Meadow Musings
Spring 2023
Indralaya has a new Resident General Manager
The Indralaya Board is excited to announce that Indralaya has a new Resident General Manager who will begin May, 2023.
About Alec
Alec Grae is a theosophist of 26 years, and taught classes and served on the local TS board in Florida. He brings a variety of experience to Indralaya: Alec was the CEO for a small recruitment firm in California, handling operations, finance, marketing, HR, and administration; he worked for over 20 years in hospitality settings in Florida, including serving, cooking, and managing staff. Most recently, Alec worked at a remote lodge on Oak island, Minnesota, where he focused on customer service and positive experiences for the many seasonal guests.
As you meet Alec you will learn quickly that he is personable and has a good sense of humor. He enjoys music, including playing drums, guitar, and singing, especially in choral groups. He brings to Indralaya a sense of service and compassion, that he has shown in extensive volunteer work. Alec starts each morning with Qi-Gong and and meditation (we will hope to see him lead some morning meditations!). Ask him about when he hiked the Appalachian trail solo for 4 ½ months!
We are so thankful to Victoria Fonseca-Bennett, Merry Bullock, Donna Erickson, and Hilarie Hauptman for their outstanding commitment to refining the Camp (and Kitchen) Manager descriptions, publicizing those positions, initiating the zoom meetings with former camp managers and the Indralaya community, conducting interviews, and making recommendations. They have been a dynamo team!.
We look forward to the next chapter at camp. Alec shared that, “I will certainly bring my best to the table, to be in service of such a worthy cause and organization. I recognize that you have something very special and unique here. My desire is to enhance and benefit this extended family in any way that I can, with the heart of a servant and leader, strong yet sensitive to the needs of its current members and friends, history, and vision for the future. I am looking forward to a wonderful summer getting to know everyone!”
Kudos to Indralaya’s Interim General Manager, Jeannie Chamberlain!!
During the transition as our new General Manager comes to camp and settles in, he will be working with Indralaya’s interim General Manager, Jeannie Chamberlain, who has been the glue binding camp together as she assumed the roles general manager, kitchen manager and registrar over the last year.
From her warm welcoming smiles, to balancing all the behind-the-scenes intricacies of running camp, to wrestling with the registration computer programs, Jeanie has shown remarkable cheer, fortitude and persistence. We are so grateful for her dedication, drive, positivity, time and love. We also appreciate Arthur Van Gelder, Jeannie’s husband, for his support, listening skills, compassion, and expertise as head cook for five programs.
Meet the Indralaya Garden Guru!
Have you ever wondered who plans out the garden, selects the seedlings, coordinates and leads the work party volunteers, and organizes all the watering schedules kindly managed by Steven Lucas the Facilities Co-ordinator? It is Laurie Rotecki — Garden volunteer extraordinaire! Laurie is compassionate and knowledgeable and dedicates endless hours year round to the Indralaya garden.
This Earth Day work party, under Laurie’s guidance, over 25 hard-working volunteers transformed the gardens by setting up trellises, turning beds, and planting seedlings that had been started at the previous work party. Laurie also updated and waterproofed the Indralaya garden book and added timelines and suggestions for crops throughout the season. Next time you are eating vegetables in a meal or sipping herb tea, know that a lot of love and dedication have been placed into the food by many volunteers at camp.
Indralaya Programs for 2023 – have you looked them over?
This summer Indralaya has a number of program favorites and some amazing new ones
Coming up – Andrew Barker with Mindfulness and Mediation – begin the season this May!
New Programs this year:
Mindfulness and Beyond (May)
Setting Your Heart on Fire (June)
Meditation Nature and Community (August)
Empowering the End of Life (August)
The Secret Doctrine (August)
Self-Healing (September)
Repeats and Old Favorites:
Therapeutic Touch (June)
Deep Singing (June)
Creativity Week (July)
Family Camp1 and Family Camp 2 (July)
Connections (August)
Leveys (August)
Deep Singing Weekend (September)
Help fill the programs!!
We challenge you to bring a new person to a camp session this year whether a family member, friend or someone you have recently met in your community. We also encourage you to try a new program. There are many ways that you can help make Indralaya sustainable during these challenging years with your time, knowledge, kind donations that continue to be valued. Check all the exciting new programs added to the schedule and attend one or two. Indralaya is turning 96 this summer – lets make sure it reaches 100 and beyond!
Note on Registering for programs – we know the registration platform can be challenging to navigate – if you have any questions or problems, don’t give up!! Please contact registration@indralaya.org
PLEASE DOWNLOAD AND DISSEMINATE THIS FLYER!
