Qureshi would say to someone who considers applying to work at YMCA Camp Marrowbone, “It may seem a little daunting and foreign at first but I can guarantee that it is a great opportunity to develop leadership skills, make lifelong friends, and crate unforgettable memories. Not only that, it’s a chance to make a positive impact on kids’ lives and there is nothing more rewarding than knowing you are responsible for making at least one child have an amazing summer.”

Burke would say to locals who might be thinking about volunteering at YSCF, “I would say locals are definitely encouraged to take part with what’s going on at YSCF! There are endless opportunities for you to make a difference to your own community. There is a place in YSCF for everyone to get involved!”

The camp’s application for volunteers is at tinyurl.com/364wtb35. For more information about volunteering, contact Brittany Brooks at brittany@siouxymca.org.

Speaking of Burke, Kimball and Qureshi, Nathanson concluded, “I am beyond proud of their leadership skills and work ethic! I expect to see all three back in their respective roles next summer as we continue to grow camp.”

(Contact Grace Terry at graceterrywilliams@gmail.com)

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