The Spirit 2022

THE SPIRIT 2022

THE SPIRIT 2022

From the Editor

Another summer has passed by, and I once again find myself here: it’s October, I spend a lot of time talking about how cold it suddenly is outside, and I’m writing this letter as the very last thing I do before this book is finished. Camp feels a little far away — but summer 2022 was a perfect reminder of how it’s never as far as it seems. When I stepped onto campus in July, I was both amazed and unsurprised at the way that coming back to Kiniya immediately felt like coming home. This was a feeling that I found to be especially strong throughout camp this summer, as we welcomed community from far and wide, ranging from first year campers to alumni who hadn’t been on Colchester’s shores in multiple years. Whether it’s the first steps onto campus ever, or since 2020, or in years and years prior to that, camp has this habit of making you feel like you’re exactly where you should be.

Creating The Spirit continues to be a privilege, and one that wouldn’t be possible without the help of countless individuals. While I unfortunately can’t list everyone who played a role in this book in some way (we have a page limit!), I want to give some special ‘thank you’s:

To the Kiniya leaders and sta , who went above and beyond this summer in their willingness to help pubs capture as many memories as possible. Whether it was providing updates on the goings ons of activities or spare hands to take photos, you made it possible to document this summer. Even when those photos were .5s. A special thanks goes to Hanna, Charlie, Reilly and Julia for being the starting lineup for pubs on the busiest of days!

To Marnie, for her leadership and for ensuring the many details of this book are exactly as they need to be.

To my radio cat, and everyone who searched tirelessly on the occasions that it went amiss.

To Brendan, Kirsten, Drew, and Bo for inspiring me with their hard work, creativity, and colleague-ship. Whether it was guidance on blog posts, lessons on drone flight, or assisting in capturing moments at Kiniya, I’m grateful for the work you guys do for both sides of the lake. To Dave, for helping to make sure the cover was the best it could be (again!). And to Dawn, for helping with the roster (I hope it inspires some letter writing)!

To Fiona, for being Fiona! And to Glenn and Wubba for being Glenn, and Wubba, and also Glubba.

To my friends in Burlington for listening to me mention for the 100th time that I was still working on this project, and providing words of encouragement as if it was only mention 1 or 2 - appreciate you!

To Chandler and Malcolm for their love, support, quizzes on my ability to read an analogue watch, and for making this twelfth summer I spent at Kiniya one of my favorites so far.

And of course, a huge thank you goes to the campers that fill this book, and Kiniya’s summers, with laughter and light. You guys make this the best job in the world.

And thanks to you for taking the time to read this, and for hopefully taking even more time to soak up the memories on these pages; I hope they make you feel at home. May you always find yourself back on Kiniya shores.

- #20982 Ibby Maruca

DEDICATION

#21158 Glenn Patterson

Presented at

the Final

Banquet by #20982 Ibby Maruca & #20001 Marnie McDonagh

Awarded every summer on banquet night, The Kiniya Spirit dedication is the highest honor that can be awarded at camp. Each summer, the dedication is awarded to an individual who has shown an exemplary commitment and love towards this place that we call home, while going above and beyond what is expected of them to leave Kiniya even better than they found it. The Spirit honoree exemplifies our core values of character, community, leadership, and stewardship. As the Editor of The Spirit, camp’s annual yearbook that you will all receive over the winter holidays, I am privileged to award this honor to someone who, just like the esteemed group of recipients who came before her, has had a profound impact on every person here tonight.

Arriving for her first summer in 2007, this individual originally came to Kiniya to run the outdoors program, then called the ‘hike hut’. She was thoughtful, curious, kind, and excited to be here in a unique way that was described to me as ‘subtle exuberance’. It is typically in this way that we begin the Spirit Dedication - reflecting on a first encounter with the honoree. However, I honestly don’t recall the first time that I met camper #21158, Glenn Patterson. I think this is because the places I could have met Glenn are varied and abundant, much like the roles she’s played for camp. I may have met her on the porch of the old ‘hike hut’, now the Publications cabin. I could have met her as she dropped a package to my cabin, ensuring a camper got a treasure they left at home - or maybe just some extra pairs of socks. I could have met her on the lower fields, likely with one of her young daughters trailing after her. With Glenn, your first encounter really could be anywhere on campus, doing anything, because she has touched every aspect of camp in some way.

