Episode Details

The only reason YMCA Camp Cullen turned families away this summer: no beds left.

Executive Director Bobby Thomas on funding camp for every kid, Texas's new camp safety laws, and leading without blame.

Bobby Thomas leads YMCA Camp Cullen, the 530-acre overnight camp and conference center of the YMCA of Greater Houston. He and host Stephen Garten cover how the camp raises about $750,000 a year in financial assistance, what it takes to maintain 48 buildings serving about 18,000 people a year, how a Safe Summers Fund grant helped the camp meet Texas's new safety laws, and why one week without screens matters more than ever.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro: Bobby Thomas and YMCA Camp Cullen
0:44 What Camp Cullen is: summer camp, outdoor education, retreats
4:08 Saying yes to every camper: $750K in financial assistance
6:29 Horses, the lake, the quarry, and what brings kids back
10:09 From scholarship camper to executive director
12:24 The year-round ED job: facilities, risk, and grants
14:30 Texas camp safety laws and the all-camp PA system
16:42 International camp partnerships and the Mid-America Camping Conference
20:04 Collaboration over competition
24:11 Screen addiction, digital detox, and AI
27:19 Phones at camp and keeping parents connected
28:48 Leadership: walking alongside your team
32:14 The Power of Moments
33:56 How to support YMCA Camp Cullen

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