Lanalog
WINTER 2019
Dear Lanakila, On New Year’s Eve, I stood at Council Fire with a small crew of Lanakila campers, counselors, and alumni. It looked a little different: the path up was a sheet of ice, the fire pit was gone, snow covered the logs, and there was no Odin presentation to hold in our memories for years to come. We stood in a circle of candlelight, talking about what Lanakila had taught us, as well as what goals we have for ourselves. In that moment, I had visions of all of you, lighting your candles, dreaming of 2019, and feeling the warmth of the worldwide Lanakila family. Later that evening, I was chatting with a camper who said something that stuck with me. He said, “I really wish I could be my camp self all year long. I’m such a different person at camp, and I really like that person. I want to figure out how to be that person at home.”
Lanakila friendships connect us without the distractions that inhibit us at home. I was blown away by the depth of this statement, but after a few seconds I was able to respond. “The cool thing about Lanakila is that you CAN take that camp self and bring it home,” I answered. “It may not happen overnight, or in a week, or even a month. It takes work. But if you really look at what makes your camp self so important and special, then you can start the process of figuring out how to be that person everyday.” And just like that, the conversation was over — moving instantly from deep philosophy to who would win the winter ping-pong tournament. But the 9-year-old’s question stayed with me, as I think it’s one we ALL ask ourselves: how do we bring our Lanakila selves home with us when we leave Fairlee?
I wish there were a simple answer. I believe there are many lessons from camp that we can take into our day-to-day lives. One that stands out to me is the way we create Lanakila friendships. They are based on trust — that special understanding that you develop spending time at camp together. We commit to each other, knowing that our relationships will be places of safety, humor, telling the truth, and sharing a place that we love. And as a result, we find ourselves growing, learning about ourselves in profound ways. Lanakila friendships connect us without the distractions that inhibit us at home. We focus on listening, kindness, respect, communal living, and the realization that fun is “an inside job.” At camp, we don’t require outside influences or gadgets to entertain us. We know that fun is at our fingertips in the form of a sailboat, a hike up to Eagle’s Bluff, Birthday Night, or simply staring up at the stars on a tent overnight. Of course, there are so many other lessons that we can take home from Lanakila. Although I’ve just been writing about friendships — and thinking of ways I can make caring and deep connections with others like I do camp — I also know that we can take any of the best parts of Lanakila and put them into action at home, in school, and with our friends and families. It just takes a little work and a little bravery. As the year progresses, I wish you lots of joy and the courage to stretch yourself in different ways. I hope 2019 will be your best year ever. This coming summer will be remarkable, and I can’t wait to welcome you home in June! Skol,
BRYAN PARTRIDGE Director of Lanakila
Gooood Morning Brookside!
BROOKSIDE
Winter is here and it is time for another message from the North. Your immediate reaction, like me, might be: YES! Let’s use that word and transport us back to summer and imagine all of those “YES!” moments. 1. Can we have seconds on juice? YES! 2. Is tonight birthday night? YES! 3. Is Brookside the greatest unit? YES! 4. Did I pass boat landings? YES! 5. Is it hard to play basketball against Ridge? YES! 6. Is Hagrid real? YES! Ok, so maybe some of these questions didn’t actually end in a YES! But we know what that means. It gives us the opportunity to shape the way the story goes later. We didn’t get our seconds on juice the first time we asked, but it did lead to a Brookside vs. Ridge basketball game that ended with a 3-pointer and a prize of endless amounts of lemonade.
Ross cannon Head of Brookside
In some cases, a YES! might not have been the first thing that happened, but then when that magic word finally came, it was that much sweeter. The first time you tried fire building, or boat landings, or inspection, it might not have gone the way you imagined. But when you finally got the hang of it? No one had to tell you YES! You knew it for yourself. So as we move forward in 2019, I hope you all continue to find the energy to say YES! Make a new friend, try a new club or sport, eat a different kind of food… anything that can lead to that great exclamation! And as this letter comes to a close, let me leave you with a few final thoughts. Was the Summer of 2018 epic? YES! Was it because of all of you? YES! Am I excited to see you all in 2019? YES! Take it easy Brookside. We’ll see you next summer! And if you ask me if tonight is Birthday Night, my answer is still: YES!
