Author: kmoore

Pemi West Begins an Exciting New Chapter

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We are excited to share news about our revamped Pemi West program. The western branch of Camp Pemigewassett, Pemi West, is a wilderness skills and leadership program for 16 and 17 year old men and women. For more than two decades, Pemi West has provided a challenging and rewarding experience for participants, and we are thrilled to continue the program in a new location.

We have partnered with Deer Hill Expeditions, a Wilderness Adventure, Community Service, and Cultural Exchange outfitter in Mancos, CO to provide a unique outdoor leadership experience. In the exploration process, we discovered many Deer Hill – Pemi connections, from individuals who participated in Deer Hill programs to direct referrals from Pemi’s vast outdoor education network. Deer Hill’s mission closely aligns with Pemi’s and we are excited to create a custom program that combines the core components of both organizations.

Program

Southwest Colorado provides remarkable terrain for Pemi West to once again call home. The proximity to the San Juan mountains presents top-notch backpacking and mountaineering experiences, central to the Pemi West Program. After years of hiking and backpacking through the White Mountains of New Hampshire, participants will have an extended mountaineering experience in a new landscape while honing their technical skills and backcountry leadership.

In addition to the high altitude trail time, Pemi West will incorporate a week of canoeing on the San Juan river. This portion is a capstone to Pemi’s growing canoeing program. Boys first begin on the flat water of Lower Baker Pond, improving their skills over the years in preparation for the 15-year-old Allagash trip in Maine, and now they’ll have an opportunity to test their skills on the fast waters of Colorado. Working in tandem, participants will further their leadership skills and cooperation to navigate the canyons of the southwest by boat.

Community Service in 2016

The third, and most exciting, piece of the 2019 Pemi West Program is an enhanced focus on community service. Deer Hill’s service projects are second to none, their connections with the Native American populations of the Southwest affords hands-on service learning. Participants will spend a week devoted to service, experiencing firsthand the remarkable Native American culture and community. This new focus will result in at least 40 hours of community service.

Back in 2014, two big programmatic changes further entrenched Pemi West into the overall Pemi program. The first change saw the program beginning and ending at Pemi, with participants traveling together and sharing their experience at a Sunday Meeting. This connection back to the larger group educated the community on the Pemi West experience.

The second change allowed participants to stay at Pemi after Pemi West for the Counselor Apprentice Program (CAP). This leadership training program lasts two weeks, and our CAPs live in cabins with the boys learning from our talented staff members on the art of being a counselor. Both measures have been successful in staff training and recruitment, and will continue to be a mainstay of the program.

History of Pemi West

The 1995 Super Trip was an original precursor to Pemi West

Pemi West was founded in the mid 90’s by Fred and Jon Fauver, grandchildren of Edgar Fauver, one of the Fauver twins and founders of Camp Pemigewassett, out of the desire to provide an extensive and challenging wilderness experience for teenage girls and boys. For the first seven seasons, Pemi West was held in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness of the Colorado Rockies. In 2005, the program moved to Olympic National Park in the state of Washington. This spectacular setting offered a unique opportunity to explore the gem of forest and mountain wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, as well as the opportunity to learn a broad set of technical mountaineering skills while crossing the vast glaciers of the high Olympic peaks.

Throughout Pemi West’s history, our participants have been fortunate to learn from a diligent and dedicated staff. Former Pemi West Directors Fred Fauver, Jon Fauver, Dave Penny, Tim Billo, Mike Sasso, Evan Jewett, and Dave Robb have successfully guided the program by creating lasting and memorable experiences for our participants. Alongside the dozens of instructors, we have been fortunate to have wonderful support staff, most notably Hannah Merrill and her husband Ben Hertel who have launched Pemi West from their home in Port Angeles, Washington for the last twelve years.

We now look forward to utilize the resources and staff of Deer Hill alongside a Pemi Instructor to assist the group. We are certain this program will continue Pemi West’s high standard of individual growth while providing new, more enriching opportunities for our participants.

Good luck, long life, and joy!

Kenny

NEEEA Presents 2018 Educator Award to Larry Davis

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New England Environmental Education Alliance presented their 2018 Non-formal Environmental Educator award to Pemi’s own, Larry Davis. For decades, hundreds of Pemi boys have enjoyed learning about our natural world and the environment under Larry’s direction as Head of Nature Programs. His commitment to teaching is second to none and has inspired generations to become more engaged with—and take greater responsibility for—their natural surroundings. Below is the citation for the award. 