Before Glenn came to play this monumental role in our community, she was a young girl living in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Since then, Glenn has always gravitated to places that were more remote, evidencing a love of the wild that remains strong to this day. It was with this love of the outdoors in mind that Glenn would find her way to Burlington, Vermont, where she would meet and eventually marry Jake Rutter, camper number #13758 and a fourth generation Dudleyite. It was from Jake that Glenn first learned about Camp Dudley. While she had heard countless stories about it, on and on and on, it wasn’t until Glenn attended a reunion of Dudleyites that she met other members of the camp community and began to witness what camp was all about. Reflecting on that first meeting, Jake recalled “The Dudley community just absolutely absorbed her and swept her in. Camp immediately embraced her.”

Glenn recalled this interaction to me in a similar way, and emphasized that she thought everyone was maybe a bit crazy. All of these people who had never met her before were so thrilled, boisterous, welcoming - and they couldn’t get enough of her daughter Mahala, about to turn three at the time, who spent the rest of the night bouncing in the arms of di erent Dudley alums.

While this was Glenn’s first significant encounter with camp, it was clearly not her last. Glenn and Jake would eventually begin to work at both Dudley and Kiniya, volunteering in work weeks before taking on full-summer positions. Despite Jake’s long-standing connection to camp, it was Glenn who fostered this new commitment. Jake wholeheartedly notes Glenn as the reason why he got involved with camp again, describing it as something that never would have happened without her. She said, “You talk about this place a lot and we’re never there. We keep talking about it... why aren’t we doing it? Why don’t we do more?” If I had to pick a phrase to characterize Glenn, I couldn’t put it better than that: Why don’t we do more?

And done more, she has. Over the past decade, Glenn has served in multiple roles for Kiniya - including Co-Director to our Outdoors department, Business Manager, Welcome Center Manager, Summer Operations Director, and most recently Assistant Program Director. Throughout these roles, Glenn has had an unwavering focus on making the camper experience the best that it can be. Reflecting on Glenn’s presence at camp, Director and camper number #20001 Marnie McDonagh described Glenn as “...one of the most reliable, trustworthy, and hard-working people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working alongside all these years.” Marnie went on to emphasize how Glenn is “...so thoughtful in her contributions, kind natured in all of her interactions, and puts the other fellow first every chance she gets. She is a role model to all and someone I consider to be not only a deeply valued Kiniya employee, but also a dear friend!”

The impact Glenn has on those who enter her orbit is exemplified in her presence at camp. Much of Glenn’s work is behind the scenes - you may not always know what she’s getting up to as you watch her pass by on a golfcart boondoggle, but rest assured that it is work that has impacted the lives of every member of our camp community, whether you know it or not. As a colleague, Glenn is a leader, a motivator, and a problem solver. She expects a lot from others, pushing people in their roles to do the best that they can and supporting them in their personal growth, so that we can all fulfill our potential. Glenn has a gift for logistics that is frankly astounding; it doesn’t matter what you are asking about or needing – whether it’s making a bandaid from a leaf,

reassuring a parent who’s apart from their kid for the first time, or tracking down receipts that have been missing for months – she can problem-solve them all. Regardless of what Glenn is finding, fixing, or figuring out, she expertly and warmly provides help to others.

Glenn carries the camp spirit far beyond the boundaries of Kiniya’s campus, and far beyond the months of June through August. The Rutter-Patterson household is filled with mementos of camp, from flags, to prints of their favorite hymn sing lyrics, and a wall in their home which would typically be reserved for kids’ measurements has grown to include countless camp people. Glenn has opened her doors to countless Kiniya- and Dudley-ites, who have come to live in her home for stays ranging from brief to familial. I can’t describe the love for camp and the commitment to ‘The Other Fellow First’ that exists in Glenn’s household without also mentioning her three wonderful daughters, Mahala, Beavan, and Celiacampers number #20958, #22758, and #23858, respectively.

They’re now the fifth generation of camp-people in the Rutter family, and the first to be campers at Kiniya. Furthermore, they’re incredibly strong, intelligent, and compassionate young women, who epitomize Glenn’s outlook on the world as a place to improve and adventure through whenever possible. And I absolutely can’t forget to mention the many, many cats in Glenn’s home — they love camp too, whether they know it or not.

Beyond her home, camp is always on Glenn’s mind in the oseason, as she attends work weekends with her family, brings neighborhood families to Dudley’s campus to go camping in the fall, and takes every further opportunity she can to expose camp to as many people as possible. There were multiple summers in which about 8 kids from one neighborhood attended Kiniya, all at the suggestion of Glenn - no, not from

one town or one city, but eight kids from one tiny section of Burlington. This speaks multitudes to Glenn’s influence at bringing people in, and further building the camp community.

