(written in 1999)      Hi, my name is Ryan...and I'm a YMCA aholic.       Starting about five years ago, the Y started infiltrating all parts of my life. At first, it was just my summer time. Then, it was the school year, then my weekends, social life, even finally school projects. The Y is in me now.      I have more YMCA paraphanelia, things like frisbees, Waterbottles, yo-yos, stuffed animals, hats and other stuff, than I ever thought possible. I have enough YMCA tshirts from across the country to wear a different every day for at least 3 weeks, maybe a month.      I am just now getting over the college application proccess. I wrote lots of essays. Lots and lots of essays. And, in nearly every one my focus was my activities in the YMCA. I wrote about the mottos and the missions statement, about my accomplishments and awards. I based my applications on the things I had done with the Y.      My involvement in the YMCA first started in the summer after my 8th grade year. I signed up to be a Counselor In Training at Camp Mataucha. In the past summers I had been bouncing from activity activity, and doing lots of cool stuff. But, once I spent some time at Mataucha, I knew that's where I wanted to be. I returned the next year again as a CIT, and the following year I was hired as a Junior Counselor. (working for the love it, not the pay) That brings me up to last year, when I became full staff, and I will be once again this year. This summer I had to turn down a lot of opportunities to work at camp. I let oppornities to get internships, travel, or get a better paying job go. Now, I can't get my father to understand why I would do all of that. What I can't get him to understand is that the reason I have all of these other opportunities, is because of all I've gotten out of the YMCA. You see, everything I needed to know about life I learned @ Camp Mataucha!      I'd like to also briefly tell you about the emotional affect Mataucha has on me. For one thing, I never get angry there. It might sound simple, or silly, but I think it is significant. (golf course, little cousins, anytime you don't get your way) But, in all my time there, I can't remember ever getting angry at Mataucha!       Indeed, the happiest moments, the best moments, and the saddest moments of my life up to this point have been at Camp Mataucha. The friendships I have made at Mataucha have been tried and tested. And, I trust these people more than anyone else in the world to be helping, caring, and understanding. Let me also mention that I know plently of Camp Counselors who can be far more theraputic to talk to than any $2 per minute shrink. This is because the Mataucha staff either come to the Camp as purely caring people, or quickly learn to be. They sincerely care about themselves, their friends and coworkers, and of course the children they work with. I think this is a large part of what sets Mataucha apart from other Day Camp experiences.      The other YMCA organization, other than Mataucha, that has deeply impact my life is YMCA Youth And Government(YAG). The Waterbury Delegation of YAG was one of the first extracirricular activities that I got involved with my freshman year. And, it is the one the I am most thankful to have become involved with.      My freshman year I was Vice President of the delegation. We had 7 people. The next year I lead a recruiting drive that doubled the size of the delegation and I was elected President. Again, the following year I lead another recruiting drive that redoubled the size of the delgation and I was re-elected President. Through my four year's in the delegation, we had fully participating represenatives from all SEVEN of the city's high schools. The Waterbury delegation has going from being that small group of 7 inexperienced students to becoming a recognized authority in Connecticut Youth And Government.      During these years we had two gubernatorial candidates nominated by majority parties: myself, Ryan Cofrancesco, and Nathan Brophy. We also had Marsha Webber twice nominated and twice elected to the seat of Speaker of the House. The fourth year I lead a political party that nominated Fitzgerald Helsop, who was successfully elected.      On the national level, Youth and Government has an annual YMCA Conference On National Affairs, better known as CONA. It is held at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain, North Carolina. My sophmore year I was the delegate ever to attend from the Waterbury delegation. The following year, I returned with Marsha Webber and Nate Brophy. And, my senior year I returned for a rare third trip to the CONA, both Marsha and Nate attended a second Conference, and Tori Perez and Eugene Mastrangeli also managed to acquire the highly coveted seats to join the Connecicut delegation to CONA. With five attendees, no delegation had more represenatives in Connecticut.      The Waterbury delegation is something remarkable. It is getting noticed, it is setting setting precedents, and making waves. And, with your help it will continue to do so for years to come.      Ok, so that's a brief outline of what I believe are the highlights of activity at the Y. But, what else does the Y mean to me? Well, there's the obvious pillars of character, R,R,H,C. Then, there's the mission statement, "To put Christian principles into practice through programs that help build a healthy Spirit, Mind, and Body." There's the motto of, "Building healthy kids, healthy families, healthy communities." It is these doctrines that I have taken as the Bible for my life. But, the Y also means family. Frienship, true, deep friendship. Growth. Enrichment. Learning. And above all else, Love.      There was a speaker at last year's CONA by the name of Ryan Dodd. He was a Presiding Officer from South Carolina. In his closing speech, before the General Assembly of over 400 students from acrooss the nation, he spoke about what love is, and what it's not. And, what he said is right on target for the type of love I feel for the YMCA.      First, he asked us what is love. He came up with the answer of the willingness and desire to do anything for the object of your love. So, he asked what the opposite of love. He came up with the answer of hate, and quickly pointed that out to be wrong. He said that the opposite of love is apathy. The lack of willingness to help, care for, or improve. Apathy, is indeed the opposite of the love that I feel for the YMCA, and I feel my life is better because of it. 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