Winter 2015 - Amazon Web Services

Winter 2015
are doing. We give extra effort because we know
how good it feels. In many places outside camp,
people wait around to find out how much or how
little effort they can get away with. “Maybe I can get
away with only 80% effort and get the job done.”
Sure, you can, but what makes greatness is that you
don’t. Simply put, you get back what you give out
and that’s a basic guideline at camp.
Dear Lanakila,
Happy New Year! I heard a counselor say
recently that he looked forward to the promise of
another great summer. I realized that was different
from having a “hope” about another great summer;
“hope” feels more like leaving it to chance, and
“promise” feels more like we have choice in the
matter.
I think there are at least four things that
Lanakilans do to make sure the summer is great,
and that’s why we all look forward to June, July and
August so much. First, we don’t wait for things to
happen, we make things happen. At Lanakila we
create love, and fun and quality. We don’t wait to see
if it’s going to be a fun assembly, we make it a fun
assembly by singing, and listening and supporting
the speakers.
Secondly, we aren’t victims of our
experiences. When things happen, we ask ourselves
how we feel about what happened, but what is
different about camp is that we then ask another very
different question: “How do I want to feel about
this experience?” That gives us some direction, and
power, and resiliency to handle difficult situations.
Thirdly, we always give 110% effort into what we
Finally, we live from the inside out. We are
primarily concerned about who we are in the world,
even when things go badly. We ask ourselves, “Who
do I want to be in this situation?” as a regular part of
our lives. A friend asked me lately, “How’s the world
treating you?” “Not bad,” I replied, “but what’s more
important is how am I treating the world.” We decide
about the kind of people we want to be and let others
make those decisions for themselves too. We don’t
try to control others so they will act the way we need
them to; we respect ourselves and respect others.
When we do these things, magic starts to
happen. And the magic is what is at the center of
camp and the whole summer experience. I can’t
wait for this wonderful summer of 2015, and I am
ready to play my part in making it happen. I know
you will be too, because that’s what it means to be a
Lanakilan.
Peace and Skol,
Inside
this issue of the Lanalog
ContentsPages
Skol from Bryan
3-4
Greetings from Jeremy
5-6
Greetings from Unit Heads
7 - 13
Lanakila Show News
14 - 15
Postcards from Alumni
16 - 17
As Odin Sees It
18
Peace & Skol from Don
19 - 20
Skolbot Notice21
Carrying Lanakila into Life
22 - 35
Ross Cannon Chapel Talk
22
Lucy Williams Chapel Talk
26
Alex Lipoff Chapel Talk
28
Keith Witty Words
30
www.camplanakila.com
Don’t forget to check out Lanakila’s website during the winter, maintained by our very own photographer, Jenn
Grossman, and our trusty webmaster, Hans Woehlck. Find pictures of last summer’s tent/cabin photographs,
sign the guest book and get in touch with your friends from Camp, too. And, remember how to spell this secret
word, “council.”Also check out Lanakila on Facebook!
Note: Prospective campers or parents, or anyone interested in information on Camp Lanakila and the other
camps of the Aloha Foundation, please visit the Aloha Foundation’s official website:
www.alohafoundation.org
Skol
from Bryan
Dear Lanakilans,
I am sitting at chapel on a December afternoon.
As I look around, the chapel benches are gone,
the piano is stored away for the winter, the birches
stand naked in the forest, and without the leaves, I
can see the ropes course in its entirety. It is rather
quiet (and a bit cold) here as I sit atop the thick
layer of snow, making it virtually impossible to
make stick houses. However, as I close my eyes,
I can transport myself to the seven Sundays this
summer, where we witnessed campers taking a risk with a solo, whether vocally or on piano. I can hear Ben
Smith’s chapel service that still has me smiling. This summer, we saw a wizard show up on parents weekend
to impart his wisdom, and we were granted the gift of brilliant music that fills our playlists when we aren’t at
camp.
I make my way to Council Fire, where the upper canopy of trees has sheltered much of our sanctuary from
snow. The fire pit no longer sits stoically in the center, there are no shields hanging from the birches, and the
crackling from the scorching fire is a distant memory. But as I close my eyes, I can hear Dewey and Alex
taking the standard of storytelling to a whole new level, I can see the glimmer of each of your faces during the
candle light ceremony, and I can feel the magic of each inventive trip story.
Lastly, I’m sitting atop the platform of Lakeside Tent 8. Gone is the protective canvas to keep out the elements;
there is no constant of any number of basketballs bouncing on the court, and the lake has begun the process of
freezing over until spring. But as I always do, I close my eyes and see the brilliance of the bonfire from the
best vantage point in camp, I see the Ameden League Finals going on in full swing, and I feel the laughter of
nighttime conversations with tent mates.
Page 3
Continued on next page...
(Skol from Bryan, continued from page 3)
You see, Lanakilans have a remarkable gift. Even when we are away from the place we love, we have the
ability to close our eyes and be transported back to the moments of the 2014 summer. Each one of us has our
own memories, the things that we cherish. We have the unique privilege to know how we feel about a place, but
not necessarily be able to explain it with words. Most importantly, we have the ability to take the happiness we
feel at camp and use it to become the people we want to be.
I wish you all the happiest of holidays. It will only be a matter of time before we see each other again!
Cheers,
Bryan Partridge
Page 4
Greetings
from Jeremy
Dear Lanakila,
As I sit here writing this letter, I am still feeling the reverberations
of the “holiday season.” This was a stressful time for me,
especially holiday shopping. I used to do most of my shopping
at the mall, but the crowds and lines there – somewhat akin to the
candy-night lines at the camp store during free evening – were just
too aggravating. Then I tried to move all of my gift-purchasing on
line, but that was overwhelming also. I suppose I could connect
my new spouse, Skolbot, to the computer, and have it do my
shopping electronically, but that seems to defeat the purpose.
I mean, it’s not that I dislike gift-giving – I actually really enjoy
the look on someone’s face when they receive a wonderful and
heartfelt gift. But that very thought helped crystalize it for me:
it was Lanakila that had made me realize the folly in collecting
a ridiculous amount of things and spending so much money on
possessions.
Think about camp. For one, we don’t need fancy home furnishings to have comfortable and cozy interiors:
the bridge clubhouse, where so many hilarious, fun, and meaningful moments were born, is a prime example
of that. Its design aesthetic can best be described as, well, let’s just say “cozy,” but it’s still a happy home to
many. Secondly, we don’t rely on fancy toys or electronics or gadgets to entertain us; instead, we manage to
have more fun that can be imagined by playing in the brook, or building a fire, or finding a way to sneak hot
sauce into James Dickison’s morning coffee. Instead of fancy treadmills or expensive gym memberships,
we have early-morning swims and late night games of knockout under the lights. And rather than collecting
closets full of fancy shirts and designer jackets and jeans, we have a single trunk that contains one kind of
t-shirt, one kind of shorts, and a healthy number of socks (Brooksiders and Bridgers notwithstanding) to get us
through the week.
This kind of Lanakila simplicity reminds me what should take the majority of my energy: having fun with
others, getting to know people, being creative, appreciating the simple pleasures in life, and spending time
with both my own family and my Lanakila family. All of these things can be done without spending a dollar,
without being assaulted by professional perfume sprayers at your local department store, and without armPage 5
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(Greetings from Jeremy, continued from page 5)
wrestling an elderly woman at the toy store for the last Nerf N-Strike Elite Hail-Fire shooting toy (I’m told this
is actually an item. Egads. Although it WOULD be a useful tool for me to use on Bryan Partridge in our
office, when his annoyingness starts to spiral out of control. But I digress).
