Scamp Spirit Spring 2021
Dear Aloha 2021, I normally don’t consider myself to be much of a meme gal, but a friend sent me one recently that really stuck with me. It said, “Take a deep breath and remember who you are.” I stopped what I was doing, closed my eyes, and repeated the words to myself, letting them sink in from the soles of my feet to the crown of my head. As I did so, I realized that I was imagining myself on the shores of Lake Morey, comforted by the sounds of laughter and singing, and surrounded by all of you. Remembering who I was brought me to camp. Whether this will be your first summer with us or your twenty-first, Aloha represents the opportunity to discover or to reconnect with your best self — with the person you choose to be. Camp provides each of us the opportunity to breathe deeply, both literally and figuratively: to inhale the clean Vermont air and tangy scent of pine, and ground ourselves in a community rooted in relationships and possibility. Camp asks us to connect to the best parts of our humanity: to thrive on the confidence borne of independence, and the strength that comes from knowing we are part of something greater than ourselves. Camp gives us a deep and visceral knowing of our place and worth in the world, by tapping into our desire to help others and love fully, our willingness to take risks and embrace wonder, and our ability to discover elements of ourselves and the world around us that fill us with joy and hope, and inspire us to take ownership of our own reality.
This all sounds so lofty as I read it back to myself — it’s almost other-worldly and ethereal — but it’s true.
This is Aloha: the chance to take a deep breath and remember who we are. It’s a mission and a promise rolled into one — an experience we continue to build and refine together each minute of every day. And this summer, we get to live into that experience together. So maybe I might be a meme gal after all. I mean, I certainly won’t be one this summer, given that I’ll be blissfully unplugged from technology and far away from screens and “rectangles” (a.k.a. cell phones). What I will be plugged into, however, is the power of an Aloha summer full of promise, and the incredible community we will create together. Aloha’s counselors and I are planning an exciting season of opportunity, adventure, and fun. I can hardly wait to welcome you home. Aloha, Sarah littlefield Director of Aloha
#summergoals We asked some Aloha campers, What’s one way you hope to step out of your comfort zone this summer at Aloha? Here is what they said… “I’m challenging myself by making new friends.” MAYA BOEKELOO-DRAKE
“I want to try a lot of things I haven’t done before this year, like sailing and riflery.” LAURA COVE
“I hope to learn how to become a more confident leader; I struggle with people-pleasing tendencies, and I want to learn how to overcome and manage them this summer.” “This year I would like to step out of my comfort zone by striving to form connections with people I haven’t talked with before, and especially this year since there’ll be a lot of new faces!” ALICE MATHER
“I hope to step out of my comfort zone by sleeping in a tent.” ARI MCCALL
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JANET MONTGOMERY
“This summer, I hope to step out of my comfort zone by trying out some new activities! I’m going full session for the first time this year, so I’ll get to experience some of the fun first-half traditions and try out some different activities.” LORENZA JARAMILLO
CAMPER spotlight
georgia stephenson Returning Camper
What was a project you did at home, with your family, or as part of school this year that you are excited about and want to share?
A hobby that I’ve picked up over the past year in quarantine has been the guitar! I had always been interested in playing, as when I was little my dad used to play quite a bit. I had a guitar that had just been sitting in the corner of my room for years that I only picked up occasionally to learn a few chords. I had never really committed to learning how to play because I never had the time or the drive to do so, always being busy with school or camp in the summers. When Covid started and people started quarantining, I found myself bored a lot and just not having too much to do with nothing happening outside. So I decided to try and learn how to play my guitar using online videos and such. It was rough at first, but it got better and better the more and more I practiced. Now I would consider myself pretty ok at playing and have even found a style I liked (classical/fingerstyle) and bought myself a new guitar to use instead of the ¾ sized one I had been using. During quarantine, I was able to find a new passion that I’m not sure if I would have ever discovered without having so much time. I can’t wait to learn more!
sophia george First Year Camper, Former Hive Camper
During quarantine I learned how to draw animé pretty good. It was hard at first but the more I watched and practiced, the better I got.
Scamp Spirit • Spring 2021
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Aloha’s lesser travelled corners
On our beautiful Aloha campus, there are a lot of places with funny names that we use as meeting spots and tent family cookout locations, but maybe you’re not so sure where they are...or if they even exist at all.
