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Aloha Hive Buzz Early Spring 2018
Hello Hivers! Each year campers and counselors come together at Hive and create a unique summer community built on learning, growth and FUN. Last summer was like all previous summers in this way, with young girls and their counselors climbing mountains, baking crackers, milking goats, and practicing cartwheels. Hive campers have the opportunity each day to learn new skills, as well as the time and space to hone and perfect the skills that are the most important to them. Leaving the familiarity of home and the distractions of the modern world behind also provides time and space for self-reflection, often with the support of an experienced counselor to guide that reflection. Some of the most important work at camp begins with these questions:
6 When something was hard to do, how did you face that? When you were scared to try something new, how did you deal with that? 6 When you saw someone else struggling to learn something new, what did you do? When you saw someone homesick or sad, how did you help? But beyond the surface-level work on our physical talents, our girls spend each camp day learning about who they are. This work is at the root of creating the loving and caring community we build each summer, that in turn helps each of us grow into caring and loving people. These experiences help us understand how to support, be compassionate, trust and enable us to take risks, and then with some resiliency and perseverance, get to a place we feel better about who we are. These are just some of the social and emotional skills that help us be our best and where we continue the journey to being our best selves. Before we know it, it will be Opening Day on Lake Fairlee, and we’ll welcome Hivers old and new to our Summer of 2018. Aloha,
Kathy & Gretchen aloha hive buzz • Early Spring 2018 1
WHAT’S BUZZING? Inside this issue...
Aloha... 3
From Sconway, our Elfin Unit Head on Resiliency
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From Babs, our Lolander Unit Head on Trust
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From Charlotte, our Dolphin Unit Head on Compassion
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From Nancy, our Music Director on Music
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From Clara, our Assistant Director of Music on Singing at Camp
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From MacKenzie, our Hilander Unit Head on Risk-Taking
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From Catherine, our Anti-Q Unit Head on Empathy
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From Katrina, our Program Coordinator on Perseverance
11 2018 Aloha Foundation Calendar
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Check out our website!
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2 aloha hive buzz • Early Spring 2018
Alooooooooha, Elfins! Oh my goodness, I cannot believe that it is already winter! I hope you all are doing well and are getting excited about Hive 2018! I wanted to take the time to talk to you all about a valuable skill that I learned at camp. As most of you know I have spent many, many summers at Hive. After 17 years at camp, how can there be anything left for me to learn? The truth is that I learn something new about myself and how to work together with others every single year. Camp is a place where both campers AND counselors get to learn and practice skills. One of the most valuable skills I get to practice at camp is resiliency, which in simple terms means bouncing back from something that was difficult. One of the things that I love most about camp is that it presents so many opportunities for me to fail. Yes, you read that right! At camp, we encourage each other to try new things including things that might seem scary or hard. For example, after spending six years in the canoeing department, I decided I wanted to try something new: sailing. I knew how to sail, but it had been years since I had been in a sailboat and I was scared to leave a department that I felt comfortable in. Luckily, Kathy Plunkett and Katrina Brown encouraged me to take a positive risk and switch departments. It was a hard summer. I was very unsure of myself and I failed A LOT: I accidentally capsized boats, I got stuck in irons all of the time, and I could only teach the first sailing rank. There were days when I wanted to give up. But I didn't because I had people who encouraged me to get back on my feet, dust myself off, and try again. I failed so many times that first summer in sailing that bouncing back from challenges became part of my daily routine.
I bet that all you Elfins (and other campers) can relate to my story. As Elfins, you all took a giant risk in coming to camp for the very first time. I know it was new and scary, and many of you faced the challenge of being away from home for the first time or not knowing anyone. You had to be resilient in overcoming uncertainty. We practice being resilient away from camp too. Think about how many little things don't go our way each day: it's not the lunch we want, the weather is yucky, you can't find your keys (maybe that's just me...). Have any of you noticed that you are a bit better at handling tough situations after going to camp? You might not realize it, but take a second to think about how you overcome big and small obstacles every day. That is you being resilient and that is something to be proud of! Aloha,
Sconway aloha hive buzz • Early Spring 2018 3
My community, depending on where I am, could be my tent family, my unit, my swimming group, my family. It could be my friends, neighbors, or my class. As I practiced trusting myself, others, and my community at camp, I began to carry it over into other parts of my life without realizing it. If I trusted those around me, I felt more willing to try new things. If I trusted myself, I surprised myself with what I could do for myself and others.