WHAT THINGS FROM LANAKILA DO YOU WISH YOUR SCHOOL WOULD ADD OR PUT INTO ACTION? At camp you get to choose what “work” you have to do (with the exception of CIAs…!). If you are trying to get a Viking Honor, then you can study and practice for that test. But, you are having fun while practicing because it is something that you are passionate about. I wish I had more of this type of choice in school — I think it would help me be more inspired about my work!
NICO RIMER
I’d add to my school the following things: 1) Ridge. 2) American Ball. 3) Obviously no homework. 4) Birthday Night! 5) Breakfast in bed for any teachers late to school! NICHOLAS YOUNG
I wish that Lanakila was 10 months and school was 2 months because everyone is so much happier and nice at camp. Also: the food! CALEB COTTERELL
Hire Jacob Yanni as my physics teacher so he can teach me what the constellations ACTUALLY mean!
Duh — that’s easy. REST HOUR! But only without the ruckus of Brookside Cabin 1. DAVID WESTCOTT
OLIVER EGGER
As I write this, I dream of stretching out my legs, leaning back against the high benches, breathing the crisp Vermont air, and listening to Woodside share the proudest moment of the summer. Yes, I am recalling our delightful moments together at Rhombus — and as an escape from my current position: wedged in the seat of a commercial airplane. At 6 feet, 8 inches, squeezing into these seats for me is no Rhombus, particularly on a recent flight which took longer than usual to depart from the gate. Wondering at the cause of the delay, thoughts of foul weather, baggage chaos, or misplaced in-flight cookies traveled through my head. And then I thought — what if Woodside 2018 were in charge of getting this airplane into the sky?
woodside
With the leadership of George Sheehan and Tori Sumner, Cabin Two could service the lavatories as quickly as they cleaned the washouse this summer by having Henry Curtis and Ollie Kottke plunge, K.E. Larkins and Walker Skove spray, and James Duffy and Will Knowles sweep. Together, Charlie Kellogg, Ronan Mackey, and Fletcher Flores could probably get the passengers to pay attention to the safety announcements. And, if any conflicts emerge as passengers squabble about overhead bins, Ricky Pastrana could be there for added security. For those passengers that only speak French, Benjamin Linyer and Silvan Unger can assist. Loading checked-baggage? Not a problem for Hayes Littlefield and Quinn DiLauro with their experience delivering laundry bags this summer. Plus, at my height, I would not even need to go to the control tower to get this plane cleared for take-off! Despite Woodside’s potential success at these various jobs, I learned that none of these were actually the cause for our delay. In fact, on the other side of the terminal was a boy of Woodside age, traveling by himself and running late. The captain had 2 choices: 1. depart without him, leaving the boy alone in the airport with no later flights available; or 2. wait a few minutes for the boy, ensuring his arrival to his family in time for Christmas. While we may need a little more practice before we load baggage and pass out in-flight drinks, I do know that each of you in Woodside 2018 would have reached out your hands and taken care of that boy too. Best wishes for a happy and safe 2019! Skol!
Peter Miller Head of Woodside
hillSIDE
Happy New Year Hillside! I hope this letter finds you blasting off into 2019. Silly images of Hillside 2018 still make their way into my daily memory. Launching leftover dinner rolls with a lacrosse stick, overnights, unit afternoons, and stories by the fire are all images that transport me back to that spot up the hill that we called home. I have exciting news to share with you about some things that have happened since we left camp last August. Did you know: “Asa, Do Your Flaps, yayayayayaya” made it to the top of the Billboard charts and narrowly beat out Taylor Swift at the MTV Music Awards. A spokesperson for Rolling Stone Magazine has reached out to Santucci Inc. (Preseler-Barr’s agent) to schedule the cover shoot. Keenan Downey won the World Slack-Line Championships by staying on the slackline for 89 consecutive hours. When asked what he’ll do next, Keenan looked straight into the camera, performed the “dab” dance move, and went along his way. Oakley Stringer traveled to the land down under and single handedly saved the Australian Green Tree Frog from extinction by smuggling them to safety in his pockets. Adrian Anderson has opened a handcrafted wooden ring shop. His pieces are going for big bucks on the international market.
tommy Reynolds Head of Hillside
Pierce “Meme-Star” Brookins, widely regarded as the world’s foremost academic on the subject of memes, is set to drop his next set of quality content upon the world. Rumor has it that the most recent government shut down occurred because all members of Washington were home awaiting the next great meme. As you can see, the kids of Hillside 2018 are accomplishing great things. I hope, in some way, each of you are out conquering the world and “staying classy.” You all are an extraordinary group and it was so much fun to spend our summer together. May 2019 bring you as many, if not more, Lanakila victories. Skol!
