- Camp Pemigewassett, Featured Post, Milestones, Newsletters 2025, Pemi Traditions
Defining Photos of 2025
As 2025 draws to a close, we’re excited to look back on a few of the defining photos from Pemi’s 118th summer. Our summer theme in 2025 was “joy,” and looking back on these shots I’m reminded of all the fun that our campers and staff had as we spent time together living simply and unplugged at Pemi. The unbridled joy that boys experience at Pemi has a timeless quality that’s been omnipresent at camp since 1908. In 2025 our boys and staff came to Pemi from 26 states and 11 countries, gathering together on the shores of Lower Baker Bond to grow as individuals, make new friends, and share in the joy of a Pemi summer. We’re so grateful to all of our families, staff, alumni, and friends of camp who helped make this possible in 2025! Before we officially turn the page and focus all our attention on Pemi’s 119th summer in 2026, I hope you’ll join me in taking a few moments to look back on an incredible 2025.
Note: If the images appear small in your browser, click on each one to see a full-sized image.
One of Pemi’s most joyful and cherished traditions is our Mess Hall singing. At both lunch and dinner, we sing a collection of Pemi originals penned by Doc Reed, college fight songs, American classics, and more. The act of singing together, often loudly and with accompanying hand gestures, creates a strong sense of community that we all share in. The photo above could have been taken on any day of the 2025 summer, as the energy and passion of Mess Hall songs never waiver – from the first lunch with our older campers present on Opening Day to the final notes at dinner on Friday night before the campers leave, music and laughter ring out during meals.
2025 will forever be remembered as a banner year for music at Pemi, and not just because of our Mess Hall singing. This year’s group of 15-year-olds included several particularly talented and dedicated musicians, and three of them – Bryce, Connor, and Manfred – joined together with assistant counselor Leo to form one of the strongest bands Pemi’s seen in decades. During mid- and end-of-season shows, they brought the house to their feet with well-rehearsed, tightly produced, and energetically performed rock songs. While every Pemi summer includes the aforementioned Mess Hall singing and beautiful weekly performances during Campfire and Sunday Meeting, these guys took it to another level with their sets in 2025. Look out for them on tour down the road!
Far away from the raucous singing of the Mess Hall and Senior Lodge, Pemi campers once again found joy in the woods this summer, with nearly 100 hikes and canoe trips going out during our seven week session. For many boys their time at Pemi is their first chance to camp out in a truly remote stretch of wilderness, far removed from the trappings of the modern world. Its an experience that Pemi campers often carry with them for the rest of their lives, and for generations of boys, their time at Pemi has proven to be the spark for a lifelong love of outdoor adventure and appreciation. 2025 provided all of our boys the opportunity to find or expand their passion for the outdoors.
Pemi boys don’t have to travel to mountaintops to find awe and inspiration in nature; often times it simply takes a walk down to the shores of Lower Baker Pond. 2025 saw a record number of campers participate in Pemi’s fishing program, whether during structured activities or in their free time. For a number of our older campers, evening meant a daily opportunity to grab their rod and tackle and head to Senior Beach. With the sun setting at the far end of the lake, boys enjoyed a bit of calm and beauty to finish up the day.
Time on and in Lower Baker wasn’t just about enjoying natural beauty, however. With a great run of weather throughout the summer, free swim was a daily highlight for many boys in 2025, as they took advantage of the chance to play and have fun in the water. After an afternoon of running around, there’s not much that’s better than diving into the lake. We’re so fortunate at Pemi to have such a clean and beautiful lake to ourselves, and Pemi campers enjoyed countless hours swimming, skiing, sailing, boating, and, of course, diving into Lower Baker Pond.
There’s no question that one of the lasting memories of the 2025 season will be Tom throwing down not one, not two, not three, but at least four dunks during intercamp basketball games. While it may be a common sight when watching basketball on TV, it’s not that often that we see a dunk in a 15-and-under hoops contest, let alone multiple. More impressive than this physical feat, however, was how Tom embodied what it means to be a Pemi athlete: he put sportsmanship and teamwork ahead of individual accomplishments or even winning. As such he was recognized by the staff as the 2025 recipient of the Counselors Athletic Trophy, an honor he fully earned. And for those in the crowd watching him dunk? Pure joy!
Far away from the Pemi basketball courts, our lake, and even the mountains of New Hampshire, a group of Pemi 16-year-olds broke new ground for us in 2025 when Pemi West headed to Montana. These boys, accompanied by veteran Pemi trip leader Alice Riley and in partnership with the excellent Montana Wilderness School, spent roughly a week each canoeing the waters of the Upper Missouri River and backpacking in Yellowstone National Park. While traversing through some of the most stunning and pristine wilderness in the United States, they developed leadership and teamwork skills that will carry them into their future summers as Pemi staff members and beyond. The group had an incredible experience, and we’re thrilled to be returning to Montana in 2026 for another transformative expedition!
Back home at Pemi, 2025 once again saw nearly every single Pemi camper take advantage of opportunities to explore the natural world and learn about the ecosystems and environments around us. Pemi’s nature program, unrivaled amongst summer camps, provides boys the special opportunity to learn all about our natural world and helps turn every walk around camp into a chance for discovery. Head of Nature Deb Kure and her staff have ensured that the Nature Lodge is one of the most joyful spaces at Pemi, but the real magic of the program happens all over camp. In this photo Oliver is seen holding a luna moth, one of the most impressive creatures that we see on a regular basis at Pemi. The joy of discovery is alive and well at Pemi!
From celebrating the natural world to celebrating each other’s accomplishments! During our Final Banquet each summer, we take the opportunity to acknowledge dozens of campers who have gone above and beyond across all program areas and at camp in general. From awards for dedicated backpackers and archers to sailers and actors, we recognize campers across the full breadth of the Pemi experience. It’s heartwarming to see just how excited campers get when their peers are recognized. In the photo above, 15-year-old Alex had just been announced as the Senior Division’s winner of the Divisional Citizenship Trophy, given to, “the best all-around citizen in each division whose generous and unselfish spirit gives success, happiness, and self-esteem to others.” The photo leaves no doubt that Alex inspired all of those feelings in his fellow campers and in those of us on staff as well!
What better way to wrap up 2025 than by seeing the Pemi community (nearly) in full! This all camp photo comes from the first session, but it serves here as a representation of all the boys and staff who comprised the Pemi family in 2025. Hopefully this photo and all the ones above remind you of the joy of a Pemi summer, whether you’re a 2025 camper remembering a few months ago or an alumnus who’s lived to be nearly 100 thinking back on your summers from decades past.
As we close the books on 2025, we’ll leave you with Kenny Moore’s message and goal for the camp community at the end of each summer: We hope that you can take some of this Pemi joy, spirit, kindness, and sense of shared purpose back into your own communities at home. 2025 was a joyful summer indeed, and here’s to an even better summer ahead in 2026!
In traditional Pemi fashion as we head into the new year, we wish you good luck, long life, and joy!
