Episode: 09 Clark Ewing
Stoney Lake Reflections Show Notes
Episode: 09 Clark Ewing
What I have to say:
I visited with Clark and Marilyn in August of 2017. Jenni Lane 🙂 made all the arrangements for this interview to happen and for that I am grateful. The Ewings invited me into their abode in Saline, Michigan for an afternoon of great reflections.
For starters, Clark hasn’t changed a bit! As an interviewer I was on the edge of my seat as I listened to his reflections. At once I was a camper again, waiting to be entertained…and I was also that young staffer who absorbed any crumbs of wisdom from this camp giant (or is it oracle?). As an adult, I sat there in awe. It is impossible to separate the history of camp and this couple, without one, you would not have the other. This fact cannot be overstated and is not up to debate.
I’ll wait to publish more insights on my meeting with Clark & Marilyn in a devoted blog article. But for now, I’ll let Clark tell his story in his own words. You will also hear Marilyn chime in from time to time, keeping Mr. Ewing honest! 😉
Enjoy.
Show Notes:
- Clark’s Swan Dive
- Swimming Docks and the many contributions of the Anderson family
- Recruiting International Staff and Internationalism of Storer
- Proudest individual achievement – work with the Toledo, Spain YMCA
- Tom Roy Venture Out guide extraordinaire
- The Games of Yore: William Tell, Hikes to town & Friday Night Boxing
- A fundamental shift of focus at YMCA Storer Camps, from sports to nature
- Expansion of Horses and Watercraft
- Roger Tory Peterson
- More Horses! And building barns
- Clark’s High Silk Hat!
- Important lessons learned at YMCA Storer Camps
- Clark’s one word to describe camp
- What camp means to Clark, Marilyn, and the Ewing Family

Swan Dive!

Clark’s Member (#1) Card for the Toledo, Spain YMCA
Clark & Marilyn

Greg McKee & Mike Anderson sacrifice themselves for World Service Day

Clark Ewing Middle Row, 2nd from Left
Clark & Marilyn Hall of Fame Documents:
Scannable Document on Mar 27, 2018 at 1_57_26 AM

