reunion hoopla

FV people never outgrow the best antics: hoopla.

Bud Cox, Doug Kerr

17 years of former EE staff helping out

Last weekend was the 17th Annual Frost Valley Alumni Winter Volunteering Reunion Weekend. As always, we had a terrific time. We had 9 adults, 5 teens, and 4 little ones push tubes, lead hikes, amuse guests, re-live fond memories, and celebrate the spirit.
For me, the best part was that 7 Frost Valley instructors were able to attend the Winter Educator's Conference at the nearby Ashokan Campus for some training, networking, professional development, and fun. (Well, maybe the best part was the food, beauty, skiing, comraderie, broomball, and late-night visiting.) Perhaps you'll be able to join in the fray in 2012. Stay in touch! - Kenis Sweet

friends since the early 1980s

Allison, Kste and Molly (left to right) met as campers in the early 1980s and they continue to this day as the closest of friends. They were reunited at the place where this extraordinary lifelong friendship began--you guessed it, FV. At the September 2010 reunion.

assorted favorites reunited (video & audio)

At the reunion Vespers - the theme was friendship - Lexi Cariello, Chris Harper and Chrissy Mohle reunited as a group known in recent years as "Assorted Favorites" to sing an absolutely beautiful and apt song for the occasion. There's no way to say here--not without the need of filling too many screens of text--exactly why this song is apt. You'll have to trust me, if you weren't there, that it was. They (as it is said) had their audience, had us, held us, holding our breaths. And then it was over.

Here is both a video (YouTube - click on the dark image above) and also audio-only (downloadable MP3). I'd go for the MP3 if I were you: download it and stick it on your iPod. Then when someone asks you to explain the magic of Frost Valley, pull out your tunes and play them this one. (To stream the audio, click on the sideways triangle in the link above. To download, right-click on "MP3.")

in hunker hawser, Dave Mager still champ

Reunion-style Challenge Night. The 1980s won again! (Actually there's some dispute as to whether the 90s or 80s won at the 2006 reunion.) The second-to-last challenge was of course Hunker Hawser - decade vs. decade. Dave Mager (80s) - the world champ - was challenged by Dave Scherer ("Radio Dave") in the final. Mager won. The other photo here was merely a demonstration round - John Giannotti vs. me (John won). Mager's tactic is legendary: he calmly sets himself on the very corners of the milk crate and waits until his opponent tires of tugging and feinting. For a while, Dave played skip-rope with the rope, but Mager was unflappable.

Connor's friends

A great photograph (taken by Max Flatow) of Connor Donohue's sister Caroline and some of his friends who gathered at the recent FV reunion in part to honor and remember him.

why Andy paid so much for the Mt. Hayden sign

Here you see Andy Wiener and family not long after Andy outbid others (including me) and took home the fabled "Mt. Hayden" sign which had for so many years graced the top of the Hayden Lodge chimney. (For those who don't know: we used to climb up that stone chimney with ropes and harnesses - rock-climbing. The sign was at the top. When you climbed up successfully you touched the sign before coming down.) Now we have the huge "Y"-shaped climbing tower and zipline set-up in another part of camp, so it seemed time to remove the Mt. Hayden sign. We auctioned it during the reunion and fetched the highest price: $1,150!

Here's Andy on why he did what he did:

I spoke truthfully while I was present in that moment. I wanted that sign because while dropping Geffen [younger daughter--at right in photo] off this season I noticed it was gone and anticipated that it would turn up. A prize to be won at auction. However I knew it must mean so much more than that to me. Really – why want it?

I’m big on symbols. Symbols, talismans, idols, icons; if it’s a graphic depiction, poem or tangible article that represents something else, I’m interested. I’m also a very sentimental guy. I couldn’t always identify it, and I wasn’t always mature enough to admit it, but I’m a grown man now so I can own it. I’m a sentimental guy.

That Mt. Hayden sign is a priceless piece that has been the signpost for all of the challenges overcome at summer camp every day for generations. What camper didn’t at some point in his stay overcome a personal challenge? Or set and achieve a personal goal? And what staff member didn’t navigate his own set of similar experiences? Ending 4th session with the same selfless enthusiasm with which you began 1st session is real challenge in itself. Barb Bartis taught me that one and I was one of her many challenges that summer I’m sure.

Campers continually need to overcome the real challenges of homesickness, learning to self-monitor their own behavior and learning to get along with – and perhaps even grow to love – people who are so very different than the people they are accustomed to spending their time with. And whether the goal is completing the low ropes course, participating in a trust fall or – wait for it – climbing Mt. Hayden, the act of setting that specific and measurable goal and working to achieve it is a valuable life lesson learned at Frost Valley but employed for an entire life’s journey .