Lakeside, line-up is in 184 days! Although the holidays are long gone, as I think about the summer of 2018, I remember all of the gifts of Lakeside. After wrenching the Lakeside reins from the despotic grasp of Jimmy Gerrity, I wondered what I could do in my first year as Unit Head to make the summer the best. It turned out that all I had to do was to say ‘yes’ to all of the wonderful gifts that summer had in store.
LAKESIDE
Our first gift was the biggest unit in Lanakila history. When the boss revealed that there would be 51 first-half campers in Lakeside 2018, we counselors were shaking in our Crocs. But instantly it became clear that we were in for a treat. We had John Latham, Tim Dean, and Bubby Mediratta holding down the clubhouse ping-pong tables. We had Henry Mali, Daylen Joyce, Luke Desmaison, and countless others playing game after game on the basketball courts. We even had our own brass quartet (thanks to Ted) with Alex Ecker, Quinn Harder, Logan Matthews, Louis Barton-Biegelsen, Tim Wisely, John Latham, and Davis Cary honing their skills in Lakeside and playing for the whole camp on multiple occasions. Our next gift was that we didn’t just have a lot of Lakesiders — we had young men who were ready to bring historic levels of leadership to camp. We were everywhere. Dinner at Winships? Will Connelly was so covered in barbeque sauce from preparing all the chicken that we worried we might never see him again. The Second-Year Bridge Game? Leo Schwartz and Cole Speare organized battalions of Brooksiders to battle for supremacy over the Greek world. And Viking Honors — Lakesiders showed the rest of camp what it means to commit to a goal and dive in with all your heart. This was the year of Odin: Kenny in Arts, Cal in Biking, Cole in Archery, Adin in Exploring, John in Tennis, and of course Alex Ecker in... one or two departments.
ben smith Head of Lakeside
Finally, our last gift was the chance to learn so much from one another. Summer 2018 was all about the relationships we formed, and every single one of them taught us something. I can’t tell you all how thankful I am for everything I learned this summer, but thinking about all of you is the perfect gift for me in 2019. All together Lakeside: TED! TED! TED! TED!
WHAT OTHER THINGS FROM LANAKILA DO YOU WISH YOUR SCHOOL WOULD ADD OR PUT INTO ACTION?
I wish my school used the Cutler muppet as our mascot instead of our current mascot, the goose. SAM CALDERWOOD I wish Middlebury had a zip line. It’d definitely make getting to class on time much easier! HAL JUSTER
My school could use a little more free time. We have almost no time between classes — just enough to grab your books. It would be awesome if we had something like a unit clubhouse where you could go to have chill time and play some of the games we have at camp — like Gaga, tetherball, ping pong, or foosball. HAYES LITTLEFIELD
Having Council Fire on Mondays (and square pizzas)! CHI WANG
Easy: the people. JOHNSTON LITTLEFIELD
Bridge
Hey, Slim Bois! (Gillespie brothers, check my spelling on that.) Vermont winters are gorgeous, and as I woke up to the negative 10-degree weather I couldn’t help but be a little thankful. It certainly wasn’t because I needed 19 layers just to walk from my car to the office. I’m thankful because every time I want to complain, I just need to remind myself that we built an epic bonfire over the hottest days of the summer — and maybe in all of Lanakila’s history. I’m still cringing about the fact that most of you decided to wear overalls! There are some great photos from those hot days on the waterfront, but my favorite ones are not necessarily the most dramatic ones, such as pictures of a single torch burning or of the actual lighting the bonfire (and the ecstasy on your faces at that moment). No, instead my favorites are the ones that represent the entire summer in some way — not just those early July days.