Anyway, you get the point: the magic of camp is that we make our own fun at Lanakila, and we spend our time
and energy practicing how to be better at living with people and creating relationships, instead of wasting time
obsessing about inanimate objects and practicing how to beat the 27th level of Call of Duty 19. Not that those
can’t be fun as well – in moderation – but almost every incredible memory I have from since I was a Brooksider
comes from simple pleasures that happened when I spent time making my own fun with others.
My memories from Lanakila 2014 are some of the greatest gifts I can imagine, so thank you all for that (and
don’t worry – we will still find plenty of projectiles to shoot at Ridge this summer). Can’t wait to see you all
soon!
Peace and Skol,
Jeremy Cutler
Page 6
Greetings
from Brookside
Good morning, Brookside!!
Can you believe it has been so long since you’ve left camp? I say
“you” because I started working for Hulbert this year, so I still
haven’t left camp. For you guys who may have forgotten, Hulbert
is another part of the foundation that runs when all the Lanakila
folk make their way back home. Schools come from all over the
New England area to spend 1-5 days at the Hulbert campus. The
school kids stay in the HOC cabins, so there is no need to worry
about strange names being written on any of your tents.
On a regular basis I get to show off our pirate ship and tree house,
and play games in Brookside! I also get to play on all the fun low
rope elements that we have around our unit. I can’t wait to share
them with all of you next summer. It might be an addition to the
fun job wheel because it’s really that much fun!
But here is the really cool part. With pretty much every group that comes to Hulbert we do a little exercise
where we close our eyes and think of our favorite place in the world. We ask participants to think about what
that place smells like, what it looks like, all the fun things you have done there, and then imagine that this
current place they’re in is that for someone else out there. It never fails that I leave that moment with a huge
smile on my face because I think of moments playing Moon Ball, or being at the Brookside Café, or the most
epic dance party of all time at the Aloha waterfront.
But recently I’ve started to think about all this a little differently (don’t worry, I still think that it was the most
epic dance party of all time ever). I think about what it
takes to actually create a special place. The first thing
that comes to mind is obviously FUN. I mean who
wouldn’t want to be in a place where they could have
the most fun possible at any moment in the day. Then I
start to think about the FRIENDS. Would they all have
to be your best friends? No not necessarily, but you
would like to have everyone share the same expectations
about being treated with respect. Finally, I think about
all of YOU. I think about all of Brookside, not only
because it’s my favorite place in the world, but because
Continued on page 13...
Page 7
Greetings
from Woodside
Dear Woodside,
As our summer together drew to a close,
I was reminded of the quote, “Life is
inherently risky. There is only one big risk
you should avoid at all costs, and that is
the risk of doing nothing.” (Denis Waitley)
As you would probably agree, sometimes
staying exactly where we are - comfortable,
confident, and unchallenged - can be pretty
enticing. “Why,” you might ask, “should I
try something new, different, challenging,
or uncertain?” As I began to think about the
summer we all shared, I realized that the
proof, sometimes literally, was in the pudding.
First, I thought about the counselors who were new to Woodside this summer. It is, believe it or not, a real risk
for counselors to try something new too. James Mutaka, Duncan McRae, Tassi Von Gerlach, Josh Porter,
Henry Alderson-Smith, Justin Cottrill, Messy, Sasha Egger, Rachel Aguirre, Veronika Minarova, and
Cintia Ceron Blancas (not to forget our amazing 2YBs, Sam Danford and Pierre Hirschler), were all new
to life in Woodside before this past summer began. Yet, can you imagine what life would be like if any one of
them decided that taking the risk to join Woodside was too daunting, and instead decided to join another unit
or not come to camp at all? First of all, if they decided not to take the risk, we would have been so severely
understaffed that Matt Sincerbeaux, Alex Halaby, Jacob Tremblay, Peter Klisiwecz, John Wallick, and
Liam Downey would probably need to be promoted to full-time counseling staff. With that crew running the
show, it’s hard to imagine that anyone would have passed inspection even once, changed his sheets at all this
summer, or brushed his teeth for the requisite 5.8 seconds per day. Needless to say, counselors being willing to
take risks is basically the reason all of our teeth haven’t fallen out.
And next, Woodside, I thought of the campers who were so willing to take risks every day. What would have
happened if no one chose to go after Viking Honors, even though we run the risk of not passing? What would
have happened if we never tried any new craft periods, departments, foods in the dining room, or activities
around the unit? We never would have had so many Woodside Vikings, standing proudly in front of Jeremy
and Barnes, receiving their well-deserved Loki shields and Tyr helmets. We never would have realized that
we loved to sing, or swim, or kayak, or paint, or build projects in Shop. Some of us may have never known
that Bucky’s vanilla pudding is about as delicious as deserts get. Certainly, we never would have had an
unforgettable techno-water party at Aloha.
Continued on page 13...
Page 8
Greetings
from Hillside
Oh hi, Hillside!
My friends, it has been a crazy few months since
camp. I feel like just yesterday Sam Masters and I were
launching a rainbow of leftover bread rolls into the sky. We
watched with glee as all that bread came cascading back to
earth upon your giddy, and at times, unsuspecting heads. As
much fun as bombing you with buttery baked biscuits was, I
can’t say it was the highlight of my summer. No, the highlight
of my summer is the way I feel right now while writing this.
The true measure of a summer is the legacy it leaves in your heart, months after you’ve left the warmth of
Lake Morey’s shores. As I sit and write on this cold December day, I am reminded for the 900th time of how
spectacular last summer truly was.
As a unit we became committed to the choices we made and how they represent who we are. I told you
all that in Hillside we don’t have any rules; we just get to make choices. Despite what classroom rule charts
may say, the same is true for you right now in school. At the end of the day, whether or not you follow the rules
comes down to whether or not you can make good choices that represent the best version of yourself. I know
how excellent each and every one of you can be, so I have no doubt that you are all doing great things.
I will be returning to Lake Morey this February for a pond-hockey tournament and I already know that
my first stop will be to Hillside. With the sound of crisp winter air coming through the trees, their soft green
traded for a blanketing of frozen white, I will take the crunchy walk through the snow and up to our clubhouse.
While I expect it to appear barren and lonely at first, all I will have to do is close my eyes and remember the fun
that we all had there. I bet I’ll see images of ping pong, bag toss, and Caleb Donovan leading a game of SpikeBall. I wonder if I’ll still hear Andrew Dickison complaining about having to clean? I know for sure I’ll smell
Norman Kalen cooking bacon for Unit Breakfast, but that may be more about my love of bacon than anything
else. The sights, sounds, and smells of Hillside ’14 will all come rushing back to me and in that moment I will
feel like I am home.
Good luck in the choices you make about who you want to be in the year ahead. I can’t wait to see what
you’ve come up with when we meet again next June.
Skol!
Tommy Reynolds
Page 9
Greetings
from Lakeside
Hey folks!
I started writing this letter without planning for even a second. I
literally just started typing whatever popped into my head. Crazy,
right? Well, I used to believe that too. For years and years, I
believed that the perfect strategy was located somewhere in the
depths of my amazing, all-powerful, super-brain. All I had to do
was think hard enough, then voila! The solution would emerge.
