Scamp Spirit SUMMER 2020
Dear Aloha, 2020, In some respects, this is not the Scamp Spirit greeting I might have anticipated I would be writing to you. My guess is that we are all experiencing similar things in our daily lives: new routines, new expectations, new guidelines. We are all learning to build a new normal as we work, dream, and plan for the summer. Perhaps you are like me. I use Aloha to remind myself of my priorities and the ways in which I want to lead a meaningful, vibrant, and robust life. Camp is a place where we get to learn and practice lifelong skills, and where we have an opportunity to think about what inclusivity, belonging, responsibility, and safe risk-taking really mean. We work to create a shared language of support and mutual respect, and when we misstep, we learn from our mistakes and trust that there is a hand to help us. It is a place where we take time to identify our own goals, beliefs, dreams, and needs, and where we are given the time, freedom, and scaffolding to explore them. For many of us, Aloha is home. And now…now we are at home every day, and not at camp. We have heralded Aloha as a magical space that allows us to be who we want to be, and we now have the rare chance truly to make Aloha and our home communities accessible, responsible, welcoming, and strong. We have the opportunity — deliberately and unequivocally — to live our best camp lives at home on a daily basis. What kind of community are you creating with your friends and family? What practices, habits, and celebrations are you promoting to nurture your own awareness and sense of well-being? How are you contributing to the shared successes of those around you?
We now have the rare chance truly to make Aloha and our home communities accessible, responsible, welcoming, and strong…to live our best camp lives at home on a daily basis. What kind of community are you creating with your friends and family?
Summer will be here soon, and what exactly this season holds for us remains to be seen. I can assure you that we are thinking about our upcoming Aloha summer with intentionality, creativity, exuberance, courage, and fun, and I invite you to join us. Send a postcard to a friend, check out the Aloha Foundation connections page, sing a song (or two) at the dinner table, and remember the spirit of adventure and possibility that brought you to us in the first place. Aloha is here for you…and so am I.
Much love to you all,
Sarah littlefield Director of Aloha
#summergoals You don’t have to give up on all the goals you set for the summer just because you’ll be in a different place. Work towards those goals and even try something new. Here are what your fEllow campers plan to do with their time.
I will be trying to spend my summer as I do at camp. Either by hopefully seeing my amazing friends I have made at the camps or trying to find new ways to challenge myself. Trying new activities and interests has always seemed to be harder for me at home than it is at camp. With that, I really want to step out of my comfort zone as I do on Lake Morey and try something I wouldn’t have normally. CLARA COLLINS
My goals for this summer are to stay in shape, stay connected with home and camp friends, and make the best of these difficult times. Something new I am going to try this summer is help train my family’s new puppy with all of this extra time I will have. CLAIRE UITERWYK
2
the aloha foundation
My summer goals haven’t really changed. Even though we will not be at camp, I am still going to strive to be a better person, try new things, and inspire others. My family is talking about going on a road trip and my brother and I have a long queue of music studying, math, sailing, and ground school lined up for us! I am really excited about this summer, but I am going to miss all of the amazing people at Aloha! SOPHIA TOON
My summer goals are to look on the bright side, and to connect with my friends, even though we cannot connect in person. Something new that I will try this summer is online camp and finding time to connect with nature. I plan to do this by cloud watching, and other fun activities that I can do in my own backyard. CLEO KRASKE
I’ve started to teach myself guitar. Also, I’m planning to make my own paddle to go along with the canoe my dad and I have been refurbishing. I’ll learn to use new tools and techniques. My main summer goal is to hike the Long Trail, a footpath that runs the length of Vermont. This adventure would help me get in my Vermont fix and fulfill my love of backpacking! I also hope to get a job at a farm stand. LILY MUHLBAUM
Scamp Spirit • Summer 2020
3
pack it up!
Plan a day trip to a mountain near you! Some of our favorite hiking trips at camp are listed below — which ones have you done? We want to see Aloha girls pushing themselves, trying new things and having fun this summer! Eagle’s Bluff Mt. Moosilauke Mt. Willard Mt. Cube Mt. Cardigan Black Mountain Mt. Washington Mt. Lafayette Mt. Adams
4
the aloha foundation
Scamp Spirit • Summer 2020
5
Creating the Aloha Spirit at Home Finger knit-yard bomb your friends’ mailboxes! SKYE LEE OFFICE MANAGER
Counselors of summer 2020 give their best advice on how you can get in the camp spirit at home.