Howdy, HIVERS! Shout out to my Lolanders in the front! Who here is interested in rocks? Raise your hand. Whoop! Me too! This past fall I worked at the Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center with students in middle and high school. Some of the skills we worked on were like the ones we practice at camp, like making friends, team-building, and living as a community. Others were more academic, like science and math. We learned about insects, the tides and what lives in the inter-tidal zones (crabs all over the place), and geology, which is the study of rocks. (It rocks!) We talked about three main types of rocks: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. Igneous rocks are cooled molten lava, usually brought to other places by erosion and deposition. Metamorphic rocks are formed by combining two or more rocks with heat and pressure. Sedimentary rocks are typically formed by movement of sediment by water, creating layers and layers on top of one another. When you turn this rock on its side or break it in half, you can see the layers stacked on top of each other. This job was hard, fun, challenging, and meaningful, which made it pretty close to camp. I’ve had a lot of time to practice things at camp — 12 summers is a long time! Singing, swimming, chopping wood, building a fire, making friends: these are all skills I practiced at camp. In many of these situations, I’ve failed the first time. I knew that I could try again because of one small but mighty feeling: TRUST. If I could trust… MYSELF: I could try again when I failed the first time. I could begin to learn my strengths. OTHERS: I could count on them not to laugh; to help me; to guide me. MY COMMUNITY: to support me; raise me up.
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To me, trust is like a sedimentary rock. It has layers and layers of sediment built up over time. Experiences of trust build up over time, creating a solid base for me to refer to whenever I’m in a new situation. So much of what we do at camp requires us to take risks, and we are more willing to take those risks when we trust ourselves, others, and our community. We are able to practice trusting each other at camp, because as soon as we arrive, it is our job to make that summer’s community as loving, supportive, and fun as possible. We need each camper, counselor, dog, menehune, and blade of grass (hey there, Dolphin Unit Party!) to create our beautiful summer together. As summer 2018 is quickly approaching, I think back on the times we had together at Hive 2017. Lolanders, do you remember brushing our teeth all together by the see saws? Or when we met our Anti-Q buddies for the first time? How about building houses for the woodland fairies or making up games together during 12-1? Or the quieter moments, in our tent families, sharing how our day went and reading together? I think about each of these moments and I feel so grateful that we shared last summer together. I’m so excited to see what 2018 brings! Love and Aloha,
Babsy
Fabulous Dolphins! “Hive, I feel so alive” and hive, we are compassionate. Beginning my journey in six summers ago, I did not know what to expect as a new counselor embarking on my first summer camp experience in my late teens. I experienced mixed emotions of nervousness, excitement and curiosity. The daunting question was: how to manage a tent family 24/7? I had no experience as a camp counselor and swimming instructor. However, I had faith and confidence in myself – knowing that I could do the job since I care about children. Having confidence in the unknowable future is especially key. I learned this my first, second, and third summer – as a Unit head. Hive has ingrained great confidence in me by teaching me to trust my instincts, not doubt myself and ask for help when I need it. Hive challenges all members of the community - whether you are a camper, tent counselor or the director. We all take risks and we all grow. We witness each other’s growth as we grow alongside others. Watching others grow is just as rewarding as experiencing your own growth. With this practice, we are naturally compassionate towards each other. We are each other’s teachers. We help each other. We learn from one another. And most importantly, we work together to overcome challenges and experience resilience.