While a solution would eventually emerge from this process, I have
determined that this strategy is indeed quite idiotic. Instead, the most
productive way to start solving doesn’t start with thinking at all.
That’s right, I am here to tell you to stop thinking.
You may be asking yourself, “Is this the same Dewey from Lakeside 2014? What the heck does he mean by
stop thinking!? Seems pretty risky.” And you would be right. To stop thinking entirely would be disastrous (e.g.
all counselors named Alex). I don’t want your brains to turn into mush like those guys. Instead, my prescription
will have your brains exploding with fresh ideas and new insights.
The next time you face a challenge or obstacle, do something. Do whatever comes to mind – it is the right
move. Trust me on this one, boys. You can’t hesitate for even second or you will risk your “thinks” getting in
the way. Just do what you feel.
Now, this doesn’t mean that when you get a homework assignment you should start picking your nose because
it “feels right.” That is the kind of thing Trey Love might actually do. Instead, do what feels like it will lead to a
solution. While it might sound weird in theory, this is something that you do everyday at camp.
Can you think of a place where you do more on a daily basis? I mean camp gives busy a whole new definition.
If you ever stopped to try to extract a thought from your brain at camp, you would be trampled by a herd of
Brooksiders before you could say “Oooooo-klahoma.” And because of this frenetic pace, we just keep doing
things, starting conversations, inventing games, telling jokes, trying new activities and making new friends.
That is the fun of camp – all the activities– but that is not the point I’m trying to make. At camp, despite being
so busy, our minds seem to be at their very best. Why is that?
Well, simply put, doing is the fuel of thinking. Thinking doesn’t lead to action, but action will keep your mind
lucid, adaptive and buzzing. So I urge you to start doing. That will be my approach in 2015. I may not find the
exact answers that I am looking for, but if I can’t find them exploring the world, then I certainly won’t find them
inside of my own head. So start exploring, my friends, and the thinking won’t be far behind.
Wishing you all the absolute best.
Dewey Schunk
Page 10
Greetings
from Bridge
Dear Bridge 2014,
I remember that first letter I sent out to you last Spring, when I talked about the summer ahead. We began to
outline and create the foundation for the summer of 2014. The hard work, the long hours, the shift from viewing
camp through the eyes of a camper to the eyes of a counselor. Throughout the summer we talked about what
a crucial role the Bridge plays in the running of the camp; how a dedicated unit can make the difference in so
many small ways.
In those beginning days, Jeremy, Ben, Alex, Bryan and I emphasized to all of you the importance of accepting
the challenge of hard work. Days in the kitchen can be long and thankless, and the hours in a day can seem
endless, but all of you accepted that challenge with the kind of integrity and determination befitting a wellseasoned counselor. The journey of the Bridge summer involves coming together and ensuring each member of
your unit is loved and supported in the way we know they should be. Bridge 2014 displayed that level of unity
in remarkable fashion. During the long, hot days in the kitchen you stayed positive, never allowing negativity to
overshadow the hard work you put in. You proved that this group is powerful and full of potential.
So the question becomes, what to do now? How do you possibly top the summer of 2014? Sometimes, in the
wake of an incredible experience, people have a tendency to feel a sense of letdown; a sense of wondering if
we could possibly have an experience as good as the last. The answer is simple: you’re a lifer now. The only
way to top the previous summer is to return to camp and make the next even better. When people ask me how
the summer was, I typically respond in the same way each time: “best summer yet.” And it’s the truth; every
summer has the potential to be the best summer ever. Each and every moment we have a chance to improve on
what we’ve done and learn and grow form it. Each summer your friendships with counselors and campers grow
stronger.
Lanakila is timeless; the friendships and memories created at camp last beyond a lifetime, captured forever
in pictures, songs, stories, and traditions carried on through the years. Although we sometimes change the
program or the look of a certain place, the feeling and the intangibles we take away year after year help mold
us into the men we become and hope to be. As stewards of a place we love so much, we now carry the torch of
responsibility to pass along that same experience to the next generation of Lanakilans. Remember….you’re a
lifer….. Take care and have the best year yet,
Peace and Skol!
Doug Pilcher
Page 11
Greetings
from 2nd Year Bridge
Dear 2YB Superheroes,
Greetings from across the Atlantic! I was recently thinking about one of my heroes, a guy named Mark Pollock.
He’s an Irish adventurer who became the first blind person to walk to the South Pole; he climbed Mt. Everest
and did a million other special things (check out Markpollocktrust.org). He’s had some pretty bad luck over the
last few years (losing his sight and recently, becoming paralysed). Despite challenges that have come his way,
he always finds a new meaning. He brings a determination that is inspiring.
Mark’s story makes me think about people that inspire others. These are real superheroes; people who spread
powerful ideas and make the world better. They are not outwardly heroic in the way our culture depicts
superheroes. These aren’t real. Sure, some actions are superhero stuff. But most real-world heroes are built on
small everyday actions. This to me is a powerful notion. They change the world every day. It’s not grandiose
actions. It is actions that repeat themselves, minute after minute, hour after hour and day after day that are
important.
Think about someone you really admire and respect in your life. What is it they do day in, day out in their
relationship with you or with others that sets them apart? For me my heroes embody certain ‘can do’ attitudes.
Rarely are they supermen or martyrs; they are the everyday people that inspire me, consistently showing me
how to be a good person, how to do well, how to do good. They often show us how to cope with adversity and
keep a smile. They show us determination and resolve. Powerful communities that develop these kind of people
encourage their members to take risks and teach them that failure is a paradox. It cannot exist if we learn from
it. In these communities people fail, and in doing so learn to succeed.
This was what the 2YB of 2014 did last summer you created a powerful community. As part of the
2YB community the energy you brought and the
accomplishments that followed was phenomenal. If I
was to sum up the summer of 2014 in one word it has
to be determination. You guys built on small everyday
actions. The opportunities that you created individually
and as a group, taking on new roles, responsibility and
freedom was inspiring. I can’t help but smile when I
think of all the events you put together. One of the best
2YB games I’ve ever seen, a World Cup assembly, the
2YB Café (putting out 87 lobsters!) are some highlights.
Continued on next page...
Page 12
(Brookside, continued from page 7)
it’s all of you that make Brookside so special. I mean
I don’t know about you guys, but I can only think of
one place where a joke about a toilet was made once
a day, and you guessed it, Brookside Baby!! So keep
on flushing and have a great new year. See you in
summer 2015!
Skol!
(2YB, continued from page 12)
The personal qualities that accompanied these events
and the respectful relationships you built within the
Bridge and with Aloha/Hive have set a new bar for
years to come.
Ross Cannon
So thanks 2YB, for being everyday heroes and for
making 2014 amazing. You know how special a
group of people are when it’s the middle of winter
and we’re still learning from each other. I invite you
all to bring the happy memories and lessons you
learned last summer with you into the New Year.
Skol and here’s to an even better 2015!
(Woodside, continued from page 8)
So, Woodside, whether you know it or not, you’ve
inspired me. This year at school, I’ve been constantly
taking risks on new lessons and activities for my
students, and I’ve even begun thinking about one
of the biggest risks of all: pursuing my passion for
counseling by going back to Graduate school next
fall. You’ve taught me that while taking risks isn’t
necessarily the secret to life, taking
risks does mean that we are never at
risk of doing nothing.
