Wrangler Fall/Winter 22

the

WrangLer Teton Valley Ranch Camp

2023 Session Dates: Boys' Season: June 13th - July 11th Girls' Season: July 15th - August 12th

Fall/Winter

85th Anniversary Celebration: July 11th, 2022

Letter from the Camp Directors Dear Friends of Teton Valley Ranch Camp,

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s the first blanket of snow covers our valley, it's a reminder of how the cycle of time keeps rolling forward. Even though we all may be getting older and life changes happen; it's comforting to know that so much remains constant at TVRC. This past summer we introduced the mantra to the camp community of “It’s Our Ranch.” It is the formulation of the idea that Our Ranch holds onto a part of everyone who has been through its gates, and in return, it's a place we cherish and respect. It's the idea that a larger piece of the Ranch remains with us as we travel “along life's way”. We sometimes say “this place gets in your skin”, because so many feel a draw to Our Ranch and still call it home. This is simply because our shared challenges and celebrations at TVRC become ingrained in our identities. They become part of our life story and we hold the memories, accomplishments, lessons learned, and relationships gained so close to our hearts.

As we look ahead to our 85th summer, TVRC continues to live up to its vision and legacy. TVRC remains because of the love, dedication, generosity, and hard work of so many who have come before us. We feel an intense gratitude for those who have paved the way for so many summers and camper experiences. Undoubtedly, there is something very special about this place.

Because of our past, TVRC is over 90% full for next summer. We have already received over 100 staff applications from new and returning staff, which also has us excited for the staff community that is shaping up for 2023. Lastly, the mission of TVRC and the skills we teach are just as critical as ever, for both our campers and Staff. Unplugging, forging real friendships, facing challenges head on, and working together as a team– all of these skills are just as valuable today as they were in 1939.

As the Holiday season approaches, we are grateful to those that have come before us. We stand on the shoulders of many great people who have given their time, resources, and sweat. Moreover, these individuals demonstrated the “It’s Our Ranch” philosophy before we even thought to put words to this idea. As a community member and friend of camp, there are many ways you can support TVRC. Please consider a financial gift to one of the opportunities listed in this issue of the Wrangler. Also, please continue to be champions of TVRC to the rest of the world, the true secret to TVRC is the word-of-mouth recommendations and recruitment that keeps the spirit of the Ranch alive as you share your stories and experiences with others. So, keep TVRC in mind if you happen to come across a young man or woman who would cherish and benefit from the ranch camp experience. We would love to show them Our Ranch!

Here's to the next 85 years!

With Gratitude,

Jim and Cora Ligori

TVRC at 85: building forward We invite you to celebrate 85 years of camp with us this summer as we continue to build for the future!

Join us on the Ranch for Boys' Season Final Rodeo on July 11th for our Anniversary Celebration as we commemorate both the midway point of the summer and all of the summers before. The day will be full of all things TVRC including riding events for campers and roping for all.

There are many ways to celebrate as we mark 85 years of Teton Valley Ranch Camp. The festivities will include: a virtual auction, watching the Rodeo, roping, and enjoying cocktail hour with your camp community as well as other activities after the Rodeo ends.

We will also be traveling around the country this winter for our annual Campfire Tour. If you will be in the area for any of these events, we would love to celebrate 85 years of tradition with you in your city.

Additionally, we plan to host Alumni Workdays on the Ranch this fall, so that you can help work for the future of the Ranch in a tangible way.

If this opportunity is of interest to you, keep an eye out for additional details as we confirm them and share with the community.

We are honored that in our 85th year there are so many who count themselves friends and community members of the Ranch. You have all been so generous with us– we would not be where we are without your support over the years . It is this group that makes TVRC and the traditions we guard so special.

We need your support now more than ever to facilitate this summer's celebration. Volunteers are needed to help plan the fine details of the celebration and coordinate alumni outreach.

Sponsors and underwriters for the event are also needed. If you have an interesting idea for an auction item, please share that with us, too.

Contact Paige Nielsen (pnielsen@tvrcamp.org) to help with any part of the 85th.

For event registration and information, please visit www.tvrcamp.org/85th. We hope to see you as we celebrate 85 years of inspiring western adventure!

Program: Welcome to Our New Operations Director What do you want the TVRC Community to know about you?

"I want the TVRC community to know that while I am not a TVRC alum, I deeply believe in the power of summer camp. I spent 18 summers at camps, 15 of which were spent at Camp Merrie-Woode, an all-girls summer camp in Sapphire, North Carolina.

It was here that I learned two things: (1) women are just as capable as men and (b) your goofy, imperfect self matters. While at Merrie-Woode, I watched female mountaineering counselors lead climbing routes for female campers to follow. I watched female boating counselors scout rapids and lead river trips for female campers to follow. I watched female drama counselors put together entire musicals in five weeks composed of female campers. I watched females run a business (Camp). I watched all of this happen as both a camper and a counselor, and it gave me all of the confidence in the world to fight for gender equality within the outdoor education community. It also gave me the gusto to position myself so that younger women can see a piece of their future selves within me. I want to give others the confidence in female leadership that Merrie-Woode gave me. Secondly, Camp taught me that I matter. Because of Camp, I will continue to follow my dreams despite the naysayers. I will always be my unapologetic self. And, most importantly, on the darkest of days, I will remember that there are a lot of people in the world who care about me. I discovered that level of care and love at Camp."

Rachel Garrett

What are some highlights from your time at camp?