Unit memories remind me of the strong sense of togetherness at Hive, a kind of passion that I have not experienced anywhere else. For unit times, the campers and counselors very much enjoyed listening to a counselor strum her guitar. Sitting aside the halikeepa with a beautiful view of the lake, we sang camp songs. This is a very vivid memory since I still think about it often. The moment we started all singing made me realize the beauty of our voices meshed together and the beauty of sharing an appreciation for nature and serenity. Such joy and love filled the air in this moment. Compassion came through when the Dolphins organized the unit party. While planning the party, we gathered in a circle and each camper expressed an idea for the theme. After much deliberation and questioning, we decided on a grass themed party. The Dolphins put so much thought, time and effort into planning and they carefully executed and proudly lead stations (such as a lawnmower race, a bluegrass band, the grass wars and soil and worms dessert for all). The Dolphins were so motivated to work together. The power of working together and learning from each other is so strong at Hive. We experience growth and compassion through the activities we pursue, friendships we make and songs we sing. When the Hive community sang Posie’s 100th summer song for the first time, I was overcome by the ‘Hive, I feel so alive’ as this rings true to my heart. I, along with many campers and counselors, feel my complete self, instilled with confidence and an undying love. This kind of feeling at the moment with many more to come and with many more children is inspiring. Whether I am at Hive or traveling the world, the confidence, empowerment, and compassion I have gained from Hive will never perish, but will always remain. Aloha,
Charlotte
aloha hive buzz • Early Spring 2018 5
Ahoy, Camper & Counselor Friends! Picture snow drifting down. What does it make you think of? Maybe it excites you, and you can’t wait to build an igloo, make a snow camper, go sledding, or simply flop down, look up at the sky, and feel in awe of the world around you. Or, maybe it’s just cold and not your favorite thing, and it inspires you to miss summer on the shores of Lake Fairlee even more.
Sing! Almost three years to the day I wrote these words: To feel the strength of being part of the Hive community… the fullest joy comes from singing together. Not only in Assembly, but in our tent family, in our unit; at the table in the dining room; even when we're not actually singing — when the ‘song’ is the feeling our group has when we hike together, when we make baskets together, not only when we look after each other one to one, but care as a group about each other. It is both a comfort and a thrill to hear Aloha Hive singing full out in the Comb or reverently by the fire. I could honestly write that for every summer I’ve been at Hive. For decades Hivers have known the special kind of communication that comes from singing and making music together. We all feel that certain excitement that some songs bring; that inexpressible zing in our very core; that urge to weep that comes on unexpectedly. What is it about singing those camp songs together that cannot be put into words? Part of it is, of course, the craft of the composer, the beauty of the tune. The other part unsurprisingly, is the place and the people with whom we share the experience. Together these elements create an experience and a memory that can be triggered when we are away from the event, even long into our old age (so alumnae tell me). I hope to see everyone this coming summer and carry on this best part of Hive! Aloha,
Nancy 6 aloha hive buzz • Early Spring 2018
Now zoom in and picture those tiny snowflakes. They are so small there’s no way any one of these snowflakes matters, right? WRONG. If this one doesn’t fall, no one runs after it to try to catch it on their tongue, and they’d have a slightly less fun day. Or maybe this snowflake doesn’t land on that other one, and another doesn’t land on that one, and so on…and before you know it, suddenly, there’s an entire chain reaction, and your igloo and snow camper don’t exist anymore! So Clara, what’s your point? My point is, voices are like snowflakes. The more we sing, the more it snows. One voice might seem insignificant. However, without each and every one of us, it would be an entirely different song.
When you sing at camp, what does it make you think of? Maybe it’s a fun moment: you’re frolicking down the hillside, belting out your favorite camp song in the tunnel because you love the wacky acoustics. Maybe it’s a daunting moment: you’re in a new clean white shirt, your arms around your very first tent family, excited and nervous for the summer ahead. As the evening turns the mountains purple, you experience Aloha Oe for the very first time. You struggle with the melody and trip over the lyrics that seemingly everyone but you has memorized. You’ve never felt so estranged. But then it hits you: without you, Friendship Circle would not be a complete circle — it would have a hole. You’re a vital part of a community. Or maybe it’s more of a heart-racing, fight-or-flight moment: You’re belting out the last verse of Rattlin’ Bog. Adrenaline pumping, central nervous system ablaze, you're on FIRE, absolutely
laying it DOWN, face red, hands clenched, eyes bulging, spitting out the freshest, most articulate Rattlin’ Bog in the History of the Aloha Foundation — “…AND THE BOG DOWN IN THE VALLY, OH!” Or maybe you picture a more peaceful memory: You’re singing The Rose at Rainbow’s End, arms around your Anti-Q buddies, feeling safe and fulfilled. You find yourself wanting to cry, and you don’t exactly know why. When you put together a whole community, we all become something bigger than ourselves, while simultaneously relying on each and every voice to stay alive. This does not just apply to camp; if you can sing at camp, you can sing anywhere. Or, on the days you’re feeling a little bit quieter, remember: music is also the absence of sound; you can’t have rhythm without the spaces in-between. Together as a community, no matter where you are in the world, hum your favorite camp song. Let’s make a snow storm! Aloha,
Clara aloha hive buzz • Early Spring 2018 7
Howdy, Hilanders! How are you guys doing this winter? Do you have tons of snow where you live? I don’t know if you know this but I am actually lucky enough to live with three of my camp best friends in (SNOWY!) Boston. We have been playing in the snow together and having so much fun! I don’t know about you, but I think about and talk about camp all the time. Do your friends and family catch you doing the same thing? I think all the time about the things I learn at camp, and specifically everything that the campers have taught me. I am sure you remember how we had to totally change our plans for the Hilander project due to weather (TWICE!)? We went into both of those situations not knowing all the steps ahead of us and still absolutely rocked it by relying on and helping each other. Both Hilander Projects last summer reminded me that asking for help feels risky sometimes. It can be scary to admit that we don’t have all the answers and that we often need help to find them. Camp teaches me over and over again that in moments when things seem unclear or uncertain, asking for and giving help to others will almost always make you feel stronger. I felt so close to everyone in our unit after we all worked together and I hope you all did too. My goal is to continue to teach myself and those around me that relationships matter and friends are something special. You will never regret being kind. Set the example of asking for help, taking risks and doing all things with great love and kindness for yourself and those around you. Now it’s your turn! I ask you — what can you teach from Hive 2017?