John Connolly
Peace & Skol,
Alex Lipoff
Page 13
ow
h
S
14
20
Pajama Game
Dear Pajama Game cast and crew,
This time of year the number of revival
movies and theater performances released
always shock me. What happened to creating
something brand new? Are we fresh out
of original ideas? Or is it not for lack of
creativity… but rather… perhaps there
something very special about bringing
something once so loved back into view.
And that’s when I started to think about all
of you and your performance of The Pajama
Game this past summer at camp. Even before
we did our show assembly the community was buzzing with excitement about the show selection. Guys like
D.Baker, J.Dickison and E.Langsdorf-Willoughby were the talk of our town with their previous renditions
of characters from the show. The songs started to sink into our blood and before we all knew it, we were
hopelessly hyped and absolutely in love with the fact that we were bringing The Pajama Game back for 2014!
From the first moments of the performance we knew we were in for a treat with J.Warner’s twitchy hilarity and
our own full functioning on stage clothesline machine (thanks Shop!). We were laughing while hoping that the
very convincing (and bold) G.Joyce would be able to get through to the neurotic Hines!
We were completely captivated by C.Mayhew who gave us an incredibly genuine version of Sid and we were
rooting for him that he would win the affection of the career driven and exceptionally performed version of
Babe by H.Fontaine.
We felt safe knowing the J.Slaughter’s Prez would work diligently with Babe to win that 7 and a half-cent raise
for all of the committed factory workers. And speaking of commitment W.Hutensky’s Hasler was out of this
world committed to his cause! Was it just me… or did you think Hasler and Sid were actually going to throw
punches in their big confrontation scene…!
And then there was T.Peterson’s wild Gladys, what a hoot! I still get chills when I think about that Steam Heat
segment where Tim with S.O’Dwyer, C.Joyce, O.Egger, C.Gethers and A.Ecker brought the house down with
their Fosse dance moves, not to mention those dancers from Hernando’s Hideaway! And speaking of bringing
Page 14
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(Pajama Game, continued from page 13)
the house down… T.Wolf, A.Hallaby and L.Barton Biegelson surprised and delighted us with their pillowfight Sleep-Tite number.
There are too many of you to name, but all of the characters, even the smaller roles, were brought to life by your
willingness to diligently work at honestly connecting to your characters.
So maybe that is the answer I was looking for. When our whole community came together and contributed what
they could, something truly special happened. It was arguably even more special because it was something so
cherished from our Lanakila past. Reviving a show is not for lack of creativity; it is instead quite the opposite. It
is an opportunity to connect to the past through the present and to put our own unique and incredible spin on it.
All of you gave us that gift last season with The Pajama Game. Bravo, and thank you for all of the inspiration.
SKOL,
Jenn Grossman
2015 Dates:
Full Session: Wednesday, June 24 to Wednesday, August 12
Show Weekend: July 18 & 19
Page 15
Postcards
from Lanakila Alumni
I can’t believe it’s been five years sinc
e my last summer at Lanakila! My life
has
changed considerably since my last
summer at camp (an active career in
big
-ba
nk law
and parenthood as the headlines), but
my essential self has remained steady,
forever
shaped by my time at camp. While
visiting camp this summer, Robbie and
I
got the
nicest compliment from Cutler. He
said, “You two are the least-changedby-parenthood
friends I know.”
My life is in a constant state of change
, and it is such a comfort to feel stea
dy in myself.
I know that whenever I feel like the
world is spinning, I can stop to ask my
self “what
kind of person do I want to be?” Wh
ether I’m facing a demanding client,
a
fussy baby,
or an over-extended grad student of
a husband, reflecting on camp’s values
helps me find
a way forward that feels true to myself
and to the kind of community I wan
t
for me and
for my family. I just wish I could spe
nd more time on the shores of Lake
Morey! Love
and Skol to all!
p.s. When Robbie and I named our bab
y girl Victoria, we were honoring her
great
grandmother. It was an added bonus
to pay homage to Lanakila (“Victory”
) too!
Polly Klyce (L*06-10)
Greetings Vikin
gs!
Since our spec
tacular summer
together in 201
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Derek Prill (L0
0, L*02-06,13)
Page 16
To:
Lanakila
Lake Morey
Fairlee, VT
To:
Lanakila
Lake Morey
Fairlee, VT
Postcards
from Lanakila Alumni
Greetings from
Portland, Oreg
on. A few sum
this little eccen
mers ago, two
tric city, and th
things drew me
u
s away from ca
have clear roots
to
mp. I’m glad th
on the shores o
at both things
f Lake Morey.
The first was tr
ying my hand
as a teacher. I
camp, but som
didn’t even wo
ehow I landed
rk in Athletics
a
job as PE teach
school is differe
at
er out here. O
nt than life at ca
bviously, life in
mp; but on the
of those Lanak
a
good days, I get
ila feelings.
a whiff of som
The second thin
e
g that dragged
me out here was
career on the U
my pursuit of an
ltimate Frisbee
extracurricular
field. I spend m
like to admit p
ore of my free
laying ultimate.
ti
m
e than I’d
A
lt
seriously, it is
hough my team
really just one
ta
k
es
th
e
sp
o
big game of “l
rt a bit more
Point of the sto
ive it, love it, la
ry, if camp wer
y
it
o
ut!”
e
a
city, it might ju
what I tell myse
st be Portland..
lf when I’m m
. at least that’s
issing Lanakila.
Ben McGinn (L
00-04,L*06-11
)
To:
Lanakila
Lake Morey
Fairlee, VT
s
de friendship
a
-m
p
m
a
c
r
keep ou
ndships
promise “to
nd those frie
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lo
I travel a
from a 1980
ds: a camper
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m
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se
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back to one
hen I visited
w
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rs
fi
.”
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ut
counselor
eteen Rabbit
lv
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h
To:
a voice cry o
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la
Lanakila
irport, just
call me ‘An
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p
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Lake Morey
k Morris, a
! (Only Lan
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Fairlee, VT
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first counseli
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songs, and sp (L77-78,80,*87-89,91-9
on
Andrew Wats
Page 17
AS Odin Sees It
Dear Lanakilans,
That’s right, there’s another huge dog around. I don’t
drool, I don’t smell, and I’ve never been sprayed by
a skunk (that last part is true). I’m told I’m allergic
to everything, but I’m not convinced. I think that is
something my owner tells people so they won’t give me
people food. My owner also tells me that they named
me something pretty cool in the camp world—Odin!
(I sometimes go by ELW though.) I’m going to need
each of you to teach me what this means as it relates to
Lanakila.
My owner also says this is the place where I’m
supposed to make some jokes about bowl cuts, but
since he also told me that Cutler had big news recently,
it is only fair I suspend my jokes for another year. Plus, since I’m told that my favorite place to sleep will be
under his desk, I feel like we should get off to a good start. I have been trained to draw something called Cutler
comics and have already produced several wonderful tributes.
Nora and Marley want to say hi as well. Nora wants to remind Sam Masters, Derek Baker, and Kaelia
Cockington about their napkin contracts. Marley wants to make sure that there are at least two Lipoff’s, two
Gerrity’s, and at least two Dickison’s at camp this summer. These folks wouldn’t want to disappoint the
children who look up to them so much, would they???
Well, my paws are tired so I’m going to sign off now. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday.
Cheers,
Odin
Page 18
Peace & Skol
from Don McIntosh
Dear Lanakila,
As the New Year begins to pick up steam, I’ll bet
everyone is beginning to think about camp again.
I know I am! Being the oldest counselor at camp
and having three red and one white chevron on
my jacket, I have an amazing perspective on the
(older) younger counselors at camp (over 30).
