Kieve-Wavus Education News - Kieve

kieve & wavus celebrate,
page 16
Kieve-Wavus
Education
News
vol. 90 no. 1
A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
FALL 2015
community service work,
pages 6, 28
tls students turn teachers,
page 4
9/11 & family camp, page 8
WAVUS MAGIC!, page 3
ELSEWHERE IN THIS ISSUE
WAVUS GIRLS LEAD........................... 9
OUR UNDERGROUND ASTRONAUT....12
EDUCATORS IN RESIDENCE...............14
KIEVE-WAVUS GARDENS...................22
GIVING BACK TO KIEVE....................27
ALUMNI NOTES................................30
junior kieve, page 3
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
T
his summer we experienced
many “firsts” at camp. We started
up a robust Counselor in Training (CIT)
program, it was Kirstie’s first summer
as our Wavus director, we explored
several new areas in our wilderness
tripping program, and this was the
first time our Maine Trails campers
(our oldest Kieve and Wavus campers)
hiked double the number of miles as
past years, almost 200 miles & nearly
10% of the Appalachian Trail (AT).
The Appalachian Trail and Mount
Katahdin hold a special place in my
heart. I stood on the rocky rooftop of
Maine, the culmination of the AT, with
my beautiful, brand new wife on our
honeymoon 32 years ago. Both of my
children, several nieces, nephews &
cousins and many of my best friends
have hiked to the top by my side.
And 25 years ago I began a tradition
of climbing Katahdin with our Maine
Trails trippers, most of whom arrived
on Damariscotta Lake as wide-eyed
Junior session campers nearly a decade
ago, on their last, glorious adventure
as Kieve or Wavus campers - a key rite
of passage for them and an important
time for me to get to know our future
leaders. Although I’ve never thru-
top of the highest point in the great
state of Maine.
BJ & Henry Kennedy
hiked the trail, I’ve stood at the Baxter
Peak summit alongside many proud,
exhausted, skinny, introspective
men and women just arriving from
Springer Mountain in Georgia 2,190
miles away. These “through-hikers”
don’t talk much but when they
find out that I’m the camp director
they smile and tell me about hiking
the last 100 mile wilderness with
Kieve and Wavus campers and staff.
They always use words like mature,
respectful, joyous, generous, helpful,
and kind to describe our folks and it
fills me with pride. 60 summits and
3 hip replacement surgeries later, I
imagine that I’ve seen the last of the
We are excited to announce the creation of The Kennedy
Family Endowment (KFE), as a recognition of the work done
by various members of the Kennedy family for the good of
Kieve since 1926. This separate endowment will be initially
funded by hiving off $1,000,000 from the existing KieveWavus endowment. The Fund’s purpose will be to encourage
innovations within existing programs, as well as the seeding
of new pilot programs, which is consistent with KW’s mission
of supporting service to others. The goal is to ensure that the
“ability to pay” is not a barrier to this creative process due to
concerns about associated expenses.
The Fund’s principal will continue in perpetuity, with the
income being directed toward paying to defray program costs
and scholarships. If others would like to make a gift or pledge
to add to the KFE in honor of Dick and Nancy and the rest of
the Kennedy family, please contact Russ Williams at Russw@
kievewavus.org.
This summer we celebrated Kieve’s
90th summer and Wavus’ 10th as our
sister camp (and 94th year since its
founding). Hundreds of alumni and
their families from every decade joined
us. It was incredible to welcome them
all “home” to the place that set them
off on their life’s journey. Listening to
their stories, Kieve and Wavus clearly
made a deep and lasting impact on
our alums and gave them the tools,
character, strength, role models and
experiences to begin a life of great
joy, curiosity and accomplishment.
In their soul they know that every
moment is special and must be lived
fully; this particular weekend was one
that none of us will ever forget.
One of our favorite camp ceremonies is
the end of session campfire – another
true rite of passage and a beautiful,
quiet lakeside spectacle. As Beej and I
addressed the group of tired, grubby
Junior Kieve campers circled around
the roaring fire in their Crazy-Creek
chairs, it occurred to us that many of
these 52 young men will form the core
Kieve staff leadership in 10 years when
we celebrate our 100th. It seemed like
just yesterday that my dad published
the gold-covered Kieve Annual for
Kieve’s 50th, back when I was a Head
Bunkhouse counselor entering my
senior year in high school and the
same year that my mom’s watersports
weekend play, Ears (not Jaws) and
Fifty Years, ended with a resounding
rendition of Bye Bye Kiddies that
still makes me smile. Standing by
the Westcott Point bonfire while the
sun set over Bunker Hill, somewhat
exhausted myself, I choked back tears,
wondering where the time had gone
but not wanting to be anywhere else
on earth.
Sincerely,
Henry R. Kennedy,
Executive Director
The Magic is Real!
M
y c h i l d re n a re l o n g t i m e
Wavus campers who eagerly
flip through the Annual, anticipate
adventures with the cabin friends, and
(finally) pack themselves up for camp.
As a mom, I understood that camp
was meaningful to them, but this
summer in my new role as the Camp
Director, Wavus opened her arms to
me and I stepped behind the curtain
to witness the daily Magic that makes
camp special for hundreds of girls
each summer. As parents we think
we understand what makes camp
great – the time with friends, the
silly activities, the Sunday donuts, the
adventures in the wild, and the beauty
of Damariscotta Lake. These are all
part of the equation, but this summer
I experienced a feeling of wonder and
joy that could not simply be attributed
to these tangible factors. There is a
synergy at work at this lovely place
– what I have come to call magic – that
impressed me, and I can be quite a
pragmatist. As Program Director,
Kate Adair, told me on more than one
occasion, “Wavus Magic is real.” Allow
me to share a few examples from this
summer.
Christmas in July – Cherokee cabin gets in the spirit of Christmas with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, Sam
Copland and KJ Jones.
First let me speak of the Elves. If you
need something done – cooked, built,
cleaned, shuttled, counted, etc – then
ask and have your wishes granted
as if Santa’s Elves were summering
at Wavus Point. The Infirmary asks
for more fiber in the campers’ diet?
No problem! Raisin & bran muffins
are baked up fresh the next day. The
Program Director asks for better
play equipment storage? No need to
ask twice! Within days a gorgeous,
handcrafted, wooden toy chest appears
outside lower Jewell to be stocked
with balls, bats, paddles, Frolf discs
and more. Each member of the yearround support staff at Wavus is always
“happy-to-do-it,” or perhaps they
really are Elves in disguise.
Voyage and Maine Trails were away on
their trips, these boys would arrive
to have their first sleep away camp
experience. Since its inaugural year,
Junior Kieve has grown exponentially,
becoming an essential first step in the
Kieve journey for many of our boys.
This past summer 88 Junior Kieve
campers returned for a 2nd year at
the end of West Neck Road. To put
this in perspective, a typical cabin
size is 13, which means Junior Kieve
veterans made up the equivalent of
more than 3 cabins each session! This
is particularly remarkable because it
indicates camp’s youngest cabins are
not only full, but are made up of boys
that already know what it means to
be a Kieve camper.
Speaking of elves reminds me that
Story continued on page Junior Kieve
B
eginning in 1992 Junior Kieve
was created to give 2nd, 3rd and
4th grade boys an opportunity to
experience Kieve. While Allagash, Long
In 2015 Junior Kieve was full to the
gills, with 52 boys making up 4
cabins both sessions. Rewind back to
its earliest days though and JK was
extraordinarily similar to what it is
today; a unique opportunity for a boy
to stretch his comfort zone in ways
JK formal wear for Pasqualio’s!
Story continued on page 10
A Success Story –
thank you.
Leadership School Students Turn Teachers
F
or what I can only call a success
story, perhaps even a victory, for
my son at Kieve this summer.
I left a fearful, completely terrified
boy at North Glenayr on July 21st.
Despite my best cheerleading and
the assurance of head counselor Jason
Sokol, he chased our car out of the
Kieve driveway. I hyperventilated as I
watched him in my rear view mirror,
but my gut told me to step on the gas
and give my kid the biggest gift of
his life.
For the first week he wrote letters
telling us he was miserable, beyond
homesick, desperate for us to pick
him up. When we did not, he resorted
to letters saying he was throwing up
from being forced to eat tuna fish. He
begged for us to end the torture.
Now, we are doting parents, but we did
not fall off the turnip truck yesterday.
We’ve seen Kieve and everything that
it has to offer. It’s hardly a juvenile
detention center. We know the camper
to counselor ratio, and guessed that
the adults in charge know a little
something about homesickness. We
also know our kid, who is smart and
resourceful. We consulted you about
the letters. I wrote my son an email on
Camp Day #8 stating that picking him
up early was not an option, and so the
choice to be happy or miserable was
his going forward. I told him I loved
him too much to let him miss out on
a wonderful experience.
On August 15th, I stood at the closing
chapel service looking around wildly
for my son. I had arrived a little late,
and decided to take advantage of his
empty cabin and load his gear in the
car. I walked to the chapel area and
could not find him, so I just enjoyed
the service, especially the words
of individual campers of all ages.
