Kanuga Next Generation – A committed group of young Kanugans

07.16.2014 - Our Programs, Youth Conferences

In October 2013 the Kanuga staff and Board of Directors invited a small group of young adult Kanugans to meet and begin developing a framework for an initiative to ensure that the future of Kanuga continues to thrive with a strong foundation of engagement from its next generation of young leaders.

A steering committee led by Chip Redfern and Patrick Byrne, who both grew up in the Kanuga community, met with staff members to craft a vision and mission as well as short-term and long-term goals for the group.

More than 10 assembled and engaged in a lively discussion about how to:

• Create new and exciting opportunities for young adults at Kanuga
• Provide opportunities for young professionals to begin taking an active role in the many volunteer leadership positions in the Kanuga community, including planning committees and the Boards of Visitors and Directors
• Provide community and fellowship amongst those in the early years of their professional careers

The group settled on the name Kanuga Next Generation (KNG). The goal of the steering committee is to expand KNG into a robust group that meets once or twice each year at Kanuga and fulfills a worthy service project—giving back to Kanuga as volunteers—yet also providing a meeting time to plan future activities as well as social and networking events.

“The Kanuga community is full of young men and women who cherish this place just as much as their parents, grandparents and extended families,” said Jim Ruffin, chair of the Kanuga Board of Directors. “This new group will provide a wonderful opportunity for them to get involved and be a part of shaping the Kanuga they will inherit.”

The KNG steering committee meets again in June of this year to further develop its organization and begin recruiting others from all walks of Kanuga life.

For those who gathered in October, as well as many others who came to—or worked at—our summer camps, youth conferences, guest periods or Mountain Trail Outdoor School, Kanuga Next Generation will help to preserve the Kanuga experience by engaging and empowering the next generation of leaders.