Happy Daze North Center Barn
A Cherished Reunion
Call SLR!
New Feature: Call and leave a message in sixty seconds: Your Favorite Place at Camp and Why
858-367-7298
StoneyLakeReflections@gmail.com
MUSIC
In Episode:
‘Blue Creek Trail’, Dan Lebowitz, Royalty Free Music, Published: Feb 16, 2018.
Theme:
‘Stoney Lake Reflections’ Sing-out & Intro- Performed by Singer/Songwriter Cori Strell:
Intsagram: @coristrellmusic
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/cori-strell
iTunes:https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/cori-strell/id1155651660
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cori-Strell-Music-1174158396011014/
Stoney Lake Reflections is a trademark of Dustin Smith. All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. http://www.stoneylakereflections.com ©2018 Dustin Smith; All Rights reserved
Quick Look: Storer’s Outdoor Environmental Education Program
I wanted to invite Curt Reigelsperger, Director of Curriculum at YMCA Storer Camps, to discuss some of the important work-taking place in Storer’s nationally recognized outdoor environmental education program.
Some quick facts: The Storer Outdoor School is a hands-on total immersion learning center serving more than 120 elementary and middle schools each year. From it’s very beginning; YMCA Storer Camp’s Outdoor Environmental Education program has provided elementary students an amazing introduction to nature by leveraging camp’s natural assets, including Stony Lake and Camp’s 15 distinct bio zones. “The Great Outdoors” makes science and related curriculum come alive, and significantly more relevant, for each student. Moreover, take a gander at these quick factoids about YMCA Storer Camps OOE program. You’ll certainly agree that the results are measurable and significant:
- Each year, more than 10,000 students and teachers spend 3-5 days and nights on-site at our Outdoor School. Storer’s staff of educators offers more than 30 courses that teach natural sciences, environmental issues, cultural history, and team building through active participation.
- The importance of outdoor experiences reported in independent studies that show OEE programs raise science scores by as much as 27% and that OEE programs have a positive effect on student achievement in general.
- Studies show that outdoor educational experiences positively impact student behavior and interaction with peers as shown through improved conflict resolution skills.
Many have heard about STEM as an education movement and most definitely as a buzzword over the past decade or so, and if you may have missed what it stands for, it stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Those fields of education are being focused on now more than ever because of the economic trend that manufacturing and skilled labor is being overtaken by a wave of automation and robotics based workers. This means the ability to problem solve, code, and program are going to be prioritized in the job force. Our curriculum is working to reflect those movements by helping campers explore and become problem solvers. Children working through our program often will observe and hypothesize about why certain phenomena happen. The power of children playing and observing can be seen at Storer Camps everyday.
Our campers come from varied backgrounds, from the farm to the city and everywhere in between. We develop all students to become stewards of our earth. The environmental programming precedes me by a large amount of time, but it is possibly my favorite part about camp. The enthusiasm which students learn about renewable energy, preventing food waste, and local ecology is inspiring. There is a camp garden which is managed by Tia Black that helps us show how to farm responsibly and how to use compost from our dining hall that becomes the feed for the plants that will then nourish consumers.
We have a classroom, The Net Zero Experience, managed by Kevin Knapp, that walks students through various energy ideas including the carbon cycle, circuit building, latent water and energy usage, energy conservation, problem solving for world situations, and career opportunities in energy. The Net Zero Energy Experience is fun for students because it is completely hands on and interactive. My personal favorite activity in the Net Zero Experience is an interactive display that features a bike pedal and three types of lights, all which require differing amounts of electricity to power. The participants get the chance to use the bike pedal to see which light takes the most of their mechanical (pedaling) energy to power. It is a lot easier for students to then quantify how it takes more energy to light an incandescent light compared to an LED light. This makes a lot more sense to a child than reading a home energy bill. We often hear from the leaders of schools that attend Storer Camps who speak about how their students continue to limit their energy use and food waste in school and at home long after their visit.
An aspect to my job that is new is developing an advisory board for our STEM outdoor environmental education program. February has seen the finalization of who is involved as founding board members and the scheduling of our first board meeting in June. The goal of the advisory board is to include other educators from the surrounding community and abroad to help guide our program. We have selected highly thought of professional educators with various specialties to lead our program. Storer Camps strives to be on the leading edge of educational change and with this group we will have the tools needed to provide continuing excellence.
Thanks Curt Reigelsperger for sharing this piece.
Episode: 08 Clark Ewing
Stoney Lake Reflections Show Notes
Episode: 08 Clark Ewing
What I have to say:
I visited with Clark and Marilyn in August of 2017. Jenni Lane made all the arrangements for this interview to happen and for that I am grateful. The Ewings invited me into their abode in Saline, Michigan for an afternoon of great reflections.
For starters, Clark hasn’t changed a bit! As an interviewer I was on the edge of my seat as I listened to his reflections. At once I was a camper again, waiting to be entertained…and I was also that young staffer who absorbed any crumbs of wisdom from this camp giant (or is it oracle?). As an adult, I sat there in awe. It is impossible to separate the history of camp and this couple, without one, you would not have the other. This fact cannot be overstated and is not up to debate.
I’ll wait to publish more insights on my meeting with Clark & Marilyn in a devoted blog article. But for now, I’ll let Clark tell his story in his own words. You will also hear Marilyn chime in from time to time, keeping Mr. Ewing honest! 😉
Enjoy.
Show Notes:
- Clark’s passion for flying
- World Service Day – And the Tower Dive (And he says he’s not a showman!)
- Favorite place at Camp: Miami Beach / Indian Point
- Kids learning how to swim at Camp Storer
- Children with special needs being served at YMCA Storer Camps – A Long History
- Special Mottos at Storer – Recollections and Significance
- Building Facilities and Buildings at Camp
- The power of love at camp that permeates throughout
- Children and developing a work ethic
- Spiritual values at Storer
- Chapel: Job an example of character and belief
- Learning lessons during trips, controlled risk
- Special relationships with other camps and sharing trips

Swan Dive!

Clark Ewing Middle Row, 2nd from Left
Clark & Marilyn Hall of Fame Documents:
Scannable Document on Mar 27, 2018 at 1_57_26 AM
This is a Piper like Clark’s
This probably closely resembles the flight
instruments found in that era of Cherokee
Cherokee Cutaway Schematic
Call SLR!
New Feature: Call and leave a message in sixty seconds: Your Favorite Place at Camp and Why
858-367-7298
StoneyLakeReflections@gmail.com
MUSIC
‘Stoney Lake Reflections’ Sing-out- Performed by Singer/Songwriter Cori Strell:
Intsagram: @coristrellmusic
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/cori-strell
Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/4tp4dwHUsqggPykYmJyssf
iTunes:https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/cori-strell/id1155651660
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cori-Strell-Music-1174158396011014/
Stoney Lake Reflections is a trademark of Dustin Smith. All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. http://www.stoneylakereflections.com ©2018 Dustin Smith; All Rights reserved
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