Celebrate the CSA Way by Volunteering in Benzie
By Ginanne Brownell
“Celebrate the CSA Way” is the slogan for this year’s 125th anniversary of the Congregational Summer Assembly. That slogan really has two meanings: celebrating in a way that feels personal to members—maybe it’s a bonfire at Michigan beach or an intimate dinner party in your cottage to cheers our quasquicentennial or volunteering to help out during the tennis tournaments or rolling up your sleeves to get stuck in during the Art Fair—but also celebrating what the CSA means and what it stands for. This year, we are taking CSA to also mean Community, Stewardship and Action. What makes CSA so special is the can-do spirit that we all feel towards our community but also the wider Crystal Lake community as well.
In Rwanda, there is a term called Umuganda, which highlights (mandatory) community service for everyone who is fit and able in the country. It is held on the last Saturday of every month from 8am until 11am, and the idea of coming together for a common purpose is aimed at community development and engagement. Communities must decide each month what their focus will be—from cleaning public spaces to planting trees or helping build infrastructure—and they work together not only to implement the plan but also to also work together for a common goal on that day. It is an example of how community, stewardship and action can come about not only to create change but also build a sense of cohesiveness and belonging for all citizens.
While volunteerism is obviously not a mandatory part of being a member of the CSA, there is a call to action that many people feel deeply. Maybe it’s being an active part of the many CSA committees that do everything from human resources to waterfront and Pilgrim Fund, or it could be participating in an operetta or chaperoning a teen dance to make sure it is a success. Whatever it is, as Nate Dennison, who is the head of the Board of Trustee’s ad hoc volunteering working group, said, volunteerism is woven into the DNA of the CSA experience. For 125 years, the stewardship of our community has flourished because Assembly members generously give their time and talents. This year, the CSA Board examined volunteerism, including its strengths, challenges, and trends, with the goal of developing recommendations and a refreshed strategy to sustain this crucial part of CSA life. “Many people,” Nate said, “find their place in the fabric of our summers through service.”
This spring to help build back the dunes, twenty-eight 100 stem bundles (2800 stems) of American Beachgrass (dunegrass) have been ordered from the Benzie Conservation District. These stems will be planted on the lake side of the dune and up the path. These plants will arrive May 1st. Mark Walton has volunteered to lead volunteers in their planting.