Suddenly a tall, tanned, bug-bitten,
scruffy tweenager, accompanied
by three friends, attacked me from
Story continued on page Left to right: Katrina, Skyler & Kelci
Katrina Smith: I attended the Leadership School as a student from Boothbay
Middle School in the fall 2005. Now, ten years later, I find myself back at The
Leadership School, but this time as an educator. It is awesome to be able to
see the activities from the other side, and watching students work together to
figure out the challenges and work their way through them. The diversity of
the student groups is also interesting to watch, an activity one group struggles
with, another group might thrive at, something I hadn’t even thought of
when I was a student here. Overall, returning to The Leadership School has
been an amazing experience, and I so happy that I have the opportunity to
see it from the other side.
Skyler Dunfey: When I was in seventh grade at Cape Elizabeth, my whole
class went to The Leadership School at Kieve. I remember sitting by the
lake during Solo, jumping off the telephone pole to catch the trapeze, and
figuring out The Maze in Decisions class, but what surprises me now is that
I remember thinking how fun it must be to work at TLS and how cool the
educators were. This experience formed the foundation of my appreciation
for experiential learning. I am so excited to be back at TLS as an educator,
and I feel very privileged to be able to work with so many different students
each week and with such a cool group of educators.
Kelci O’Neill: I attended The Leadership School in 8th grade with Freeport
Middle School. I had an amazing time coming here when I was a child. I
remember getting to the end of my week and not wanting to go home. I now
realize from being on staff that I felt so at home here because the staff of
educators worked so hard to make me feel curious, challenged, and comforted
at the same time. I love being able to make a difference to so many groups of
students, even if it is just for the better part of a week. I am thrilled to be able
to help students to challenge themselves and their peers at The Leadership
School. I hope I can make students feel at home here, just as I did 9 years
ago.
Kieve-Wavus Counselor in Training program
T
his was the first year we offered the Kieve-Wavus
Counselor in Training program, a selective program that
provides opportunities for rising seniors in high school to
become leaders who will shape the experiences of campers
by empowering them to promote the Kieve-Wavus values of
treating others with Kindness and Respect, and becoming
responsible environmental stewards. During the program
they also travelled off site backpacking in the northern
Maine Woods and canoeing the East Branch of the Penobscot
River.
Feedback from the inaugural CIT program has been
resoundingly positive. Across the board the CITs said that
the training was a blast and a fantastic opportunity to begin
to understand what it means to be a counselor at our two
wonderful camps. What is more, we’ve worked hard to
listen to ways that our program could even be better. We’re
confident that with some cool changes and keeping what
works it will be a rewarding summer. Plus, the CITs have
their own chant….
Success Story continued from page behind. He sported tie-dyed clothing
from head to toe, including his socks,
that he designed himself at Kieve. He
fetched me a hymnal so we could sing
the Kieve song together and offered to
carry my bag without being asked. He
introduced me to friends and received
a mention for “being the camper who
tried every activity the camp has
to offer” at the cabin ceremony. He
asked to have his photo taken with
Jason, Lexi, Zach (best guy ever) and
Madison (like, the perfect girl). He
took me on a comprehensive tour of
the grounds, speaking non-stop about
his experiences in everything from a
high speed swing to wood shop to the
climbing wall. He asked me to buy
him an Opti for our lake house (no,
we already have a sunfish) and told me
he could now beat me in ping pong
(he did, only once, 27-25, and it will
not happen again) and told me that
he plans to be a speaker at the closing
ceremony when he completes Maine
Trails. He did not notice that my eyes
frequently filled with tears at the
sight and sound of my confident, fit,
fearless boy.
On the ride to our place in the
Adirondacks, I let the conversation
flow easily, knowing that I would
learn more if I asked broad questions
and let him run with them. I learned
that he is not afraid of ghost stories
anymore because an older boy had told
him there are “right and wrong times
to use your imagination.” I learned
that he forgot his rain gear on a trip,
it had poured, and that “it wasn’t that
bad, Mom, it’s only rain, but I won’t
forget it again.” We chatted for the
entire six hour trip and what I learned
about my kid was a lot.
Finally, when we got to our own camp,
he helped me unpack the car and
cook dinner. He had yet to ask me for
his laptop or iPad, settling in, instead,
to finish his book while I read the
paper. We went for a swim before bed
and he sliced his big toe on a mussel
shell. Long gone were the screaming
theatrics at the sight of his own blood.
Instead he calmly said, “Mom will you
get me a paper towel and a bandaid?
This looks worse than it is.”
So, I wax long-winded as ever, with
apologies. But my gratitude to you
all, administration, counselors, even
the two Kieve dogs who captured
his heart, is immense. There are few
experiences in this age of convenience
that help nurture resilience, selfreliance and curiosity. The results
from 26 days at Kieve are better than
I imagined, and, I am guessing, will
continue to appear throughout the
coming year.
Sign us up, my deposit check is ready,
I look forward to a long and beautiful
relationship between our family and
Kieve.
Cheers from a happy mom.
Wavus Magic continued from page this was the summer of imaginative
theme days, and Christmas in July
topped the list of camper favorites. It is
challenging for this day to come out on
top when an impressively committed
counselor staff went all-out nearly
every day with theme days such as
NASCAR, Mad Scientist, Harry Potter,
Willy Wonka, Jurassic Wav, Air Guitar
and more! However, something about
Christmas on July 25th, when the jolly
old elf herself arrives accompanied by
a cabin of reindeer and Mrs. Clause
too, charges the air with wonder and
joy. Campers awoke to candy canes
in their socks and marshmallow
snowmen adorning their tables in the
Jewell. I have rarely found a group of
counselors so committed to the simple
pleasures that playfulness can bring.
These sweet snowmen adorned every table in the
Jewell at breakfast on July 25th.
part) during their months of school
lessons; however, the pure and magical
curiosity they exhibit in camp was a
pleasure for me, as an adult and lifelong teacher, to experience.
Finally, there is the magic of being
together in a group of caring girls
and women that draws courageous
action from the most timid among us.
I was humbled to witness a shy Junior
Wavus camper share the following
words at Sunday Chapel; “People told
Mary Yost hosted the very popular Willy Wonka
theme day, and the girls, like Eliza Pohle and
Alice Smith, hunted for tickets all over camp.
Then there is the magical curiosity
that blossoms in the minds of campers
when the world they are living in is
simple and pure. If you take them out
to show them the full moon at dusk,
they are amazed. If you take them
in to Andrew’s Hall to give them a
history lesson of the camp using the
sepia toned photos of people and days
long gone by, then they will listen
enraptured and ask endless questions
and make clever hypotheses about
how and why things look the way
they do at Wavus today. Or if you have
the pleasure of reading to this group
of young ladies in the dark of the
evening as I did, then you will surely
be amazed at how patient, attentive
and eager they are to hear every
word you have to share. Surely these
young girls are attentive (for the most
me I was too small to go away from
home and do summer camp. But I
knew they were wrong.” This young
lady was petite and fragile looking,
but nothing could stop her bold
spirit from stepping up to the front
of the group alone and declaring that
folks back home had underestimated
her. In fact, this diminutive but bold
child represents the voices of a camp
full of young girls and women who
embark on the Wavus journey each
summer with some trepidation in
their own bellies about whether or
not they will have what it takes to
conquer the oceans, mountains and
rivers that will be their home away
from Wavus for some period of time
each summer. It is most certainly
Magic (coupled with rigorous staff
training, months of organizational
planning, and the synergy of cabin
bonds) that allows these ladies to tackle
the Appalachian Trail, The Allagash
Wilderness Waterway, the Moose
River, the St. Croix, Mt. Washington,
Tumbledown Mountain, or even Hog
Island successfully.
Yes, the Magic is real.
written by Kirstie Truluck, Director,
Wavus Camp for Girls
I
n case you need a few more examples in support of this hypothesis, then
I offer you the words of beloved Assistant Director, Kate Adair. Here are
her “Top Five Magic in Action” moments from a staffer’s perspective:
Wavus magic is...
-a well-timed storm that ends just
before Evening Activity
-a group of counselors showing up
after lights out to help you decorate
the Jewell for your OD day
As I was writing this list, it occurred
to me that Wavus magic really
happens because we are living in a
community where people care about
each other - really care. Harder to
achieve in the ‘outside world’!
-having just enough vehicles for a
last-minute beach day!
-hearing that your cabin has been
assigned your two favorite activities
that morning
-an older camper comforting a
homesick JW girl and knowing
exactly what to say to make her
smile
Food Service Director Mary Ellison and
Assistant Director Kate Adair share a hug.
Kennedy Learning Center Breast Cancer Retreats
inclusive, invigorating environment.
The women gain confidence, make
new friends and discover their own
place of sanctuary in the outdoors.
Together, women living after breast
cancer can move from surviving to
thriving.
Over the past 2 years the Kennedy
Learning Center (KLC) has become
a home for these ladies and this
wo n d e r f u l p ro g ra m . T h e n ex t
Adventure Weekend at Kieve and
the KLC is May 27 - 29, 2016. If you
know of anyone who could benefit
from this retreat at the KLC, please
check out the website at www.
bjbbreastcancerretreats.org or contact
Executive Director Cynthia Cote at
[email protected]
Playing outside of the box on the HS Swing.
S
ince 2002, the Betty J. Borry Breast
Cancer Retreats have provided
adventure based opportunities for
women living after breast cancer.