I’ve watched Jeremy Cutler grow from a nine
year old Brooksider into a great Athletics and
Bridge Counselor and Assistant Director. I was
the Brookside Cabin counselor when he and his best friend, Scooter, were dominating Brookside with their
high energy and early morning athletic abilities. I watched Bryan Partridge from a distance (he was never
a Brooksider) become one of the best athletes (Ameden League and Boffey Cup) the camp has ever seen. In
fact, I think the three best athletes that I’ve seen at camp are 1st Barnes, 2nd Jeremy, and 3rd Ridge with Doug
Pilcher and Adam Boffey right in line. Barnes is #1 because in all his young athletic events he “dominated”
like no other counselor before or present! Ridge probably could have beaten out Cutz if he ever trained and got
in shape to run a great Morey Marathon, because Cutler is a great runner. Ridge was also a swimmer, and I did
try to train Bryan in swimming laps. You will have to ask him this summer what the incentive was to swim a
quarter or a half mile each day.
I’ve watched other younger counselors take over things I used to do and do the job way better than I did. Some
examples are:
• Doug Pilcher...I knew him before he was born and watched Doug grow into an amazing Lakeside Unit
Head and Head of the Bridge.
• Adam Boffey...who was a high energy camper and became Hillside Unit Head. He has shown us his
versatility by leading the fifteen year old Wilderness Trip and coming back to be a great head of Archery and
tent counselor
• James Dickison...from that young Woodsider who loved to be in the show to
the Head of both Swimming and The Waterfront
• Stu Dickison...who was never a camper but worked his way up to Head of
Swimming and is now the best I’ve ever seen.
• Ross Cannon...who I told when he was a first year Bridger that he could
Page 19
Continued on next page...
(Peace & Skol from Don, continued from page 19)
someday be a Unit Head with his energy and caring. Now, as all the Brooksiders know including my
grandsons, Elvis and Koy, Ross is the best!
• Brian Librizzi...I’m in Tripping now and I really believe that Brian with Magda and Alicja are running the
best Tripping Department ever.
• And, finally, Bucky and Wicks...I remember them as Brooksiders (Bucky gung ho and Wicks a little
homesick) and now they are definitely the best cook duo that any camp could have.
I am looking forward to many more years watching campers and counselors grow.
Skol,
Donnie Mac (Don McIntosh)
Page 20
Skolbot Notice
Compete with your heart
Trouble in PARADISE
This is an inspirational message that Dewey
Schunk wrote for his soccer team after a very
disappointing loss. It is filled with Lanakila Spirit
and the essence of a healthy perspective on the
power of athletics. Skol, Barnes
Jeremy Cutler’s announcement in late fall 2014 that
he would wed the amazing and lovely Liza Cohen
stirred the heart of every Lanakilan. It is with great
anticipation that we looked forward to a May 2015
Wedding.
Unfortunately, the Vermont Legal System has
stepped in and thrown a monkey wrench into the
works. It turns out that by Vermont Law, a person
can legally marry not only a wonderful human
being like Liza, but also “primarily mechanical
forms of life, plants of superior intelligence and
extraterrestrial beings of relatively the same height.”
What this means is that Jeremy’s marriage to
Skolbot, performed and witnessed by the entire
Lanakila community is, in fact, legally binding.
Jeremy may not marry Liza until he either divorces
Skolbot or seeks an annulment from both Vermont
and the Viking Council. Skolbot has been devastated
by the news, saying “I waited for Jeremy my whole
life. If I only have a few months with him, then so be
it, but my digital heart will never recover from the
devastation of love ripped away in its prime.”
Stay tuned. This is not over yet.
Page 21
Compete with your heart, AND THEN
win because of your skill.
Work tirelessly for your teammates
because you know the person to your
right and left are doing the same thing
for you. AND THEN, win because of the
accuracy of your passing.
Give 101% on every 50-50 ball and
every foot race because that one extra
inch is the most important inch in the
world. AND THEN, win because of the
quality of your finishing.
Walk off the field with blood on your
knees and hearts on your sleeves. AND
THEN, win because we have more goals
on the scoreboard.
It’s very simple, boys. Hearts do not care
about the score of the game, but you
play a whole lot better when you are
proud of the way you compete.
-Dewey Schunk
Carrying Lanakila into Life
Stirring Lanakila Voices
On the following pages are four very powerful talks that were given by Lanakilans this year. The first
three were talks at our Sunday Gatherings at Chapel by Ross Cannon, Lucy Williams and Alex Lipoff. In
planning these talks, counselors are asked to speak on a topic close to their hearts. It can be personal or
philosophical or both. The talks shared here are especially significant, as they obviously touch the speaker
at a very deep level and the camp audience was also visibly affected by the level of honesty, thoughtfulness
and significance.
Keith Witty’s words were spoken in NYC as he addressed a group gathered for a Capital Campaign social
evening, and he was sharing his ideas on why giving to the capital campaign is so important to our camp
community.
Please enjoy the following pages and let the messages wash over you and help you be the person you want
to be in the year ahead. As I read the pages that have come before, culminating with these very special
messages, I am honored and humbled to be working with people of such character, vision and love.
Skol, Barnes
Sorting Through
Pictures of Manhood
by Ross Cannon
Hi, my name is Ross Cannon and I am 11 years old.
And I have to admit that I am pretty confused; this
legal document right here says that I can legally state
my case, this piece of paper says I am an adult, a
man, when I still don’t know what that means. How
can I make a decision on who I should live with
when I don’t really know what toy I want to play
with. I am very confused. The choice is clear though,
my mom doesn’t drink, she doesn’t yell, she doesn’t
abuse me; so I guess I’ll go there. But I know I’ll
miss my dad; I’m not ready to be the “man” of the
house yet, I’m still very much a boy. All I want to do
is ride my bike and shoot my bb gun, I don’t want to
make decisions. I’m not ready to be a man, but this is
what I must do; this is the life I am going to be living
Page 22 and
Continued on next page...
(Ross Cannon Chapel Talk, continued from page 22)
and I better learn and learn fast.
I want to look to my dad for help with this but his
drinking is in the way of helping me through that
process, I know he loves me but once he sets into
his bottle, there is no learning to be done. The man
I respect and love disappears and is replaced with a
monster I fear and hate. My uncles on my father’s
side deal with the same issues he does, and my
mother’s brothers are all incarcerated. So the only
thing I learn from those guys is…don’t be like them.
Period.
Unable to draw any other help from the men in my
family, the only experiences I can draw from to
shape my opinion on manhood and what it means
to be a man, are my football team and dance class.
Two very different places, but both crucial at this
point in my life. In football, my coaches are loud
and forceful, pushing me to my breaking point and
past it on a daily basis to make me better, to make
me a better “player.” The best players in this game
are fast, violent, loud, and ruthless. This is how
football players should act, these are the type of
men I strive to be. These men remind me of home,
they remind me of nights of arguments, cursing,
and violence. This is slowly becoming the world I
come to expect—if you want to get your point across
you have to be louder than the person trying to talk
to you. When that doesn’t work, you get violent to
straighten it all out.
This differs immensely from my dance classes;
the perceptions of a man I get are from a woman.
