Est. 1904
WHY MOOSILAUKE? Camp Moosilauke is one of the oldest summer camps in the U.S. Since our founding in 1904, our mission has been simple but powerful: fun with a purpose. Our goal is to create happy, confident, and resilient boys. Our continued success in achieving our goals is due to a number of factors, including: extraordinary attention to the individual needs of each boy; an exceptionally positive and nurturing peer culture; a philosophy and program rooted in positive risk taking; and a strategic mix of structure and choice. Combine all of this with an enthusiastic and diverse group of 140 campers (from 17 states and 8 countries), an experienced and caring staff, and a beautiful and expansive campus (100 acres of fields and forest and a secluded mile-long lake in the White Mountains of New Hampshire), and you have all the makings for an amazing summer.
INDIVIDUALIZED ATTENTION Moosilauke’s small size and talented, committed administration and staff will ensure that your boy is known and nurtured. Bill and Sabina McMahon have been directing Moosilauke for close to three decades. When they are not at Moosilauke, they live and work at The Thacher School in Ojai, CA. Bill is the director of enrollment and planning, and Sabina is the dean of students. They both attended Colgate University and received graduate degrees from Columbia. (Bill earned his MBA and Sabina her Master’s in Education.) In a feature article on Moosilauke, the Boston Globe wrote that Directors Bill and Sabina have “earned unofficial doctorates in boyhood.” A recent Moosilauke parent writes: “Bill and Sabina McMahon’s gifts for understanding boys are on display in everything from the well-trained staff to the activities to the food. They put their heart and soul into Moosilauke and we are the beneficiaries. Whatever success my son has in life, it will be in part because of the values, camaraderie, and pure joy Camp Moosilauke gave him.” Bill and Sabina oversee an experienced and skilled staff: in a typical year 50% are over 21 and 70% will have worked at or attended Moosilauke.
POSITIVE RISK TAKING Social biologists are clear that self-esteem can’t be given, no matter how hard parents try. Self-esteem has to be earned by stepping out of one’s comfort zone, trying new things, and, in the process, encountering and overcoming failure. Positive risk taking is at the heart of the Moosilauke experience. Our focus on three main program areas—land sports, waterfront, and outdoor adventure—and a unique balance of structure and choice, ensure that all campers are able to pursue activities in which they are already skilled and confident, while also being challenged to learn and develop new skills and strengths.
SUPPORTIVE CULTURE A program of positive risk taking will only achieve the goals of building confidence, resilience, and happiness if it takes place within an authentic and supportive culture. We believe Moosilauke has the most positive and healthy peer culture of any camp in the U.S. Our unique culture arises from a number of factors, including: an extensive eight-day training program for all counselors that is steeped in a deep understanding of what makes boys tick; high staff and camper return rates which ensure that our positive culture replicates itself year-to-year; a vigilant and committed staff, many of whom are professional educators with years of experience working with boys; and a program that embraces positive traditions and events along with age appropriate responsibilities that teach boys how to be good friends, good citizens, and good leaders.
SKILL ACQUISITION AND POSITIVE COMPETITION Instructional classes are held in over 18 activity areas. Boys are assigned in the morning but in the afternoon they have two choice periods where they sign up for what they want on a daily basis. In terms of land sports, Moosilauke focuses on baseball, tennis, soccer, lacrosse, and basketball. Many of our instructors are high school coaches or have played in college. On the waterfront, boys take part in swimming, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, windsurfing, water skiing, wakeboarding, wake surfing, standup paddle boarding, rowing, and fishing. We also have instruction in backcountry leadership skills, rock climbing, mountain biking, archery, wood shop, and arts and crafts. Intercamp competition is an avenue for boys to test physical and interpersonal skills, and gain resilience and self esteem in the process. Our emphasis is on working hard, having fun, and learning to win and lose with grace. Any camper, regardless of skill level, can take part in intercamp competition; there are no “cuts� at Moosilauke.
OUTDOOR ADVENTURE Outdoor adventure trips are central to Moosilauke’s program of positive risk taking. Similar to daily class periods, trips are a mix of the required and voluntary. All boys will go on at least one required hike and overnight, while the majority of the extended trips are voluntary. Trips range from day excursions to three-day adventures and include hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, climbing, and white water canoeing, kayaking and rafting. Campers venture forth to most of the well known White Mountain peaks, lakes like Umbagog and Newfound, and rivers such as the Androscoggin, Rapid, Saco, Connecticut, Pemi, and the Rouge (in Montreal). Moosilauke prides itself on the quality of its outdoor adventure activities, and the people who staff them. Our trip leaders are all certified in at least Wilderness First Aid, and have years of experience in the backcountry.
FUN! Above all else, we strive for Moosilauke to be a place where boys are comfortable to be themselves, learn new skills, and have fun in the process.
Bill and Sabina McMahon Camp Moosilauke 55 Moosilauke Way Orford, NH 03777 cmoosilauke@gmail.com moosilauke.com 800-353-4546 / 603-353-4545