Participants challenge themselves
physically, emotionally and spiritually
finding understanding and support.
They have fun and are amazed by the
new things they learn, the boundaries
they push through. We use challenge
by choice activities such as ropes
courses, kayaking, snowshoeing
and yoga to create a supportive,
Retreat ladies enjoying a glorious day in funyaks on the lake.
Allagash Wilderness Waterway Service Work
Kieve campers received a certificate of
appreciation from The Allagash Wilderness
Waterway for volunteer community service work
they performed this past summer.
Our Kieve Allagash cabin campers helped move some of the stone used as rip rap to help stabilize the
bank at High Bank on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. They worked with Assistant Ranger Shane
Dufour and Chief Ranger Kevin Brown. Kevin said they really appreciated the help and thank you!
9/11 & Family Camp 2015!
O
ur 14th Annual 9/11 Family Camp once again joined up and blended with Alumni Family Camp for a
great week! The weather was perfect to spend the week playing around the lake! We had a great camp
staff who helped everyone play hard on the adventure courses, waterfront and the Kubb court and as
always, the food was wonderfully prepared by Lee and her Pasquaney staff – thank you. We look forward
to seeing you next summer for the 15th Annual.
The adventure course is always a huge hit with all of our
“campers” – Mother Nature served up an incredible week to be
playing outside.
C just
rom D
f
s
k
o
ce Bro
!
Johnie wing – fun
S
S
H
the
g off
comin
Cameron Miller spent a lot of time
hanging out on the platform of the aquazip coaching kids and adults the best
aqua-zipping techniques.
FDNY Lt. G
erard Chip
ura getting
cl os e an d
up
in ti m at e w
it h h is M ai
dinner on th
ne
e deck of Pa
squaney.
Wavus Girls Lead
T
hanks to an incredible Wavus
Crew (maintenance, dining, and
a full slate of summer staff), the entire
campus was turned over in less than
24 hours after closing summer camp
to kick off the 2015 Wavus Girls Lead
(WGL) Orientation. The second year
of WGL has brought 18 new, smiling
faces down the bumpy Wavus Point
Road. 18 girls ready for friendship,
adventure and a little Wavus magic.
The 4-day orientation was a sampler of
what the five weekends ahead would
have to offer: the girls made their own
working telescopes and tested them on
a night paddle in Damariscotta Lake,
they talked about the importance of
working as a coalition, dissected media
portrayals of young girls and women,
got comfortable with “being their own
weird selves, no matter what”, and
honed meditation skills as a way to
re-record negative self-talk messages
into messages of positivity and selfcompassion.
Wavus Girls Lead at Bremen Landing for a weekend of coastal exploration and astronomy. The
weekend included hauling traps on the Snowgoose III, night sky observations on Hog Island, testing
chemical reactions and launching hand built matchstick rockets.
In addition to increasing the program
from 12 to 18 girls, WGL has also gotten
a new burst of energy from 4 Lincoln
Academy junior and senior students
who are the first wave of Wavus Girls
Lead Mentors. Lucy Williams, Isabel
Carlson, Kate Laemmle and Catherine
Roy have significantly impacted the
girls’ experience by embodying the
Kieve-Wavus mission and providing
guidance as inspirational role models.
Undoubtedly, a favorite staple of our
weekends together are the nightly
“mentor chats”: informal, facilitated
conversations which allow the younger
girls to explore difficult topics with
their cabin mentors. The program has
also benefitted tremendously from the
leadership and expertise of Leadership
School Educators, Sam Copland and
Hanne Bailey. Sam and Hanne joined
Kieve-Wavus in 2014 and were easily
identified as an all-star duo to lead the
Courtney Farrin (Great Salt Bay) and Tori Harris (Great Salt Bay) test
chemical reactions and electric charge of salt water.
Wavus Girls Lead program. They bring
a depth of knowledge to the program
with backgrounds in Chemistry,
Psychology, and Women and Gender
Studies, and a plentitude of energy
for working alongside our mentors
and girls. They are both certified
ropes course instructors, and serve
as Assistant Ropes Course Directors
during the summer months.
continued page 12
WGL Mentor Kate Laemmle (Lincoln Academy Senior) and Gracie Bowen
(Whitefield School) test chemical reactions and electric charge of salt
water.
Junior Kieve continued from page he simply cannot at home. For 10 days they are swept up
in a Kieve sprint, being challenged on their camping trip
to Hog Island and at daily activities, learning quickly that
they can persevere without their parent’s guiding hand.
Even in this short time, it is amazing how much confidence
is instilled in the boys, and how they and their parents are
rewarded for taking this risk to go away to Maine for camp.
On Parent’s Day it is amazing seeing the boys lead their
parents on tours around the campus, and listening to them
proudly tell of their accomplishments. It is always shocking
in hindsight that each of these boys will be heading back
to elementary school, as they always seem to have matured
and grown so much.
In many ways, the JK program of today has evolved only
in ways that help the boys gain more independence. They
attend General Swim with the full camp boys and wait in line
just the same for meals, evening activities and four square.
They go on their overnight trip and beach day, and return
via Round Top with their van horns blazing. Most quickly
recognize that the 10 days just isn’t enough time, and the
majority that choose to return do so because they learned
that a week and a half just isn’t long enough to experience
everything that camp has to offer.
Junior Kieve boys buddying up at General Swim.
especially in comparison to our youngest boys sitting around
them. There are always a handful of these Allagash boys that
started in Junior Kieve. After they introduce themselves and
light the fire, the whole cabin speaks about why Kieve is so
special to them. It is amazing how boys from such a wide
variety of backgrounds speak to the same themes; that they
are grateful they came to Kieve, and that they wish they had
begun sooner. Without fail these Allagash boys talk about
the brotherhood they have formed, and they impress on all
of the Junior Kieve boys that having the courage to return the
next summer will be rewarded with an amazing experience.
The loyalty the Allagash boys have to each other is powerful,
and it speaks to the bonds many of them began to cultivate
in their 10-day session 6 years prior.
In some ways Junior Kieve is a right of passage, but more than
anything it is an amazing opportunity for a young boy to
disconnect, and to learn about himself as a person long before
he would ever have to do so in the real world. Hopefully the
Junior Kieve boys of 2015 and beyond will recognize this,
and will return for what may ultimately become the most
transformative experience of their lives. Written by and a
big thanks to Sam Kaplan (JK Director ’12- present, Kieve
camper ’98-’03, KW West ’04, Counselor ’06-’11)
The Junior Kieve trip at Fort William Henry.
Junior Kieve is a snapshot of camp, but it is also the
beginning of a Kieve journey that for many boys will last 7,
8 or 9 years. On the last evening of the 10- day session, the
boys make their way down to a Westcott Point campfire.
As they meander from the Top of the Hill past Innisfree
and Pasquaney, they see the full session boys enjoying the
shenanigans that follow Pasqualio’s, and it is so clear that
many of them wish they were not on their last evening at
camp. When they arrive at the fire the boys of Allagash
greet them. They have paddled from their campsite at Cool
Island, as they cannot move back into their cabin until Junior
Kieve has departed, and it is amazing how much older and
more mature they look at the conclusion of their 13-day trip,
10
The JK boys listening to the Allagash I young men speak at the last night
JK campfire.
Leadership School Sept/Oct 2015
Once again we have an incredible Leadership School staff back for the ’15 Fall season! Thanks for all that you do for KWE!
W
h a t a g re a t s ta r t to o u r
Leadership School Fall season.
Our incredible TLS Staff have
practiced the values of kindness and
respect working with a variety of
diverse groups. Our staff has worked
wonderfully with college and adult
groups, middle and high school groups,
both here on campus and during
outreaches throughout the state.
In addition, they have participated
in a number of community service
projects from Coastal Cleanup to the
Annual Halloween Party at the YMCA.
Thanks again for all that you do for
Kieve-Wavus Education! Below is a
detailed list of the programs and the
participants (3406 in total) during just
this past September and October at
The Leadership School.
TLS College Programming
Bowdoin College (79)
Bates College (63)
Colby College (30)
TLS Outreach
Leavitt HS (163)
Carrabec (150)
Passamaquoddy Health Center (150)
Cancer Community Center – Fight
Back Cancer (100)
Woodland Jr/Sr High School (37)
Lyman Morse (140)
Rupert Nock School (157)
Falmouth Middle School (156)
Memorial Middle School (136)
Gray New Gloucester (125)
TLS Onsite Kieve School Program
Kents Hill (28)
Damariscotta Montessori (14)
Andover Montessori (8)
Thatcher Montessori (24)
Appleton (16) Camden-Rockport
(102) Hope (22) Lincolnville (20)
Parents (45)
Memorial Middle School (136)
Parents (45)
Sugg Middle (97)
Tower School (36)
Middle School of the Kennebunks
(180) Parents (80)
North Yarmouth Academy (30)
King Middle School (150)
Falmouth Middle School (156)
Parents (75)
Jubilee School (19)
Vassalboro (51)
Rivers Alternative (10)
St. John’s (15)
River Valley Charter (48)
Boothbay Middle School (57)
Parents (20)
Jefferson School (20) Parents (10)
OOB Loranger (50) Parents (20)
TLS Onsite Kieve Facilitation
PKU workshop (60)
Maine P-Pods (80)
Lincoln Academy (160)
Trekkers (6)
TLS Onsite Wavus Facilitation
For Pete’s Sake (30) Wavus
TLS Community Service Event/Activity
AOS school and family monthly
Buck Building Climb Nights
Damariscotta Lake Watershed
Association Damariscotta Lake
Invasive Plant Project
Maine Dept. of Agriculture,
Conservation and Forestry Maine
Coastal Cleanup Week
CLC –YMCA Halloween party
chaperoning
Maine Organic Farm Growers
Association (MOFGA) Common
Ground Fair volunteers
Nobleboro Historical Society
AppleFest - organized games and
climbing
Aldermere Farm in Rockport
Portable Climbing Wall
11
Former Kieve Staff part of Discovery as “Underground Astronaut”
W
h e n I saw a j o b p o s t in g
on Facebook in 2013 for
‘archaeologists with caving experience’
to go to South Africa, I immediately
applied. Just a few weeks later, I
found myself deep underground
excavating fossils of an early relative
of modern humans, Homo naledi,
as part of a National Geographic
expedition. Our team included me
and five other women who were
the advanced scientists excavating
the fossils, dozens of local cavers
monitoring safety underground,
renowned paleoanthropologists from
several universities, and an army of
volunteers and support staff.