Halfwinds An outdoor clearing halfway to Winships that’s a great meeting or overnight spot. It can accommodate an entire unit. Sleeper’s An overnight spot with two shelters and a firepit — past Halfwinds, but still a short walk away from Winships which has the best stargazing opps. Mad Hatter’s A cabin and outdoor fire circle down a path into the woods that’s just past the Art Barn. Hattie (Harriet Hulbert) and her cousin Madlin Gulick gave their cleverly combined names to this cabin (which used to be the family’s little oasis on Lake Morey), hence Mad Hatter’s. Mahoosucs A lean-to and fire circle in the woods near the Treehouse and Winships. It can accommodate two tent families, and is another overnight spot.
Do you know where the following unmarked places are at camp? We have some serious backyard explorations to do this summer! The Treehouse A great oversized tree house in the woods, complete with a spacious landing fifteen feet in the air that can sleep 8-10 people. Fred’s Fireplace A fireplace by our Sailing Department (also known as the Aloha Yacht Club, AYC) named after Fred Downing, a former Papa Woodchuck. Fern Glades A clearing and fireplace for tent family meals down on the waterfront near the Alumnae Shack and Swimming/Crew.
Here is a fun and handy map that Rebecca Sigel drew for us. Sigel is a former Mama Woodchuck, our term for the Head of Campcraft — another Aloha name that’s been around for ages — and she loves all the lesser-known nooks and crannies of Aloha! 4
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Hekoana This fireplace is below the Pines unit and above Jonesie’s shack (the shack next to the road, below Pines), and is a great place to cook a meal, make marshmallows, or just soak in the sun and the lake view.
department lore Arts at Aloha Did you know that Arts & Crafts at Aloha has seemingly limitless options such as painting, drawing, pottery (both hand-building and throwing on the wheels), jewelry-making, metal work, weaving (floor and table looms), crotchet, cross-stitch, knitting, photography, woodworking, sewing, copper enameling, macrame, costume design, pet rocks and quilting? And that’s not all! According to Head of Arts & Crafts, Brita Mutti, “...the Art Barn space is less predetermined than some of the other departments. Combined with the wide variety of materials and philosophy of exploration without judgment or strict guidelines, this allows creative growth, collaboration, and freedom.”
did some woodworking and basic fix-it tasks for the greater camp community (rewiring lamps, fixing chairs, etc.) Our old Tennis building — back before in that building for years. It was the Landsports was even a department home of Biking for a time, and then at Aloha (it was introduced in the Woodworking lived there for a bit. The 1990s) — was the “Lobster Pot” for cabin eventually became staff housing, the machine that “lobs” the balls — get and because Jonesie visited camp often it?! The Lobster Pot is now where girls after she stopped being a counselor, get their mail, and the Landsports Nancy named it after her. Jonesie, the building is called “The Tank.” Both renaissance woman that she was, is buildings are located on the way up to also credited for beginning the Crew the tent field from the Main House. program at Aloha.
little known department facts
Our Archery area is called “The Hood,” as in Robin and his merry band, and is located at the tip of our former horse barn at the end of the Archery range. Archery has existed in a couple of different places at Aloha over the years; at one point it was up on what we now call the Athletic Field, and our current archery range was the riding ring when we had horses. Archery moved back to its original home in the center of campus — where it is now — when we suspended the riding program. According to former Aloha Director Nancy Pennell, Jonesie’s shack (by the road and entrance to Aloha) was named for Alice Jones, long-time Aloha counselor in the 30s and 40s. Jonesie
The Canoeing and Kayaking Departments reside in the “Cabeen,” and according to Elizabeth Vaccaro, long-time Head of Canoeing, the word “Cabeen” came from a song, sort of a mispronunciation of the word “Cabin.” “Ratty’s Hole” is what we call the changing space for counselors in the boating departments (Canoeing, Kayaking, and Sailing). This is a reference to the home of one of the main characters, Ratty, in the classic children’s book, Wind in the Willows: “Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing — absolutely nothing — half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” — Kenneth Grahame
Scamp Spirit • Spring 2021
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NEW counselor spotlight
Mariama “Lemon” Lemon Kayaking & Biking
SCAMP SPIRIT: What department will you be working in this summer at Aloha? LEMON: I will be working in the Kayaking Department and also Biking this summer at Aloha and I am soooooo PUMPED!!!!! I started paddling my freshman year of high school. When I saw my first raging rapid, I was intimated and wanted to quit. It was hard to envision myself as a kayaker because I didn’t know anyone that kayaked and I was in a new environment surrounded by people who didn’t look like me. Fortunately, I found myself in an extremely supportive community where I felt comfortable enough to stay in that discomfort and challenge myself. During my first semester of college, I picked up mountain biking through the Outdoor Education department. When I first started, I was nervous but the more I peddled the more I understood how amazing my body and bike are. Even when I do fall, it just shows that I am challenging myself and that I am going to get better. That is what I love about the activity: you can walk some parts, ride others, and fall but it is still fun and you can also go back and try again. SCAMP SPIRIT: Can you tell us about a hobby or talent you have? LEMON: My favorite hobby is dance, I love to dance and I have been dancing since I was in the sixth grade. So far I have tried belly dance, kpop dance, hip hop, jazz, modern, tap, contemporary, and ballet. My favorite style has to be modern. Please, please, come find me if you want to have a dance party. Also come join me if you find me randomly dancing around — there is no such thing as bad dance!
