In early August, 2004, the GVF Camps Alumni website was born. I thought I might say a few (heh) words to commemorate its one year anniversary.

Over the past 12 months many people have visited this site. Some discovered the site through word of mouth, some through the GVF Alumni News newsletter, some stumbled over it quite accidentally while looking for something else, while others found their way here by randomly plugging into a search engine the name of the camp they attended so many years ago, perhaps not even knowing what exactly it was they were hoping to find.

Alumni read and posted messages in the CommunityForum, read and remarked on the articles, some have contributed articles, posted announcements, and spent time perusing the photos in the Photo Gallery.

I'm not sure how one measures the success of a website. I suppose it's valid to measure success by the number of visitors a site attracts, the number of return visits, page loads, the lengths of the stay, etc.

Our numbers, although quite good, are devoid of a meaningful reflection of success, and as it turns out, not so much the success of a website, but the ongoing success of the positive impact camp has those who have attended.

The following is a small sampling of email I've received since the website was launched last August:

"I too was a Camp Oh Neh Tah camper for one summer in the mid 60's- my mother died in 2003 and I know she would have remembered exactly what year- For a tiny Black girl from Brooklyn- it was the very best two weeks of my life- I am convinced that last night at the camp talent show when I sang the "NAME GAME" was the highlight of my trip! That camp instilled in me pride, teamwork, friendship, fellowship and caring by the wonderful counselors there. I am so glad there is forum to share this with everyone- May the camp live on forever!!!"

"The website for the GVF is beautiful. Thanks so much for putting it together. I just wanted to say hi and hope that this note finds you healthy and happy."

"Hi Miss Pam, I was surfing the internet and there you were!! You were my counselor in 1965! I am so excited to find you and this site!"

"Just found the camp alumni site, and I love it! (even though I attended in the 70's and most of the stuff is from earlier) Please add me to the found, maybe the later alumni will catch on"

"Hi Pam, My name is ___ and I'm no longer lost! :) I went to camp Oh-Neh-Tah from 1973-1979 and also attended Tawanka in 77 & 78. Thank you so much for the web sight!! It's brought back a TON of memories!"

"Oh my goodness! I remember all 3 of them! It's amazing how after all these years we are all starting to interact again and from all over the country!!!!"

"Hello, My name is __, I worked in the camp for 2 years straight as a Kitchen aid. It was the best 2 summers of my life. I was reminiscing today and decided to search for it on the internet but came across Camp Ohneta which was one of the other camps. Does Camp Talako still exist? I worked there back in 82 and 83. I think the head of the camps name was Laura. Hope to hear from you soon. It was nice surfing through the website."

"Hi Pam, I noticed on the website that __ was found. Did she leave any other info? I knew her since she was 8 years old & the last time I saw her, she visited my home 8 years ago. We lost touch after that."

"Pam I can't believe out of all the people, I found Terri Paris' picture on the site- I would love to send her email and let her know just how much I can thank her for being so loving and kind to this scared little Black girl from Brooklyn- I have racked my brain trying to figure out what year I went to the camp- It had to have been around 1963-65?- Well at the grand age of almost 49, raising a delightful 15 1/2 year old, this has stirred up some wonderful memories."

"I found the website by accident. Someone at work said you can find people sometimes by doing a Google search. So he Googled me and up popped this website with the letters GVF. I couldn't think what it could be, so we went in and then my memory started working. But when I saw the 1965 picture of the Oh-Neh-Tah senior campers, I couldn't believe my eyes. Unfortunately my memory needs work and I couldn't remember everyone's name in the picture. I saw me and Bert (Roberta Mattimiro) and I remembered Nancy Thompson's name immediately. (I was so sorry to hear she passed away.) But I couldn't put names to some of the other faces until I read Crisco's articles. And then memories started coming back. "

"Hi Pam, I got your email with __'s message. If you could please either give her my email address or let me know how to contact her, I would greatly appreciate it!!"

"I am so excited about the website. I'd loved to hear more about some of the others from camp. Crisco's articles were great (did she have a memory transplant or am I getting senile?). I 'm going to see if I have any pictures from camp. I know I still have the hat."

"On a whim I just googled an old camp friend, Pam Scola, from a thousand years ago and viola up comes the Camp Oh Neh Tah site... talk about a blast from the past... I was the waterfront dir in 64 maybe.? Anyway, if Pam is willing I would like her email address." (Imagine her surprise! Pam)

"Hello Pam. I was surfing the net and found the website. What a nice surprise! I haven't talked with you since my son was an infant and he just started college! Do you still live in the bay area? My sisters, Marguerite and Mary will be delighted to see this and to hear your name. We each have such fond memories of Camp Oh-Neh-Tah."

"....had I not found you and the site, I'd never have hooked back up with so many people....I will always be more than grateful for that.... "

Just discovered your website and I would like to report myself as found! I was a counselor at Camp Talako in the summers of 1972 and 73 (in cabins Hanuna and Unkwunk) - some of the fondest memories of my life. Now living in London, England. I'd really love to hear from anybody from those times - Happy camping,

"I have been hoping that someone with computer savvy would put together a site such as this; thank you very much. I look forward to connecting with my many Manitou friends."

Many happy returns of the day, Pam