Even in her work outside of camp, Glenn consistently upholds camp’s motto of ‘The Other Fellow First’ and its mission to better the lives of others. She works as a lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Vermont, alongside serving as an education consultant to the state of Vermont, and will shortly be completing a doctorate in Special Education. Glenn is a champion of access to education for all, which is an important component of her overall dedication to the development of others — whether it be socially, emotionally, academically, Glenn strives to better everyone and anyone that she can connect with, urging them to do more, be more. Wubba Murray, camper number #16963 and a long-time camp sta member and friend to Glenn, summarizes it best in saying: “Glenn inspires me to be a better human. She combines a deep comprehension of the living world, human nature and the way the world spins on its axis. Glenn stoically, confidently and warmly approaches a challenge as a ‘solvable problem’, and works harder than ten people combined. In the 25 years we’ve been friends, I have yet to hear her utter an insincere, unkind or un-informed word.”

If there is something Glenn can do in order to ‘do more’, she will do it. If there’s a way for her to better camp, or to better the lives of others through camp and the values we instill here, she will do it. For her tireless commitment, her endless support, and her far-radiating kindness, Glenn is a glowing example of the Spirit of Camp Kiniya.

With that, it is an absolute honor and privilege for Marnie and I to award the 2022 Spirit Dedication to our role model and dear friend: camper number #21158 Glenn Patterson.

CAMP KINIYA STAFF

Director Marnie McDonagh Leadership Development Director

Moore

A-HUT

Hannah Williams (Athletics Director)

Nat Simmons, Grady Short, Caroline Reidy, Kissy Rowley, Robby Hughes, Orlagh Grimley Aoife Flanagan, April Smith, Noelle Lewis, Allison Schuldt, Izzy Boodell, Jack Rankin, Kate Mackenzie, Lulu Carone, Michael Katz

WATERFRONT

Tori Ulin (Waterfront Director) Julia Brophy, Sophia Soka, Dervla Tracey, Fred Sargent, Leo Sargent, Lydia Churchill, Claudia Barnils, Nissrine Bourbouh, Tyla-Anne White, Maria Sanchez, Nick Ansell, Olly Harvey

PUBLICATIONS

Ibby Maruca (Head of AV Club)

Ibby Maruca (Also edits things)

Ibby Maruca (One more time, for good measure)

Radio Cat (Intern and Mascot)

ARTS

Amanda Perry (Arts Director)

Erin Long (Head of Mimi’s Lodge) Blythe Chase (Head of Treiber) Camille McCalla, Sekani Springer, Fatima Kaba, Juliette Michaels, Dondrea Taylor-Stewart, Olivia Bransford, Lucca Tisken , Taco Hayes, Sophie Reusswig

KOB*

Chandler Ryan (Outdoors Director) Malcolm Brown, Hadley Noonan, Gretchen Willmuth, Poppy Nelson, Osiris Alvarez, Clara Avery, Paul Brown, Reilly Jacobs, Duncan Campbell, Margot Smith, Annie Galbraith, Noah Dines

Thanks also for your support, young alums!

*Kiniya Outdoor Barn!

WEEK 1

CHAPEL TALK #25195 Noah Dines

Good morning.

As many of you may know I love to spend lots of time outdoors doing all sorts of activities. In the winter you can find me skiing up and down Mount Mansfield in Stowe or perhaps ice climbing in Smugglers Notch, just down the highway from our placid shores. When the last patch of snow disappears, I put the skis away and take out my bicycles, marking the beginning of my long summer riding the Vermont gravel roads and mountain bike trails that flow sinuously throughout our verdant hills. As I have become more and more involved in these sports I have found a deep love for big adventures. Some of you may remember a chapel talk Fiona Maruca camper #20982 gave last year describing a long day of running we did together, from the base of Camel’s Hump all the way over Mount Mansfield. The day was long and hard, but I look back on it fondly, just like so many other adventures big and small I have been lucky enough to enjoy.

This year when the last turns were made in Vermont I just could not bear the thought of putting away my skis, or as I call them, my happy sticks. When the school year wrapped up this spring, I loaded my truck up with a few pairs of skis and a couple of bikes and headed west towards the mecca of summer skiing: the Pacific Northwest. I enjoyed a month of skiing big volcanoes in the morning and riding mountain bike trails in the afternoons. The absolute highlight of the trip was summiting Mt Rainier--the tallest peak in Washington state-- on my birthday and skiing an uber classic descent from the summit down the glacier and back to my car, which I had left more than eleven hours before.

