by Joanne Ferguson Cavanaugh 

Colorado Servas held a picnic on Sunday, August 6th at the Lakewood, Colorado home of Servas Super Host, Interviewer, and new friend, Lani Vigil. Approximately 19 people attended. Some who were not members came, too. They had learned of Servas and the picnic from our website so came to see what Servas was all about! We hope they will join us! Everyone contributed a delicious dish for the spread or a bottle of wine for the community sangria.  

After lunch, Joanne Ferguson Cavanaugh, US Servas Board Secretary from Nebraska, gave an overview of what is happening at US Servas, the upcoming new  Friends membership, information about running for the Board, the four branches of US Servas, Servas Youth Language Experience (SYLE), volunteer opportunities (thanks to the two people who expressed interest!), the October Conference in New York, and buying SWAG - a 2023  conference tee shirt --from our Events site to promote Servas! 

We encourage every community to host a local Servas event of some type! There is a link to Local Events Support on our website. Servas Members can set up their event on our website and get the word out to members in their neck of the woods! 

The conference promises to be a great one. As of September 14, we have 74 attendees registered including four international members, three non-members, three brand-new members, and several Servas International dignitaries.  

Yurt Update - It turns out that many attendees like the idea of staying in a yurt. Last week we toured the venue and had our first visit to the yurts. They are nestled in a beautiful camp-like setting with a bubbling brook running by them. As far as we know there are no yaks foraging in the area, but the yurts are indeed authentic camping yurts. Here is a two-minute video of the yurts. 

Call for Help - We can use a bit of specialized help from a few attendees. First, we need someone willing to help with audio/visual set-up and troubleshooting. Second, we need help videotaping some of the key presentations; someone who can bring a tripod-mounted video camera with viewfinder so that we can easily record sessions ... not just a static camera. It would be great if there were a few volunteers to operate the camera in shifts so that one person isn't glued to it for the whole conference. 

Bring Scrapbooks - We just received a scrapbook from Pat Ryan (long-time Alaska member) that has wonderful pages of her Servas Hosts and Travelers. We will display Pat's book and would love it if other attendees could bring their scrapbooks or other memorabilia to share.  We will have a table set aside for doing so.

Now is the time to register as the conference discount ends August 31, after which the attendance fee increases to $199. As of August 8 we have 53 attendees signed up. Here is a link to the attendees list.

The Ride-Share and NYC  Hosting webpages are now up on the website. The rideShare list currently has 11 drivers and 10 ride requests. Members (only) can access the ride-share list from the Conference Transit webpage. Members must be signed in to access the list.

Saturday Night - Fun & Relaxing Activities 

Saturday morning and afternoon are packed with presentations and workshops, but Saturday evening will be a chance to relax and get to know other attendees. One option is to sit around a campfire or in one of the lodges’ sitting rooms enjoying your favorite BYO beverage. We suspect that member, Dave Lippman, might lead one of the campfires into song (see article). Some members would like to do storytelling. Who knows, it will be fun no matter what.  

For stargazers, NYC member, Jon Corrado, is bringing Large Binoculars and will lead a stargazing event. As Jon notes, stargazing is a bit like fishing... “It depends on the weather, phase of the moon, and patience.” The camp is in a fairly wide valley surrounded by mountains that shield most ambient light, so it is a good place for this. Bring a telescope or binoculars if you have them. 

NYC Pre/Post Conference Hosting 

The Conference Lodging page now has a link to a list of New York City metropolitan area Servas hosts. It is accessible to members only, so you must be signed into US Servas to access the list. The list includes the Host's names and contact information. The page includes a functional Google map of the NYC region to determine where a particular host is located.  

Attendee-travelers should present their hosts with a copy of their LOI unless they are already well known to one another. We recommend LOIs for all people wanting to visit a US Servas host. LOIs are included in your membership. If you do not presently have a valid LOI, all you need to do is log in to your International Servas account and complete your traveler information. Here is a link to the Member Help & FAQs page where you can learn how to do this.  If you have never been a traveler before, you can add that status by using the US Servas CONTACT US form and request traveler status. 

Other Lodging Notes 

Contrary to earlier versions of the lodging webpage, yurts Now Include bedding, linens, and towels, and thus are now priced at $25 for the two-night stay.  