Not saying there is anything wrong with that, it’s
just different than what I usually hear. They tell
me that men are supposed to be calm, collected,
never loud, nurturing, and supportive. If I feel
angry, to keep it in. If I can’t get my way, to go sit
down until I can figure out how to feel better about
the situation. Because in my wolrd, conversations
become arguments, arguments lead to people losing
their tempers, mean things are said and nothing gets
resolved. The easiest way to avoid being an outcast
and get along with the other females… do exactly
what they tell me to do. This way they can never be
mad at me.
So while trying to figure out what being a “man”
is, I start to be reminded on a more consistent basis
about my skin color. At this point in my life I was
living in small rural Georgia, a place where the
civil war re-enactments have the South winning (so
you understand the context of my environment).
People who I thought we my friends start to
distance themselves from me, school becomes
more challenging, and I am not only having trouble
figuring out my manhood, I’m also starting to face
the issues my skin color brings. The slurs, put
downs, spitting, fights, were all becoming a regular
occurrence. The part that got me the most was that
the flak was coming from all over the place. I was
lucky enough to have two hard working parents with
good paying jobs, their childhoods had given them
a strong desire to make better lives for their children
than the ones they had, so they worked hard to move
from the ghetto into the suburbs. They were proud of
what they had accomplished, and rightfully so.
The only problem came from the way we were
looked at in the community. From the white side,
we did not belong there. The house we are living
Page 23
Continued on next page...
(Ross Cannon Chapel Talk, continued from page 23)
in wasn’t made for us, it was made for them. Our
presence is basically a nuisance. Things aren’t going
well on that front. Now when it comes to my fellow
black peers, they want very little to do with me as
well. The majority of the black population lives in
downtown Leesburg, roughly the size of the distance
between Aloha and Lanakila. We live in the suburb
5 miles outside of that. We were considered too
uppity or bougie for them. I wore different clothes,
listened to different music; I didn’t fit the typical
mold of someone that is “black” in the south. If you
didn’t fit in where you were supposed to…good
luck bud. This does nothing but help make me even
more confused, I’m not good enough to hang out
with these boys.... but I’m too good to hang out with
these boys? Good things girls were less complicated
that way, so it’s easier to hang out with them, but not
giving me that male bonding I’m craving. With all
this swirling around, the divorce and custody finally
get hashed out and with that comes the need for a
change of scenery, at this point it’s pretty welcomed.
Georgia isn’t treating my family so well right now…
so we pack into the car and make a small move from
Leesburg GA, to Brooklyn NY. They say a new
place, a chance to start over right? If only………
life I knew down south was gone. So now I’m in
this new place and still no closer to finding my place
as a growing boy looking for male influences in my
life.
I start playing football again hoping to get some
sense of male influence because life with my mom,
sister, and grandma has me feeling a little bit
empty in that category. As far as my dance career
is concerned, at that point in my life it’s over. My
thinking was, do I actually think I’ll fit in with the
boys if I’m the dancer…or the football player?
Football it is! Without the dance classes I’m starting
to definitely learn more and more about men. The
fast pace of New York only helps solidify the
stereotypes I had come to know down south. So I
go with what I know, be loud, be forceful, and don’t
take any mess from anyone. So that works for a little
bit, it gets me in the door so to speak and lets other
know I’m serious and no one to be messed with, but
by not knowing any of them, I have to blend in if I
want to maintain my position.
If I learned anything from down south, it’s that the
best way to fit in with my fellow black community is
to stick with the pack, no venturing off. Feeling that
this is the best path I can take to get to where I want
to be, I follow and follow hard; the harder I follow
the faster I begin to slide downhill. I begin hanging
with people I’m afraid of, just because I think being
around them and having them know me makes
me cool. Before I know it being in a gang starts to
sound like a really good idea, because after I do that
I will belong to a certain group of people, a band of
brothers that will have my back and all I have to do
is literally whatever they tell me to do.
Part 2
Man, Brooklyn is way different than Leesburg; the
complete opposite of a small town in rural Georgia.
The sights and sounds are exciting, I ride the subway
to and from school, real “city kid” stuff. Things I had
only seen in the movies. There is so much I should
be happy about, but I’m still missing something, all
the things I was feeling in Georgia, I’m still feeling
here in New York. I thought being in a new place
was going to help but in more ways it just hurt.
The things I had become used to are gone; when I
was bored I went outside rode my bike around the
Here I am again back in this situation of just doing
neighborhood, or down trails scattered through the
what people tell me to do and that will somehow
woods - now that had been replaced by sidewalks
equal happiness. I’m flirting with disaster at this
and buildings. This only helps cement the fact the
Continued on next page...
Page 24
(Ross Cannon Chapel Talk, continued from page 24)
point, until one day I go to an open house for some
summer camp called Lanakila. Next thing you know
that summer I find myself in Fairlee Vermont at
an all boys’ camp. So now I get to have that male
bonding I’ve been looking for, and I get to have back
that piece of Georgia I was missing. Sign me up.
For 7 weeks I got to be around men from all over
the world. For the real first time I got to be around
men that weren’t just athletes. They were artists,
intellectuals, students, Vikings, Norsemen, literally
there were many ways to be a man. Up to this point
I had spent so much of my time thinking there was
only one way to be a man. Why am I telling all of
you this? We’ve already had our talks about the
camp mottos and this is not meant to harp on that
point. First I want speak for the life of some of the
people out there that aren’t as lucky as we are right
now. And yes we are very lucky to understand that
the idea of there being more than one way to be a
man even exists. Have you ever tried walking with
flippers on? You can walk slow and awkward, or
you can walk backwards and not really be able to
see where you are going, once I found out there was
more than one way to be a man it was like realizing
I don’t have to walk in the flippers at all, I can wait
and put them on when I get there.
I sit and think sometimes about how different my
life would have been if I didn’t make my way to
Cornerstone Baptist church that one day. I would’ve
continued to be labeled as the troubled kid, when
really I was only lost and confused. Trying my best
to fit with the crowd, if I hadn’t come to THIS place
and had someone ask me what I was feeling ,and
what I was thinking, and HELP ME find the path to
the answer rather than simply laying it out for me….
Gone were the days when I was told well sit down
until you figure it out, and we all know how well that
works.
Secondly, I also want to let you all know how
powerful you are by just being you, some of you
out there are loud, some are quiet, some of you are
great musicians, some of you are great artists, and
just by being who you are you are changing the way
people perceive others that are just like you. With
our knowledge we have become stewards of growing
up, we have the opportunity to see through the mess
and see that person inside our friends and classmates
that’s trying to find themselves. The move towards
manhood isn’t a straight line; sometimes its hard and
confusing, but as we sit here in this place you can
know that you aren’t alone - others are walking the
same path as you, and we can and should give them
the love and respect that we want for ourselves. The
move to New York turned out to be great, without it
I would’ve never found camp. I don’t want to think
what my life would’ve been like if I hadn’t been
fortunate enough to find a place that let me be me,
allowing me to make the greatest move in my life the
move toward being the person I want to be, rather
than person everyone else wants me to be.
-Ross Cannon
Page 25
to experience life at Lanakila.
So here I am now at Lanakila, feeling like I know
who I am, but not knowing how that will connect
with the primarily male community. To be honest,
I’m nervous, freaked, frightened, and scared but OH
so ready for a summer of unknowns. Boys act and
think differently then girls; it is an obvious fact and
something I desperately want to understand when
entering my first summer.
WHAT’S A GIRL TO DO?
by Lucy Williams
We have all heard the Lanakila motto, “there are
many ways to be a man” but after five summers at
Lanakila I have had the opportunity to learn from all
of you that there are also many ways to be a woman.