Nick Wood Head of Bridge
2nd Year BridGe
For example, there is the group shot during one of those many necessary water breaks where Nate Lentz and Thomas Coleman, who collectively might have owned the filthiest clothes, also have the biggest smiles. It perfectly represents finding joy in doing hard work. There is a picture with Oliver Egger and Reed Putnam talking with a Lolanders from Hive (see top middle photo on next page). This moment reminds me of all the ways you embraced counseling, and not just for Lanakilans. You may not realize it but meeting the Bridgers at the bonfire might have been the highlight of their 4th of July. While these are all great shots, my favorite photo is one I don’t think you knew was being taken. After all the excitement, the 17 men who worked to create an amazing all camp event took some time to enjoy the moment, basking in the fire light after the crowd had left. That picture embodies the friendships created! Take a few minutes to remember the moments of summer 2018; you all did amazing things! Much love and Skol!
The tan has faded and the paintball welts have (mostly) healed, but the memory of working with you guys comes rushing back as if we just left Fairlee. The Second Year Bridge summer asked a lot of B’17 and you gave even more. Lanakila felt your impact in clear and obvious ways as well as subtle and hidden ones. The controlled mayhem created as the Spartans clashed with Vikings for territorial dominance in the 2YB game showed the entire camp your abilities to organize and go the extra mile. You delivered in every way, despite Sam Danford and David Westcott’s bike-mounted foolery. Twelve voices and opinions managed to meld together in that rare Lanakilan way that keeps us all coming back summer after summer. You also demonstrated care and emotional investment in the quieter moments that don’t appear in the slideshow but ensure a better summer for the people around you. I think of the group decision to stay up late and clean every lobster encrusted pan from the 2YB Café instead of leaving it for the Bridgers. As co-counselors you held the units together, combining your years of camp experience with your enthusiasm for quality counseling. We were made better by you.
george Sheehan Head of 2nd Year Bridge
The years after your Second Year Bridge summer will continue to get more complex and challenging, but your work during Lanakila 2018 proves you can tackle the problems ahead. I was lucky enough to start as a young counselor when many of you were in Brookside and witness your growth as men of Lanakila. In your individual talents and qualities, you are a fine example of what makes this place great. I wish you all the best springs possible and I’ll see you in June, fellas. Skol!
greetings, everyone! By the time that you receive this, there is a very good chance that there will be a mini-Cutler in the world (or, as Ridge and his kids like to say: “Cutlerina”). When people find out about this crazy news, they usually give some kind of warm congratulations, and then pronounce, “Wow, YOUR life is about to change!” Well, duh, I usually think. But to keep myself from getting too intimidated, I also try to remember how Lanakila, along with all of your help, has served as a great bootcamp for having a small child. Such as: 1.) The Dining Room: I’ve been throwing Cheerios at my assistant table head for decades, as Sommers, Richter, Danford, Juster, Sadie, Angus, Nigel, and many others can attest, and their catching ability can only be described as “poor.” So cereal bits everywhere won’t stress me out. And plus, having interned with Laura Clark and Sara Liptrot in the CIA sweeping department, I know I’ll be in good shape for clean-up. 2.) Sleeping: I’m told that infants do not necessarily sleep through the night. Hmm. That sounds unpleasant, but then again: rest hour! Any Brookside counselor knows how to run a tight ship at rest hour, so I’ll keep Westcott on speed dial for his tips for creating a peaceful naptime. 3.) Laundry: Yeah, this kid is going to make a lot of messes, which will necessitate many trips to the washing machine, but is this anything that a proud Lanakila LAUNDRY CREW member would fear? No way. The Purple Shirts have rounded me into excellent shape for that. And if I need any advice, Katz-Berger and Tae-Tae are just a few steps away.
4.) Transportation: We all mourned the loss of the Electric Car last summer, but now a new all-camp vehicle is back: The Stroller! Will I be able to get that thing up to 25 miles per hour just by using hand power? Sounds like a challenge for 2019. 5.) Annoying noises: Of course, babies cry and yelp and scream a lot, which is not exactly soothing to the ears, but have you ever tried working 5 feet from Bryan Partridge for a full summer? Oh, the pain on the ears! The irritating sounds! Nothing can top that… just nothing. So I’m fully prepared there. 6.) And everything else: Of course, I’m missing out on a lot of stuff that will be hard, but the main thing that I learned from all of you fine people is that Lanakilans can do hard things. Through Viking Honors, living together in close quarters, long trips, and everything else that we do, we’ve realized that we can handle setbacks and stress without losing sight of the big picture or losing our sense of humor. And each summer, we also learn how to do something that I will be using on a daily basis: asking others for help, and then getting it! So I’m looking forward to 2019 with all of you — it’s been too long already! Get ready for another amazing summer of fun… and for me to hand you a small child, smile, and run away!
