Geronimo with Forest!

a note on theme days; or Grandpa's Day Off

Villages create theme days. Some are merely ideas for costumes lightly affecting an otherwise regular daily schedule. Some shape the entire day. Forest today is enjoying "Survivor Day," and I don't quite know what it is but I saw some grittily painted faces, some camoflouge and some talk about how we will ever make it through the heat. Next week Lakota will have its Throwback Day, a return to old Frost Valley/Wawayanda traditions, practices and programs. I have been asked to teach the girls the old "Boys' camp" grace tune (we all now sing what used to be the girls' melody). They will learn some of the old cheers and songs and play some of the forgotten games. Today Lenape is enjoying "Grandpa's Day Out." I just saw them (with Sacky) playing a hilariously boring (and thus hilariously fun) game of Bingo in the dining hall. Here above you see two photos of the Lenape staff as grandpas.

Forest village, 1980

Mark Gottdenker's mother recently found a village photo taken in 1980 of Forest village. Mark was a Forest camper that summer. Here is what Mark writes about the photo:

To give you an idea how long ago this was taken, my own mother couldn't pick me (or my older brother David) out from the campers in the photo!

I was a camper in cabin 6 (with Dave Hall, standing counselor on the far left of the photo) and my brother was in cabin 9 or 10 (with Scott Robinov, standing second from the right). Other village staff included Tom Frankowiak, Greg Aggs, Gigo from Egypt, and Jim Neilson.

I believe that you blogged about this staff during last summer when Greg visited the Valley with his family and soon after Jim dropped off his daughter for an adventure trip. Hopfully this will put faces with the names.

Forest village in the late 60s

Forest Village, late 60s. Mark Kramer was a JC here. Mark is one of those standing on the porch right in front of the door, t-shirt, blond hair, standing tall and looking straight at the camera. According to Sven Grotrian (this is Sven's photo) Mark was promoted to counselor that same summer. Sven is kneeling toward the front: two or three rows from the front, depending how you count, and he's 4th in from the left, blond hair, mustache, wearing a wool cap, two to the right of the camper wearing #82. Standing to the far right, the furthest right, is a camper--Steve Ernst. Steve's sister Lisa has long been actively involved with FV and is on the staff now as the director of major gifts in our development office. I believe I also see Steve Glade, white shirted, blonde hair combed down over his eyes, furthest to the right of those standing on the porch/stairs. Click on the photo for a larger view.

the cheer that was supposed to be tamped down

This link here should take you to a Facebook video that will truly tickle you. It's based on an audio recording made in 1993. You'll hear the voices of Forest counselors griping hilariously about having been told by directors to stop chanting a certain village cheer: "Twenty-Three." Just watch and you'll get it. Charming video made by Dave Scherer. I'm not certain that non-Facebook users can use the link, but perhaps so. I'm not up on video-sharing protocols and whatnot. Give it a try and let me know.

Here is what Dave wrote when he uploaded this to Facebook about a year ago: "In 1993 I was a camp counselor at the Frost Valley summer camp. Last week I started listening to some of the tapes I made that summer in my car. This video is actually a 2 minute sound sample with text. It tells the epic ongoing story of Frost Valley and similar places worldwide. / Credits: Forest VC Fred Biggs, Apolllo Bey, Jon Lockwood, Leon Greene, me and countless campers."

Forest staff, summer 1980

I said goodbye to Greg and Ulla this morning. They left to spend a few days with Jody Ketcham in NJ. As we breakfasted and looked back on their happy return to the valley, Mark Gottdenker sat down to grab his own breakfast (eggs, sausage, home fries) and I realized that Mark must have been a camper around the time Greg was the VC of Forest, so I (re)introduced them and it turns out that my hunch was right: Mark was a Forest camper in 1980 and of course remembered Greg Aggs well. We reconstructed the village staff for Forest '80:

cabin 6 - Dave Hall, from Virginia
cabin 7 - Tom Franzkowiak - ICCP from Germany
cabin 8 - Gigo Abdallah - ICCP from Egypt
cabin 9 - Greg Aggs VC, Jim Neilson JC
cabin 10 - Scott Robinov

VCs in 1980: Totem, Dave Allen; Outpost, Doug Green; Lenape, Bill Petrick; Lacota, Dave Gansler; Susky, Kathryn O'Keefe. Who were the others? Write me and add to the list.