Let me set the stage a bit, as a young girl I wore a
lot of pink, had a favorite tutu and loved my purple
rain boots. I however only played outside in the
dirt, rejected Barbie’s, and was obsessed with any
machine that moved. I was a bit of an anomaly,
deviating from what I saw other girls doing and
gravitating towards having more friends that were
boys than girls. This came as a bit of a surprise when
I was introduced to Aloha, an all girls’ community
that accepted my individuality and supported my
decisions. It was a new way of understanding myself
because for the first time I was living beside girls
that loved to be outside, to create and be as goofy
as possible. Aloha taught me how to not only accept
the girl that I am, but to love my individuality as a
unique woman.
My years at Aloha were empowering, my confidence
grew and I learned how to be secure in being myself.
However, my time at Aloha came to a close and I
found my way a mile down the road and very ready
I’m finding myself sitting on the sidelines during
a relaxed Frisbee game because I’m not sure how
to even hold a Frisbee, opting out of soccer games
because I know when I kick the ball it goes in the
opposite direction, or exploring the woodshop
because I do not know the names of machines. I
realize I’m doing this because I do not want to be
told, “you throw like a girl” or “you cannot join in
because you’re not as good.” This issue isn’t starting
to feel good in my gut, so what’s a girl to do?
LET’S RETHINK
So what is a girl to do? Was I supposed to stay
on the sidelines when I know that is something I
usually don’t allow myself to do? How do I break
into feeling good about being out of my comfort
zone? I realized I was telling myself the wrong
story. I have never been one to not participate in
activities with friends because I was scared. It was
unlike me to fear things outside of my comfort zone
and I quickly realized I needed to start being the
Lucy I knew I could be at Lanakila. I found that
the moment I jumped in and tried new things I was
being encouraged and supported by everyone around
me. It has been a combination of understanding how
to personally push my comfort zone and motivation
from the Lanakilan men that has urged me to be
comfortable being a girl, excelling in skills I’m
comfortable with and having a blast learning new
things.
Page 26
Continued on next page...
(Lucy Williams Chapel Talk, continued from page 26)
taken care of and appreciated for who they are. I
cherish what all of you have taught me about myself
and about yourselves and hope that you can continue
to teach others outside of the camp community about
positive relationships.
At Lanakila I have learned to be a strong woman
who does not have to fit the supposed mold. I can
be horrible at throwing a baseball not because I’m
girl, but because I just have really horrible hand
eye coordination. More importantly, Lanakila has
painted a picture of what relationships; friendships
and interactions between men and women should be
and feel like. Through my growing friendships with
Lanakila men I have continuously been treated as
an equal, appreciated for my thoughts and ideas and
always ended the day feeling loved for who I am.
We as a community need to take a moment to
rethink the language used everywhere when we are
talking to someone who is outside of their comfort
zone or not the best at a certain skill. When we use
terms such as, “you throw like a girl” “stop being a
sissy” or “man up” we are not allowing that person
to truly be who they want to be. There are so many
ways to be a man and a woman, and we all need to
be thoughtful about the language we use regarding
gendering skill levels. I throw a ball like me because
I am Lucy.
As Lanakilans we are fortunate enough to know
what positive relationships look like and it is our
responsibility to make sure that those who you are
surrounded by here at camp and back at home are
Page 27
I set out with the mindset this summer that I would
push aside the fear to try new things just because
they weren’t in my picture. I am being encouraged
by all of you fine men to try something new
everyday. Brookside can attest that I am not the best
at kicking a ball, but I have been asked to join in
the game multiple times. I became a DTL and lead
my first trip with James, Norman and Erica, who
encouraged me to be the type of trip leader I wanted
to be. These are just two examples of ways Lanakila
men not only encourage women to be strong and
powerful, but how we are treated as equals as
individuals.
Please be open to the possibility that people may
have different beliefs and thoughts that do not fit
the norm, and as Lanakilans it is up to us all to be
proactive in respecting that person for who they
are. There are many ways to be a woman and there
are many ways to be a man; it is only when we
appreciate individuality and celebrate them all that
we will change our lives and the world around us.
-Lucy Williams
ERICA LIPOFF: (Stands up from audience) – Whoa
whoa whoa! Hold on one second there. Are you
sure about all of that? I mean, you’re here in front
of all of Aloha and all of Lanakila and you’re giving
a fairly important speech that is supposed to give
people something substantial to think about, or at the
very least, some kind of practical advice for living
more thoughtfully. Is that what you really want them
to walk away from chapel thinking about love, one
of the most important aspects of our lives?
The Wide Angle Lens
by Alex Lipoff
ALEX: Good morning everyone! For those of you
I haven’t met yet, my name is Alex Lipoff, and I’m
here to talk to this Rainbow Chapel about…love.
Yep, I said it. L-O-V-E, love. That’s right, Lakeside,
just continue squirming uncomfortably right where
you are.
The fact of the matter is that I know everything there
is to know about love. It is so simple an idea, so
easy to understand and define, that I almost thought
it wouldn’t even be worth my time to share it. But,
for the sake of you young, impressionable, and
uninformed people out there, I thought I’d spend a
bit of time on the subject.
Ready? It’s as easy as this: love is the instant when
your eyes meet with someone from across the room
and all of a sudden you’re too weak to stand and
your heart starts throbbing and there are butterflies
in your stomach, and in your head a scene from a
movie starts playing and you’re imagining evening
walks on a beach and for some reason Ryan Gosling
has to be there… and anyway, and there are bouquets
of flowers and confetti and you live happily ever
after without any issues or complications whatsoever
in any way shape or form.
ALEX: Well, yeah. Would you mind not interrupting,
considering that I am trying to give everyone out
there some important information, and quite frankly,
you’re ruining the flow I’ve got going here. Anyway,
like I was saying, when you’re in love you never get
in fights or arguments, always see things in exactly
the same way, and all of your problems in life are
instantly vaporized and evaporate into a pink mist
that then morphs into a litter of puppy Bernese
Mountain Dogs that then go forth and lick the faces
of cute children holding giant strawberry ice cream
cones.
ERICA: Alex, I hate to embarrass you in front of
everyone here…
ALEX: Embarrass me?! It’s a little late for that,
Erica… in front of Aloha?! Are you kidding me?! If
there’s anything I know about women, I’m positive
they absolutely hate moments when men show even
a bit of emotional vulnerability.
ERICA: …Alex. Stop. I’m fairly sure that almost
everything you’re saying here is at best misleading,
and at worst, are toxic Hollywood ideas that shame
true, loving relationships, making real gestures of
love seem mundane and insufficient. Aren’t there so
many beautiful things about real love that wouldn’t
be able to live up to the fireworks in your story?
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Continued on next page...
(Alex Lipoff Chapel Talk, continued from page 28)
Part 2 The Magnifying Glass
ERICA: Look, I’ve thought a lot about it, and I’m
pretty sure I have a handle on your problem. You’re
looking at love through a wide-angle lens, and
you’re only seeing these grandiose ideas about love
that you learned from Bruno Mars songs!
ALEX: Well, yeah…so what? Maybe I have been
listening to a lot of Bruno – what’s the big deal?
ERICA: The big deal is that true, real love gets
confused for affection all of the time. Of course,
real love has feelings, but these butterfly-in-thestomach, heart-throbbing feelings ebb and flow. Even
the best relationships have potholes, troubles, and
disappointments. True love, real lovingness, takes
place all of the time around you at camp. You just
need a different lens to be able to see it. I’ve got this
magnifying glass here, and I bet this will help you
out. Here… why don’t you try it?