MacKenzie 8 aloha hive buzz • Early Spring 2018
CROSSWORD ANSWERS — ACROSS: 2.jinx 4.slide 5.basket 6.home 7.bullseye 9.cheese 10.tent 11.Dolphin 13.Aloha 14.Hive DOWN: 1.canoe 3.RainbowsEnd 4.summer 8.bee 10.tunnel 12.kaoma 13.AntiQ
Aloha,
Aloha, Anti-Qs! I’m writing this to you in 104°F heat on a sunny summer day in Melbourne, Australia. As I sit here practically drowning in sweat, it is difficult to imagine what it would be like to be at Hive right now. When I think of Hive and our summer together, I see of a thousand shades of green. I think of the sun sparkling on splashing water, of bright gerbera daisies at Candlelight Dinner, of creaking see-saws shared with Lolander buddies, and of choruses from Hamilton rising up across the hillside. I think of keeping a fire alight the whole night long, of trolls under a bridge that leads to a helpless TOTALLY CAPABLE princess, of the thwack of arrows hitting archery targets, and of cheers and screams from friends as ranks are achieved and talents are put on show. It is actually pretty hard for me to picture myself experiencing your Northern Hemisphere winter, especially the stillness and silence of winter on Lake Fairlee. Something I can easily picture from sweltering Melboure is the excitement and nervousness of all the counselors who are right now planning to come to Aloha Hive for the first time. I very clearly remember my first day at Hive when I was a brand new 18-yearold counselor. Thinking back to that experience helps me empathize with and support new international counselors each year because I understand exactly what they’re going through. Every day last summer I saw wonderful displays of empathy from you all as Anti-Q leaders, too. Maybe you talked to your Lolander buddy or a younger camper about feeling homesick, and told them about how you sometimes feel homesick too. Maybe you encouraged a tent-mate when they were pursuing a rank because you knew how hard they’d worked and how wonderful it feels when hard work pays off. Or maybe you sat in silence with your arm around a friend after they failed to achieve a goal. Maybe you held your breath and crossed your fingers as
a friend performed in front of an audience for the first time. These are wonderful ways to show empathy and support, and camp is a place where we try them out and realize how much of a difference they can make. But sometimes it’s not so easy, right? I’ve been thinking recently about how it can be harder out in the real world, when we might not have the same shared experiences that camp gives us, and we might not find it easy to put ourselves in other people’s shoes. Sometimes friends act in unexpected, unfamiliar, or upsetting ways, and we don’t understand why. Sometimes people get excited or worked up about things that we think are unimportant or silly. Sometimes people make comments that they don’t realize are hurtful. When these things happen, it can be difficult to show empathy and understand the other person’s situation. My favorite quote about empathy is from Homer: “Yet, taught by time, my heart has learned to glow for others’ good, and melt at others’ woe.” I love it because it talks about a heart learning. It makes me realize that empathy is a skill that we can acquire with practice. It doesn’t always come naturally; sometimes we really have to dig deep to find a way to connect with what the other person is feeling, or be patient and listen until we can. I’ve already seen you practicing empathy at camp as an incredible group of Anti-Q leaders and friends. Now it’s time to keep practicing! I hope to take what I’ve learned at camp about empathy and use it more year-round. Perhaps I should start by trying hard to put myself in your shoes (or snow boots) and empathize with you as you battle the snow and cold over there…just as long as you’ll promise to think of me melting in the Australian heat, and “melt at my woe,” too! I can’t wait to see many of you back in Vermont in just a few months! With endless love and buzz,
Catherine aloha hive buzz • Early Spring 2018 9
