Scamp Spirit FALL 2021
Dear Aloha 2021, You may remember from my daily readings at morning assemblies that I love the poet Mary Oliver. She once advised readers that we keep some room in our hearts for the unimaginable, words that resonated with me all of last spring as I eagerly awaited the summer of 2021. The idea that Aloha could be “unimaginable” to me may seem silly to some of you; at this point, the songs, the traditions, and the land have all written themselves into me over time in myriad ways. Yet each spring I find some aspects of the upcoming camp season to be unimaginable — because we will create our Aloha summer together in a way I could never have seen fully on my own.
as soon as the first counselor ran down the hill to greet their camper, I knew it was going to be another summer of Aloha magic. This summer was particularly outside the realm of my imagination. After a year of being away physically from family and friends, it was hard to picture everyone coming back together on the shores of Lake Morey. Yet as soon as the first counselor ran down the hill to greet their camper, I knew it was going to be another summer of Aloha magic. In what felt like an instant, we were jumping in the
lake, portaging canoes, channeling creativity in the Art Barn, filling the Hale with music, and walking up to the units arm-in-arm with friends. Even though I’ve seen Aloha come together as a community almost thirty times, the unique fabric of each summer never fails to amaze me. As I reflect on our time together, I’ve been thinking a lot about our summer theme, “together we can...”. Together, we figured out trips and rank work after a summer away. We worked through meals and singing in a set-up that included both a dining room and the anarchy tent. We made a birthday last for an entire summer. Together, we worked to create a sense of belonging for every member of our community. That sense of connectedness doesn’t have to stop just because we are no longer physically proximal to one another. No matter where we are, we can continue to be our best Aloha selves, and keep taking care of each other. If we do that, the magic of another Aloha summer will be upon us in no time at all. Until then I’ll be leaving room in my heart for Aloha 2022, and for the unimaginable. Aloha and love always,
Sarah littlefield Director of Aloha