How to Get to the Conference 

Although the conference venue is in the Catskill Mountains, it is only about 2-1/2 hours from Central Manhattan. If you are driving, your GPS app will get you to the venue just fine (search for Frost Valley YMCA Camp). Many attendees have asked "What is the best airport to use?" The answer is, "Wherever you get the best deal." There is also a way to get there by public bus. Visit the Conference Transit webpage for information  on airports, bus schedules, ride sharing and more. 

Order Extra Conference T-shirts

Some members want T-shirts, but are unable to attend the conference. You can click this link to Order T-shirts. You can order multiple sizes and quantities, and there are various delivery options. The shirts are high-quality, forest green,  Gildan Tees with the design is shown below

Our national conference in October is being held in a gorgeous location with great facilities. That’s the good news. The downside is, there is no way to get there by public transportation. So, if you are driving to the conference, or renting a car at one of the regional airports, please offer a lift to members who need a ride. There is a section on the registration form where you can indicate your willingness to give a lift to someone who might not have a car, or is older, and feels it is inappropriate for them to drive a long distance. Many living in New York City do not even own a car. Not only will you be doing a mitzvah, but you will also be making a new friend.

The 2023 National Conference website pages are now online, and the registration form is ready to go. Before you register, we suggest you check out the lodging and transit pages to fully understand the options on the registration form. Near the top of each page is a row of blue buttons with which to navigate your way to the various pages. The transit page is particularly for members traveling to the region as it shows options for navigating in and around NYC.

PROGRAM - Shows the program schedule of speakers, workshops, activities, etc. 
VENUE - Contains maps of the campus and hiking trails, and descriptions of the dining hall and meeting hall. 
LODGING - Describes the lodging options available on campus, as well as nearby camping alternatives.  
PRESENTERS - Includes presenter photos, bios, and description of what they will share.  
TRANSIT - Shows nearby airports and public transit options for getting into and out of NYC, and to the conference location. It also describes the ride-share option on the registration form. 
REGION - Shows destinations you might want to visit in NYC, the Catskills, and Finger Lakes region of New York. 

As you will see, we have a full program. Yet there are breaks between sessions as well as a few chat and meet workshops including Mindful Stitching and Fly Tying. The evenings will be relaxing as well with music and song on Friday evening, and bonfire, stargazing on Saturday.

Adult beverages ARE allowed in the lodges, around the campfires, and our conference building, Geyer Hall, so bring your own beverage. 

By Bill Magargal 

Great News! During their retreat in San Diego the US Servas board accepted the conference committee's recommendations and approved a large subsidy to support the 2023 National Conference to be held in Upstate NY, October 6-8. This means that we can offer a low conference fee of only $149 for all attendees who register before September 1, ($199 thereafter). The fee includes six meals; dinner on Friday Oct.6, through lunch on Sunday the 8^th, handouts, and all regular sessions. Two-night lodging costs will range from none to $85 per person, depending on the accommodation they choose, i.e., none, yurt, cabin, or lodge. 

This change from previous policy reflects the board's desire to hold a well-attended, exciting, fun, and informative conference where members and potential members can gather to celebrate, meet other members, make new friends, and reenergize their commitment to Servas ideals. Perhaps board member, Joanne Ferguson Cavanaugh, sums it up best with her comment during the meetings: 

“I think when we are talking about the benefits of being a member- the ability of US Servas by being an all-volunteer run organization with less administrative expenses and therefore able to subsidize member's attendance at a national conference is a BIG Benefit!” 

The conference team is now assembling a great program of speakers, workshops, breakout sessions, and entertainment including:  

• Chief Vincent Mann - Reassembling the Munsee Lunaape Nation. 

• Rabbi Chuck Diamond - Healing from the Antisemitic Terrorist Attack that killed eleven congregants at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life Synagogue. 

• Screening of The Seeds of Vandanya Shiva followed by discussion. 

• Evening of folk music, ballads, and protest songs featuring local artists Little Sparrow, and US Servas member, Dave Lippman (see article). 

• Workshops include interviewer training, using the US Servas website, using the international Servas Online website, a mindful stitching gathering, and more. 

