Letter from the Chair – Spring 2025
Letter from the Chair – Spring 2025
by Joe Curro, Board Chair, American Pilgrims on the Camino
Dear Fellow Pilgrims,
The theme of this issue of La Concha is UNITY & FRIENDSHIP. As I have felt bombarded by news about tensions within our country and around the world, I have been reflecting on how the pilgrim community can rise above the fray and find strength in our shared passion for pilgrimage and the Camino.
It was so uplifting for me to join over a hundred Texan and Oklahoman pilgrims in March to walk the Camino de San Antonio Missions. We renewed old friendships and made new acquaintances, shared meals and stories, and enjoyed these monuments to the area’s Spanish and Franciscan heritage.
Friendship and cooperation have extended across international borders:
- At our January board meeting, the boards of the Canadian Company of Pilgrims and the Confraternity of St. James (CSJ) joined us. Preparations for our May Gathering in Vancouver continue, as does ongoing knowledge-sharing with CSJ counterparts.
- Many chapters have attended special showings of The Way, My Way with Australian filmmaker Bill Bennett, co-producer Jennifer Cluff, and—at some sessions—Scottish expatriate and Santiago sage Johnniewalker. See our La Concha movie review here.
- Vice Chair Allison Venuto joined leaders of the Camino Society Ireland and the Ambassador of Spain to Ireland at the presentation of a statue of St. James by a Galician artist in Dublin.
- Board member Luis Gussoni worked with the Pilgrims’ Office to clarify compostela rules and to secure approval of our redesigned credencial. If you need a credencial, you can order one here.
- In April, Luis and Treasurer Bill Artz attended the official opening of a new albergue and welcome center in Madrid, which was funded in part by your donations and membership fees.
- On May 10, by invitation of the Spanish embassy and in coordination with the Capital Area Chapter, we will have a presence at the EU Open House at the Spanish Cultural Center in Washington, D.C.
- In June, a group of American Pilgrims members will embark on our third annual Cultural Experience, hosted by the Asociación de Burgos del Camino de Santiago.
- And in September, our board will participate in our first-ever summit with the leadership of the Spanish and Camino Francés federations, as well as other partners in Santiago.
All of this activity furthers our vision to “inspire all who seek the spirit of the Camino to connect with the global community of pilgrims.” We are so happy to count you as part of that community.
¡Buen Camino!
Joe
Board Report – January 2025
Prepared by Rachel Ganzon, Secretary, American Pilgrims on the Camino Board of Directors
The Board of American Pilgrims on the Camino met via Zoom on the weekend of January 24, 2025. The meeting began by welcoming new board members Corinne Dougherty and Bob Wild, reviewing eight Pilgrim Principles—humility, simplicity, flexibility, responsibility, collaboration, candor, hospitality, and gratitude—by which the board operates, and participating in a teambuilding activity.
Minutes from meetings in November and early January were approved. Also approved were a new standing committee, the Giving & Legacy committee; an update to the Chapter Coordinator Handbook asking for a time commitment of two years from one year; and support for guests from Spain representing two federations to the 2025 Gathering.
The board discussed financial reports, and our financial position remains strong. Last year saw a significant increase in lifetime memberships versus annual individual memberships. The Board approved the hiring of a third-party organization to perform internal audits.
The membership committee shared data about credential requests compared to membership and sees an opportunity for membership growth in this area. The committee has some ideas to make membership more compelling and will work on some new initiatives. In reviewing the growing volume and cost to issue credentials, the board has decided to charge a nominal fee for credentials in the future.
The board discussed goal-setting that was undertaken in the last quarterly board meeting. Each goal focuses on part of the American Pilgrims mission statement and seeks to increase touchpoints with pilgrims, increase events or attendance of events, and increase revenue through 2027. Continued work on the goals will include developing key performance indicators and communication with committees on how they can contribute to these efforts.
Many thanks to Luis Gussoni, who has been working diligently with the Pilgrim’s Reception Office to get confirmation of the new requirements for the compostela. When Luis goes on his next Camino in the spring, he will reach out to key contacts at the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela and the Pilgrim’s Reception Office to build rapport.
Over the weekend of this meeting, the board met with several guests, including a contingent of the Canadian Company of Pilgrims, trustees from the Confraternity of St. James in the UK, and Daniel De Kay, head of the American Pilgrims hospitalero team. The board enjoyed conversations with each organization, exchanging ideas and information on how each handles certain operations. The organizations found they share many of the same challenges. Daniel provided a history of the American Pilgrims hospitalero training program, updates on training venues booked through 2026, and the small but mighty team that conducts four trainings a year across the United States.
One new effort shared by the Giving Thanks team is a virtual board reunion, allowing current and past board members to connect. The current board recognizes the extraordinary contributions of many past American Pilgrims board members and looks to have a touchpoint to update them on work for which they laid the foundation.
Periodically, the board reviews its policy manual, and did so as a group at this meeting. Wording changes were suggested to bring the document up to date on content reviewed so far.
The board next planned to meet in late April 2025 in Dallas, TX. As that meeting was set to occur after the Spring 2025 La Concha submission deadline, its meeting report will be shared in the next issue.
Your MEMBERSHIP in American Pilgrims on the Camino makes it possible for everyone to make the pilgrimage that is best for them. Thanks, as always, for your support and if you aren’t already a member, you can become one here.