All of these great days take some work, I like to think of any adventure like a fancy dish. It takes time and e ort to get right but the payo is remarkable. Here is my super special recipe for an adventure.

First, you will need a dash of an idea, an inkling that maybe you ought to go do something, anything, anywhere that will push you to explore.

Next, add in a few teaspoons of a plan. Use this to answer the “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” and “how.” Do your research so you can get the absolute best result, but know that sometimes it comes out di erently once all the ingredients are added.

After this, dig through your mental kitchen to find a heaping cup of motivation. You will need to stir this in slowly throughout the process in order to keep it going. You may forget for a few minutes, but as long as you get back to it the whole dish will be ok.

As you stir in the motivation, procure a spoonful of supplies. Find what you need and get it all ready. Borrow it from a friend, buy it used or make it yourself. No matter what, make sure you don’t go in unprepared.

This next step is an important and di cult one. Dump in a few grams of “just do it.” This is where you must commit to the adventure. The first step is always the hardest, so it is best to make it quick!

Here comes the fun! This is where you can toss in a pinch of giggles and a spritz of “yahoos” and “woos!”

At some point you may encounter a sprinkle of dismay, disappointment or even near disaster. This is totally fine and will add to the richness at the end of the day.

If the mixture becomes unsteady check to make sure that you are still adding in motivation, if not feel free to double down by grabbing a snack or singing a silly song.

Finally, garnish with some good luck. No matter where you are, a friendly stranger or a ray of sunshine can be the di erence maker in a day.

Once everything is added let it rest for some time. Sometimes it takes a few hours or days to realize how scrumptious the adventure was. Add some notes in your recipe book to make changes for next time and enjoy the feeling of an adventure well done.

Monique

#25793 Monique Jones

CHAPEL TALK

Good morning, Kiniya!

I am so excited to be here with you today. Thank you, Marnie, for the honor of the invitation. I stand here before you in both humility and gratitude. And I do not take such an opportunity nor the responsibility of standing before you all, lightly.

So for the few minutes I have with you today, I want to talk on the theme of Live Well, Laugh Often, & Love Much. Live well, laugh often, and love much.

Also referred to as ‘live, laugh, love’, many of us have seen this phrase printed on pillows, motivational posters, or even memes on social media. It is said that this phrase really began to grow in popularity in the early 2000s, often found in your home decor stores, but its origins date back to the early 20th century with American author and writer, Bessie Anderson Stanley. According to researchers, although often attributed to writer Ralph Waldo Emerson, this phrase is actually a line out of Bessie’s poem, “Success,” which she submitted to a contest hosted by the Brown Book magazine in Boston, Massachusetts. The contest asked for responses to the question, “What is Success?” Bessie responded in the form of a poem, winning the grand prize. You can google the poem, but the very first stanza reads:

He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; I love this phrase. I think if I were to have a meme for my aesthetic, this phrase would be somewhere in the meme. In three simple words, I think this phrase gets at the heart of life, a good fulfilling, soul satisfying life– live, laugh, love.

But how do we get there? I mean the phrase sounds good on pillows, right? How do you live well when life is often times a struggle? How do you laugh often when disappointment seems to lurk at every corner? And how do you love much when so many have hurt you? That is a heavy, but real life question and may require more than just the 7-10 minutes I have with you today. However, I think there are some things that can be done now as you take part in your own journey to living well, laughing often, and loving much.

There’s a Proverb verse that says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” If we let hate live in our hearts, we will demonstrate that hate towards others. If we let hurt live there, we will hurt others. If we let negativity live there, life’s experiences will be colored through that lens of negativity. Guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

In ancient Greek philosophy, the heart played an important role in understanding the body. The Greek philosopher, Aristotle, described the heart as the most important organ of the body, the first organ to form in human development. He said the heart was the center of the vitality of the body. The ancient Egyptians believed the heart, rather than the brain, was the source of human wisdom and the center of emotions and memory. Because of its link to intellect, personality, and memory, the heart was considered the most important internal organ. It revealed a person’s true character.

And so I can’t help but wonder about the connection between the heart and living our best lives, vibrancy, our memories, who we really are when no one is looking.