Other activities in the planning stage include a Saturday evening contra dance, peace pole installation, and a workshop on gender identity. We are also hopeful that Chief Mann and the Frost Valley YMCA Camp can work out details for holding a regional powwow to coincide with our conference. We are well underway for a fabulous conference. The conference website should be up and running by mid-June. 

Frost Valley - Dining Hall

Geyer Hall - Main Conference Room

by Bill Magargal

We are excited to announce that Vincent Mann, Turtle Clan Chief of the Ramapough Lunaape Nation, will be a key presenter at the US Servas 2023 National Conference this October 6-8, at Frost Valley YMCA Camp in Claryville, NY. Most of us know very little about the indigenous peoples of New York and New Jersey as they were decimated by disease, slaughtered by colonial forces, and relocated to remote areas of Oklahoma and Wisconsin by the federal government. 

The Ramapough are the descendants of the Munsee speaking people who once lived from Western Connecticut to Eastern Pennsylvania, and from the northern bank of the Raritan River north to Albany N.Y. (See map.) Somehow, they survived the French and Indian War, and managed to stay in the region protecting their homelands and rights to hunt, to fish, to gather, and to strip bark from trees on this land – as rights reserved in the Treaty of Easton in 1758. They are the Munsee band who "stayed behind," maintaining a presence in northern New Jersey and southern New York for over 11,000 years. 

Today, the Ramapough Lunaape Nation encompasses present-day Passaic and Sussex Counties in New Jersey, as well as Warwick County and surrounding areas in New York. Since 2008, Chief Mann has worked tirelessly to help his community survive and fight back against the Ford Motor Company, which dumped highly toxic paint sludge from the 1960s to the ’70s on what is now the Ringwood Mines Superfund Site. He is also currently co-creating the United Lunaapeewak to restore Lunaape culture and to provide educational opportunities across the region about Munsee language, history, and traditions.  

Chief Mann is a Trustee of the Highlands Coalition and a former member of the Ringwood Mines Superfund Site’s Citizen Advisory Group (CAG). He recently co-founded the Munsee Three Sisters Medicinal Farm with Michaeline Picaro to create local jobs but more importantly to bring back food sovereignty to his Clan. He works with many universities on projects related to his people, including the NYU and Ramapo College Environmental Science programs, the Price Institute at Rutgers Newark, and the Design Program at Rutgers New Brunswick.  

 In 2016 the Russ Berry Foundation awarded Chief Mann their highest honor for his life-long service to the citizens of the Turtle Clan. (See video.). Chief Mann regularly lectures on environmental justice and the importance of indigenous knowledge. Chief Mann gives land acknowledgments across New Jersey and New York in honor of his ancestors and offers up prayers for humanity and for our natural world. 

Our national conferences always include sessions, workshops and general fellowship, but this year we are adding great evening entertainment as well. On Friday evening, Oct. 6, we will host a hootenanny featuring several groups, including Servas songwriter and musician Dave Lippman, and folksingers Little Sparrow with Carol Smith on guitar and Aldo Troiani on mandolin and guitar. On Saturday, Oct. 7, we are hoping for a contra dance featuring a caller and musicians from the Hudson Valley (pending costs). An alternative might be a blues and rock-n-roll jam (let us know if you might like to perform (email conferences@usservas.org).

Here is a link to an article from last month's Open Doors about the conference venue Frost Valley YMCA Camp in Claryville, NY, about 2 ½ hours northwest of New York City.

This is fun-filled event in Mühlviertel, the upper province of Austria, north of the Danube. Enjoy walks, hikes, tours, through with other Servas members, in and around the traditional towns and villages of this region. Highlights include:  

Kefermarkt  – walk to the old church to see the medieval Flügelaltar (altar). 

Freistadt – walk around the old town center, then hike along the River Aist into Thurytal.

Ottenschlag – Visit this traditional village known for its double-walled Steinbloß stone houses.  

Linz – Visit Mariendom, the largest church in Austria, and enjoy a concert on the special “Rudigier-Organ” for the group in the Cathedral. 

Guided tour of Reichenthal Schloss (castle), and short walk to the open-air museum Mühlendorf in Reichenthal. Enjoy the music of Fairy Tunes (bagpipe, flutes, violin, harp, guitar) led by Servas member Traudi, and folk-dance with other Servas attendees. 

See the Monument for Active Nonviolence on the square  

Click HERE for more information, fees, and registration.