best athlete in Totem cabin

In the 60s and into 1970 and maybe '71, Frost Valley's summer camp gave out lots of awards. There were riflery awards (issued by the NRA) and archery awards (this lasted into the mid-70s). There were physical fitness tests and score sheets - tallies kept of push-ups and pull-ups and broad jump, etc. Campers received a scored sheet to be brought or mailed home. Attached to the sheet was a mimeographed retyping of a speech by JFK who had made "physical fitness" a big deal for youth in the early 60s, the time of Cold War competitiveness. Here, below, is an example of one of these certificates. It was given to camper Glenn Kreismer, who was then among our youngest campers - in Cabin 1 of Totem Village. He "pass[ed] all requirements for recognition" as "BEST ATHLETE IN CABIN #1"! Who knows how that was determined. Nor does one know how the sight-impaired, geeky, uncoordinated or indeed formally disabled boy in the cabin felt about all this. But there you go. The sketch at left, mostly obscured by creasing and the age of the document, depicts a young boy, tent in background, efficiently preparing a meal over a campfire. Bottom right is the Y in YMCA and below that "Camp Wawyanda" - spelled wrong.

Devil's Hole

Here I am at Devil's Hole in 1970.

1970 camper in 2009

A camper from 1970 found us again and stopped in at the Ad Office the other day. Later, after reading around in this blog, he wrote: "Lots of memories here. There's so much to remember about Camp Wawayanda I feel I could write a book about it's impact on my life. I attended the Camp in August 1970 and had Jim Rosak as my Cabin Leader. He would tell us stories about the castle! I recall the Olympic event and playing archery and how great the food was in camp after a full day's activity. Every morning it was that walk out to the cafeteria, back to the cabin then off to the "Waterfront" for swimming or canoeing."

a glance at 1970

Here is page one of the 1970 Frost Valley summer staff list. Note that it's titled "Camp Wawayanda Staff" even though by that time we were referring to "Girls Camp" as "Camp Hird" or "Camp Henry Hird for Girls." Some habits died slowly. When people asked me around my hometown what I was doing for the summer, and I said, "I'm going to camp," and they asked where, I'd say "Wawayanda." Just that. They knew. If I'd said "Frost Valley," they wouldn't know.

Peter and Nancy Barnett were Westfield mainstays. Nancy must have been a very young staff member in '70. I believe it was only in '71 that she was a CIT. Jeff Bohn, an LIT here (that was the summer after CIT), eventually was a counselor in Totem: I remember him as slight-shouldered, thin, very long hair combed in a middle part, soft-spoken, mild-mannered, and peaceful (in a counter-cultural sort of way). Susan and Meg Ambry were the daughters of Ed Ambry, who later became very involved in the development of our Environmental Education program and served as a member of our Board. The Ambry sisters and Ed have been discussed in this blog, earlier.

on Oran Giannotti

Kim Aronowitz O'Connell, thinking about Oran Giannotti:

As I walked to the infirmary in early July of 1970 I noticed a little boy sitting on the lawn in front of the building. I asked him his name and replied "Oran David Gianotti". He was barely three and I was 12, but I knew even then he was unique child (how many three years olds recite their entire name when asked?) He had a little beatle type haircut and was extremely precocious. Three years later I was assigned to the infirmary as a nurse's aide and lived in the infirmary with the Gianottis. Oran was six then and quite serious. He was blessed (or cursed) with two little sisters Keara and Danielle. As time went on Oran decided he wanted to leave camp with John (who I believe had to attend to some teaching issues). I realized that Oran was not afraid to express his needs, and his wish to go home was respected by both parents. He was an admirable person. I never saw Oran again and read with sadness in this blog that he had died. I work for a Hospice and have seen many young people, including young children die before their time. I have never forgotten Oran, or that time I spent with his family. I wish them all peace and hope they know that he is remembered even after all these years by someone who only knew him briefly, but was nevertheless deeply affected by him.

And here Kim reflects generally on her time at Frost Valley:

I first arrived at Frosy Valley in late June of 1970. I was 12 years old and had been to three other sleepaway camps before my Mom found this one. I was to be a camper in the Tent Village, a small enclave of two large tents on a little piece of land behind the Ad office. My two counselors were Anne-Marie Kremer and Susan Ambry (later Sue's sister Meg joined us as a third counselor). I was to be there for ten life changing weeks. We hiked and campred, climbed mountains and were taught how to survive in the woods on our own. Anne knew the area well and led us on dozens of bucolic and awesome adventures. All three counselors played the guitar and Anne had one of the most beautiful singing voices I have ever heard. I was a wild and wacky kid, the product of a "broken home". I learned how to be part of a team, was never judged, and was comfoted and praised by three caring people who incidently, were barely out of their teens themselves. I was there for three more summers but this particular one resonates for me. I learned to respect nature and in turn to respect my peers. Each of us was from a different backround and came to together for one magical summer. Thirty eight years later I drove into camp and stood outside the AD office listening to the sound of singing coming from the boys dining hall. I almost think I heard them singing the Titanic song or the first chorus of Blowing in the Wind. Frost Valley will forever signify a turning point in my life. The smell of campfires, the sound of singing, and the feeling of peace. It was what I had been craving for in my young life, and it was there that I found it.