That’s why I want this sign. And during next reunion’s auction I want a shot at taking home a cable bridge. It is, perhaps, the only worthy competitor to the symbol that is Mt. Hayden.

gathering of Wawayanda directors

Most or perhaps all of the Wawayanda Directors who were in attendance at the reunion, from left to right: Bob Eddings, Dave Haight, Deb Singer Hanna, Al Filreis (that's me), Eileen Barnes Hahn, Helen Cornman, Dan Weir, and (tall guy in the back) Dave King.

Roe, Mark, Jen

From left to right: Roe Balchunas, Mark Gottdenker, and Jen Antinoro. Jen came to FV this past weekend all the way from the San Francisco area.

Jake Kerr talks about his grandpa, Chuck White

Apologies: the audio at the end of this video is marred by the gusts of wind that messed with my iPhone.
At the Morning Reflection/In Memoriam service held Sunday morning at Reflection Pond, we remembered and honored seven people who have passed away since the last reunion. The service was organized beautifully by Helen Cornman (who did the same in 2001 and again in 2006). Jerry Huncosky spoke evocatively about Eva Gottscho and also a former camper and staffer--a young woman who'd had a kidney and heart transplant--both of whom died in the past year or so. Dave King remembered our second nurse at FV, Gerry Lester. Lisa Ernst and I remembered Marie and Charles Kremer. Jeff Daly spoke eloquently and movingly about Connor Donohue, many (many) of whose friends came to the reunion to devote themselves to celebrating Connor's life and impact on FV. "Jeff," Connor said at the end of session 3 one summer (he would be missing session 4), "I'm not finished yet," and the phrase became an apt theme. John Giannotti implicitly remembered his son Oran as he sang a slow soulful version of Donovan's "Catch the Wind." And speaking of wind, it blew briskly as Capt. Jacob (Jake) Kerr rose to tell us of his memories of Chuck White. Yes, as readers of this blog know, Chuck passed away not too long ago. A huge loss, felt no more keenly by anyone than by Jake, who was (not by blood but by every other measure) Chuck's grandson.

what would you pay to have the old FV entrance sign at your house?

Brian Butler "donated" this sign to be auctioned off at the alumni auction, which was held Sunday afternoon at the reunion. I put "donated" in quotation marks because, well, Brian seems to have been around years ago when this sign--which graced the main FV entrance for many, many years--was being replaced by the current sign, and, well, "put it in a safe place" until such time as it could be used to benefit others. (How's that for a sweet version of a possibly sordid tale of absconding.) Anyway, all's well that end's well. In an auction that was by far the best of these we've done, and which raised a total of $5,500 for camperships (yes, $5,500), this was the second-most sentimentally valued item. I'll tell you later about the most valued item - and will tell that tale along with a photo of the highest bidders for that.

just back from the reunion

I'm just back from the big reunion at Frost Valley. It's hard to get an accurate count--what with people coming and going, and many showing up for the day on Sunday--but I think we must have reached 350 at some point. Lots of FV lifers all in the same place at the same time. As I gather my photos and videos I'll put some of them up there. You can be sure, too, that our FV Facebook friends will be posted hundreds of additional images. I'll try to collect a few of these for this blog as well. Meantime, having just arrived home and begun to sort through 350 emails awaiting me from the past three days, I found a nice one from Lorraine Devlin Welch: a photo taken by her of Bill Devlin (her dad--at left), myself and Dave King (you can see Eva Devlin partially in the corner). We had a long talk before Sunday evening's dinner...about the old (old) days. More soon. Keep checking back.

register for the Labor Day 2010 reunion now

Click on the image above, then print out the form and mail it to Frost Valley to reserve spaces now for the Labor Day Frost Valley alumni reunion! Do it soon and you'll get the lodging you want.

big reunion coming

If you have questions--if you want to help plan--call (973) 744-3488.

alums go gaga

FV staff alumni and their children play Gaga (in the "Gaga Pit"!) at the mini-reunion last weekend. Standing straight ahead in the picture (in blue jacket) is Josh Tucker.