Indralaya Fellowships – What are they and why should you consider one?
Fellowship stays at Indralaya provide room and board in exchange for 5/hours work/day, 6 days per week for a minimum of two weeks (many stay longer). Fellowship staff take part in programs and camp activities as schedules allow and are an integral part of the volunteer spirit that sustains the camp. Participants are a mix of ages, backgrounds, and include new and long-time volunteers. Some are recruited from international volunteer programs such as WOOFer and Workaway, which provide a wonderful source of altruism and enthusiasm.
2023 Opportunities
Openings are still available, particularly for August and September. A brief online application is available at Fellowship – Indralaya Come experience a deeper engagement with Indralaya and its volunteer community.
Here are some comments from two Fellowship participants in 2022:
“I stayed at this place for two weeks right at summer’s end (I wish I could have stayed longer!) It’s hard to describe the environment, as it is unique and beautiful. The best I can say is that it felt like a warm hug. It’s a peaceful oasis in such a chaotic world. The work was enjoyable, and they were very flexible; I got to work in the garden and the kitchen + a little bit of cabin cleaning. In my free time, I would journal in the (very peaceful) meadow, take brisk walks on the paths, and hang out on the beach! There were also times I got to explore the island and do fun activities with other volunteers ( folk concerts, whale watching, ecstatic dance, and hiking).This was my first time traveling as a young solo female, which can be very scary, but I felt safe every second I was there. This place was such a blessing to me. And I cannot wait to return.”
“I stayed for 2 weeks and really enjoyed my time there. Although it was only two weeks, it felt much longer. Within a couple days I felt at home. Jeanie, Steven, Marilynne, and many others were extremely welcoming to me. I had a lot of fun hanging out at the nightly campfires, playing vball, and chilling at the beach. The work was made fun by the countless conversations and stories that came about. I hope that one day I return to this place because it’s very special.”
2023 Work Parties – Volunteering Come Alive!
February Work Party
Camp woke up gently this year. At our February work party, about 23 people came to sweep and collect debris from around the cabins and path areas. A lot had fallen from from the trees during our winter storms. The Gator was in constant use. The Pavilion (Teepee) windows were washed and the kitchen was cleaned after many months of stagnation.
March Work Party
In March, we had a few more people. Mark Ray and his crew continued to work on Apple. Leif Erickson started pruning the apple trees, and under Steven’s purview the Pavilion was painted to mimic a Madrona and accentuate the view from the windows. Laurie Rotecki started work on the garden, and we continued with the never-ending clearing of dropped branches from the trails. Campfires in the lounge became a camp history lesson, with Michael Van Gelder and Leif Erickson telling tales from their youth, and was completed with guitar and singing. There were lots of kids present and their laughter added to the ambiance. As a special thrill, we got to witness Naomi Funt’s first steps, and many took turns holding her hands as she practiced this new-found skill. The rain that was predicted held off, and we had warm and spring-like weather.
April Work Party – Earth Day
There was something magical about the Earth Day work party. Many old and new volunteers joined together – Bonnie (Vail) and Craig Paxman arrived (by road trip) from Utah, Merry Bullock from Colorado, new volunteers from Germany, Mexico, and Tennessee, and a Canadian from Ontario whose friend had worked at camp 20 years ago! The weather cooperated with some sun and little rain, and a lot of work got accomplished – from a substantial garden overhaul to making bird deterrents for the windows, to removing downed boughs from the forest trails, to sewing curtains, to providing tasty and appreciated meals.
There is nothing like the Earth day celebration (53rd) to make us reflect on how fortunate we are to be able to go to Indralaya. Indralaya’s incredible experiment with living in nature in a harmonious community is a role model for this ever-changing world. Not only appreciating the 120 year old apple trees that are currently blossoming along with the plum and pear trees but the exuberance of all the mosses and endless green hues along the paths in the forest, new deer and life. The deep sense of peace and the cycles are everywhere interacting with the unseen and equally enjoyed presences.
Indralaya Updates
Facilities Update
A lot has been accomplished at Camp since the Capital Facilities Plan was put in place in December 2020 (see Indralaya website) and much of what has been accomplished has been done by volunteers.
Accomplishments
- Apple- significant renovations have resulted in a centrally located cabin occupiable year-round with ADA accessible features.
- Elderberry- a complete rehab provides a cabin that can be used most of the year in comfort.