Located in the Cradle of Humankind
World Heritage Site near Johannesburg,
South Africa, the beautiful Rising
Star cave is named after the starburst looking calcite formations
covering the ceiling of one room. Past
the dusty, rubble-strewn entrance,
amazing speleothems - stalactites and
stalagmites, soda straws and more - are
in almost every chamber.
Getting into the cave was tricky. After
a ladder, a belly crawl, a climb up a
steep fin of rock and a large step over
an abyss, we descended through a
12m long vertical fissure 18cm wide
and lined with jagged teeth of rock
to reach a chamber full of treasure:
more fossils than any of us imagined.
Writing that now, it sounds like a story
I would have dreamt up as a teambuilding exercise on the ropes course
when I worked at Kieve back in the
mid-late ‘90s. That’s probably one of
the reasons the idea of going into the
cave didn’t seem outrageous to me. It
sounded instead like an adventure,
full of challenges and new discoveries
where I’d get to work with amazing
people from all over the world. It just
so happened that those discoveries
would turn out to be a whole new
Underground Astronauts as the team of explorers was called – Becca on far left. (photo credit Wits
University)
Wavus Girls Lead continued from page So what do the weekends ahead have
in store? While WGL is a Wavus based
program, the girls will be fortunate
to explore all three of the KieveWavus campuses. Our first weekend
was spent at Bremen Landing, with
a Snowgoose III ride to explore the
Maine coast with Captain Bill Chapman
and First Mate Meghan Kennedy. The
girls put their telescopes to work
under the starry skies of Hog Island
thanks to Astronomy instructor Nicole
Hastings of Bates College and Audubon
staff member Eric Snyder, who both
12
brought their own telescopes and
equipment out to the island for a
night viewing of Saturn and its rings.
We will continue to explore what
leadership means and to support the
girls in building and practicing the
skills needed to navigate societally
imposed gender barriers and negative
media portrayals.
We will continue to grow and learn
from the girls before the program
wraps up with a mid-November
graduation ceremony, where we will
celebrate the girls’ accomplishments,
Becca Peixotto suiting up for the descent. (photo
credit John Hawks)
species and an unprecedented number
of fossils.
Paleoanthropology is known for being
a rather closed and guarded field, but
the Rising Star Expedition emphasizes
open access science. The articles, data
and 3D scans of the fossils are available
to anyone online for free (elifesciences.
org and morphosource.org, search
‘Homo naledi’). In the language of the
expedition, we say it’s because these
fossils are part of humanity’s common
heritage and knowledge should be
shared freely for the benefit of all.
In my mind, that echoes, in Charlie
Richardson’s voice, as “Everyone
deserves to be treated with kindness
and respect.”
Becca Peixotto from Yarmouth, Maine,
was a member of Kieve’s Boys Camp
staff in ’97 & ‘98, Science Camp for
Girls in ’97 and LDI in ’98.
ensure them that Wavus will continue
to live on inside of each of them, and
send them back to their families,
schools and communities just a bit
more confident, full of courage, and
with the skills to carry forward all
that they learned at Wavus.
Wavus Girls Lead participants are
currently recruited from the Bristol
Consolidated School, Jefferson Village
School, Boothbay Region Elementary,
Nobleboro Central School and the
Whitefield School.
Dempsey Cancer Healing Program
T
he Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing
has been collaborating with Kieve-Wavus Education
Inc. since 2010 in an effort to better support adolescents
impacted by cancer. August 2015 marked the return of The
Healing Tree’s Space to Breathe program (S2B) for the 5th
consecutive year. During this five-day camp, 16 teenagers
between the ages of 12-18 that have a parent or sibling living
with cancer receive a free support program that mixes the
best of emotional support, fun and adventure together.
The program provides teens an opportunity to develop
meaningful relationships, receive cancer support, grow selfconfidence, and most importantly bolster resiliency skills.
Mason Smith, a 14-year-old boy who has returned for S2B for
more than 2 years says, “With a sister who has cancer, Space
to Breathe has been a huge blessing. I have made friends
like no other; they ‘get it.’” The results of this experience
will assist the teens in facing life’s challenges now and in
the future. Reflecting on her son’s experience with S2B one
mother says, “Space to Breathe is such an appropriate name
because it allowed my child to get away from the day to day,
take a step back and feel that emotion. This program also
gave him skills to deal with it, channel it in a positive way
and to let go of the negative. It helped him realize that he
was in control of it, instead of it controlling him. "As part
of the S2B program the teens embark on a two and a half
day wilderness adventure and experience individual and
group challenges on Kieve’s ropes course.
In addition to the continued success of Space to Breathe, the
Dempsey Center has also been able to expand services to
better meet the needs of grieving teens facing the death of a
parent due to cancer. Using a similar model to S2B, Space to
Grieve was developed and piloted for its first year this past
November of 2014. The Dempsey Center is excited to offer
this program again, based out of Kieve-Wavus, to another
10 teenagers from and around New England. Last year the
The Healing Tree’s Space to Breathe program returns to Kieve for the 5th
consecutive year.
group adventured in Camden Hills State Park in Camden, ME
and this November they will travel to Carrabassett Valley for
some hiking along the Maine Huts and Trails system.
If you would be interested in learning more about these
wilderness adventure camp programs or about other
programs offered by The Healing Tree program or The
Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing, please
contact Tookie Bright, LCSW Youth and Family Services
Coordinator at 207-795-8256.
KIEVE-WAVUS EDUCATION, INC. budget, 2015
Investment Income Gifts & Grants $200,000
$125,000
Other $115,000
Annual Fund
$450,000
Scholarships & Grants $935,000
Reserve for Future
Capital and Program
Expenditures
$246,000
Utilities,
Insurance,
Depreciation,
Taxes
$1,355,000
Programs
& Operations
$2,703,000
Tuition, all programs $7,296,000
REVENUES $8,186,000
Salaries, Wages
& Benefits
$2,947,000
EXPENSES $8,186,000
13
Hiking DOWN Mt. Washington
Educator in Residence Program
W
e are pleased to announce the continuation of the
Educator in Residence Program. This will be the
fourth year educators from The Leadership School (TLS)
will immerse themselves in a Maine Public School during
ten weeks in the winter. Schools served this year include:
Nobleboro Central School, Great Salt Bay School, Bristol
Consolidated School, Searsport, Loranger Middle School in
Old Orchard Beach, Middle School of the Kennebunks, and
King and Memorial Middle Schools in Portland.
To whom it may concern.
My name is Joe Burns and I had the privilege of hiking down Mount
Washington with a group of your campers and counselors.
They may remember me as the old firefighter from New Jersey. I had surgery
on my knees 5 years ago and I never thought I would be in the condition
to climb up Mt Washington; let alone down it.
I was ready to quit and buy a ticket to take the van ride back down to
the bottom.
But when I ran into your 13 campers they inspired me to take the trek
back down.
As a father of 3 daughters I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed my time
talking to your campers and counselors alike.
I can honestly tell you that I would not have made it down the mountain
without them. One of the counselors that I spoke to quite a bit was named
CJ and I believe he is the son of the director.
I took a group photo for them at the bottom of the mountain. The reason
I am writing this email is in the hope that he could send me a copy of one
of the pictures. It was quite an emotional experience for me to reach the
bottom and I would not have done it without their help.
The Educator in Residence program continues to have three
goals for the schools:
1. To deepen the impact of the residential program
experience by providing ongoing support and
mentorship back in the school setting
2. To provide teachers and administrators with ongoing
opportunities to observe and practice experiential
education techniques in the classroom
3. To provide meaningful and practical support for a
positive school culture
Additionally, the Educator in Residence provides ongoing
professional development for teachers who wish to
bring experiential practices to their classrooms, engage
students in deeper understanding and application of the
newfound strengths and awareness that they gained during
residential Leadership School program, and support the
ongoing development and sustaining of healthy learning
communities.
I hope somehow that you can get this message to CJ and in turn he can
send me a copy of the picture.
It truly was an extraordinary group of young men.
Sincerely.