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Molly Brigham Campcraft
SCAMP SPIRIT: What department will you be working in this summer at Aloha? MOLLY: I will be working in the Woodchuck Hole, so you can find me on lots of trips! I spent lots of my childhood hiking and camping and have continued to do so into adulthood. In 2019, I spent eight months camping and hiking all around the United States. I have been to 43 National Parks and plan on crossing them all off my bucket list. I feel the most freedom and confidence while in the woods and I can’t wait to share this passion with campers! SCAMP SPIRIT: Can you tell us about a hobby or talent you have? MOLLY: I am teaching myself how to convert a Ford van into a tiny house, so that has been rad! I plan on living in my van full time (yes, it will be at Aloha this summer), and adventuring the country when it is safe. I also LOVE to scuba dive, particularly with big sharks! I have spent some time in the Bahamas and South Africa working and diving with sharks. I’d be a fish if I could. SCAMP SPIRIT: Word associations — I will say a word or phrase, and you say the first word you think of back... Dance Party: daily Challenge: accepted Delicious: apple
ELEVATED MAC ’N’ CHEESE By the Kayaking Department
a letter from the program director Dear Aloha 2021, What a year, right? A year of hardship, and change. A year full of discovery for a lot of us. I know for me, I certainly discovered a lot about myself, things I want, things I don’t want, things I like — you get the idea. The biggest thing I’ve learned is that you never know how things will turn out, you just have to have hope. One day in 2020 we all woke up to our world turned upside down. We couldn’t see our family, our friends, and life as we knew it was changed in an instant. For a while I grieved the loss of the world we all knew, pre-pandemic. What I learned during my grieving process is that given any situation, you must always be willing to adapt. Not your quality world picture? Make some changes, switch it up. Be flexible. This will be my first summer back at camp since 2016. During the quarantine, stuck inside like many of you, I realized that after the year and a half where things were constantly changing, I needed to go back to the place that I knew was the same. A place I’ve always called home, where I could be silly and playful and myself. The thing is, while camp hasn’t changed, I have. This summer I’m coming back a better person than I was before. I’m now someone who is flexible and willing to accept change and adapt to any new situation. I used to hate when reality did not coincide with my quality world picture. Now, I feel as if there’s an excitement in the unknown, in the ability to adapt to a new situation and I’m excited to bring that to camp this summer. I wish I could properly explain how excited I am to see you all, to experience camp with you, and for us all to come home to our lovely oasis in Vermont. See you soon, Taylor Brown
Eliza Kissick Carrie Kissick Elise Baker & Joe Whyte (Serves 4)
Ingredients: 1 Box of Macaroni 1 Packet of Powdered Cheese 1 L arge block of Cheddar Cheese, cut into cubes or sliced for easier melting 1 tsp. Garlic Powder Salt and Pepper, to taste Cayenne Pepper, pinch
Method: • Boil water over the stove. Add the macaroni and cook for 7-10 minutes until al dente. • Drain the pasta. • Stir in the powdered cheese and mix. Slowly add the cheddar cubes to determine how much is enough. • Add salt, pepper & garlic to taste. • A dd the cayenne pepper or have people add spice individually.
ENJOY!
Scamp Spirit • Spring 2021
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2968 Lake Morey Road Fairlee, Vermont 05045
Mark your calendars FULL SEASON: June 23–August 11, 2021 FIRST SESSION: June 23–July 17, 2021 SECOND SESSION: July 19–August 11, 2021