- Cosmetic and functional improvements –
- Deodars and Honeysuckle- the plastic windows have been replaced by glass windows
- Quite a number of cabins have had enhancements over the winter and early Spring, thanks to Steven Lucas, the Facilities Manager. From new bed headboards to lighting to arts on the cabin walls.
Lower Bathhouse/Solarium – Current Status and Future Plans
Phase 1 in the construction of the new lower bathhouse has been completed – the foundations and basic plumbing, septic and electrical systems have been installed. We are pausing for the Summer so we can assess how volunteers might be used in framing the new structure as well as assessing the potential for savings in materials and finishes.
Unfortunately, the attempt to replace the old Solarium has met with significant set-backs in terms of permitting and costs. The original plan called for utilizing the existing drain and septic system. However, it was discovered that this system was not operating effectively. A new set of County officials then required a completely new approach with a new system.
We have embarked on a fundraising campaign – to raise money from the Camp Community and larger theosophical community. The goal is to raise the $200,000 needed to complete the bathhouse over the next two years.
A New Old Cabin
Deodars has the ‘blues,’ thanks to the recent painter Gi-Gi Vujovich. Steven Lucas also remodelled the inside with recycled wood from the excavated Lower Bath house, large windows added and a new desk.
Other improvements Steven has made to cabins include: over 19 new headboards on beds, new recycled windows, wood panels, desks, stand-up patio areas with chairs, and many other features.
Board Update
Note from Malcolm Funt, Chair, Board of Directors, Orcas Island Foundation/Indralaya
I am writing to update you on the financial status of Indralaya. The 2022 financial statements detail a significant operating loss of more than $250,000 for 2022. This does not include expenditures on capital projects (like the lower bath house/solarium and Apple Cabin renovation).
If this current trend continues, Indralaya will run out of operating funds and savings within three years.
There is a long list of reasons why we are in this situation that are worth noting. Covid has caused our attendance to drop significantly and led to a number of cancelled programs. Inflation, particularly on the island, has caused prices to increase massively. Staffing turnover has led to overlapping staff periods, moving / interview expenses and contracting out a number of tasks at higher rates. Climate change is causing colder winters and hotter summers which come with washed out roads, frozen burst pipes, and increased fire risks (revamped fire system and higher insurance premiums). Everything is more complex to build and maintain, and our community has less ability to manage those tasks. There are more. The result is that our revenues are down and our costs are up at unsustainable levels. Perhaps most frighteningly, the 2023 budget, even assuming a “normal” non-Covid year and higher fees is projected at a loss.
There remains wonderful energy and love being poured into camp on a daily basis with both long-timers and newcomers; however, the reality is, we need help.
We need help supporting changes that we make to the community. The board has just created a financial sustainability committee that will be examining all areas of operations. This will lead to a number of changes to how camp functions, some of which we may be doing reluctantly. We need you to support these decisions even if they aren’t how you want to see camp operate. We deeply value camp’s traditions and history including ahimsa, theosophical ideals, community, volunteerism and nature. I don’t know what form these changes will take, but I do know that keeping with the status quo will not get us to Indralaya’s 100th anniversary.
We need help financially. If you or your family are considering supporting camp, in particular in your will, please do so. We have just increased fees by 32% this year in hopes that we will get closer to a balanced budget, but we have always been reliant on donations and bequests. However, as people are stretched in so many different directions, and as camp’s population ages, the group of people strongly dedicated to camp is decreasing. We are feeling this impact in terms of running program weeks, work parties, receiving donations, and finding head cooks and people to volunteer for projects. If you want to discuss this further with me please call or email me.
We need help promoting camp. A ton of work has been put into creating new programs, organizing summer weeks, planning work parties and everything in between, but we need help promoting this place. We need you to go into your communities and tell people about camp with the hopes of increased attendance this year and in the future. Many people have been coming to camp for decades, but haven’t brought anyone new in their lives or communities for a very long time. Please encourage your friends to come to camp or their kids to come. In general, the prime-time summer weeks have the highest attendance, but frequently we are creating programs in the spring and fall, which have been cancelled due to lack of registrations. Please promote these or come to some new programs yourselves.
I’m sorry for the dire update. There is lots to be positive about at camp. It remains a wonderful and vibrant community that is constantly evolving. There are countless people dedicated to seeing it thrive so we can celebrate the 100th anniversary with joy and reflection on the past as well as optimism and hope for the future.
–Malcolm Funt, Chair
MEADOW MUSINGS was compiled and edited by Andrie Levey-Bates and Merry Bullock with contributions from many.