Capt. Joe Burns – Station 43 West Windsor, NJ
Community Climb Nights
Students from Memorial Middle School in South Portland (from left) Joyeuse
Kanyana Ntimira, Marwan Al Nayyar and Jude Niangasa Phambu, with
TLS Educator Will Hackett challenging themselves on the ropes course.
These students were not Memorial students as 6th graders and were able
to come up for a day-long Kieve experience. They loved being challenged on
the ropes course and hope to return to Kieve in the near future. Memorial
Middle School works to promote values of Kindness and Respect at all levels
of their school and community and is one of our original EIR schools.
Kieve & Wavus Alumni
Back by popular demand we continue to have a number of community
climb nights open to our local neighbors through the winter and spring
months in the Buck Building. Our next climb night is November 13th
from 6-9 PM. Check our website for future dates.
14
Check the Alumni section of our website
for alumni events & photos
www.kievewavus.org
KW Alumni Annuals – Archived and Digitized!!
We have scanned and digitized all 89 Kieve Annuals and the last 9 years of Wavus
Annuals. In addition, the Wavus Embers, Drumlin and Pine Whispers have been
scanned. If you would like to look through these old Annuals and books, send
Russ Williams an email ([email protected]) for the link and password.
Happy Campers
I wanted to pass on a note of thanks for yet another summer of memories,
fun, growth and life experiences for our three children (and my nephew,
Drew Matson from the UK). Kieve and Wavus never ceases to impress and
amaze us. As we are now far away in Oregon, we appreciate K/W all that
much more because there just isn’t anything comparable on the west coast.
The tripping experience they get is so valuable. Anna (6 year Wavus) and
Drew (6 year Kieve) both loved every second of their respective Long Voyage
trips this year! And it was so fun for our family to gather together for a
few days after camp to hear them compare notes with each other and tell
stories. Of course, Reed (5 year Kieve) and Alex (3 year Kieve) had their
share to add regarding their trips as well. Here they sit proudly under the
Welcome Back poster for the Long Voyage cabins.
Look back and click through the Annuals since
the beginning of Kieve in 1926 and Wavus in
2006. The Kieve and Wavus Annual archives
are word-searchable so you can look through
old trip notes and cabinmates. These digitized
Annuals include cabin photos, daily OD and trip
reports. Here is the first page of the July Camping
Parties from 1941.
Maine Bass Fishing
Over the past 14 summers, Maine Guide Ron Gerard has volunteered at our
9/11 Family Camp taking kids and adults bass fishing on Damariscotta
Lake. Ron is a registered Maine Guide and has a hunting camp up north
near Jackman. If you are in Maine dropping off or picking up your son or
daughter from camp and want to “hook up” with Ron for some fishing, check
out his website and contact him at www.maine-bass-fishing.com/
15
YEARS
H
ow wonderful it was to welcome hundreds of alumni, friends and family
for a Celebration Weekend at the end of the West Neck Road for Kieve’s 90th
and on the Wavus Point peninsula for Wavus’ 10th as Kieve’s sister camp and 94th
year since its founding! Alumni from every decade and from across the country
enjoyed each other’s warmth, reminisced on their camp days, compared notes
about camp experiences, showed off the old stomping grounds to friends and
family, and simply lived in the glorious moment at a camp that deeply impacted
their lives. The weekend included great food, warm sunshine, boat rides, a
lobster bake, lunch with motorcycle-riding Veterans and flag-waving campers,
live music, tours of Hog Island and Punk Point Preserve, a Wavus birthday party,
and Kieve’s traditional Sunday Chapel and chicken BBQ. We hope to see you and
many more in 10 years at Kieve’s 100th!
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90 t
U
S
90
KIEVE
h
NIV
N
A
MM
E
V E RS
A
RY
E R 20
15
10
WAVUS
YEARS
17
18
19
Here are a few glimpses from the 90th book showing the rich history in stories and camper memories through the years.
This is a fun and interesting read and a must have on your coffee table.
Order your
Kieve 90th book today!
It’s a great stocking stuffer. (ok, that’s
a stretch) The first 90 years at Kieve for
only $25 plus $8 shipping. Go to our
Online Payments and Giving page under
the Support Us tab and let us know in the
comments box.
Wavus Then & Now
The all camp photo has certainly changed
a little over the years. Here are the Wavus
Wawanock Maidens in 1931 and our
campers and counselors from Session I
this past summer.
20
The Kennedys’ Proclamation
July 25, 2015
WHEREAS Kieve was founded in 1926 by Donald D. Kennedy to foster the highest ideals
of courage, perseverance and loyalty among young men, and
WHEREAS the word Kieve is a Celtic verb that means “to strive in emulation of,” and
WHEREAS Richard C. Kennedy arrived on this earth 2 minutes after his brother, Donald
D. Kennedy Jr., in March of 1931, 5 years after Kieve’s founding, and
WHEREAS Dick and Don spent their entire childhood at Kieve and helped their parents
carry the Kieve dream into the next generation, and
WHEREAS Dick was a Kieve camper 1939-45, a counselor 1948-50, 54 & 59, Director
1960-90, Trustee and Emeritus Trustee 1991 – present, and
WHEREAS Dick fell in love and married Anne Sibley in 1957, and
WHEREAS exactly 9 months later their son Henry was born, and 2 years later their daughter
Nanne arrived during Dick’s first solo summer as Kieve’s Director, and
WHEREAS Dick and Nancy instinctively understood that we can’t become courageous
until we acquire the confidence to accept risk that leads to the reward of accomplishment,
and
WHEREAS Dick and Nancy’s legendary love, honesty, compassion, generosity, joy, and
spirit of adventure have deeply impacted and guided tens of thousands of courageous
people, and
Dick, Henry & Nancy Kennedy with the framed
proclamation that was read and delivered during
the 90th celebration at Kieve this past summer.
Thank you to the Kennedy Family for all that you
have done to create, develop and nurture KieveWavus Education, Inc. over the years.
WHEREAS in 1973 Dick led by example and donated much of his family legacy to a new non-profit organization he created with his close
friends and advisors known as Kieve Affective Education, and
WHEREAS over the next several decades Dick and the Board raised several million dollars for endowment, infrastructure and programs,
ensuring that Kieve would thrive forever, and
WHEREAS with Kieve’s newfound resources and trustees, Dick and Nancy, champions for the underserved, vastly expanded Kieve’s
mission to change the lives of many populations who desperately need help, and
WHEREAS Dick lovingly, firmly and expertly mentored his son, Henry, who has led the charge here for the last quarter of a century,
and
WHEREAS Nancy wrote & directed dozens of clever watersports weekend plays that entertained enthusiastic parents upon their glorious
reunion with their boys after a Kieve summer, and to this day she still plays the organ at Chapel, and
WHEREAS over 200 days a year Dick and Nancy’s dining room table is home to hoards of close friends, including most of you gathered
here tonight, further weaving together the fabric of Kieve, and
WHEREAS Dick and Nancy treat people like dogs: the highest possible compliment if you know how they treated their dogs, and
WHEREAS Dick and Nancy are lifelong teachers, always giving more than receiving, always learning, and
WHEREAS Dick and Nancy will forever be a part of the bedrock of this place and their ashes will someday, many years from now, rest at
the edge of the pond at their home overlooking the lake,
NOW THEREFORE on this 90th Anniversary of Kieve we, the board of Trustees of Kieve-Wavus Education, Inc. unanimously issue this
proclamation giving our unqualified recognition and thanks to Dick and Nancy for setting a leadership standard we all strive to emulate
and we look forward to their continued support, guidance and counsel for many years to come.
Henry R. Kennedy, Executive Director 1991 - present
Robert W. Bower, Jr., Board Chair 2000 – 2002
John E. Burns, Board Chair 2005 – 2007
Oliver A. Parker, Board Chair 2011 – 2014
Alexander K. Buck, Jr., Board Chair 1992 – 2000
Michael N. Westcott, Board Chair 2002-2005
Susan R. Russell, Board Chair 2007 - 2011
Donald A. Keyser, Board Chair 2014 – present
21
Kieve-Wavus Gardens
W
e again worked with FARMS
to help us design, manage
and grow the gardens at both Kieve
and Wavus this summer. It was
great to have the campers get their
hands dirty and taste the fruits of
their labor deliciously prepared by
both K & W kitchens!
Earlier this fall we harvested a wide variety of
vegetables that were all cooked and/or prepared
in the Pasquaney kitchen.
In the Kieve gardens we grew
nearly 30 different vegetables
and/or plants this past summer:
Peas: Sugar snaps, snow peas, shell
peas; Beans: purple, green and
yellow wax; Summer Squash and
Zukes; Cucumbers: pickling and
slicing; Edible flowers; Potatoes;
Peppers; Tomatoes; Tomatillos;
Basil; Leeks; Onions; Garlic;
Scallions; Carrots; Beets; Kale;
Lettuce; Arugula; Pea Shoots;
Spinach; Broccoli; Cabbage;
Pac Choi; Winter Squash and
Pumpkins; Sunflowers; Melons
Karen Kleinkopf our Wavus FARMS coordinator
and gardener works the garden with the girls
from the Cayuga cabin. Thanks again to Karen,
Margaret and FARMS for all your help!