WebMD.com defines the heart as a muscular organ, about the size of a fist, that pumps blood through a network of arteries called the cardiovascular system. In other words, the

heart lies at the center of a system that transports nutrients and oxygen-rich blood to all parts of our body, and then carries all de-oxygenated and nutrient-less blood back to the lungs to be replenished and sent out all over again. The heart is part of the system that helps to ensure that all of the organs in your body that help you play in team comps, sing in the Wednesday night show, or even create friendship bracelets receive the oxygen and nutrients necessary so that you can function at your best. That’s pretty major right? I mean the heart has a big job. It is responsible for sending oxygen throughout our bodies. And in understanding that in order to breathe, we need oxygen, it could be inferred that the heart is central to a system that breathes life throughout our bodies. So in my mind, I immediately think that, “Whoa! Something that important and major to my body, to my life, should not be taken for granted. It should be protected or guarded with great care, concern, and wisdom.

And so if my heart is the central organ that breathes life throughout my body so that I can move through this world, engaging with my cabin mates and leaders at Camp Kiniya, knowing and then sharing the innermost parts of my identity, encouraging my friend who is experiencing homesickness for the first time, or even struggling through obstacle courses that force me to recognize that I am capable of far more than I imagined, then the heart is also connected to me living well. It’s connected to me laughing often. And it is connected to me loving much.

In order to live well, we must feed our hearts, ourselves with healthy energy. And if the environment you find yourself in does not provide that to you, then sometimes we have to learn to lean into the power of quiet spaces. Separation, whether physically, musically, creatively, rhyth-

mically, can harness the quiet that is needed so that we have the strength to maneuver through spaces that aren’t feeding us.

In order to laugh often, we have to find joy in even the small things. When progression is not happening soon enough, remember your ‘why’. At one point that ‘why’ was enough to excite you and bring you joy, hope, and maybe even laughter.

In order to love much, we have to first love ourselves. In knowing that there is only one you and that it would be outright rude and selfish to rob the world of experiencing all that you bring to the table, then you are able to love that very same confidence out of others. I think the Other Fellow First encompasses this idea of self love. When I am able to truly love myself, I am better positioned to love and serve others.

And so I leave you with these questions. Are you guarding your hearts? What type of breath of life is being pumped throughout your body that then materializes in the words you speak, the actions you engage in, the conversations you have with others or about others? Are you breathing oxygen and nutrient rich life into the spaces that you walk into? Are you breathing oxygen and nutrient rich life so that others are invigorated by your presence, encaouraged by your words, and inspired through your example.

Guard your heart for everything you do flows from it.

WEEK 2

#22896 Erin Long

CHAPEL TALK

Good morning.

I’m Erin, though I’m sure most of you know me best as that person who screams really loud in the dining hall. I don’t take o ense to that association, not only is it my job to be loud as a professional theater kid here, but because as many of you can tell I love dining hall songs.

Now before we get to the songs of today, let me tell you about last year.

In 2021 I was the last sta member to leave campus. Everyone had packed up their bags and headed o ready for what came next, meanwhile I was here. I felt so lucky to even get one more night in this beautiful place. So what did I do in my solitude? I bought myself a pizza, brought it down to the senior beach docks, and proceeded to watch the most beautiful sunset of the year. And as those clouds swirled together the oranges melting into pinks with dashes of blue sky peeking through I couldn’t help but cry. There I was seeing the world in the most beautiful place at its most beautiful moment, alone. I was alone.

Of course I took photos, and of course I immediately sent them to all my camp friends and even to my parents to show them what a gorgeous sunset they were missing. But still, I couldn’t shake the guilt I felt. How could I feel so heartbroken seeing something so spectacular, seeing what was quite simply the best thing I have ever seen in the best place I have ever been? Because it was just me seeing it.

Because even though I was in my favorite place, seeing that sky meant next to nothing without my favorite people beside me. Because I’ve never set foot on campus and been excited for the Dining Hall or Senior Bathhouse, but for reuniting with those I’ve missed over the o -season. Because camp has never been about the places in which we live, but the people with whom we connect and those into whom we grow.

Which brings me back to the dining hall. I don’t know about you all

but I certainly do not cheer loudly indoors with more than 175 other people regularly outside of camp. I do not get the chance to sing “Titanic” or “Weekends” anywhere else, or with anyone else.

As a camper my first year, as I’m sure many of the first year campers and sta can relate, I thought singing after meals was absolutely bizarre. Who sings about a worm stuck in a straw after eating chicken, potatoes & green beans? Why are we singing when we know it’s 85 degrees in this building and singing expels hot air? If we can feel the floor creaking under us when we walk, then why are we jumping up and down shouting “Rise and Shine” at the tops of our lungs?