This is all 30 years ago.

cabin 8

David Scherer writes: "In the summer of '93 the cabin number sign on Forest cabin 8 got loose (the first time it really did just happen on its own). We renamed it "Cabin Infinity". Sadly a few days later, FV Maintenance came by and fixed the sign. Luckily I had a hammer and was able to refix it. This touched off an epic maintenance battle. Over the next few weeks the sign got so many nail holes that soon it was hard to read the numeral. By the end of the summer it had fallen off completely. I brought it home where it hangs to this day as an infinity symbol."

Pictured from Left: Lee Chapman, Noah Abbot, David Scherer Water (C), Appolllo Bey (C, cabin 7), Lenny Soberman, Damian Frye (JC), not sure, not sure, Collin McCombs, Danny Rodriguez, not sure. A famous cabin group, years later many of these campers became FV staff.

flies in the dining hall

Bill Madden found us recently because he's been urging his nieces to attend summer camp at FV. A nice phone conversation with folks at camp led him to this blog and then to reminisce about his years there. He was a camper in the late 60s and early 70s. In the photo above: Counselor on porch - Sam Pack; campers left to right: Robert Kishpaugh, Bill Madden (the fly smasher), Mark, Eddie, Gordon Trinkler, Stephen, Leroy, David, Robert Roux; Junior Counselor at foot of the stairs - Gil.

(Later: David Magid writes to suggest that the JC on the stairs was indeed Gil...Gil Short. David writes: "I'm pretty sure Gil was a CIT with me in '69. I also believe Gil was related to Digger Shortt - a nephew?")

Bill saw the photo of the old dining hall in a recent entry here, and remembered a story that seems in part to involve me. Here's Bill:

The dining facility had a large main area where campers and counselors ate and a much smaller dining room in the back where staff ate. Sometimes campers who skipped their assigned activity periods could be found playing board games kept in a small cabinet in the staff dining room.

One afternoon, I skipped an activity period and went there to play, and found it empty. Well almost empty. You see, someone must have left a window or door open and I found myself in the room with many, many, many flies. Strangely, on this particular afternoon, the tables had already been set. Fortuitously, for no reason I can think of, someone had left behind a cake spatula. It is one of those utensils with a wooden handle and a flexible rubber head. Most importantly, this item makes a fantastic fly swatter. I decided I certainly wouldn’t enjoy eating with all of those flies in there, so with all good intentions, I set myself upon the task of smashing the flies. And a BIG task it was, I’m not talkin’ just a few flies here. Well, the best I can describe the activity is as follows: flies landing on table tops and large flat dinner plates were easy kills. Almost as easy as plates, were the flies landing on napkin holders and sugar jars. Much trickier were salt and pepper shakers and utensil handles. Those locations required a special flick of the wrist. Cup rims were impossible, and after a few failed attempts those flies were ignored until they landed in a better location. I stayed at the job until I had smashed them all. I remember my great sense of accomplishment and, hoping for a few accolades, I went searching for someone in the dining facility to tell them what I had done.

Well, I found no one, and camp being the busy place it is, I soon forgot all about the flies.

The evening meal for campers always began with someone coming to the microphone and announcing the food was ready. The announcement would trigger a rush of campers (one server per table) heading to pick up the food. The rules required them to walk, and I have often thought the sport of speed walking may have started there.

On the evening of my good deed this routine varied just slightly. The person, not sure who (maybe Al Filreis), coming to the mike did not immediately announce the food was ready. Instead he started off saying “whoever smashed the flies”. I don’t recall the remainder of what was said, but vividly remember feeling tremendously surprised by the immense disapproval in his tone, followed by a great sense of relief that I had told no one as of yet, and firmly resolving not too. In fact, I have not said a word about it these thirty-some odd years. But now, finally, I confess it is I who smashed the flies.

epic high fantasy comes to Forest

For Forest village today it's "Lord of the Rings" day and here are counselors Doug and Tom in apt regalia.

