on William L. Rust

Y's Men's Club Continues Charitable Tradition

The Y's Men's Club has generously donated time and money over the past 20 years to Camp MacLean. Most recently, this co-ed group of volunteers has donated $7,500 to build a new campfire site on the camp lake.

The site, which will be built just off of the Nature Trail, will be known as the Indian Boundary Y's Men's Campfire Site. Complete with benches, the site will seat up to 300.

The Y's Men's Club has existed at the Indian Boundary YMCA in Downers Grove, IL since 1963. This service organization is part of Y's Men's International, which is present in about half of the countries in the world. There are currently 12 active members in the IBY chapter, with Cal Christy serving as president.

Since its inception, the Y's Men's Club of IBY has donated about a half million dollars to the YMCA. During their monthly meetings, the members decide how their fund-raising dollars are best spent and which endeavor to plan next.

One way the Y's Men's Club raises funds every year is to run a Christmas Tree lot in conjunction with the Indian Guides Program at IBY. The monies raised go beyond the local level to many other sources, including the Sioux YMCAs, the local YMCA camps and toward sponsoring youth baseball teams in their community.

The Y's Men's Club also worked with an international group to complete an addition to the log headquarters building for the Sioux Indian YMCA in South Dakota. A group of 12 volunteers from the Stuttgart YMCA in Germany helped them finish the project.

Although any adult is welcome to join the Y's Men's Club, several of the current members joined the group because of prior involvement with the YMCA. Rich Niersbach, former club president and current member of Camp's Board of Directors, said many of the male members were part of the Indian Guides Program. It was through this program that the members became familiar with YMCA Camp MacLean. Thus about 20 years ago, the relationship began.

The Y's Men's Club has spent many hours working on renovation and building projects at camp. The archery range, chapel and kitchen projects are just a few of the undertakings with which they have been involved.

"It's a good feeling to come and work up at the camp," Niersbach said. "And it is a good feeling to be able to provide funds for the projects."

The motto of the Y's Men's International is "To acknowledge the duty that accompanies every right." The IBY chapter continues to fulfill the motto with their endless generosity toward Camp MacLean.