"During my last camper summer at Camp Merrie-Woode, I signed up for the 5-day backpacking trip. I was the oldest camper on the trip, so the counselors encouraged me to step up as a leader. We hiked in the Linville Gorge, which had recently endured a forest fire, so the trails were both hard to find and hard to follow. On our third morning, we slept in, made a huge breakfast, and then swam in a swimming hole before hitting the trail. What was supposed to be a short day of hiking turned into a long day of navigating downed trees, a lack of a trail to follow, and a lot of blisters. At one point, the counselors asked me to comfort the rest of the campers while they made a game plan for the night. We ended up cowboy camping under the stars and ate carrots and hummus for dinner. Our reward was waking up to discover that we were less than 300 yards away from where we had originally planned to camp. We spent the entire next day exploring the river and laughing about our previous night and how painfully close we were to the water source that would have provided us a warm dinner. I often go back to this memory because it taught me a lot - I learned the importance of being flexible and having the ability to adapt quickly when things don’t go as planned. I learned that mother nature always has the upperhand, so you have to be ready for anything when you go into the mountains. I learned that laughter and the ability to find humor in stressful situations is critical. Lastly, I learned that as a sixteen year old, I was capable of being a strong leader because the counselors I looked up to most trusted me, relied on me, believed in me, and encouraged me. Suffice it to say, this trip greatly shaped who I am today."

PrograM What Brings you to TVRC? "While teaching in Jackson, I taught several students who were current and former campers, and I have several friends who worked at TVRC. Every single person I met in Jackson who had an affiliation with TVRC could not have spoken more fondly of it. I sent Jim and Cora an email in November of 2021, and after they had me over for dinner, I was hooked. Before even stepping foot on the Ranch, I knew TVRC was a special place. After spending this past summer there, I am thankful to say that I’ve seen the magic.

TVRC is a place where campers and counselors alike come as one person and leave as another. They leave more confident, more proud, more skilled, more determined, more courageous, more cared for, more open-minded, more empathetic, and more themselves. I am incredibly honored and thankful to work for such an amazing place."

Photos From the Archive

News from the pony express Alumni Website and Events This winter we will be back on the road for a Campfire Tour which is a reimagined version of our historical Roundup Tour with you in mind!

Our goal is to gather our community together to help alumni and current families get connected and catchup with other TVRC community members in their community. As we approach our 85th summer, we hope to have the chance to connect with all of you!

Information Update If you haven't updated your address or contact info with us recently, please fill out our alumni information update form using the QR code on this page or by visiting or website at: https://www.tvrcamp.org/alumni-contact-updates

We are also working with our website developer to launch an alumni section of our website. This will be available exclusively to our alumni community and will include a digital yearbook, information on alumni events, and even a virtual camp notes section where you can reconnect, reminisce, and share memories with fellow alumni.

Wrangler, January 1982 Did You Ever Wonder Where The TV Bucking Horse Brand Came From?

In the summer of 1939, Mr. Ted Van Voorhees, of Indianapolis, Indiana was the crafts instructor at Teton Valley Ranch. Following that summer, Ted designed a Christmas card that was sent to all of the campers and members of the staff. The picture was so striking and seemed to carry so much meaning that it was adopted as the ranch insignia. Since then, the silhouette of a boy riding a horse with a hat in hand and jumping over the Teton Valley brand (also drawn by Ted), has been reproduced thousands of times. It appears on letterheads, envelopes, baggage tags, application blanks, Wrangler newsletters, on each piece of ranch literature, and on the rough rider patches.

SUMMER REVIEW

This summer was TVRC in top form. Campers learned their own capacities for grit and strength while forging deep friendships and discovering the wonder of the valley and ecosystem we call home. Every year that we get to do what we love most is a special one, but 2022 was a season like no other. Above all, we remembered the gift of living in community, and we explored, played, and summited together.

The FOUNDATION From Pack Trips to Ceremonies and Sunday Rodeos, our equestrian program is integral to everything we do and to the adventurous spirit we challenge campers to embrace. This year the TVRC Education Foundation hopes to improve this program through key maintenance initiatives focused on herd health and replacing some tack that has served us well over the years. Your gift to this year's annual appeal will help TVRC-EF with the following projects: $25,000 to finish pasture fencing. $75,000 to purchase 30 new saddles for the horsemanship program. $35,000 to invest in expanding our core herd of horses. $50,000 to remove willows and install irrigation to improve grass growth in our pastures.

We have already raised $50,000 towards this effort and hope that you will join us to make these projects a reality.

You can give by mail or online at: https://www.tvrcamp.org/foun dation/giving-to-tvrc/donationform.

Contact Paige Nielsen, Communications and Fundraising Director, at pnielsen@tvrcamp.org if you have any questions about giving to these projects or TVRC in general.

2023 campfire Tour The TVRC Team is heading around the country this winter for our annual Campfire Tour.

We plan to visit the following cities in January, February, and March:

New York. NY Alexandria, VA Columbus, OH

Cincinnati, OH Lake Forest, IL Houston, TX

Charlotte, NC Los Angeles, CA San Francisco, CA

If you will be in the area, we invite you to join us for these special community events– we would love for your family and any interested friends to join us! Specific dates and locations will be listed at www.tvrcamp.org/roundup-schedule

stay in touch with TVRC! Like our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/TVRCamp Follow us on Instagram: @tvrcamp Checkout our videos on Youtube: www/YouTube.com/ TVRCamp