22
Our wonderful FARMS gardener Margaret Coleman serves up some freshly harvested out of the
garden sautéed veggies.
PKUAD Returns to Kieve for 15th Year
from breaking down a specific amino
acid. To remain healthy they must
severely limit the amount of natural
protein eaten and drink a metabolic
formula containing the amino acids
their bodies can break down. Cooking
can be a challenge for families, so
a big part of the weekend is recipe
sharing and food demonstrations.
The menu is designed around special
low protein meals and Pasquaney
Chef Lee Giberson and her staff are
flexible, kind, patient and creative and
work with low protein chefs to create
amazing memorable meals.
PKUAD families enjoyed a very informative and fun weekend at Kieve.
T
he Maine PKU & Allied Disorders
Family Support Group gathered
for the 21st Annual Family Camping
Weekend in September. This was the
15th year the camp has been held
at the Kieve campus. This weekend
provides opportunities for families
raising a child with PKU or an allied
disorder who are on a low protein
diet to learn together in a supportive
and fun environment. Since these
conditions are rare and only affect
1:10,000, the weekend allows for these
children from all over the state of
Maine to be together and make friends
while gaining a better understanding
of their condition in relation to their
own stage of development.
Individuals with PKU are identified
as newborns with an inborn error
of metabolism which prevents them
Climate Ride Stops at Wavus
Climate Ride is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that organizes charitable
events to raise awareness and support sustainability, active transportation,
and environmental causes. The organization’s most recent event, Climate
Ride Northeast, had 130 cyclists beginning their journey in iconic Bar Harbor,
winding through Acadia National Park, then heading south. They spent the
night at Wavus before continuing their 390-mile, 5-day ride in Massachusetts
where they retraced, in reverse, Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride of 1775
on Boston Common.
While parents and caregivers have
the benefit of educational programs,
the Leadership School staff provides a
program for the kids that keep them
coming back year after year! The focus
on building self esteem, working as
a team and making good decisions
is a perfect fit for our group whose
good health depends on acquiring
those skills! Families always have
suggestions on how to improve camp
in future years, but when it comes to
Camp Kieve, they say, “Don’t change
a thing about Kieve” or “We love
everything about Camp Kieve!” We
are most grateful to be able to share
this special place.
Next Generation Campaign
We have made great progress toward reaching our $3.3 goal for the Next
Generation Campaign and still have $200,000 left to raise. This final
phase of funding will help fund the last cabin at Wavus, Adventure Course
Upgrades and help toward our final payment securing the Southover (Punk
Point) property.
23
TLS Staff Development
B
ates College Faculty member Mara
Tieken joined the The Leadership
School Staff for an evening discussion
on the important role that schools
play in rural communities.Tieken’s
presentation discussed schools as a
focal point for rural communities, and
explored the ways in which schools
contribute to a community’s wellbeing.The presentation prompted a
lively discussion about the decline of
rural communities and the pressures
for rural students to choose between
staying tied to their communities or
leaving to pursue college degrees.
Tieken received her Doctorate of
Education from the Graduate School
of Education at Harvard University in
2011. Her research focuses on racial
and educational equity in rural schools
and communities. Her book “Why
Rural Schools Matter” was recently
published by the University of North
Carolina Press in the fall of 2014.She is
an Assistant Professor and Associate
Chair of the Education Department at
Bates College.
Damariscotta Lake Writers’ Conference is Back!
W
e’re happy to announce that the 2016 Damariscotta Lake
Writers’ Conference will be accepting applications for
the summer of 2016, with workshop classes and readings by
visiting authors scheduled for the week beginning Sunday,
July 31st through Friday, August 5th.
The conference brings together a diverse and eclectic group
of writers.Participants are professional educators who also
pursue a vocation of their own in fiction, nonfiction, and/
or poetry.While their working lives are dedicated to the
educational experience of their students in the classroom, the
DLWC offers them the chance to focus on their own work,
exchange ideas with other teacher/practitioners regarding
the craft of writing and the calling of teaching, and attend
workshop courses, readings, and discussions with the
conference’s faculty and distinguished visiting authors.
All conference participants are housed at the Kennedy
Learning Center, an ideal setting for both reflective writing
and stimulating group discussion.The daily schedule includes
an ample block of time for writing, an early afternoon
workshop course with other participants and conference
faculty, late afternoon talks on the craft of writing by visiting
authors, and evening readings and panel discussions on
graduate education, literary publishing, and contemporary
writing.The week culminates with a day at The Audubon
Camp on Hog Island, where Emily Dickinson’s manuscript of
poems was first edited, and a tour of Muscongus Bay aboard
the Snowgoose III.
24
Damariscotta Lake Writers’ Conference classroom on the deck of The
Kennedy Learning Center overlooking the lake. Let the creative juices flow.
This year, former conference faculty member John Casteen
(Staff ‘93, ‘94) returns as conference director.He’ll be joined
by a talented and dedicated slate of faculty and visiting
writers.Past years’ participants in this conference have gone
on to complete novel manuscripts, earn acceptance to Masters
in Fine Arts programs in creative writing, and publish their
work; we look forward to welcoming a new group next
summer, and hope you’ll help spread the word. For more
details check the DLWC pages at kievewavus.org.
Loyalty Fund Update
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Greetings from the Loyalty Fund! We
are happy to report another successful
summer of sharing the transformative
character education that Kieve provides
with our sponsored campers. With
your continued generous support,
we were to provide over $18K in
sponsorships, carrying on a tradition
now 8 years strong! As the new
Directors of this amazing charity
founded in 2008 by Matt McKenna,
Jason Nahra, and Tom Hartenstein,
we couldn’t be happier with how
our first year turned out. We saw a
record amount of donors contribute to
the cause, and we found tremendous
Almost 100 alums, staff and friends turned out for The Loyalty Fund’s annual friend-raiser in New
York City. Thanks to all for your continued support.
individual support from those not
only close to us through Kieve, but also
from those in our personal lives who
believe in the cause.
We’ve also added a few more annual
gatherings to help keep the Alumni
community connected throughout the
year. Please keep your eye out for an
email from us about our next big FUNraising event, and as always, thank
you from the bottom of our hearts. In
our endeavor to create a sustainable
endowment, your contributions
and time have meant the world to
us. Thank you, and hopefully we
will see you soon! Donations can be
made under the “Support Us” tab at
kievewavus.org.
Connor McKenna, Cory Grever,
Sam Kennedy
Coastal Cleanup
O
ur staff helped out cleaning up
our coastline around Bremen and
Hog Island during the State of Maine’s
2015 Coastweek cleanup program.
Thanks to Capt. Bill Chapman, K-W
support staff and Leadership School
Educators for making this happen. The
Coastal Cleanup includes volunteers of
all ages and backgrounds who clean
our coastal shoreline and associated
waterways of trash. Each year over a
thousand participants clear hundreds
of miles of thousands of pounds of
trash. What is collected is recorded
and this data then becomes part of the
international ocean trash index which
is compiled by Ocean Conservancy.
Our efforts continue to ensure that
our coastal waters and habitats remain
healthy and trash free.
kievewavus.org
25
Kieve Then and Now - Innisfree fire 1939
Above is the original Innisfree building on the Kieve campus. In 1939 it caught fire from a careless camper and was rebuilt that year.
As part of the Forever Kieve Campaign in 2006 it was winterized yet still retained its original interior look, feel (and smell)
and is used for year-round programming.
Making A Contribution Through a Will or Trust
There are many easy ways to make a long-term
“investment” in Kieve-Wavus. One option is to designate
a portion of your assets in your will or trust to benefit
Kieve-Wavus Education, Inc.
Bequests made through wills or trusts are an important
part of Kieve-Wavus’ future because they enable
individuals to make gifts that they may not have been
able to make during life.
What you need to do
Your estate planner is your expert, but here is a sample
codicil* paragraph that can be included in a will or trust
document to make a bequest to Kieve-Wavus:
“I give to Kieve-Wavus Education, Inc., a Maine non-profit
organization, located in Nobleboro, Maine, (insert here
the sum, description of property, percentage of residual
estate, etc.). This gift is to be placed in the Endowment
Fund of said Kieve-Wavus Education, Inc. from which a
spending portion will be used to support Kieve-Wavus’
activities and programs.”
*Codicil = a supplement or an appendix to a will
26
What Kieve-Wavus will do with the bequest
When Kieve-Wavus receives your bequest, unless further
directed by you, the spending portion will be used to
support programs as determined by the Trustees. If it is
your intention that a portion of the spending be directed
into a specific program, please indicate by adding such
language.
Simple ways to support Kieve-Wavus programs and
scholarships through your will or trust:
 Outright gifts of cash
 Appreciated securities
 Beneficiary for part or all of an IRA
 Beneficiary on life insurance policy
Speak with your estate or financial advisor for more
information. Please let us know once you have added
Kieve-Wavus to your will or trust and we’ll include you
in The Paddle & Thistle Society.
Giving Back to kieve
The Paddle and Thistle Society
acknowledges Kieve and Wavus
backers who have made a deferred
gift to the organization. There are
many ways to do this – one way is
to add Kieve-Wavus as a beneficiary
through an investment account or life
insurance policy. For me, the process
took all of three minutes. While Paddle
and Thistle isn’t talked about too
much, it’s a great option for friends of
Kieve and Wavus to make a large, longterm impact in small, easy steps.