ALEX: Whoa, a magnifying glass?! I guess I’ll give
it a try, but I’m not sure that it’ll work for me. Let’s
see here… Wait, wait, wait – what is that, Benji?
BENJI OTTING: When I play ping pong with my
friends, that’s how I show them that I love and care
about them. I’m not good at saying “I love you” to
them, but when I’m playing, I’m having fun and
sharing experiences with my friends. That’s my way
of showing them that I care.
ALEX: What about you, Laura, what’s going on
there?
LAURA: When I’m in the Shop working on another
one of these whistles – now that’s got to be true
love. Even though I’ve helped maybe fifty kids
make whistles already, I try to treat each project like
it’s the first time, with all of the energy, effort, and
Page 29
attention that each camper deserves. If that’s not
love, I don’t know what is.
ALEX: Oh, this is gonna’ be a good one! Charlie
Mayhew, what’s going on over there with you?
CHARLIE MAYHEW: When I’m playing music,
whether it’s at chapel or an assembly, to me, that’s
my love. I get to share one of my passions with
an entire community, so for me, playing music is
much less an indulgence and much more an act of
generosity.
ALEX: I’m starting to see things I’ve never thought
about before! Westcott? Now you?
DAVID WESTCOTT: The way I show love is when
I’m running around and giving energy to my unit.
Knowing I only have so much energy over the course
of the day, and consciously deciding to spend it on
my campers is about as loving as I know how to be.
ALEX: KT –what’s that I see in your hands there?
KT PARTRIDGE: Look at this paper! This is my
marriage certificate, and being married to Bryan
Partridge, it might as well be a work permit.
Everything important about our lives, even making
sure that we can be a part of camp every year, has
taken work, compromise, commitment, and love.
ALEX: I’ve learned a lot today, and to be honest,
I have to admit – I was really way off. I seems as
though society, movies, television, and popular
music surrounding the topic of love seem to be
misleading us.
Part 3 Love is a Verb
So often, we replace beautiful stories of work,
commitment, compromise and sacrifice with overlyContinued on next page...
(Alex Lipoff Chapel Talk, continued from page 29)
simplistic and unrealistic fairy tales.
One of these really destructive and problematic
cultural myths is that love is a feeling. I’m here to
tell you that, even though you might have feelings
when thinking about love, there’s much more to it
than that. You might be asking yourself right now,
“But if it’s not a feeling, then what is it?”
Love is a verb. To love someone is an active
experience. Love is action. Love is commitment.
Love is attention. Love is playing a game with your
best friend even when you don’t necessarily “feel”
like it, or having an important conversation with
someone even when you’re tired, or they’re not
as willing to hear it. Love is telling the truth, even
when its hard. Love is recognizing that real loving
relationships are testing, and both people in the
relationship will be asked to grow.
When love exists, it does so with and without the
loving feeling. People who are truly loving make
commitments to be loving, whether or not the loving
feeling is present. Love is not simply giving; it is
judicious giving. It is judicious praising. It is also
judicious confronting, urging, pushing, and pulling,
in addition to comforting. The word “judicious”
means requiring judgment, and judgment requires
more than instinct; it requires thoughtful and
sometimes even painful choices.
True love is not a feeling by which we are
overwhelmed. Love is a committed, thoughtful
decision. And when we realize that we make those
decisions, we change everything.
-Alex Lipoff
It’s About Becoming Big
by Keith Witty
Good evening. My name is Keith Witty. I am a
12-year Lanakila camper and counselor, a frequent
visitor to Family Camp, a prospective parent in
2022, and a general lover of all things Aloha. When
Tom Miller from the Development Office at the
Foundation asked me to address you all on the topic
of Camperships – a topic that is very dear to me – I
knew that I wanted to use the perfect words… to get
it just right. So please forgive me for reading from
my notes.
I grew up in New York City and, for various reasons,
developed an interest in community building,
diversity, and social equality at a young age. During
high school and college, I worked in a daycare,
community centers, afterschool prograams, and a
mental health clinic for children of AIDS patients. I
learned that, though kids struggle in myriad ways to
grow up in this world, the problems they encounter
within themselves are also very much the same. I
had campership kids in my tents and cabins every
summer that I spent as a counselor at Lanakila –
inner-city kids and those from rural communities
in Vermont – and I made it my goal to help all
of my campers recognize how much they had in
common, despite the obvious divisions between their
respective economic realities at home.
I was, by no means, a campership kid myself. My
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(Keith Witty’s Words, continued from page 30)
grandmother went to Aloha, her
brother was a camper at Lanakila
in its charter year, and though my
parents didn’t go to Aloha camps
themselves, the value of a summer
spent there was held in the highest
regard in our family. They always
found a way make it happen for my sister and me.
Nonetheless, the Campership Program at Aloha, and
the kids I had the honor to spend my summers with,
had a tremendous impact on me as a young man
who was paying close attention to the developmental
experiences my campers were having. These
summers were pivotal to my own growth as an
educator and as a human being. In a nutshell, this is
what I can share with you…
Spending the summer at an Aloha Foundation camp
is a magical, rare gift for any kid. Running in open
fields all day, eating three square meals, engaging in
new activities that open the mind to a wider world
of possibility – for a kid from an underprivileged
background, this is a summer vacation beyond
compare. But it’s not really what Camperships are
about.
Living in close proximity with nature and with each
other, in what Helen Shaw referred to as “A Child’s
World,” offers Campership kids a perspective on life
and the world that they are unlikely to get without
an opportunity such as this. To see a night sky
unfathomably full of stars, to learn to commune with
nature in an unafraid manner, developing a life-long
sense of self-reliance, to spend days on end with no
electricity and without a back-lit screen in sight –
these are priceless benefits of the camp experience
for a Campership kid… but still not quite what
makes it so meaningful.
In so many cases, for kids from every end of the
socio-economic spectrum, the hardest part of
growing up isn’t about being rich or poor. It’s about
being small. It’s about being unimportant. It’s about
getting lost in the shuffle. Kids suffering from the
average but very real hardships of growing up get
marginalized, not necessarily because no one cares
or because they are unloved, but because there may
simply be bigger fish to fry that day. At Aloha,
anytime one of our kids feels out of balance, getting
them back into balance is our top priority. When
a camper has a minor disagreement with another
camper, it matters. When a kid feels homesick, it
matters. If a child feels excluded or shunned by
other children, it matters. We never minimize how
a child feels, even if the causational event for that
feeling was, in fact, quite minimal. It isn’t that
we spoil them with attention but that we recognize
the importance of each and every problem as an
opportunity for growth, strength and self-knowledge.
Helping young people discover a meaningful sense
of themselves in this world is our principal business.
We have been doing it for over a century. It is what
we do best.
I had many campers who found it uncomfortable
to be cared for in this way and resisted at first. But
love is truly irresistible. After a while when kids
find their balance at camp, they begin to feel free
and powerful and loved; and then that kid becomes
Big. And he becomes Important. And kids who
feel important grow up to do important things, to
be wonderful people – those who inspire others to
be wonderful people. This is what Camperships
are about… Access to an experience that changes
lives from within, and goes on to effect change
beyond. And that is why we owe it to ourselves as a
community to offer the camp experience to as many
human beings as we possibly can. Thank you.
-Keith Witty
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Camp Lanakila
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