Forest's day - as reported by Forest

Tom from Liverpool (returning international) and Noah Ferris. They're in cabin Infinity (it's cabin 8 but they've turned the 8 sideways to gain a certain elevated status) and over breakfast just now I heard about their day yesterday. There was a convoluted story I didn't quite follow about a "water fight [aimed at one of the counselors] that backfired." There was some kind of mainstreaming combo-village activity with Mac: a Sweet Sixteen birthday party for one of the Mac girls, with a cake and, actually, some dancing. The Forest boys actually spoke of "dancing" at this party with some glee. Really! I swear. Then last evening there was "Ultimate Sicko Ball," which I've explained before (I refer you back here for more on that game). Noah is the younger son of Jan and John Ferris, first-time camper, another one of the alumni children connecting to the place of their parents' dreams. At flag raising not more than 10 minutes ago I was asked to add a "pearl of wisdom." Mine was this: "Whenever you are feeling homesick...come back to Frost Valley."

Last night I talked with the Forest campers of another cabin and made an audio recording. Have a listen. Leo gives yesterday a "10" on a scale of 1-10.

Forest toasts

I joined a cabin in Forest for breakfast this morning. Counselors are Sam and Dave. Dave - David Sedden of England, and an avid reader of this blog - is the Village Chief, second summer at that position. (My instinct is that Dave is a future leader around here if he sticks with it.) Anyway, I was chatting with the boys and eating my cereal (Raisin Bran from the cereal dispenser, with some granola sprinkled on top, 0%-fat milk - but also a breakfast sausage and a few potato nugget-like thingies - and a mug of my own very strong coffee made at home) when suddenly Dave says to the group: "Okay, who's the waiter this morning." One boy raises his hand. "Well, then, you lead the toast." We all stood up. Raised our glasses of apple juice - I my mug - and the young man made a toast as follows: "I hope we have a healthful day." After we sat again, I asked Dave about this. He explained. I made an audio recording, so hear his reasons for the innovation. I like it.

The photo here shows three Forest boys on their way out after the meal. The boy at left, with the eyeglasses, is Benjamin Wechter, the son of our 1980s guy and active alum, Eric Wechter.

not afraid to fail

The thing about this project--this place, this idea, this somewhat planned and somewhat accidental legacy--is that people learn how to risk failure in order to have some free and even wild fun. In a word (is this the right word?) venturesomeness. Challenge Night is hardly the best instance of it, but it is an occasion where I at least can put forward the idea that failure is necessary to growth and success--that it's okay to fail. Etc. Simple stuff. I've been running Challenge Nights for the various villages this week (and will again next). Each one has a different flavor and cast. But the free-to-fail spirit pervades all. I mentioned this in a recent posting about Challege Night; take a look. I've made my usual Challenge Night t-shirts and give them to my volunteer VIP judges but also occasionally to a camper or staff winner. Here is a Forest boy proudly displaying his Adult Small "Al's Challenge Night" t-shirt, with the epigraph on back. Click on the image to enlarge, and read.

Forest Village, 1958

Forest Village in its first summer at Frost Valley, 1958. First row, left to right: Dick Nice (cabin 7), assistant village chief; "Hutch" Hutchinson, J.C.; Mike DeVita, Village Chief; Row 2, left to right: Dave Andresen, cabin 8; Larry Kaufmann, 6; Chet McLemore, cabin 10; Bill Bedall, 9.

Behind and to the left you see the "Rec Hall," the Forstmann cow barn which then, in '58, served as the dining hall and indoor activity building. Just above McLemore's head: Doubletop Mountain.

first lifers

Hal Ressmeyer and Mike DeVita saying goodbye to campers at the end of fourth session. These boys were in Forest all 8 weeks. Frost Valley's first lifers. Where are they now? Does anyone recognize them by name? Notice the lanyard hanging from the belt of the boy in black.

'80s pals

Benjamin Wechter is in Forest village this session. Ben is the son of Eric Wechter, our old friend from the 80s, and so naturally we got a chance to see Eric this past weekend. Milton Pittman also came to volunteer and so here's a reliable 80s trio: Eric (left), Milton (middle) and Bill Abbott (right), wearing three shades of volunteer/staff shirts.

