PHOTO: Lodestar, February, 2018, BTL 2018 Planning Team on the deck of the new Lodge. Left to Right: Vicki Wells Larson, Bob Stetson, Tracy Mikkleson, Peggy O’Connell, Cam (Grubb) Trueheart, Andrea Blum, Julie Leigh Domeny, Peter Livingston, Lynne Rishell Spickard. Read more about us on THEN & NOW page.
BTL 2018 Planning Team
The Back To Lodestar (aka BTL) Planning Team is an ad hoc group of enthusiastic former Lodestar campers and staff members whose nostalgic longings have captured their imaginations and are being transformed into the celebration that is BACK TO LODESTAR!
How it began...
Many of you knew our beloved Doug Saunders as the master of social media who was very successful at getting many of his friends onto Facebook. Some of his oldest friends were those he met at Lodestar, so it became clear to him that there should be a Lodestar Facebook group page. Therefore, in 2009, he made it so, and we quickly started finding more and more friends that each of us had kept in touch with over the years, and encouraged them to join the group. For a few years, off and on, we shared stories and old photos and spoke of having a reunion, but what we really needed was someone to step up and start that ball rolling.
In comes Cam Grubb Trueheart, and finally in August of 2017, she started a new Facebook group page called Back to Lodestar Work Party, and we re-recruited the former members, and found many more. Cam eventually even found the long lost Peter Livingston who had just recently joined Facebook, and with eight more enthusiastic volunteers, including the eminent Tom Trutner, the Planning Team was formed. Unfortunately, it was now sadly missing Douglas, the man who never took off his Lodestar beads, but his spirit helped bring us Back to Lodestar.
Well, we finally made it to Lodestar, which only took a few phone calls and emails, and driving through a snowstorm late in February. One after another we arrived to find smiles and hugs and the instant serenity of Lodestar. Thanks to Peter for arriving early to camp, taking the leadership role, and having the Leaders Cabin filled with poster charts, to-do lists, pens, paper, post-it notes, agendas, binders, camp info, and all the necessities to start planning. The rest of us brought food and drink. Cam brought her beautiful voice and guitar.
As our individual talents emerged, we found ourselves creating mailing lists, marketing ideas, programs, activities, websites, and artistic creations. We even tackled all those tedious administration details. And thanks to our collaborative efforts, Back to Lodestar, was born!
For slide shows of current-day Lodestar and our first Planning Team meeting, go to LODESTAR Winter 2018