days off with internationals

From the summer of 1975 through the summer of 1980 (or so) I would, each summer, take a camp van (or a caravan of our own cars) and drive a bunch of internationals, and a few U.S. staffers, up to "the farm" - the farmhouse and 90-acre farm where, during my undergraduate days at Colgate, I rented digs, with friends, from the great Long Island schoolteacher-turned-farmer Ray Sobel and his wife Marcia.

In the summer of '79 or '80 (can't remember which) I took a group that included Jurgen Bobrowski, from Germany - a wonderful guy who, I think, was a counselor in Outpost. In the group photo, we have: Vicky from Australia, Paul Nelson (US - VC of Outpost), Odile from France, Rocky from Japan, Nina from Norway, Sassi from Tunesia, Pascale, Else (the blonde), and Paoul (yellow shirt) from Denmark. There's also John Ferris, USA, VC of Lenape. In the bottom picture, there's Paul Nelson (at left), walking next to farmer Roy Sobel, Rocky from Japan, and at right, Patti Sharp, from Stevens Point Wisc. who was that summer the VC of Sacky.

Geronimo!

David S. took this photo of a rousing game of Geronimo with Lakota. Dan Weir stopped by to play and got caught in the middle during a round of "Bopper." I was clearly in the act of saying a name or number as Dan was running at my to bop me before doing so. I recall that we kept Dan in the middle for a long time that day!

the old dining hall

Photo send to me by Mike Rubin. It was probably taken in 1973 or so. The photographer stood to the east of the dining hall and was looking westward at it. To the right the large kitchen extended far back. To the left you see, from the side angle, the entry to the long covered wrap-around porch.

Roe and friends

1986 or 87? - in the then-new dining hall: Rosemary Balchunas, Gretchen Whaley, Sue Applebaum Goldberg and India Hopper Crawford.

friends

At camp we make friends of all kinds.

when Margetts Lodge was brand new

Looking at the side of Margetts from the east - from near the road/trail to Sequoia.

chapel 1977

Linda Richards, 1978

1977 staff photo

A portion of the 1977 staff photo, taken at the end of staff training. Standing, far left, is Bill Brown (Halbe's son). Third from left standing is Rafik Melek (VC of Forest that summer). Back row of those sitting, at left, with mustache: Stan Treadway, and next to him, blonde hair parted in the middle - Carol Wolf. Below Carol, with dark hair and mustache: Rick Cobb. To Rick's left: the late Ken (Natch) Wedel. A few people over from Natch, glasses and dark beard: Bob Davis. Right in front of Bob is Gustavo Giraldo Restrepo from Columbia. Cut off, standing at far right: Leslie Black. Center and sitting, bottom (two rows below Natch Wedel) is Dawn Helfand. To Rick Cobb's right, below Bill Brown: Gerry Piltzer.

From the same picture: dark shirt, Leslie Helms; at right, front row sitting, Melanie Brown (now Freshwaters), daughter of Halbe's brother Tom Brown. Behind Leslie is Matti from Finland.

Smith Lodge with the "rec hall" under construction in the background

I know this photo was taken in 1975. You can see that the area behind Smith Lodge is roped off because the ground is seeded for grass after the then very recent construction of the dialysis unit and porch in the back of the building. And you can see, to the left in the background, the beginnings of Margetts Lodge arising out of the "old rec hall." The Rec Hall was a barn with a stone foundation (the very same used for the front rooms of Margetts Lodge today), and, on its eastern end, there was a concrete-block creamery that served from 1958 until 1974 as "the program office." You can see the large back room being framed in.

hiking with Halbe

you know what Joy White believed from her t-shirts

Joy White was the first nurse at Frost Valley to advocate explicitly for girls' and women's wellness.

camp's front gate in mid-1970s

more photos from Dave King's induction into the FV Hall of Fame

Photos by Dave and Shirley's daughter Kathy.

Ken Hamlin ("Hambone") & Dave

From left: Dave King, Frank Rutan, Kathy King Steinwedel, Ellen Rutan.

Dave with Jim Ewen.

"there's a place in the world for Frost Valley...."

We sang our version of a Dan Fogelberg song ("There's a place in the world for the gambler...") at the Hirdstock evening concert. Meg Lawrence, Pat Keogh, Alex Draper and I.

2013 Wawayanda VCs and directors (minus 2)

Here are the Wawayanda VCs and directors (minus Kat from MiniMAC and Alex from Outpost).

the last day

Jerry Huncosky watches the various goodbye-saying activities in the field, an hour before the buses and parents' cars arrive to take everyone away from another summer.

her W patch

Today she's earned her W7 patch, signifying her seventh summer at Frost Valley. She says to me: "Four more years and I'm a lifer!"

last breakfast dance

Here we have our Wawayanda Director and a Totem camper dancing at the final breakfast of the session and summer. These two have quite a connection. Gianni is the fellow who, as I mentioned previously, came up to the directors' table every meal to pronounce: "I want to go home."

"Oh it won't be long / 'til the summer comes...."

A remarkable song sung by David Seddon last night at Hird's closing campfire.

Frost Valley kids finish the sentence: "In my lifetime I want to...."

I came across a giant piece of white paper - scribbled all over - taped to the fireplace in front of the dining hall the other day. It had been an activity the previous day. I and others were fascinated by it. I read all the responses. Here, below, is a selection. It will give you heart. It might give you even more confidence that we here at Frost Valley are doing good work. It might make you want to come back and help. It might make you want to stay.

As I contemplate my own departure today, all I can think of is the first chorus of Joni Mitchell's great song "Urge for Going":

I've got the urge for going,

But I never seem to go....

session 4 faces

Some faces of session 4.

directors show off their completely legit sneakers

The assistant directors of Hird and Wawayanda show up their completely legit new sneakers. Can you discern in their expressions a little bit of pride in this acquisition?

at the final closing campfire of summer '13....

The staff of Windsong sings a song. Both Wawayanda's and Hird's campfires were really wonderful last night.

hunker hawser: okay, so the old guy isn't undefeated

In demonstration rounds of Hunker Hawser at Challenge Night, I'm 0 for 2 against David Seddon. Somehow I managed to defeat several young and impressively strong staffers earlier in the summer but by this point Seddon had me exactly where he wanted me.  This was a late fourth-session Tacoma Lenape C.N. - the last of the summer.

Seddon: I'll be back!