Forest 1971

Here is Forest Village as it looked in the summer of 1971. You are facing the west, and can see the dining hall in the background. To your right is cabin 8 and in the middle, partly obscuring the dining hall behind it, is cabin 10. In the shadows between 8 and 10 is cabin 9. Behind you would be cabin 6 nearby and further behind you would be Totem, cabins 1 through 5. Today Hussey Lodge is roughly where cabin 8 is in this picture, and cabins 9 and 10 are still there but moved back a bit (not numbered and used for staff). Forest is now up the hill, where Outpost 11-15 used to be. Forest campers and staff reside in Hyde-Watson Lodge and cabin 8, which was given that old number but is really the original cabin 12.

return after 23 years

After an absence of some 23 years, Jim Neilson showed up today, the first day of session 3. He and his wife Jeannie brought their daughters to camp for the two weeks. Jim's been talking about Frost Valley the whole year. Leah's in Sacky, Brea's in Susky.

Jim now lives in Charlottesville, VA, where he works for Army Intelligence.

Jim was here from '82 through '85 - four summers. He was a counselor in Forest the whole time. That last summer, or maybe the last two summers, he worked in the bike shop repairing bikes (a thankless task as they kept getting pretty beat up).

He was ecstatic to be here!

googling Robinov

Marc Robinov's son was googling his dad's name over the holiday weekend - perhaps to see if there were any skeletons in his papa's closet - and found a mention of the name in this blog. Marc was mentioned in the entry about Lenny Aberman's CIT Journal a few months ago. I'll let Marc take it from here:

"What a pleasant surprise it was to find your FV Alumni Blog entry from Tuesday, February 5, 2008. My son did a web search for my name and discovered the entry! I was a resident camper with Lenny for many years and enjoyed being part of that wonderful group of CITs led by Glenn [Horton] and Dawn [Helfand] in July '82.

I have been on the computer browsing the entire blog for many hours this weekend. I found your September 13, 2007 entry, which included familiar faces, kind words about John Ferris, and the Lake Champlain adventure trip that you led. That was my first bike trip, which was followed other trips to Maine, led by Gary and Alexis Carter, one to Nova Scotia, led by Graeme Sephton and Ceil Smith (now Ceil Snyder), and the the 1st trip to Great Britain in '83.

I remember John as a great counselor and I was fortunate to be in his Outpost cabin either during the summer of '77 or '78. I also dug up my collection of FV papers and pictures, which also brought back many fond memories."

Marc was indeed a camper on the Lake Champlain bike trip I co-led with June Maiers in August 1979. Marc's older brother Scott was also a camper and later a JC and counselor (in Forest).

I'll add Marc to our alumni listserv now and send a hearty welcome back to him!

Above: Sequoia Village ("Adventure Village") summer 1981. Second row, to our far left, is Marc Robinov. Standing in the back, to our far right, is the VC, the Australian wonder, Ron Aggs. Fran Grayson, wearing one of those Wellness shirts with the rainbow design, is standing in the back, second from our left. Christine ("Chris") Briggs is in the third row, second from the right end, partially kneeling, with the long hair in a middle part.

mice vs. counselor

Another item from an old Wawayanda Wasp - this one not quite so old. It dates from 1968. It's a little item written by a Forest camper that summer named Peter Wallburg, and here it is in full:

"In Cabin 7, the unsuspecting counselor J.C. Pony came back from a meeting. He walked into his cabin where two mice came up to him and shook hands. They sat down to talk about getting the eight big brats out of their cabin."

I remember J. C. Pony very well, and I wish I knew where he was today. (Anyone know of him?) Last summer I started telling a somewhat scary story that involves Pony and overnights to the Haunted House site. Folks from that era will remember him for leading Forest in the cheer, "Has Forest got the spirit?!" (To which we replied, "Yeah, man!!") He had a way of cupping his hands over his mouth, leaning backwards and sideways at once, and shouting hoarsely in just such a way so that he never lost an ounce of cool. We would have followed him anywhere....

Now back to Peter Wallburg. I was a Lenape camper that summer ('68) and very vaguely remember the name of this kid from Forest. Vaguely. But I'm going to guess that he's the same Peter Wallburg was is the son of the elder Peter Wallburg who founded Peter Wallburg Photography Studio in Summit, NJ.

1966 and 2008, same view

Compare the scenes - from more or less the same view. My back is to the dining hall and I'm looking to the northeast at the lower level of cabins. Hussey Lodge is there (on the left of the new photo) where cabins 7 and 8 of Forest used to be. Cabin 6 (straight ahead) is gone now. The cabins in the distance (once: Totem) are still there. For more about this scene, go here.