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National ‘Caring For Children’ award made posthumously to Marvin Domsky

National ‘Caring For Children’ award made posthumously to Marvin Domsky

Shown are, from left, Henry M. Skier, president of AMSkier, who presented the award; Carole Domsky, the wife of Marvin; Sam Domsky, a son of Marvin; and Andrew Yankowitz, director and owner of Tall Pines Day Camp.

After a lifetime of dedication to creating, owning and directing camps for children and young adults, Marvin Domsky, of Margate, the founder and developer of the former Willow Grove Day Camp and the Tall Pines Day Camp in Williamstown, has been honored posthumously with the prestigious National Caring for Children Award, given by AMSkier Insurance in Hawley, Pennsylvania.

A 1952 graduate of West Chester State Teachers College (now West Chester University) and then a physical education teacher at Germantown High School in the Philadelphia School District, Domsky achieved his dream of owning a camp by buying what was previously a bungalow colony and building Willow Grove Day Camp from scratch. For over 60 years beginning in 1955, Domsky, with the help of his wife, Carole, and with the Zeitz family, owned and ran one of the most successful and respected day camps in the Philadelphia area.

“If you were to look in the dictionary under ‘summer camp,’ Marvin Domsky’s name would be front and center,” noted Henry Skier, president of AMSkier Insurance. “His infectious enthusiasm and passion for Camp can only be matched by the memories his camps created for countless children and young adults across the Mid-Atlantic and beyond.”

Not content with “merely” running Willow Grove Day Camp, Domsky identified a recreational vehicle campground and chicken farm in Monroe Township, Gloucester County, as an optimal site for his next venture, Tall Pines Day Camp. In 1996, Tall Pines Day Camp opened its gates and will celebrate its 25th year in 2020.

“One of the reasons Tall Pines Camp and Willow Grove Day Camp are, and were, big successes is because people were so drawn to Marvin,” said Domsky’s cousin and owner/director of Tall Pines Day Camp, Andrew Yankowitz. “Today, Tall Pines Day Camp is renowned for being one of the premier day camps in the Delaware Valley with kids coming from Philadelphia, Atlantic, Camden, Burlington and Gloucester counties.”

In 2009 Marvin was honored as a Legend of Camping by the American Camp Association in recognition of his leadership in, and service to, the profession of camping. He wrote and published two books, “My 65 Years in Camping,” and “The Nitty Gritty of Private Camps Surviving.”

The Caring for Children Award was established by AMSkier Insurance to recognize camp owners, directors and leaders whose achievements reflect their dedication to provide safe environments for thousands of children and young adults, and whose work has brought pride to themselves, to their families and to the camp community they serve.

In 2015, as a part of our In My Wildest Dreams interview series, AMSkier Insurance set out to interview Marvin Domsky, who always had big dreams, and set out to make them a reality. View the interview below.

Celebrating Student Art

For the second year – The Wayne County Arts Alliance along with the sponsorship of AMSkier Insurance would like to invite our community to enjoy and celebrate the creative spirit of our youth.

Artworks by students from Wallenpaupack, Wayne Highlands, and Western Wayne schools will be on display at the Dorflinger Factory Museum at Rt. 6 and Elizabeth St. in White Mills, PA.  Come join in the celebration on Friday, April 5th from  6 – 8 pm and Saturday, April 6th and Sunday, April 7th from 11 am – 5 pm.

Ellen Silberlicht, the chairperson of this event believes, “The Arts play a strong part in the development of our children along with keeping them engaged in healthy activities.  They are the future of our community, engaging their creative spirit will certainly move us all forward.  Giving these young artists an audience acknowledges their hard work, just as attending a sports function supports those players.”

AMSkier Insurance has generously sponsored this show and will be providing awards to the most outstanding artworks to be judged by several of our local talented working artists.  There will also be an opportunity for the public to vote for the People’s Choice award.  Please come out and see what our youth creates with a pen, paper, paint, clay, and other materials.  Each person has their own way of seeing and expressing themselves.  Guaranteed, you will see some incredible artwork from our local students!

 

Power and Consent in the Workplace

April 2019 marks the official 18th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Of particular interest this year is a reexamination of the concept of consent. Although workplace relationships are often harmless, this is not the case when one partner has authority over the working conditions of the other. Power dynamics can muddy the idea of consent, and the line between well-intentioned flirting and sexual harassment can be awfully thin.

Remember that in order for consent to sexual contact to be meaningful it must be free from coercion. Almost by definition, there will exist some form of coercion whenever there is interaction between a boss and his or her subordinate. In fact, many businesses prohibit such relationships, or, if allowed, require full disclosure by the participating parties and the actual signing of documents acknowledging that the relationship is not in any way the result of coercion in any form.

