I mentioned earlier that Milton Pittman (camper & staff, 1982-1990) visited camp this past weekend. On Sunday during check-in for session 4, Milt, wearing one of our bright yellow alumni volunteer shirts, stationed himself near the entrance to the dining hall and offered kindly welcoming words to parents and arriving campers, directed them to the check-in tables and did his winning jokin' thing. I watched this with amazement and nostalgia, recalling Milt's magnetic sociability and his great deep warm voice. Earlier during the holdover weekend we'd had a chance to go to Phoenicia for dinner--and got caught up on the long years. Sunday morning Bill Abbott insisted that we have our early-morning coffee at the observatory--way up the hill near where (for oldtimers reading this) the old rifle range used to be. It was a gorgeous morning--warm and sunny--and we had an amazing view of the sun coming up over Wildcat. Later I chatted with Milt and here is the audio recording, complete with two classic Milt-UN tales. One story has to do with his time as bus coordinator, the other about his very first interaction with me in '82 when he was a camper called up to perform as Challenge Night.
It was clearly a great weekend for Milt and here is part of what he wrote me when he got back home (he begins by referring to my daughter Hannah, my all-summer Sacky camper, who, on break between sessions, joined us for various holdover-weekend activities):
It was a pleasure to meet her, and seeing you around her, I can tell that you are a really proud man. When I bought her ice cream Saturday.. I was saying to myself, Wow! I cannot believe I just bought Al’s kid ice cream.. I’m still beaming about that. I also have to tell you that volunteering at FV made me feel fantastic… It totally rekindled the old FV fire that I new was somewhere inside me. After all of the years being away from FV, I am glad that the fire has been restarted.. Especially thanks to you and brotha B[ill Abbott]. I’m going to try and get the word out to alumni that I am in touch with. If any one is on the fence about volunteering, don’t even think about it just come up and DO IT! You will feel GREAT about yourself, and the fact that you are up at the VALLEY again. The kids, the sounds, and the whole atmosphere up there will rejuvenate you, and make you feel ten years younger. I will not be a stranger, and thanks again for welcoming me back to the home I call Frost Valley…Here's to Milt's return!