Jeremy Cutler Assistant Director
Oliver!
tommy dickie Head of Performing Arts
My dear orphans, pickpockets, vendors & everything in between,
darn good it is? Nah, that would be cocky and ostentatious.
I’m expected to say hello to you all during this off-season. But my mind is consumed by something else. As I think back to Oliver!, I find myself wondering for the first time: why is there an exclamation point in that title?! Especially for a show that’s relatively dark — that’s a rather upbeat punctuational (not a word, but go with it) addition for a show like Oliver!, isn’t it? Upon reading the title, you’d expect Mr. Twist to rock a few elaborate, gymnastic dance moves and flaunt some jazz hands, no?
Perhaps it’s because Oliver (Louis Barton-Biegelsen) ignites change everywhere he goes. He rocks the boat of the orphanage status quo set by Mr. Bumble and Widow Corney (Quinn & McGlinn), he rejuvenates the energy of Fagin (Nate Gold), Dodger (Alexander Vincent) and all the pickpockets, he’s more valuable to Bill Sikes (Trevor Gold) than anyone’s been in ages, he causes Nancy (Nicky Fink) to second-guess the morality of their work more than ever before, and he warms the heart of Mr. Brownlow (Henry Mali). Oh, he also throws off Mrs. Bedwin’s (Matt Riley) laundry-folding routine! Hmm, maybe that’s it!?
I’ve always assumed that it’s because characters yell his name a fair bit (“Oliverrrrr!!”), but I dunno… that’s also true of many other titular lead roles of musicals (Annie, Peter Pan, and now Harry Potter), but none of those titles have such punctuationary (not a word, but go with it) emphasis. So hmm, let’s think. Why the exclamation mark? Let’s freestyle a few theories: Could it be because you simply can’t do Oliver! without show-stopping, divine musical numbers that wow the crowd, like the attention-snatching “Food Glorious Food,” or the rhythmic and grimy “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two,” or the personification of sunshine “Who Will Buy?” Mayyybe… Or could it be because the show demands attention, simply for how just
To that end, I think in a way our Oliver! did what Oliver does! Our production ignited change in the community: we came close to a record for the Lanakila show cast size (at 55), we changed what some thought musical theater could be (“I actually enjoyed theater a little bit” –Caleb Donovan), and we got Brendan Klotz to wear a dress that actually fit him (you should have seen how many people it took to get him out of his 2016 Charlie Brown dress; poooor Peggy Jean…) Whelp, I’m sold. I shall now sign off with the same punctuationographical (not a word, but go with it) gesture. Skol & jazz hands!
Some of you might already know that a group of 6 current and former Lanakila counselors (including Sam Danford, Caleb Donovan, Jordan Hendrickson, Norman Kalen, Trey Love, and Alex Sadie) are currently living together in a shared house in the heart of Boston, as they each pursue different jobs in the area. The Lanalog caught up with this jolly crew at their home to find out just what it’s like recreating a Lanakila cabin (and the house isn’t much bigger than that!) in a major U.S. city.
LANALOG: 6 of you in one house, huh? How did that happen? Jordan Hendrickson: Well, I think we all realized that we wouldn’t have this opportunity to spend time together forever, so while we do, we should seize the moment and appreciate it for what it is. Norman Kalen: Absolutely. It just felt like the right time for all of us, and a cool chance to do something that could be really fun and special. LANALOG: So have you adopted some camp-like things in the house? Caleb Donovan: Oh, for sure. We have family-style meals at least a few times a week. People take turns cooking and cleaning but we all sit around the table at the same time, just like in the Dining Room. Jordan: It’s a nice time to connect and reflect and talk about our day, without technology, without the distractions of the outside world. We try to do that a lot in this house: make what I call “intentional time” to catch up, connect with each other, see how things are going. Trey Love: Plus you should taste Norman’s BBQ chicken on the grill! Mmmmm… Alex Sadie: We also have a weekly house meeting, which is modeled after counselor meetings. It’s a great way to refocus the house, talk about little problems in a positive way, be proactive about the kind of house we want to be. LANALOG: So with 6 people in one house, have there been any… disagreements?