Hivers! It’s hard to believe the new year has come and gone, thankfully the memories from camp stay easy to recall throughout the year. I often find myself daydreaming about camp and find that simple things can revive a memory — the sun glistening on water, a song on the radio, the clinking of silverware on a glass and of course the smell of pine. These things can just pop into our heads, but what experiences and memories from camp do we draw on to help us every day? Since camp I have come back to London where I work and spend plenty of time traveling. In November and December, I visited the Netherlands, Budapest, Riga and Prague, exploring new cultures and ordering food while having no idea what would be on my plate. All the while I have been experiencing the ups and downs that come with a back injury. There are days when it seems things will never get better, and it’s these times that I think about camp the most. The summer of 2017 was a big one for me, I was stepping into the role of program coordinator and I was so excited to be part of creating a program for Hivers that would be fun and provide opportunities for campers to challenge themselves. It was also scary and I found myself worrying about what if I forgot something, or gave someone the wrong information, or forgot to put a
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whole department on the schedule! Sometimes there were moments when things didn’t go to plan and I would find the question in my head, “Okay, well that didn’t work, what am I going to do now?” Camp has taught me that it’s not the moments when things go wrong, it’s the choices we make afterward that show who we are. Here I learned to persevere and find a way that works. Every day at camp as I wandered from one department to another I would see campers asking themselves that same question and coming up with the same answer. Be it on an element at the ropes course, out in a sailboat, on the stage or in the Ka’oma. Having moments where things aren’t going as we thought they would is something we all encounter. On those tough days, being able to draw on the things I have learned at camp helps me be who I want to be, not just at camp, but every day of the year. Aloha,
Katrina
Aloha Hive Crossword Puzzle! Can you figure out each of these clues to finish the Hive Crossword?
The Aloha Foundation Summer 2018 Calendar Aloha, Hive & Lanakila Full Season: June 27 – August 15 First Session: June 27 – July 22 Second Session: July 24 – August 15 Hive Elfin Program: July 24 – August 4 Show Weekend: July 21 – 22
Horizons Day Camp Monday-Friday, 8:45am-4:30 pm 2 Week Sessions (K-7th grade grads) Session 1: July 2 – 13 Session 2: July 16 – 27 Session 3: July 30 – August 10 1 Week Sessions (PreK-4th grade grads) Session 4: August 13 – 17 Session 5: August 20 – 24
Would you like to help us spread the message of the Alohas?
ACROSS 2. combination word for johns and sinks; what we call our bathrooms 4. fun, slippery ride in the lake! 5. made on the docks of Arts + Crafts 6. “I’m going to make this place your ____!” 7. the very center of an archery target 9. grilled ___ and tomato soup 10. structures we live in at camp 11. the unit with the Dell and an evening challenge 13. what we yell to the dining hall on canoe breakfasts; “____ Oe” 14. our camp!
DOWN 1. what you take your Tippy Test in 3. somewhere on a hillside, where the woods are deep with pine...where we go each Monday evening 4. “_____ is a meadow full of moonlight...” 8. insect that flies around a hive...bzzz! 10. how we “cross the road”; we use the _____ 12. department where you can cook 13. the oldest unit at Hive
We are always looking for ways to interest families in the value of camping and in our quality programs for children. Even families with children not yet ready for camp can begin to think about including a summer at Aloha, Hive or Lanakila in their future. If you know of families who might be interested in knowing more, we can send you brochures or a video. Or perhaps you might be willing to gather interested families together; we would be happy to come with slides and stories. Please contact one of the directors or Ellen_Bagley@alohafoundation.org.
*answers on p. 8
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CAMP ALOHA HIVE 2968 Lake Morey Road Fairlee, VT 05045
The Aloha Foundation, Inc. Tel.: (802) 333-3400 Fax: (802) 333-3404
www.alohafoundation.org
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