Evan Atherton is a copywriter living in Sunnyside, Queens. Here he is with some of his Kieve friends
recently, standing on the far left. Dave Ernst is on the far right; Evan assures us his smile was better
in 1998.
I wasn’t sure I’d even like Kieve.
After trying my hand at a few other
summer camps, I felt like maybe
camp wasn’t my thing. What’s more,
I was about to join a group of guys at
Kieve who had been cabinmates for
the past three years – I had little hope
they’d want to take in some new kid
from Ohio.
At this point in my career writing big
checks to an organization, regardless
of how worthy, is a far-off dream.
Loans, bills, and rent loom large.
But once I found out about deferred
giving, I found a way that let me write
small checks that could pay off big
later on.
Now I’m proud to say that I’ll have
something to give back to the camp
that changed my mind about summer
camps. If you’re able, take a few
minutes to join me and the other
members of The Paddle and Thistle
Society to ensure a stable, prolonged
outlook for Kieve and Wavus.
Evan T. Atherton
Kieve ’98 & ’99, Counselor ’02 – ’04
Paddle and Thistle Member, 2015
the Renys’ jingle
Those doubts went away the moment
I walked into my cabin: Dave Ernst
greeted me with a big, genuine smile,
curious and eager to meet the new
guy. I knew from the start that Kieve
was a different kind of place.
After three weeks that went by way
too fast I gained a tight group of friends
that’s still just as tight 17 years later.
We took on a series of challenges that
pushed us out of our comfort zones
and expanded what we thought we
were capable of. And unsurprisingly, I
actually wanted to come back the next
year to be with my new friends. The
orange tentacle had a hold on me.
We all came back the next year. And
returned later as counselors, too. But
after a certain point that ended, and
I wanted to know how I could give
back.
Thanks to the very musically and voice talented campers in Wavus’ Osage and Kieve’s North
Cunningham Cabins for belting out the “Renys’ Jingle” back in June. Renys is a statewide department
store that started in Damariscotta in 1949. For the past couple of years Renys has created a number
of TV commercials with a large variety of youth and adult groups including firemen, The Portland
Symphony and our very own K-W campers! We had 11 different TV commercials from the large group
to a few quartets and also a solo that all aired on the stations in the Portland and Bangor markets!
“Renys…. A Maine Adventure…”
27
Kieve-Wavus Community Service and
Katahdin Woods and Waters Recreation Area
(Thanks to Susan Adams, Recreation
Manager from KWWRA)
T
hanks to some great community
service work last fall with the
Kieve-Wavus Staff and our KWWRA
volunteer leader Eric Hendricksen,
our relationship with Kieve and Wavus
staff and campers flowed smoothly
this summer.
These Kieve-Wavus campers and
counselors clearly understand the
need to preserve what they have
observed during their hiking, biking
and paddling visits. Many gave back
by lending a hand with projects such
as a new pit privy at the Big Sebois
Campsite, lugging old construction
materials down off Deasey Mountain,
and revegetating our Sandbank
Campsite.
Here are a few excerpts from the
Lunksoos Camps Log Book (on the East
Branch of The Penobscot River)
TZ - New York City “It is amazing
to get out to a place like this, one
of chrystaline rivers and lakes and
seemingly endless trees. Not many
places like this exist even in a country
Kieve Bank I campers mountain biking at the Overlook on the Katahdin Loop Road with guide Matt
Within from New England Outdoor Center.
as vast as America - east or west. City
kids like me really need places like
this. I hope the National Park works
out.”
ET - Falmouth, ME “Always an aweinspiring trip down the Penobscot,
hopefully this place can stay this way
forever!”
PH -Darien, CT “Yesterday, we
mountain biked and hiked to the
summit of Barnard Mtn and enjoyed
An environmental education talk by SCA leaders (Student Conservation Association) to the guys from
Kieve’s LV I cabin at the Lunksoos campsite this summer.
28
the beautiful view. Today we mountain
biked in search of the B-52 crash
site and built cribbings for plants in
our Sandbanks campsite. This is a
beautiful property with breathtaking
natural views and amazing wildlife.
The property should be preserved as a
National Park to keep this area perfect
for everyone.”
MK - Bedford Hills, NY “Saw 22 Bald
Eagles and 8 Moose in 16 days.”
GL - Chicago, IL “This area of Maine is
absolutely stunning. Unlike anything
I have ever seen. The rapids have been
so fun, I can’t wait to continue this
journey.”
I would like to extend many thanks for
the service work that your campers
and staff performed this year on
KWWRA lands. We feel that this is the
first step towards taking ownership
and responsibility for the protection
of this land and possibly leads to
future conservation endeavors. It
was a pleasure meeting your staff
and campers, a joy listening to their
chatter and laughter and inspiring
to read their thoughts in our log.
Kudos to Reid and Hannah for making
this all happen and we are looking
forward to your return! You can “like”
us on Facebook and find us www.
katahdinwoods.org to learn more.
Veterans Camp Happenings
program. Thank you again to Joe and everyone involved at
teeitupforeaveteran.org.
Kieve and Wavus campers waving flags and welcoming Veterans at Wavus
for the 5th Annual Bikes, Burgers and Rods fundraising benefit.
S
itting at home on a cool New England evening I find
myself fortunate to have a quiet moment to think
back to all of the activity surrounding our Veterans Camp
programming these past few months. Whether it’s been
fund raising events, programming outreach, or our own
Veterans Camps, there’s been a constant flow of community
support for our veterans and military connected families.
The last Saturday in July filled Wavus with the sounds of
cheering campers and rolling thunder as the 5th annual,
“Burgers, Bikes and Rods” rally swept down the camp
road. The Combat Vets Motorcycle Association, led by Steve
“Scrape” Spooner brought more than 100 motorcycles and
20 classic street-rods for an afternoon of raffles, prizes and
a camp barbeque. It was a wonderful community gathering
of current and former Service Members, campers and a
very successful fundraiser for Veterans Camp! Thanks Steve,
CVMA 17-1, and all who participated!
In early September, Joe Hansen, his wife Kelly and a sea
of volunteers kicked off the 4th annual “Tee It Up Fore A
Veteran” golf scramble. Nearly 150 golfers from all over
Maine came together at the Falmouth Country Club for a
day filled with prizes and every kind of golf challenge you
could think of. A hole-in-one, closest putt, longest drive and
of course the lowest score netted participating golfers some
serious swag. The day was capped off at the 19th-hole with
dinner and more prizes. Joe and crew turned a blustery
day in September into a major fundraising event for our
We’ve also been involved in a continuing outreach to the
Veterans Adaptive Sports Training (VAST) program at
Pineland Farms in southern Maine. VAST, led by Army
veteran and Olympic biathlete Kristina Sebastianski,
welcomes all veterans from WWII through current conflicts
for year round recreational opportunities. With activities like
cross country skiing, wheelchair basketball, or disc (Frisbee)
golf VAST is a natural extension of our own Veterans Camp
allowing veterans to get outdoors and gather as a community
while having fun and being active.
Finally, we’ve had another wonderful year of Veterans Camp
with nearly 150 veterans and military-connected family
members thoroughly enjoying all of the activities, campfires,
and peaceful
community that we
have to offer. Because
of the wonderful
fundraisers, donors,
volunteers and staff
who support our
programs we’re able
to make a difference
to so many. In the
past, we’ve shared An Iraq war veteran splashes down riding the
Aqua-Zip at Wavus during Veterans Camp
notes from families
whose lives have been reenergized and revitalized by their
time at Veterans Camp. Their positive words speak to the
value of what we offer. For a change, I want to share part of
a recent email (one of many) that illustrates where many of
our veterans find themselves after serving so faithfully:
“To whom it may concern,
I am a combat veteran who served from 2001 to 2009 with
a tour in Ramadi Iraq in 2005 attached to the 2MEF as a
combat engineer; route clearance.I am writing you today
because I’m desperate; I have PTSD, with TBI, after being
struck by an IED in Kharma, Iraq on 18 June 2005. Upon
returning home I have slowly been progressing into a very
reclusive, and depression filled life. I went through a divorce
three years after being discharged. Since my discharge life
has not been the same. I’m not looking to feel sorry for myself
and I’m not trying to boast or brag, I am looking for help,
I am wanting to be normal again and enjoy life, I love the
outdoors but I lock myself away with no motivation for daily
activities. That is not me, nor who I want to be...”
Difficult words to read, to be sure. So there’s this quiet little
place on the shores of Damariscotta Lake where you’ll be
treated with kindness and respect and spend some time
with others who understand…
Golfers check in for the Tee It Up Fore a Veteran golf scramble
written by Joe Tatem, Veterans Camp Coordinator
29
KIEVE-WAVUS ALUMNI NOTES FROM ALL OVER
Kieve-Wavus remains a leader in the
world of education with dozens of
alumni working in the field today.
