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.

happy cabin

Cabin 42, Lakota Village, fourth session.

another Filreis joins the staff

My daughter Hannah is a junior counselor in Lakota village this month (sessions 3 and 4). This session her "co-" (as they say) is Shelle from Wales. For some reason at the first dinner of the session last night they decided to wear braids and party hats.

CQ grilling

Gorgeous night last night. All the stars, very cool temperatures: into the 40s. I was "on call"--which means that I was one of two folks whose responsibility it was to check every village at curfew (1 AM) to make sure all campers are accounted for and safe and that all staff are back in the village. It's a long night. Fortunately Rafik Ghobrial (Egypt; VC Forest; late 70s) was willing to walk around with me much of the night, and Dave Sacker (80s/90s) was willing to stay until the end (along with Allye Glicker who was the other On Call director). We stopped at six or seven bustling CQ fires. At Lakota the staff were grilling - at a relatively new or (anyway) previously little-used campfire site a little down the steep hill from 41-45. Roasted veggies (peppers of various colors), burgers, and a few other late-night niceties. Listen closely to the sound track of this video clip and you'll hear (and maybe even see) a burger fall into the fire, whereupon the intrepid Lakota counselor rescued it from the coals and put it back on the grill. Then Sacker's comment, then mine. And listen to the random half-sentence chatter going on around. Though it's a very short clip, anyone who's ever sat CQ will instantly remember the classic quality of this scene.

old cabins on "the hill"

Cabins 41 through 45 seen at dusk recently. Many reading this will remember them as Girls 11-15 (Sacky for many decades). In the 21st century this village has been the home of Lakota, a girls' village in Wawayanda between Susky and Sacky by age. You can see four of the five in the row--possibly, if you look closely, you can see all five. I was one of those who used to complain about how jammed-together the cabins on "The Hill" are. I've even been known to call them tenements. But their location has grown on me over the years. The cabins themselves are pretty worn (having not really been renovated since they were built in 1965 or '66). But the campers and counselors who live in them swear by the scene: they love it. The walk from cabin 46 (formerly 16 in Tacoma, now Susky) is the longest walk to the dining hall from a place of campers' residence. So 45, which you see in the foreground, is the second-longest walk. If you have stories about these two "hill" villages, send them to me at afilreis [AT] gmail [DOT] com.

Tom Cometa writes: "Cabin 45 was our family camp cabin for 6 years. Dylan, 7 years old, has been practically raised there. True, the cabins in old Sacky are "worn" at best. From year one, Andria has asked Carmel for an upgrade. The walk to the dining hall is long. Nevertheless, the villages up there have a certain inexplicable charm. Two years ago we got our upgrade. We now have a very fancy, upscale cabin 15 in the old Lenape ring. The boys were heartbroken. Andria is digging the carpet, the space, double sinks and two bathrooms. I know she misses the old hood, though. It's peaceful up there among the trees above Lake Cole. When I showed the picture of cabin 45 to Dylan he said, 'Let's go back there, Daddy. I miss that cabin.'"

Lakota VC weds

A happy update on Kate Bischoff. As of October 11, she goes by Kate Pristash. She and Dan Pristash were married that day. They live in Princeton, NJ, and will soon move to Roebling, NJ. At Frost Valley Kate was a camper, later a counselor and finally a VC of Lakota. Congrats to Kate!

little bit o' Lakota love

Don't these Lakota girls look happy? Sunny today day after a bunch of rainy days, so there's one reason. The one in the middle is Brea, and she's the daughter of Jim Neilson who was a staff here in the 80s. Jim and his wife send both his daughters here despite residing in Virginia. Naturally Jim was anxious to hear how Brea's doing? I asked her and she said, "Great!" "Are you homesick at all?" I asked. She said, "No!" - whereupon her cabin 42 pals gathered around for some Lakota love and this snapshot.

before a Castle tour

This group - the girls of Lakota village cabin 43, first session this summer - seemed smiley enough before we entered the mysterious Castle for a "tour." Half of these kids are in their fourth summer at FV, having started in Pokey and done two summers there.

two camp generations on a Friday

Allye and Jesse Glicker had visitors yesterday and took part of the morning off to spend time with Aunt Dawn and Uncle Russ. Yes, these are the Helfands, who, with sister Robin (the Glickers' mom), were mainstays here in the 70s and early 80s. From left to right: Jim Huebner (Dawn's husband); Russ Helfand; Jesse Glicker, Susky counselor; Heidi Benoit, Russ' wife; Dawn Helfand Huebner; Allye Glicker, VC of Lakota.