Dave Allen spent a few schooling years in Lebanon and learned Arabic. When I first met him here at Frost Valley, I thought him to be a serious, somewhat shy, dour, intellectual type. He was a very good counselor (starting in Totem, I believe). But as a first impression, I thought: This guy is probably too serious.... Then several counselors from Lebanon arrived and I immediately saw a vivacious even wild side of Dave. And over the years came to know him intimately. We worked together, first as director and VC and then as Camp Director and Program Director and finally as Camp Directors of the two camps. Dave and I had many intense long good conservative-liberal/right-left discussions. And when Stuart Kaufer (dialysis coordinator) joined in, it was two left versus one lonely right. I think it's fair to say that I learned for the first time the true heart of a conservative when and as I came to know and love David Allen at Frost Valley. It has been some years since Dave and his family were here, but he and I are in touch by email. He is currently the principal of a school for the deaf in West Virginia and I have no doubt whatever that about his doing a wonderful, thorough and thoughtful job.The photo above was taken at Hirdstock in 1984 or so. Dave's giving me that mock-stern look. He was really rather relaxed that sunny day. As we sang Give Peace a Chance ("all we are say...ing - is GIVE peace a chance..."), and Dave sang too, I knew again that at Frost Valley there were no serious left-right distinctions. Finally we wanted the same things and Dave embodied them: let's be good to kids, let's have high expectations of and for them, let's take care of them as if they were our own, and let's see what it's like to live peacefully. Hirdstock as an all-camp program never quite worked perfectly but it always reminded us of these things. Dave Allen the Peacenik...symbolized it so well.