Even so, by the end of my first summer I found myself screaming along as best I could. But as the summers went by, I was increasingly less engaged with the cheers. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy them or like them, I just knew that someone else would always be there to sing so it wouldn’t matter what I did.

Suddenly, I was a JL and there weren’t any songs after meals. It wasn’t silent, people of course were talking and laughing, but nothing like the pure magic of everyone singing together after a meal. Even in the dining hall with everyone bustling around and people chatting and the lake right there before my very eyes, I felt deeply alone. It was as if somehow camp was no longer camp. So what did I do? I started to sing the songs. I projected my voice as best I could to get my campers and everyone within earshot excited, and I’ve never looked back.

“Why do we sing after meals?” I wondered 10 years ago, and get asked annually by those new to our community. The answer is because we can.

We do it because there is nothing like screaming together about haircuts or Camp Kiniya’s spirit. We do it because when we sing together, something magical happens. That is why I love them. When we sing, we share in a tradition of all those who have come before us and those jumping alongside us. There is a heartbeat of camp and it is not in Coleman Hall or Mimi’s Lodge or on the fields. It is in us, and it binds us all together in joy and sorrow. Rain or shine. Through rose, bud and thorn, because we are at our best when we are together.

So Camp Kiniya, I dare you all to spend our last week together in celebration of our community. Scream at the tops of your lungs as much as you can. Spend every moment we have in our final week together forging and fortifying the bonds we have here.

Last year my chapel talk was about the story of the song “Auld Lang Syne,” the quintessential New Year’s Eve song that goes “Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind,” and so on. At the end of the talk I sang it for you all with di erent words: “We’re here because we’re here because we’re here” over and over again. Now I invite all of you all to sing it with me. If you aren’t sure about the melody just try that’s all I can ask you to do. When we sing it, listen for that heartbeat, feel that invisible string running through us all and know that we’re here because we’re here because we’re here.

Rich Maxwell #9701 July 10th, 2022

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

Fran Bisselle #18141 July 31st, 2022

WEEK 5

CHAPEL TALK #22652 Allison Schuldt

Good morning.

When one plays volleyball, a common move is to “bump” the ball o of your forearms and have it go straight into the air. In order to perform this move as accurately as possible, your arms must stay straight, and your forearms must be flat.

When I started playing volleyball in the 6th grade, I had already been going to camp for a few years, so I had quite a few friendship bracelets on my wrists. “Everyone take o any jewelry you have on your wrists,” my coach said to us. I quickly removed my watch but quickly realized the friendship bracelets wouldn’t come o as easily. My coach o ered to cut them o with scissors, but instinctively I replied saying “No thanks! I’ll go untie them.”

It would have been e ortless and a huge time saver if I just cut them o , but all that went through my mind was “I don’t want to throw them out, what do I do with them? What if I want to put them back on later?” Looking back, it seems a bit silly to have spent 45 minutes untying a dozen friendship bracelets from my wrist, but now I also know why I cared so much so many years ago…

I’m a firm believer that relationships and friendships are the most important thing in life. This is my 11th year at Kiniya. In those 11 years, I’ve moved houses nine times, across five states and two countries, and have changed where I’m “from” about a dozen more. Throughout all of this transition, I only ever attended one Camp Kiniya. From a young age, I quickly realized my Camp friendships were special because they would last no matter where I lived in this great big world of ours; we would all return to camp year after year, updating each other on our lives, and having fun as if no time has passed at all.

I have even learned that camp friendships are generational. Some of my friends here, you know who you are, have grandfathers who were friends with my grandfather, James S. Weaver Jr. at Camp Dudley. I also know that the impact of Camp on one’s life has the potential to be monumental. My Grandpa James was involved in the Camp Dudley experience throughout his life, all the way up to his passing in 2017, writing in his will to have the final five played at the end of his “celebration of life” ceremony as we all walked out of the room. I think about my grandfather often, and wish I could tell him how his experience at Dudley changed my life by exposing me to Kiniya.

You may not know it now, but some of you are sitting next to summertime friends who will end up being present throughout

So, what did I end up doing with those friendship bracelets? Where are they now? They’re here (hold up box). Every friendship bracelet I’ve ever received since my 6th-grade year when I started playing volleyball, and each of the opening-day wristbands from my years at Kiniya is stored right here. I keep them as a token and representation of the Camp friendships that may have faded over time, as some of my old friends developed other plans for how to spend their summers, and of the friendships with those who I’ve known for almost a decade. Some of them are your leaders right now, shout out to cabins Cady and Pinecrest, 2011 and 2012.