find someone who was once your own secret sweetie

Click HERE and you'll have a PDF copy of the two-page "Human Scavenger Hunt" we did after breakfast on the first full day of the 2001 (Wawayanda Centennial) reunion at Frost Valley. Most readers of this blog will know how we play Human Scavenger Hunt, but just in case you've half-forgotten: you run around collecting signatures of anyone who can answer the question or can do the task asked. "Find someone who brought the 'Pygmy' stories to Frost Valley." There were at least two of those people in the room that morninng: Bob Hettler and Ken Barton (from Camp Fitch, where the Lake Erie-bound pygmies were first sighted). Or: "Find all the members of the Sacker family who are here at this reunion." Easy--there were two: David and Diane. "Find someone who can briefly explain what this was all about: George Gruner's boycott of Wonderbread." That was in '73, the time of the CIA overthrow of Allenda in Chile and the connection between ITT Bakeries (who made Wonderbread) and the CIA. Okay, get it? Now click on the PDF, download, and see how we'll you would have done.

Castle tour to end all Castle tours

It was billed as the Castle tour to end all Castle tours. It might well have been the greatest Castle tour-giving talent assembled in the old mansion's living room at one time. The featured tellers were Dave King (not pictured here), Chuck White, Bill Devlin, Dave Haight, Dave Gold, and Bud Cox. This (again) was Labor Day 2001, the Wawayanda Centennial (1901-2001) reunion. In this picture you see Bill Devlin (white beard), Chuck White (wearing sweater), Dave Haight (next to Bill), and Dave Gold. Bud and Dave King were on the other side of the room.

three great FV talents re-unite

Stan Treadway, Lisa Ernst (center) and Nancy Brady Smith - saying hello to each other not long after arriving at the Labor Day 2001 reunion.

wellness revolution

Since this summer we're inaugurating a big beautiful new Wellness Center, it seemed apt to dig back into the history of the Wellness Revolution, which took place from around 1976 through 1981 or so. In '77 and '78 in particular, it seemed that every thing we did, said, touched, trained and progammed was wellness, wellness, wellness. It was such a huge change, and bred such natural resistance among the campers and staff (and to some degree camper parents also), that I suppose it could never have happened had it not been so forcefully and relentlessly implemented. Had it not felt to many to be a rejection of beloved customs and the general spirit of the place (what-the-heck fun, a certain spirited recklessness, a non-PC approach to giving kids a good time), it would have seemed too obvious to fuss about. After all, the idea was simple: camp should be a place where kids have lots of healthy options; where they can get away from the Junk Food, Couch Potato World out there.

Several effective and well-meaning zealots were empowered by our Exec Director, Halbe Brown, to make this happen, and several mild-mannered good-health-above-all types, such as the beloved Mike Ketcham, continued in their genial ways but felt emboldened by the zealots, made it all happen. And fast. Cigarette smokers on the staff were confined to a small space. Soda, candy and ice cream served for many years in the canteen were gone. And the after-dinner "canteen" (long lines visiting the camp store on the end of Hayden Lodge) was eliminated, which, since it was a hang-out hour for both camps, felt like a huge loss to everyone. It was our free period after dinner and the only time in those days that Boys' and Girls' Camp could casually get together. Sugar was removed from the dining hall tables.

And staff training was completely redone. I might be misremembering, but I believe that in '78 at least 50% of the week-long staff training was on topics and programs related to Wellness. That's a lot!

The iamge here is a scan of the cover design for the 1978 Counselor's Manual. Oh that design! It was on the manual, on t-shirts, on brochures... everywhere. The people were (ironically) drawn as pudgy generic figures, skin color quite diverse (more diverse than the actual people on staff, though we were trying) and rainbows always in the background (just in case you didn't get the idea).

By '81 or '82 we'd moderated the emphasis a bit, but the change had been made and Frost Valley as a whole - not just summer camp - is much better for it.

Now the challenge is: We have an fine new Wellness Center, which we're formally dedicating on September 13, so we need to re-focus on some of the old Wellness questions. I don't mean health and medical ones (content ones)--although these are also of crucial importance--so much as institutional-political ones: what is the tone with which we want to be wellness "back"? There are many many possibilities among the options.

At the 2006 Labor Day reunion Dari Litchman (a wonderfully design-conscious person) thought to base the reunion T-shirt on this by-then outdated late '70s design. It was hilarious and everyone loved the retro look. How funny (well, not funny, but you fill in the word) that wellness could have become retro! It's then, it's now.

Above: the new Guenther Wellness Center (to the left of the Brown pavillion) as you see it from the lower field. I was standing in front of the Ad Office when I snapped this shot yesterday. The building is up on the hill about 200 feet to the southwest of the dining hall. You can see it's landscaped already, grass growing, and it blends into the hillside well. I'll have more photos of the building later.