Sam Danford: Of course! With so many people in small quarters, you always have little fights. Sadie: Jordan and the shoes! Jordan: That’s still too fresh. I can’t talk about it yet. Sadie: We have a lot of shoes in this house, like in any camp tent or cabin. Probably 80 individual shoes! Everyone leaves them all in the entry hall which is right next to the bathroom. Danford: And when poor Jordan gets up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, with the lights off and without his glasses, he’s blind as a bat! Norman: Dude always trips on the mine-field of shoes lying in front of the bathroom door. Jordan: And I keep my shoes in my closet, so it’s not even my shoes! Sadie: Honestly though, we joke about the shoe fight, and we really did argue about it for a while, but to this date — which is 6 months into living together — we haven’t had a single major issue that we couldn’t resolve very quickly, which I think is unheard of in a group house this size. Jordan: Our issues are different than at camp — we don’t argue about pingpong — but our process for dealing with them is the same. We still use success counseling for our problems. That works anywhere, even if the problems are different. LANALOG: What else would we recognize from camp? Danford: One day I came home from work, and I looked out the back door. About 40 feet up in a tree, Norman was hanging there — trimming branches so that he could hang up lights for an outdoor eating spot. Caleb: Just like banquet! Trey: It’s beautiful. He did an awesome job. We sit outside all the time now. Sadie: We have a whiteboard in the kitchen, and instead of using it for something useful like grocery lists or chores, we have adopted Jordan’s caption contests that he debuted at camp this summer. (continued...)
lanalog report
Norman: Jordan draws a different picture on it every week and we all try to make captions. Trey: It’s really brought us together, and taught us how to be playful and humorous with one another. Danford: Even though the captions sometimes make fun of someone in the house, it’s never in a way that degrades or hurts other people. It just brings them into the joke. Caleb: It’s always “victimless humor,” and we are proud to be a house where we always take care of each other, and where jokes never hurt another person or put them down.
Sadie: Yeah, I think we realize that physical space doesn’t always equal freedom or calm or happiness. What’s much more important is focusing on the fun that you can have, and the things you can learn from others, and the ways you can grow. Caleb: Material objects start to feel very petty when you realize what a gift it is to be spending time with such great people. Sadie: I was talking about the house to some colleagues at work, and I realized that most other people can’t say that their roommates are a group of people that they love and trust.
Danford: We get used to that at camp, LANALOG: Does it get crowded havbut it doesn’t exist everywhere. ing so many people in a small space? LANALOG: That reminds me of Norman: Maybe a little bit, but we what Jordan said at the beginning don’t really mind. of this piece.
Mark your calendars FULL SEASON: June 26–August 14, 2019 1st SESSION: June 26–July 21, 2019 SHOW WEEKEND: July 20–21, 2019 2nd SESSION: July 23–August 14, 2019
Jordan: Exactly: appreciate the time with your friends and loved ones in the moment. Focus on those relationships and you’ll look back on it when you are older and say, “Wow, I’m really glad I did that.”