it's never too late to express thanks

A few days ago Kim O'Connell and a friend climbed up part of Slide Mountain, and this experience put Kim in mind of her days at Frost Valley, from 1970 through 1974. She was known then as Kim Aronowitz. (The image is reproduced from a photograph in the 1972 yearbook of Kim and the other CITs that summer. Kim is at the back right, behind Starr Hedrick who was the CIT Director.) After coming down from Slide, Kim went home and starting looking for traces of Frost Valley on the web...and found this blog. Kim now tells a moving story about reuniting with her counselors through the last weeks and days of their father. Here is that story:

As a social worker for Compassionate Care Hospice I have covered many territories in New Jersey. Currently I see patients in Bergen County but two years ago I was covering the Morris, Warren and Sussex areas. I was in our Parsipanny office one day and happened to glance up at our patient board. The board lists patients and their respective nurses. I saw a name that I knew from many years ago. It was Edward Ambry a longtime member of the Frost Valley Board of Trustees. But more importantly he was the father of my two camp counselors the first year I was at Wawayanda. Meg and Susan Ambry along with Anne Marie Kremer were the counselors for the Tent Village (or dirt village as we were lovingly called). Although I was not assigned to the nurse for Ed, I asked if I could be the Social Worker for he and his wife Marge. I spoke by phone to Karen Ambry, the eldest of the Ambry girls, and asked her to tell Susan that I would be following Ed on hospice and to remind her that I had be a camper of hers. I didn't think she'd remember me but to my surprise she did. I went to the Ambry home in Denville and met Marge and Ed. Ed was diagnosed with Alzheimers and Parkinson's disease and was quite ill. Marge stated that he had begun to decline after the death of his daughter Meg in 2000. I remembered Meg as a beautiful and almost ethereal presence. She was a gentle, brilliant soul. I remained the social worker and developed a relationship with Ed and Marge. As a matter of fact we were so taken with each other that Ed asked me to marry him several times. I advised him that he was already married but it not seem to phase him. Ed became more ill and during his illness I was able to meet with Susan again after 36 years. During that time I had the opportunity to tell Sue what it meant to have her as a counselor and a mentor. I was 12 years old and badly in need of nurturing and she provided that and more. Susan had no idea how she affected me and I was able to tell her. I could not have conceived of a time when I would ever have seen her again. Ed finally succumbed and his family was grieved and uplifted by his many accomplishments. I in turn was able to repay a kindness. Unfortunately I couldn't tell Meg Ambry how I was affected by her. Maybe someday I can tell Anne Marie Kremer as well.

ok, how are we going to put this thing together?

Slow but skillful trio from the back (left to right): Frank Meigs, Pat Ricciardi, and Peter Barnett. It's 1970 and this is an Adventure Trip. Photo by Gary Gold, who was a camper on that trip.

all the T's in 1970

Just the T names from the 1970 staff list:

Cheryl Teare - LIT
Wil Thigen - counselor (C)
John Paul Thomas - out-trip director
Paula Mary Thomas - JC
Doug Tompkins - C
Lee Tompkins - camp doctor
Caroli Thompson - C
Cindy Titsworth - LIT
Tim Tracey - LIT
Sue Trummel - LIT
Betty Jane Turner - program counselor

Tim Tracey and I roomed together in cabin 14 when he was a counselor and I a JC, two summers later. Wil Thigen, a star at camp (and quite a character), ended up in California and attended the 2001 reunion. I don't think he'd been back to camp in nearly 30 years. Lee Tompkins, a resident of Liberty, was no relation to Doug who was from Westfield or Summit NJ. Doug was later a VC (of Totem, I think) and LIT
Director. I recall Cheryl Teare as a few years later one of those counselors universally admired--talented, fun-loving, just great to have in camp. BJ Turner was the daugther of Ed and Jane Turner, who lived at FV year-round; Ed worked maintenance with Carl Hess and Jane worked in the kitchen. There were long-time friends and South Jersey neighbors of Carl and Marie Hess. The Turners were always extraordinarily kind and generous to me.

Above: Peggy Hope and Wil Thigen at the 2001 centennial reunion.