In July, Jesse Dougherty (Kieve ’83’86, Staff ’90-’00, Advisory Board ’12present) and Harrison Stuart (Kieve
’89-’95, Staff ’99-’02, Advisory Board
’09-’13, Trustee ’14-present) enjoy a
much earned beer-wishing it were
Grittys no doubt -and reminiscing
about Camp Kieve at the NAIS New
Heads Institute in Atlanta, GA. Jesse,
whose son Quinn attended Camp
Kieve this summer (and in ’14), is
the new Head of School at the Green
Vale School in Old Brookville, NY
and Harrison Stuart is the new Head
of School at The Episcopal School of
Nashville in Nashville, TN.
Little brother Miles (Kieve ’13-’15) is
visiting big brother Max Lasser (Kieve
’08-’11, Kieve West ’13, Staff ’14-’15) at
George Washington University.
PADDLE & THISTLE SOCIETY
T
he friends listed here have all made arrangements to leave a lasting gift to
Kieve-Wavus. Deferred gifts, whether simple bequests, paid-up insurance
policies, IRAs or trusts, ensure that Kieve-Wavus’ mission will continue to be
fulfilled beyond our lifetimes. (The Kieve/Wavus seal denotes deceased)
David & Louise Abbot
Bain S. Lee
Frances M. Abbott
Ernest C. Marriner
Anonymous (2)
Matthew J. McKenna
Evan Atherton
Carl & Gail Meier
Marjorie W. Berry
Marion C. Moller
Bob & Sally Bishop
Walter F. Morris
Evy Blum
Gardner M. Mundy
Stephen & Kathryn Brackett
Caroline C. Newcomb
Alexander K. Buck, Sr.
Elizabeth W. Parker
Alexander K. Buck, Jr.
Oliver & Barbara Parker
Robert & Suzanne Burrows
John & Meg Peacock
Francis J. Carey
Devereaux & Deborah Phelps
Jay W. Cooper
Robert G. Preston
Charles A. Dana
Charles J. Richardson
Jon & Mary Davis
Ency S. Richardson
Woody & Robin Davis
Hugh C. Riddleberger &
Chris Dougherty
Louise W. McIlhenny
Candace E. Dyal
Mark & Eleanor Robinson
Denny Emory
Cliff & Susan Russell
Hill & Susan Ferguson
Frank Saunders
David & Carol Ann Fulmer
Sheila G. Shorr
Lawrence H. Gardner
Carol H. Stout
Matthew Gault
Muffy D. Stuart
Joan Gedney
Douglas O. Tawse
Daren T. Hudson
Robert O. Tawse
Al R. Ireton
Charles C. Townsend
Eric & Pam Jensen
Thomas P. Townsend
William W. Jessup
Robert M. Trippe
Ruth M. Keans
Stuart K. Van Durand
Anne S. Kennedy
David M. & Kathryn L. Villano
Betty J. Kennedy
William M. Walker
Henry R. Kennedy
Charles W. Whinery
Richard C. Kennedy
Betty B. Willey
Mary H. Lansing
Russell W. Williams
Just a reminder that if you have made provisions in your estate plan for
Kieve-Wavus, please be sure they incorporate our non-profit corporation name
Kieve-Wavus Education, Inc.
30
James Riddleberger (Kieve ’95-’02,
Staff ’05-’08, Assistant Director ’09-’10,
Advisory Board ’14-present) graduated
in May from Tulane Medical School
in New Orleans. In July, he moved to
Concord, New Hampshire, where he
began the New Hampshire Dartmouth
Family Medicine Residency at Concord
Hospital. In this program, he rotates
through various departments from
Internal Medicine to ICU, to pediatrics
and OBGYN. Before going to medical
school, James was an EMT in Portland
and also worked as an assistant director
at Kieve for a couple of summers, using
his EMT skills at camp. It won’t be
long before “Riddles” will be ready to
be the camp doctor!
KIEVE-WAVUS TRUSTEES
KIEVE-WAVUS ADVISORY BOARD
Thomas G. Auchincloss, Jr.
James D. Brown
W. Morgan Churchman, III
William C. Cox, III
Candace E. Dyal
Matthew R. Earley
John W. Geismar
Heidi Gifford
Pamela K. Jensen
Laura W. Kaplan
Donald A. Keyser
William A. Knowlton
Margaret W. Lyne
Christopher J. Maguire
Louise W. McIlhenny
Matthew J. McKenna
Clifford E. Muller
Oliver A. Parker, Chair
Thomas R. Riley, Jr.
Mark K. J. Robinson
James H. Stuart
R. Dixon Thayer
Emeriti
Alexander K. Buck, Jr.
Thomas W. Haas
Richard C. Kennedy
Michael N. Westcott
Rob Abbey
Max Abbott
Barry Atwood
Alley Bartholomew
Max Blatt
Bob Bower
Steve Brackett
Charles Brown
Jamie Brown
Tyler Brown
A.B. Burton
Henry Chance
Tom Dorman
Chris Dougherty
Jesse Dougherty
Kelly Dun
Tench Forbes
Steve Fulmer
Will Gano
Sam Glidden
Cory Grever
Lucy Grogan
Melissa Haynes
Joe Holliday
Jen Ireland
Tom Kalaris
David Keeley
Blair Kennedy
Sam Kennedy
Mac King
John Lawrence
Bob Linker
Spencer Mallozzi
Cara Martin-Tetreault
John McDevitt
Kim McDevitt
Megan McFarland
Connor McKenna
Mike Mesrobian
Emma Murphy
Jason Nahra
Andrew Palmer
Andrew Perry
Laurie Beth Richardson
James Riddleberger
Page Riley
Andy Roberts
Jamie Roberts
Lisa Roberts
Sarah Robinson
Liza Schmidt
Jared Schott
Hap Schroeder
Tim Shenton
Grace Shorr
Nick Stevens
Gary Stone
Frank Strasburger
Lowell Thomas
Charlie Whinery
George Wills
Amos Wolven
DECEASED Alumni and FRIENDS
Joseph Fruscione, Grandparent
Rose Fruscione, Grandparent
Jean Gillespie, Grandparent
Thomas Gregg, Friend, Fmr Trustee
Willima G Gribbell, Kieve 1932, Parent,
Grandparent
James Griffin, Grandparent
Gloria Heidtman, Parent
Richard “Dick” Henry, Kieve ’26-’31,
Grandparent
Judy Higbea, Science Camp Staff ’93-’95
Paul Huber, Parent, Grandparent
Robert Kiley, Friend
Adelyn Purdy Jones, Wavus ’34-’37
Donald Jones, Kieve Staff ’92-‘95
Robert Kiley, Friend
David Mullin, Friend
Frank Rutan, Kieve ’39-’44, Staff,
Grandparent
Edward VerPlanck, Kieve ’38-‘41
Jean & Ken Walbridge, Friends
Online Newsletter
Andrew Roberts (Kieve ’92-’96,
Council Staff ’01-’04, LDI Staff ’02,
Advisory Board ’09-present) and Lisa
Grever Roberts (Council Staff ’03-’06,
Advisory Board ’11-present) announce
the arrival of Barrett Bradford Roberts,
born September 16th and weighing in
at 8 lbs. 6 oz. Congrats!
We post this newsletter in pdf format
online if you would like to “save a tree”
or forward it on to a family member who
might be interested in camp. Go to the
“News & Events” section at kievewavus.
org and click on the link.
kIEvE & WAvU
S cELEbRAT
page 6
E,
Kieve-Wav
Education us
News
vol. 90 no. A NON-PRO
FIT ORGANI
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FALL 205
coMMUNITy
SERvIcE WoR
pages 6, 28
k,
TLS STUdENTS
TURN TEAc
page 4
HERS,
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8
ELSEWHERE
IN THIS ISSUE
WAvUS MAGI
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WAVUS GIRLS
LEAD.............
.............
9
OUR UNDER
GROUND
ASTRONAUT...1
2
EDUCATORS
IN RESIDE
NCE ...........
...14
KIEVE-WAVUS
GARDENS.......
........... 22
GIVING BACK
TO KIEVE
...................27
ALUMNI NOTES
......................
.........30
jUNIoR kIEv
E, page 3
31
KIEVE -WAVUS EDUCATION, INC.
PO BOX 169
NOBLEBORO, ME 04555
NON PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
NEWCASTLE, MAINE
PERMIT NO. 11
Address Correction Requested
MISSION STATEMENT
KIEVE -WAVUS EDUCATION, INC.
PHONE: 207-563-5172
FAX: 207-563-5215
WEB SITE: www.kievewavus.org
Kieve-Wavus Education empowers people to contribute positively to society
by promoting the values of kindness, respect for others, and environmental
stewardship through year-round experiential programs, camps for youth and
adults, and guidance from inspirational role models.
update your address
UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS
This is a plea to stay in touch and keep
your address current with us.
If your address OR email address
has changed, or if you know about
address changes for other people,
please let us know. There is an
"UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS" link
on the left side of the
"News & Events" or "Alumni" pages.
If you have news about yourself that
we can share with others, tell us.
32
If you haven’t done so already,
download the iPhone or Droid QR
reader app then scan this code to
go to our homepage. QR Codes are 2
dimensional barcodes that are easily
scanned using any modern mobile
phone. Just scan the QR Code with
your phone’s QR Reader and you’ll instantly get more
information about our programs. It’s fun, try it!”
Wish List
• New Digital Canon SLR Camera with telephoto
lens
• Lawn games for Wavus: croquet & horseshoes
• Game Bags for Leadership School $150 each
• SUV and/or Minivan