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Friday, April 3, 2009
Spring Update
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Been
away for awhile? Check out old newsletters in the Archive ! |
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Letters
"I signed up for camp hoping it would change my life. It didn't. But it gave me the tools and resources, and most importantly, the inspiration, to go out and change my own life, and stop expecting other people to drop epiphanies in my lap, or change my life for me." -a camper
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We get letters... from parents, from new campers, from alumni of ten years ago and eighty years ago. Here are a few we thought you might enjoy (including a bit of art):
And a recent email:
"Hello, I'm an old camper. I was reminiscing a little about camp and decided to find you guys. I LOVED mondamin so much I got the indian head tattooed on my back. I took two tours in Iraq over the last two years. Sometimes I would get stuck on patrol, and i would find myself day dreaming about jumping off of the tower. Sometimes I when im in standing in the middle of the desert I imagine myself practicing my J stroke on the lake. Sometimes when I am feeling homesick I think about those times at camp when I would miss home. I would go find the closest activity and forget about all of it. Mondamin had a HUGE impact on the person that I am today. I miss all of you, and desperately wish I could be back in Tuxedo instead of guarding the Bagdhad airport.
"Camp Mondamin Will forever be one of the fondest memories that I have.
"Thank you for everything... Nick"
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2009 Staff
Registration is going well, the staff is nearly complete, the grass is riz... campers will be here soon! Many of last year's staff are back, and some good new blood rounds out a great looking counselor staff. Many of our top trip leaders, activity heads and line heads are signed on for the summer. Here’s a not-yet-complete list, in case you’re wondering. There are a few openings still, but not many…
Besides “us” (Andrew, Robert, Kim, Pat and Frank), there’s: Tim Kelnor, Brian Burton, Davis Felder, Beau Evers, Andrew Norman, Cliff Cowan, Courtland Smith, Charles Lapeyre, Bill Felder, Lawson Johnson, Sam Perry, Aaron Jewell, Nate Randall, Aaron Post, “Deaz”, Taylor Smith, Margi Gaffney, Barbara Fulciniti, Lyndsey Craig, Justin Freeman, Charlotte Forbes, Hannah Matthews, Tom Cowan, Rick Deluga, Emory Capps, Jackson Davis, Mike Harrington, Joe Griggs, Houston Taylor, J.S. Lyles, Lange Eve, Bobby Dowling, Erich Burton, John Evans, Jon Mullen, Chris Wack, Rob Kowalski, Tim Anderson, David Clarke, John and Cherie Jones. Probably: Caffery Garff, Mark Nicolson. All of our nurses from last year – Jo and Lauren in June, and Andrea and Venus in Main Camp – will be back. All but one of our camp doctors is a returner (some have been here for years). Apologies to our new staff members (including former campers): we’ve left out your names to save space, since few know you… yet!
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Wintertime...
Just over a month ago we had the best snow we've had in years (ain't like it used to be, kids...!!) It slowed us down some, but overall was a great "break" in the routine. We went sledding, tromping in the snowy woods, and enjoyed the crisp, clean look of the snow and ice. If you'd like to see more of what camp looks like in the snow, click here...
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New Toys
Every year about now we start stocking up on equipment and supplies for the coming summer. Some stuff stays with us for many years (horses… there are several 25 year old horses who’ve spent their lives here!) Some things we turn over regularly. Bikes, for example… we sold most of last year’s bikes, and this year are buying (for both Mondamin and Green Cove) 49 new bikes! (Which, by the way, will be for sale in August).
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Biking (from a biker's point of view)
Here’s some perspective on the bike program (pointed out by Clifford, head of biking in 2003, now biking “guidance counselor”, guru, and instigator of the "10 hour" bike event):
- We are ordering 49 new bikes this year.
In 2003 there were only 36 bikes total; most were 5 – 10 years old.
Counting legacy bikes, there are over 70 bikes in the fleet now.
- Both Green Cove and Mondamin have new buildings and a full bench of tools to keep bikes in excellent running shape.
In 2003 Mondamin stored bikes under the gym and had 3 tools.
In 2003 Green Cove had a shed that damaged bikes, was insanely hot in the summer, and no tools of any kind.
- Mountain biking has attracted a huge following in both camps. It is one of our most popular programs.
- The 10-hour events in 2007 and 2008 saw the highest camper attendance of any optional activity those years.
As a side note the number of girls outnumbered the number of boys at both events.
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Scholarship Program
March is “financial aid” month… not surprisingly, we had a record number of applicants for financial assistance this year. Thanks to the scholarship fund, we were able to give a record amount: $110,000, spread over more than 30 applicants. That doesn’t count folks on payment plans (which are relatively painless to arrange). We’ve pretty well depleted the piggy bank for June Camp, but are still looking at some applications for the Main Session.
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A huge “Thank you!” should go out to all who have donated to the scholarship fund, especially this year. You should know that your dollars are greatly appreciated, and are making camp possible for many campers this summer. If you’d like to join the list of donors, go to our website for information.
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Canoe and Kayak Clinic
Our annual spring Canoe and Kayak Clinic is scheduled for the first weekend in May, 2009. See the website for details (or just click here: http://mondamin.com/canoeclinic.html). Few things can beat a day on a river, and the opportunity to spend two days on rivers with Gordo, one of the best instructors I’ve ever known, makes for a fantastic weekend. The clinic has mostly been attended by adults, but young folks from around 12 up are welcome, if accompanied by an adult. (It's not a kids' beginner clinic, though).
As always, please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns that you may have.
Frank and the Mondamin crew |
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