Administrator’s Corner

Time marches on! What started as a two-year process leading to my retirement has now been whittled down to two months. My contract expires at the end of January, and soon I’ll be a regular camper. To date, I’ve had three retirement parties, and am looking forward to one more at Winter Eliot. In July, I received a tiara and sash PLUS the youth did a fabulous job of decorating New Pines for my party on the day after their overnight. In August, Lynn Sabourin wrote and sang a song (lyrics at the end of this article) for me, and even found enough healthy musicians to back her up! There are two super-cool bike racks near the Inn at Seabeck that so many of you wonderful folk gifted to me. And I’ve received ever so many kind messages of appreciation from Elioteers. You all have made my 18 years working for Eliot a wonderful experience and I will cherish every happy memory. Thank you so much!

A confluence of events happening next July, including Adam and Jackie’s wedding in Boston, means that Tim and I won’t attend July Eliot in 2024. In fact, in order to firmly establish Calyn McLeod as Eliot’s Registrar of Record, I’ve decided to stay away from all camps in 2024. I look forward to joining you again in 2025.

I continue to be impressed with Calyn’s dedication to and passion for Eliot. We struck gold finding someone with her talents to take the reins from me. She already has deep leadership skills, having served as a co-dean, Creative Arts Eliot Presenter, small group facilitator, and camp staff member. This makes her uniquely qualified to understand the interplay of all the moving parts that providing excellent family camp experiences requires.

We have space at ALL of our upcoming camps. This year’s Winter Eliot will be fantastic, for sure. Speakers Anne Barker and Liz James will bring laughter and joy to our stories as we look to a brand new year. For a quick preview of what they are all about, check out this website (UU Hysterical Society) and this podcast (Cracked Cup Podcast). And remember, there’s no better way to see in the New Year than at Winter Eliot with our beloved community!

Please sign up and tell your friends and family about the wonders of Eliot. To register for camp, go to our website at www.eliotinstitute.org. Click on the Big Blue Button, follow all of the prompts through payment of your deposit via credit card, and you’re on your way!

See you at camp,

Bev Hesterberg

Bev’s Retirement Song

(lyrics by Lynn Sabourin, tune courtesy of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Proud Mary)

Got her a job here at Eliot

Workin’ for the campers many nights and days

But she never lost one minute of sleepin’

Worryin’ about those registrar ways.

Bev’s brain just kept on turnin’

Ideas kept on burnin’

And now she’s rollin’ (rollin’) rollin’ (rollin’)

Rollin’ to retirement.

Spent a lot of time on spreadsheets,

Organized lists of numbers and names.

But she only saw the good side of employment,

Answerin’ questions, playin’ Mabel’s games.

Bev’s brain just kept on turnin’

Fun times just kept on burnin’

And now she’s rollin’ (rollin’) rollin’ (rollin’)

Rollin’ to retirement.

Bev will keep comin’ to Seabeck,

Bet you’re gonna find her here in July

She passed the torch to Calyn, now she has no worries,

We really won’t be sayin’ her a goodbye.

Bev’s wheel will keep on turnin’

Fun times will keep on burnin’

And now she’s rollin’ (rollin’) rollin’ (rollin’)

Rollin’ to retirement.