I’m writing to you with green grass, blue skies, and warm lake temperatures in my mind. I have been thinking a lot about the summer of 2023 and all the fun we are going to create! Every year in the lead-up to camp, we come up with a theme/idea to focus the energy. I love this because it allows us to think big, to dream of our vision for a summer of purpose and fun. As some of you have already learned at camp, or will soon learn, we believe strongly in the power of community, of challenging ourselves to face our fears, learn new skills, and develop friendships that last a lifetime.
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Writing letters home
Making new friends
Pursuing Viking Honors
Singing in the choir
Learning a new skill
Frisbeeeeeee
Ropes course: zip line
Candy night
Enjoying a favorite meal
Finding something cool in the woods
Discovering nature
Painting a masterpiece
Reading a story
Marshmallow roasting
Sailing the Viking Ship
Ping-pong tourney
Storming the castle
Making something new in the shop
Showing off a talent
Scoring a goal in American Ball
Laughing with a counselor
Stargazing
Hitting a bullseye
Helping someone else
A little whittling
The camp show
Playing a prank
Birthday Night party
Watersliding into the lake
New faces in the 05045
Are you new to camp? You’re not alone! Here are some brand-new counselors who will be joining us this summer from all over the world! Are you a returning camper? Be sure to welcome these counselors to our shores!
Stanley Lucas
United Kingdom
HOMETOWN?: I’m from the Cotswolds in the UK!
What is a skill or talent you are excited to bring to camp? I’m really passionate about football (soccer) and football club arsenal, and I’m currently learning Japanese.
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? If I could have any superpower it would be to learn every language so I could communicate with everyone and cross cultural boundaries!
Rosie Hales
United Kingdom
HOMETOWN?: I’m from Milton Keynes, in the county of Buckinghamshire the most frequent declared city in England in honour of the Jubilee before the death of the late Queen.
What is a skill or talent you are excited to bring to camp? My brain is like a sponge for lyrics so if you want your very own personal jukebox, I’m your girl!
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Invisibility think of Violet from The Incredibles!
Cristian Jimenez
Colombia
HOMETOWN?: I’m from Bogota, Colombia.
What is a skill or talent you are excited to bring to camp? I would love to share my knowledge of agriculture (plantecosystem relationships) and entomology (the importance of insects in our life).
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Teleportation! It would allow me to get anywhere in seconds (like Goku from Dragon Ball) as well as travel anywhere in the world!
Away from cities with all their bright l
The Big Dipper
One of the clearest constellations of the Vermont sky, the Big Dipper takes the shape of a ladle, with 3 stars in the “handle” and 4 stars in the “spoon.” This constellation makes up the tail and part of the body of Ursa Major, a bear. The two stars of the big dipper furthest from its ladle form a line pointing to Polaris, the North Star and the start of Ursa Minor, also known as the Little Dipper.
And while we’re looking up, notice the trees! Can you name all the wood in the woods that you see?
Sugar Maple
Each leaf of the sugar maple has five lobes with sort of rounded swoops between them. This leaf is well-known from the Canadian flag.
Northern Red Oak
This is the most common oak tree in our area, prized for its big, shade-giving shape. Its leaves have bristly points, and you’ll often find acorns on the ground around the trunk. Check at the edge of the soccer field by the small backstop for a great example!
Paper Birch
Anybody who spends any time in Camp Craft will know this tree.
The dead giveaway on this one is the bark, which is bright white, with horizontal stripes and peels away in strips. You’ll find several paper birches right in front of the Main House. (The paper birch produces a special oil in its bark which is water resistant and flammable, which makes it a great way to start a campfire.)
e nig ht sky at camp is an incredible sight!
The Milky Way & The Summer Triangle
On especially clear nights, the Milky Way can be seen. This is the center of our galaxy, where stars are so numerous that their light blends together, creating a line of color and texture. This line travels behind the summer triangle, a triad of especially bright stars only visible in the summer months. These stars are Deneb, Vega, and Altair.
Eastern Hemlock
This evergreen tree can be found in all camp’s woods. It can be identified by its flat, shiny needles with a pair of white stripes along the underside. Hemlocks used to be used in making leather now there’s at least one that serves as hunting grounds for a yellowbellied sap sucker! Look for it on the walk to Winships.
White Ash
These trees can be identified by their compound leaves with seven leaflets, as well as the distinctive diamond pattern in the bark. Look for several of them around the Exploring shack and Camp Craft.
Cassiopeia
This constellation can be recognized by the “W” shape it makes with its 5 brightest stars. During the summer months you should be able to find it by looking east, or roughly out over the lake. This constellation is named after a Greek Queen, and its shape is said to be her image, sitting and fanning herself.
Red Maple
The red maple can be identified by its five-lobed leaves with jagged edges all around, including between the lobes. The leaves also have a silvery whitish color on the underside.
