Bye, Dog. Hello, Bear!

Change is good.

There's a lot happening with The Program: some happy, some sad.

First, the happy! We're excited to welcome Meredith Stewart as the very first female full-time YGP staffer (Renee technically works for Alexander Y). She joins The Program from Camp Seafarer where she has worked since 1997. She jumped right in at Rockmont and is a perfect fit in The Program. She's funny, charming, warm and quite the hoot when it comes to campfire skits. Her new Indian name is "Brown Bear" but I call her "Huggy Bear."

Second, the YGP offices will be moving from Hillsborough Street to the ARC building off Chapel Hill Road between Raleigh and Cary. YGP will be moving from under the Alexander Y umbrella and be in a new branch for YMCA outreach. Everything will remain the same as we know it. Most of the changes will be behind the scenes. They will let us know when the move happens, so tribal Fetchums can know where to go.

Lastly, the sad change (for us) is that Andrew "Salty Dog" Plyler is leaving the Arapahoe Nation. Andrew was offered and accepted the YGP director position with the Winston-Salem YMCA and starts in early October. We will all miss Salty Dog's demeanor and wit - esp. his "Rattlin' Bog" song and "chiiiiiicken" face. However, the two-sizes-too-small bunny suit from Spring Outing will not be missed - as many of us have yet to be able to forget the horror. We all wish Andrew well and hope his new journey is rich and fulfilling.

How-How!