LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
The Way I See It |
by Steve Elkins, Editor |
It is always with mixed emotions that I approach the end of the summer season. On the one hand I want to breathe a sigh of relief, on the other I want to scream, "Hey, what happened to the summer!" We still have three more issues in 1998, but after this one we return to our off-season schedule and publish Letters only once a month. To those of you who are only with us for the summer season, dont forget that were here all year long. How about a few letters to CAMP? Its been eight years now since CAMP Rehoboth got off the ground and in that time weve come a long way. To some visitors to the Rehoboth area, this magazine might seem like the only visible sign of CAMP Rehobothit is our largest programbut it is far from all we do. In the course of a days work a great many people, for very diverse reasons, come in or call the CAMP Rehoboth office at 39 Baltimore Avenue. Sometimes we are an information center, sometimes a help line, and sometimes we are simply the connector between two groups or persons. It has always been our philosophy that weboth straight and gayare a part of the greater community, so we are involved in a number of cross-community activities as wellfrom Main Street and the Henlopen Theatre Project to the Delaware HIV Consortium. Every year, of course, are the many fundraising events (including SUNDANCE and LOVE) as well as police sensitivity training, AIDS awareness (CAMPsafe) and community relations. To top it all offand just to make sure we dont lose our sense of humorwe keep a list of area campgrounds by each phone because scarcely a day goes by without at least one call asking if we have a campsite available. From my perspective, and all puns intended, it seems like thats exactly what weve gota great CAMPsite! I mentioned SUNDANCE a moment ago and, of course, thats what the end of the summer is all about for us. I know its that time again because all around me are growing great stacks of SUNDANCE t-shirts, and the gift bags that are given with the purchase of each ticketnot to mention all the volunteers rushing in and out as they work on the auction, or ticket sales, or decorations. SUNDANCE is, of course, the summer finale. It is the event that brings us all together in one great big celebration of the season. This year the theme is "Rainbow XI: Colors of Life," and I know that it will be a wild explosion of color and life and fun. SUNDANCE 98 is a two night event at the Rehoboth Convention CenterSaturday, September 5 is the SUNDANCE Auction and Cocktail Buffet, and Sunday, September 6, the DANCE. As in past years, tickets will go fast. Theyre are available through Box Office Tickets at 800-494-TIXS, at Lambda Rising in Rehoboth and at CAMP Rehoboth. So it is that we come to the end of the 1998 summer season. As I looked back over the preceding two paragraphs, I suddenly realized just why it is that the summer always goes by so fast. Its not simply that it is our busiest seasonalthough that certainly helps. The real reason is that we have these few short months where people from many different places come together to share a little bit of their lives with one another. Murray has talked many times in LETTERS over the years about Rehoboth being a crossroads, and I agree. It is in this funny, special little place called Rehoboth that we have indeed found "a place for us," and room for all. I hope to see you at SUNDANCE 98! Finally, happy anniversary Murray. Thanks for these wonderful twenty years. I love you. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 8, No. 12, August 28, 1998. |