The workplace environment can go sour very quickly when the sexual relationship stops but the employment relationship continues. The fallout from such relationships can have a ripple effect on their entire workplace network. Sexual relations between co-workers or supervisors can and do make it more difficult for them to seek help from friends and advisors.

If you see the potential for romantic relationships to wreak havoc in your workplace, Employment Practices Liability Insurance may be helpful in protecting your business against allegations of sexual harassment and other workplace transgressions. If you’re interested in learning more about EPLI insurance, give us a call at (570) 226-4571.

Introducing Niki Bolduc

Introducing Niki Bolduc

Hi All! I’m so excited to be featured on the first AMSkier Personal Lines Newsletter and share a little bit about myself.

My name is Niki Bolduc and I joined the Skier Family 8 months ago, coming to the agency with over 15 years of experience in Personal Lines Insurance. I am a lifelong resident of Wayne County, born in Honesdale and raised in Lake Ariel. My husband and I met in high-school and he has been by my side for the last 24 years. He is the best man I know – strong, hardworking, kind and loving. He makes me laugh every single day. We recently bought a new house and we are slowly renovating the entire place, one room at a time. Chip and Joanna Gaines, we are not, but it has been the best time working together to create our forever home. We have 2 children. Our daughter is 21, she is pursuing an architectural studies degree at Jefferson University in Philadelphia and currently working to self-publish a book of her poetry. She is a bright light, creative and insightful, with the biggest heart. Our son is 17, he just recently committed to play baseball at Penn State’s Harrisburg campus and will be studying Kinesiology. He is crazy talented and hard-working, intelligent with the quickest wit and the best sense of humor. I am thankful every day for the life I get to share with these amazing human beings.

I am a self-proclaimed foodie. I love creating great meals to feed my family and friends. Our home is constantly filled with people – we host parties all throughout the year to celebrate holidays or special events or just to simply enjoy time together. I love to be creative. I spend hours putting together table settings, candles and flower arrangements so that every dining experience in our home is special. There is no better feeling to me than the people I love most in the world crowded around a beautiful dining table savoring good food and conversation, playing games (my family is usually good for some very heated rounds of Boggle, Yahtzee or Bananagrams) & making lasting memories.

With the holidays right around the corner, I wanted to include one of my all-time favorite recipes. These cookies are a holiday staple for my family, the recipe passed down from my great grandma, Helen. When I make them, my entire kitchen smells just like hers did when I was a kid and it reminds me of some of the best moments I ever shared with her. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Grandma Franc’s Sugar Cookies

2 Cups Sugar                                                                                                                                 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Cup Shortening                                                                                                                        1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

2 Eggs                                                                                                                                            4 Cups Flour

Pinch of Salt                                                                                                                                 ½ Cup Milk

1 Teaspoon Lemon Extract                                                                                                        Raspberry Jam (I prefer with seeds)

 

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, measure out flour and baking soda and set aside. In another bowl, cream together sugar, shortening, eggs, salt, lemon and vanilla extract. Slowly add in flour/baking soda mixture and milk. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator for about an hour. (This will make the cookies easier to roll) On a floured surface, roll the dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Using a circle cookie cutter, cut 2 circles per cookie. Cut a ½ inch hole in the center of half of the cookies. Place the whole cookie on a baking sheet, put 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam in the center and cover with the holed cookie. Bake for about 8-10 minutes.

Interested in developing a relationship with us at AMSkier? Please contact us here.

Prevent This: Auto-Accidents

Prevent This: Auto-Accidents

We have seen an increase in frequency every year in auto accidents. Take a look at this chart and learn why auto accidents are happening along with some ideas to prevent them going forward.

prevent work related auto-accidents

So, how can businesses Prevent This?

Here are some tips:

Have staff read, agree to and sign a distracted driving policy. We’ve attached a sample for you here.
Ensure staff downloads an app to block incoming texts and calls. Some apps can send an auto response back, letting the sender know that they are driving and that the recipient will respond when parked. A few of these apps are:
– LifeSaver
– OneTap
– AT&T DriveMode

Keep a list of emergency names and numbers in each vehicle.

Make sure your drivers WANT TO DRIVE. A lazy driver or a fearful driver is an accident waiting to happen.

Train your staff on driver safety. Have staff participate in courses that teach defensive driving, safe driving practices and more essential topics. Stay tuned!

Prevent This, and more.
AMSkier, your Partner in Safety.

Concerned about what your insurance would cover in the case of an accident? Talk to one of our insurance advisers and contact us here.