Write letters and make friendship bracelets and send them to each other. TYTI PETERKIN LANDSPORTS COUNSELOR
Make pizza bagels and scrambled brownies over an open fire and lay under the stars at night to look at the constellations. BAILS ULRICH SWIMMING COUNSELOR
6
the aloha foundation
I am going to get out into the country, look up at the stars and imagine I’m on the Aloha field. My green shorts will get lots of wear this summer and I might even keep a dirty shirt on for Wednesday night dinner in the garden, with warm Shel bread, followed by Shel bars. Maybe each Sunday someone in the family could organize a themed Sunday service or quiet time after dinner and you could always write yourself a letter and open it up in the winter. LAURA "GIBBO" GIBBONS LANDSPORTS COUNSELOR
Aloha at Home We have been appreciating the recent sunny days and spending as much time in the backyard with our dog Ginger as possible…we are all looking forward to more good weather. ABBY AND KATIE SCOTT
I have enjoyed having more time to cook with healthy vegetarian and vegan recipes. Quarantine has had its ups and downs but I’m so happy to always have my Aloha family with me in spirit and I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. AQUINNAH STEEDMAN
During quarantine I have been doing a lot of schoolwork. When I have free time, I like to work on some friendship bracelets and try out new makeup looks. I try to connect with my friends every day on some type of digital platform. One aspect of being in quarantine that I like is that I have the time to try out and learn new things.
Because we couldn’t actually go to Jazz Fest in New Orleans, we created it at home. My dad made red beans and rice, boudin balls, and fried chicken and we laid in the sun while listening to the New Orleans radio station, that was playing Jazz Fest music, and played games.
RILEY COOK
EVA COHEN
During this lockdown period I’ve been able to find several new ways to entertain myself at home. I’ve read a lot of books, started learning some guitar, baked cakes, crocheted myself a top, gone on a lot of walks with my family and been able to appreciate the beauty of my city now that it’s empty. I hope all of you are doing well and finding ways to spend your time during this stressful period. LEAH ZEDNIK-HAMMONDS
Scamp Spirit • Summer 2020
7
bored? 20(20) SOCIAL DISTANCE-FRIENDLY THINGS TO DO 1. DO A COOKING CHALLENGE If you don’t know how to cook, now is a good time to learn. Try your hand at simple recipes online or better yet, challenge two friends to cook the same meal and see who can plate it better. Grocery store out of your usuals? Try some new foods and experiment with those. Jackfruit, anyone?
5. D O A SOLO IN YOUR BACKYARD Set aside an hour, maybe more, to sit in nature, and reflect with nothing but a notebook. Many of us know that solos are good ways to clear your head, ground yourself, goal-set and come up with great ideas. Commit to one solo or maybe do it weekly.
2. PHOTOGRAPH YOUR LOVED ONES Photo projects are fun and great keepsakes. Try to capture your mom’s true essence by playing with light and color. Catch your dad off guard or give him a professional-looking portrait for Father’s Day. People not your jam? Document the nuances of your neighborhood, the houses, the trees, the creek at the cul-de-sac — whatever tells the story.
6. LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE There is so much to see in the world and knowing the language is helpful. Pick a country you’ve always wanted to go to then take classes to learn that language. This is a great way to connect with different cultures and people. We are the world!
3. DO A HOUSE PROJECT I bet your parents are finding a lot they want to fix up around the house. Join in! You could make organizational trays for your desk or make planters to start a garden on your balcony. Label and decorate jars in your kitchen for dry goods like flour and sugar. Hello! We all need a cookie jar! 4. ART ABOUT IT The sky is the limit with an art project. Collage, paint, sketch. Find a story to tell and break out all the tools to tell it. Arting also includes crafting projects like sewing, crocheting, and knitting. Make your dog a sweater or some cool placemats for your dining table.
8
the aloha foundation
7. LEARN A DANCE ROUTINE No shame in your TikTok game. Learning dance routines is fun and great exercise. YouTube is also a great way to learn genres like Salsa, Hip Hop, and Belly Dance. Always wanted to Tango? There’s a class for that! 8. BALL OUT Time to hit the court, the field or wherever you all play sports these days. Get outside and shoot baskets with your siblings or teach your dad some new soccer skills. Playing sports with people in your household can reinforce teamwork and communication skills, things we desperately need when spending 24 hours a day with each other.
9. BIKE OR GO ON A WALK Go on a long walk or an even longer bike ride. Your pace doesn’t matter, it’s more about staying active and changing up the scenery. And vitamin D, AKA the sun, gives an instant boost of energy and generally makes us happier. Whoop Whoop!
13. S END LETTERS TO ESSENTIAL WORKERS Aloha is a community that’s really good about saying thank you so make sure you say that to all the brave people helping us in this tough time. You can start by sending the postcard in this newsletter but also feel free to write your own cards 10. READ A NEW BOOK to any people you think deserve recogNeed to zone out a bit? Drop into anoth- nition. er world, one very different from yours or read some nonfiction for true stories 14. FIND CLOTHES TO DONATE and relatable experiences. Either way This is a time when we want to be giving reading has been attributed to improvback however we can. Donating clothes ing vocabulary and writing skills. Sweet! is a good way to help others and cleanse your space of things you weren’t using. 11. SUNDAE SUNDAYS Start your spring cleaning today! Recreate our Sunday dinner tradition by making sundaes with your fam. Go crazy 15. BAKE YOUR WAY THROUGH with toppings and use it as a time to have Lots of people are baking during their fun and be silly with your folks, and also time at home so why not join in the fun. as a way to honor our beautiful camp The amount of banana bread recipes are Sundays. endless. Chocolate chip cookies? Duh. Fresh-baked sourdough for hot sand12. CHANGE UP YOUR ROOM wiches? YA ASSSSS You’re probably in your room A LOT these days. Tired of staring at your 16. START A JOURNAL favorite doll from when you were five? Ya gotta get your feelings out on paper Switch it up! Move your bed around, sometimes and starting a journal is a paint the walls, or maybe even create a very healing practice. You might just camp corner with the calendar, your tie, need to get out frustration, keep track of and your puzzle pieces displayed. You all you’re grateful for or just have a place probably should ask your parents first, to write down the before-mentioned just sayin’. bread recipes. Either way you will be delighted to look back and get a peek into what life was like for you in 2020.