POSTCARDS FROM VIKINGS PAST & PRESENT
Dear Lanakilans,
4th, for the first time since my returning to Lake Morey on July A highlight of the past year was the Vermont air, seeing old lling around the lake, sme ing Driv 6. 201 in r longer. me sum lor last counse and I wished that I could stay of camp made me so happy, rgy ene the ing feel and ds, frien ted ha/Hive at one point) and I star my sisters (who all went to Alo en got wh We . was t way ligh sub high g’s bur ond sec Ham A platform of as we were standing on the g. azin am to sing “Charlie on the MTA” was es and singing these familiar tun some strange looks but hearing , and as I’m writing this, I’m I graduated this past December ed. pen hap has starting lot a p cam Since I left Asia for two months, before ing. I’m currently traveling in Beij in n bed ofte I tel ” rld, hos wo my l on “rea ng the sitti e to join g for a tech startup. As I prepar spirit a akil Lan the ying carr a new job in California workin ut abo fires from the many final council confident think back to Barnes’s words spirit to Silicon Valley and I’m this g brin to ited exc I’m p. cam of side out rld wo the into bit better there! that I can make it just a little Peace and Skol, Tassilo von Gerlach V08, 11, L09-10,*12-16
Dear Lanakila, People are always telling me that when they look on TV or in newspapers (what’s a newspaper, again?), all they are getting is BAD news. But, as I’ve been scrolling my through my newsfeed this year, there are a few stories that have stuck out to me. Why? Well, I’ve noticed that if I look in the right places, there are stories everywhere that remind me of life at Lanakila, and the way Lanakilans treat each other. So, I wanted to share a news story from 2018 that took me right back to the shores of Lake Morey. Some of you may know, or may even have experienced, how scary some of the wildfires were this year on the West Coast. In a small town called Paradise, California, a high school girls’ volleyball team was getting ready to play their championship match — except that they had to evacuate their homes because of the fires and so they had no uniforms, no equipment, no athletic shoes… just the clothes on their backs. They were considering forfeiting the game, when the opposing team from Forest Lake Christian High School in Auburn showed up with a big surprise: new custom uniforms, knee pads, socks, and gift cards for the girls and their families. And a whole lot of love. Sometimes, we can get caught up in competition and wanting to gain any advantage over our opponents. Yet, these California volleyball teams reminded me of things we talk about all the time
at Lanakila: the value and dignity of others; how to be a good sport; and how to empathize with others whose experiences are different than our own. At Lanakila, I’ve seen so many moments when we rally around our friends who are having a tough time. What’s more, I can imagine any Lakesider quickly running to their tent to lend a camper from Billings or Pemi a pair of sneakers right before a big basketball game. Would it be easier to win if one of their players was shoeless? Of course! But at Lanakila — a lot like the girls in this story — we prioritize being good sports, good teammates, and good friends over winning. That’s part of what makes our camp so special. People tell me all of the time that the magic of camp is that it’s not like the real world at all. But, I tend to think that if you look in the right place, and focus on the right stories, there’s some of that special Lanakila magic happening everywhere around us. Here’s to finding more of it in 2019! Skol! Alex
alex lipoff Program Director
The Camps of The Aloha Foundation 2968 Lake Morey Road, Fairlee, VT 05045
POSTCARDS FROM VIKINGS PAST & PRESENT Dear Lanakilans, p Lanakila in your life in you are all finding ways to kee t tha and l wel more you s find r I hope this lette decided that I needed some r moving to Austin last year I afte t, ing par my help For I’m ” . ere son wh sea y the “off energy compan a job at a Danish renewable I’ve job this For US. the Vikings in my life, so I took up und s) aro storage sites (think big batterie the to build solar farms and energy year round. I, of course, took all l Sko say y the y the ere wh n, age gs. enh son p Cop in e cam ed tim e rish spent som with our most che the modern Norsemen there opportunity to familiarize all e to teach. “A Capital Ship” took a long tim is true miss it terribly. But as I know last summer in Fairlee, and I to leave self my ing ind It’s been four years since my rem er eth wh a with me everywhere I go — with all of you, I carry Lanakil st into a metaphorical storm than I found it, steering headfir ter bet e psit cam ical hor tap me a Texas after all). Keep being fine a literal sunny day (I do live in brave-hearted, or just enjoying Lake Morey. l again soon on the shores of people, and I hope to see y’al Peace and Skol, Tommy Gerrity L99-03, L*05-10, 12,*15
Yo People! I hope you are all doing well! Boy did I really miss being at Lanakila this past summer. Spending the summer in hot and sweaty Florida was no comparison to being on the wonderful shores of Lake Morey, I’ll tell you that. But it was a productive summer for me as I spent much of the time in the cockpit of a Cessna 172 Skyhawk plane, getting my flight hours done so I can graduate and pursue my career as a commercial pilot. Flying planes was definitely a different experience than making a Happy Love Bottle in Arts (although getting yelled at by a flight instructor is similar to getting yelled at by Jordan Hendrickson). But I used a lot of my Lanakila skills often as I navigated challenges in the air: staying calm under pressure, learning from my mistakes, communicating clearly with others, thinking creatively, and remembering that tomorrow is a new day. So I was thinking of all of you the whole time, and keeping my fingers crossed for the day that I can be back in the 05045. I hope that time comes soon — in the meantime, I send all of my love and thoughts and, of course, GAINS! Skol, Nigel Baynes L99-03, L*05-10, 12,*15