I value all of these relationships equally, as they’ve all helped me form who I am today.

We all may live in di erent places when we’re not at Kiniya, and being caught up in school, sports, and social life can make it di cult to remember to reach out to our cherished Camp friendships. With this, I challenge you to think, “what can I do to strengthen a friendship I have at Kiniya, especially during the school year?” Maybe that is by writing letters to your camp friends on Christmas, facetime on birthdays, or a simple “how are you?” text. I know I’ve done all of those. Although you may be far physically, there are many ways to feel as if you’re right here, in this dining hall, sitting next to someone who is a part of your life and Camp Kiniya experience.

your entire life. They will be there for life’s greatest moments; graduations, weddings, etc., or life’s hardest times when you need a shoulder to lean on.

Mary Hopta #20203 August 7thth, 2022

CHAPEL TALK #20203 Mary Hopta

Good morning!

It has been wonderful to spend the last few days ‘neath the pines with all of you - seeing old friends, meeting new ones, and soaking up all that camp has to o er. My friends will tell you - I love camp. I talk about it all the time. Those of you that are returning to camp this summer know that almost anything can be related to camp. Talking with your family at dinner, your classmates in the hall, your neighbors as you walk to the park? Most topics will remind you of something that has happened at camp. You might smile and remember that in your mind or you might be like me. I almost always share that story or connection out loud with whoever I am with. Camp is simply a huge part of my life. It has shaped me into who I am today.

At this point in the summer, I am sure you have heard about the ways you can get the most out of Camp, how Camp teaches you to be a better person, or how Camp can change your life (which is absolutely true). Today, I would like to share a di erent message. I would like to talk to you about how you can use what you’ve learned at Camp to change the world. Yes, that’s right. I said that I am going to tell you how you can take what you’ve learned at Camp and CHANGE THE WORLD.

Over the last few weeks, you have been creating memories, learning how to share a living space with others, managing your own belongings, learning unique and varied skills such as standing up at waterskiing, reaching a new height at climbing, learning to make a bowl at ceramics, and learning how to put

Undoubtedly, each of you has a favorite activity, a goal you are working to achieve, and a few friendship bracelets on your arm; but more importantly, each of you demonstrates how to make someone else’s day a little bit better – whether that means taking a smaller brownie so your cabin mate can have a bigger piece, helping a sta member complete a task they needed help with, or encouraging a teammate who is having a rough day. Throughout the day, each member of the Kiniya community actively tries to lift each camper, leader, or sta member to be the best version of themselves that they can be. Think about it. As soon as you drive through those Kiniya gates, you no longer care how greasy your hair is, who has what kind of jeans, where your make-up is, or who is in the cool crowd. Many of the worries that follow you throughout your day at home stem from issues just like these.

Growing up, one of my biggest concerns at home was if people were excluding me or talking about me behind my back. It was easy to stress and worry about potential exclusiveness. It is not a comfortable feeling to be excluded. I am still uncomfortable with the thought of people disliking who I am, even now. Do I still feel the same stress as I did at age 12 or 15 or 20? No. But every now and then I have a twinge of - ooh I hope that wasn’t the wrong thing to say or should I have been less talkative? – I never worry about that at Kiniya.

others before yourself – just to name a few things!

It’s been a while, but I am sure that during my first few days at camp during my first summer way back in 2004 I was nervous about making friends. But I did – as I am sure all of you did. Since then, I have not given one thought to being liked at camp. I am just myself and in this community that is enough. I want you to know that being yourself is always enough. When I was younger, I found myself being less so that others could be more. I so desperately wanted to be liked, to be cool, that I was okay being something di erent. But as I got older, I realized that I really like who I am – and so do a lot of other people. But, I cannot and should not expect to be liked by everyone. I want to say that again. I cannot and should not expect to be liked by everyone. I still strive to be kind to everyone, but my actions are not dependent on others. Once I accepted that truth, it was much easier to accept me for me. I no longer needed to be less than who I am.

Here is where you come in. How many of you feel like you can be yourself at camp? What are some of the reasons you feel that way?

For me, I know that know one will laugh at me. No one is talking about me behind my back or hoping that I fail. If I add in the answers you gave me, we have a whole list! A list of ways we can make others more comfortable being themselves. A list of ways we can change the world. The key here is that no one can change the whole world alone, so we will need to work together.