18. GAMES, GAMES, GAMES Phase 10, Scrabble, take it old school and bust out the Monopoly. You could even play poker with oreos instead of poker chips...there are so many fun games out there that will pass the time and bring your family together. Teach your family camp games and be prepared to be laughing all night. 17. WATCH A DOCUMENTARY Educational and entertaining, and no, we’re not talking about Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Hulu, Netflix, and other television services have tons of documentaries that are super captivating and you finish the doc feeling smarter. 19. MAKE A SCRAPBOOK Fun paper, glue and photos and you’ve got yourself the makings of a scrapbook. Maybe you want to document camp photos from years past, gather your school memories or even spruce up your baby book. You know they didn’t have stickers in the 2000s. SMH 20. FACETIME CAMP FRIENDS When all else fails, video chat with a camp friend. Reminisce and catch each other up on your wacky lives. There’s no reason you can’t still strengthen these connections and “hang out” while spending the summer at home. Friends for life, right?!
Scamp Spirit • Summer 2020
9
a letter from the head of club In the beginning of March, I had a very clear plan for my future. First, I was going to finish my last semester of college. On May 31, after completing my final exams and papers, I was going to graduate on campus, surrounded by my family and close friends. I would then move home, and two weeks later I would drive my trunk and duffle to Aloha, where I would begin my first summer as Head of Club. Once the summer had ended, I would move to Brooklyn, New York, and start my first full-time job as an elementary school teacher. I loved my plan. I was excited about every aspect of it. It included all of my favorite things: Bates, Aloha, and teaching. However, on March 13, my plans began to unravel. I received an email from Bates informing me that the campus would be shutting down. I needed to move out of my apartment and finish my final semester online. While I was still going to graduate, I would not have an in-person ceremony with my class. Instead, this monumental occasion would also occur online. Fortunately, I had camp to look forward to. I knew that in a few short months, I was going to be reunited with many of the people who mean the most to me. I was going to see my best friends and my incredible campers. I convinced myself that camp would make it all better. That being at Aloha would make up for my losses. Unfortunately, about a month after returning home, I learned that camp, as we knew it, was canceled. While losing school felt like a rug being pulled out from underneath me, losing camp
10
the aloha foundation
felt like the foundation of a building crumbling underneath me. I felt completely lost. I was sad, angry, and confused. Fortunately, as I thought about camp, I thought about one of my favorite camp phrases: “you have the power to change your picture.” At Aloha, we are reminded that flexibility and adaptability are important life skills, and most importantly, that we have the power to decide how we react to unexpected changes. Now, I don’t want any of you to think that I am not still sad. Every day I miss Aloha and wish things could have been different. However, each day I am also pushing myself to work towards changing my picture. To think about how I can reframe this situation from misfortune to an opportunity. I urge you all to do the same. This is our chance to embody our Aloha selves while at home. This will be challenging, but I know you can all do it. While camp as we know it will not be happening this summer, the Aloha spirit is still alive. If anything, it is more alive than ever before. Aloha maidens are strong, creative, and resilient, and together we will get through this. We will have opportunities to unite as Aloha 2020. We are strong enough to overcome this challenge. Just remember, that’s why we call ourselves Powerful Aloha Maidens! — Eliza Kissick
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS ALOHA 2020?
You might be feeling lost without the anticipation of summer in Fairlee, maybe even a bit lonely, but check out this map of people all over the world who are thinking about Aloha, missing you, and working on being their best selves, just like we all do each and every summer. So where are the people of Aloha 2020? Right in your heart!
This map represents the campers and counselors who had committed to camp by March 1.
SPREAD SOME GOOD Place First Class postcard stamp here
Just like we let the whole camp know how awesome someone is at Wedding Ring, we can give thanks to the essential businesses and workers who have sacrificed so much. Choose an essential business (hospitals, nursing homes, grocery stores, restaurants, mail centers etc.) in your town to send an encouraging note to, or write one to a grocery store near camp.*
To:
Tear off the postcard, add a stamp and mail it out. Easy, and thoughtful! * S uggested address: Co-op Food Store 12 Centerra Pkway Lebanon, NH 03766
THANK YOU! From a camper at Aloha
2968 Lake Morey Road Fairlee, Vermont 05045
Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage PAID Wht Riv Jct, VT Permit No. 73