There is no reason why we should only feel like ourselves at camp (or why we should have to wait until we’re almost 30 to feel that way). We should strive to feel like we can be who we are everywhere we go. So what needs to happen? We need to make the rest of the world a little bit more like camp. We could have a few hundred communities where people feel safe being who they are if everyone commits. It is as simple as each of you taking a few things from our list and recreating

them at home. It will not always be easy. People do gossip about others– even their friends, and they will try to include you in that. But think about all of the other fun things you could be talking about instead…like the USWNT or puppies or ice cream flavors or the best way to eat potatoes to name a few. Choose to talk kindly about others or not at all and stick with it. Really and truly route for people to succeed (even if they got the part in the play or student council or sports team that you wanted. Even if they aren’t routing for you). As Rose told us the other day, it is okay to fail. It is not okay to wish failure on others.

Think of yourself as a candle. Your personality is the flame. When you are confident in yourself, you shine more brightly. You become a beacon of light, a beacon of love for who you are for others to see. The best thing about candles is that there is always room for more flames. One candle can spark the light in every other candle in the room. The flame doesn’t die, it grows and spreads its light with others. Just like you. If you allow yourself to embrace yourself and to shine, your light won’t overpower or dim those around you; instead, it will spread – illuminating the good in others, telling them it is okay to be who they are. Don’t ever feel like you need to be less so others can be more. Be more so others can follow your example.

WEEK 6

First Session

Faye Davall

Kate Dobson

Lynette Farrington

Cecilia Franck

Penny Haddad

Elizabeth Haskell

Aryianna Johnson

Matilda Labrucherie

Annabel Larrison

Hope O’Brien

Ella O’Neil

Maeve O’Neil

Fiona Reilly Maeve Welch

Madeleine Woodbury

2022 KIWIS

Second Session

Larkin Celiberti

Ellie Garofalo

Sylvia Green

Hollis Hagen

Charlotte Sabine

Ryan Salvitti

Kate Snow

Stella Van Praagh

Finley Warnier

Henrietta Fernandez

Duncan Campbell

Noah Dines

Becca McCray

NOLS

Alessia Cutaia

SPAIN & GERMANY

Spain Trip

German Exchange

NOLS

First Session

Hadley Noonan (Leader)

Evie Bijur

Greta Corrigan

Alessia Cutaia

Courtney Domber

Sofie Fiegl

Lilly Grand

Campbell Madden

Kelsey Plumb

Lucy Wainwright

Anna Wong

Kalina Zapert

Seond Session

Helena Loomis (Leader)

Adela Ardrey

Sophie Brown

Maggie Cabot

Caroline Calello

Ella Callagy

Devan Grills

Claire Maruszewski

Charlotte Noll

Sophia Ospina

Charlotte Van Ness

Maya Zaruba

10 Year Award

Sophia Soka Rose Bransford Olivia Bransford Katherine Oatman Annie Oatman

THE 2022 CAMP KINIYA LEADERS

DIVISION HEADS

CUBS

Lydia Groves • D-Head • Bowdoin College

Emma Ca ry • Asst. D-Head • University of Vermont

CATS

Annie Oatman • D-Head • Hamilton College

Allie O’Kee e • Asst. D-Head • Ohio Wesleyan University

Anna Bartlett • Northeastern University

Ella Boodell • Wellesley College

Kendyl Brower • New York University

Lulu Carone • Syracuse University

Clara Chaplin • Bucknell University

Monica Dolan • George Washington University

Kendra Elliott • University of New Hampshire

Miki Howson • Gettysburg College

Katie Pan • University of Virginia

JUNIORS

Rose Bransford • D-Head • University of Colorado Boulder

Katherine Oatman • Asst. D-Head • Fairfield University

SENIORS

Abby Scharges • D-Head • College of William & Mary

Sarah Miller • Asst. D-Head • Dickinson College

LEADERS

Sophie Reusswig • University of New Haven

Sophia Soka • University of Colorado Boulder

Aidia Steen • Harvard University

Emily Waugh • University of California, Los Angeles

Helena Loomis • Northeastern University • NOLS

Hadley Noonan • Hamilton College • NOLS

Louisa Gammill • Emory University • Spain Trip

Meike Krieger • University of Erfurt • German Exchange

Laura Kuruvilla • Syracuse University • German Exchange

CUBS

CATS

FIRST SESSION

FIRST SESSION

FIRST SESSION

JUNIORS

FIRST SESSION

SECOND SESSION

FIRST SESSION

SECOND SESSION

FIRST SESSION

SECOND SESSION

SENIORS

FIRST SESSION

SECOND SESSION

FIRST SESSION

SECOND SESSION