Dr. Laurence ‘Larry’ Davis is Director of Nature Programs and Teaching at Camp Pemigewassett (“Pemi”) in Wentworth, NH. He has held this position since 1970 and, in 2019, he will be entering his 50th year. He is also Professor Emeritus of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of New Haven where he taught Geosciences and Environmental Education for 27 years. His approach to teaching has always been “hands-on,” in the field with observation of nature being the foremost skill taught. This not only leads to good science but also provides enjoyment, understanding of the world we live in and, for many, a spiritual element. He has worked with thousands of campers and dozens of nature staff members at Camp Pemi, and hundreds of students at the University of New Haven. Many campers have ended up in environmental fields and many others from both camp and the University, in environmental education.

Larry is largely responsible for the exemplary quality of education in the nature program at Camp Pemigewassett, which is considered to be one of the best in the country and has been nominated for the New England ACA’s Eleanor P. Eells Award for Program Excellence. Larry fosters enthusiasm and creativity in the campers and counselors. Many of the children at this camp grow into life-long nature enthusiasts who go birding, press plants, and collect rocks during their school year as well. Some of them have gone on to pursue careers in ecology. Larry’s  devotion extends to training environmental professionals as well by running a week-long training program for nature educators every year.

On behalf of NEEEA, thank you, Larry,  for your dedication to the field of environmental education.

Larry offered the following note in response to the award. “This award really reflects the hard work, dedication, and great ideas of all those wonderful environmental educators who have worked in our program over the years, especially Deb Kure and Russ Brummer who both continue to teach our Nature Instructors Clinic. I am also grateful to the first head of the program, Clarence Dike, who handed me a healthy, going concern to build upon. Finally, a huge amount of credit goes to the Reed and Fauver families who, along with Directors Rob Grabill and Danny Kerr, have supported the development and expansion of ‘Pemi Nature’ since its inception in 1926 and my arrival at Pemi in 1970.”

Pemi thanks Larry for his absolute commitment to teaching and we look forward to celebrating his 50th summer at camp with a celebration on Sunday, August 18, 2019!

Good luck, long life, and joy!

Kenny Moore

Defining Photos of 2018

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Each fall, photos from the previous summer are compiled to create a picture book for prospective campers, current families, and alumni. Here are a few favorites, enjoy!

Chillin’ with Lit – Tom reads August Heat to an audience in Lower Baker during the early July hot spell.

 

Weird Science – A popular Nature occupation.

 

Camp friendships are the best friendships.

 

Fourth of July festivities included fireworks for the first time since 1922!

 

L. Larabie navigating Lower Baker Pond in a Sunfish.

 

A. Andersson receives a one-on-one tutorial from Pierce Haley.

 

Pemi’s trip program continues to expand boys’ horizons.

 

C. Bell on the bump for Pemi’s flagship, the 15 & Under Baseball Team.

 

M. Hadden making it look easy on his way to earning his Tournament Level in Waterskiing.

 

The Sailors from H.M.S. Pinafore!

 

…and finally drops in the West.

 

Alumni Newsletter – 2018 Preview

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Welcome to the next installment of the Pemigewassett Alumni Newsletter. In this edition, we will preview the upcoming summer giving one and all an update on the 2018 Pemi campers, staff, and facility.

Campers

Our camper population in 2018 demonstrates another healthy year of enrollment. We are so fortunate to have Alumni and current families share Pemi through word of mouth, and we love meeting prospective families during our Winter Open Houses and visits to their homes.

New Pemi Lacrosse Jerseys

For the 2018 season, we have 88 full season campers, which is a recent record number of full season boys. A total of 166 boys will attend Pemi in either the first session or second session. All told, 254 boys will attend Pemi this summer. 76 boys, or 30% of the camper population, will be at Pemi for their first summer. On the veteran side of things, 26 boys will receive their Five-Year-Bowl this summer and 21 boys climb the ranks to their 6th, 7th, or 8th summer.

Geographically, campers travel to Pemi from nine countries: Spain, China, Germany, France, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, and 28 of the United States. Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee return to the list in 2018. Six states boast double-digit numbers of campers, including the Granite State with 19 boys. Our campers hail from 140 different cities and 209 different schools. We are proud of our geographic diversity, fulfilling the Campfire Song lyric of a group of the nations best.

Staff

We are thrilled with the staff for the 2018 summer. Stay tuned to the Pemi blog over the next few days, as staff members introduce themselves. Before getting those details, here is a big picture look at our staff.

The classic color remains.

Many of Pemi’s program heads are returning including Chris Johnson (year five!) in Tennis, Steve Clare in Archery, and Charlotte Jones in Swimming. We love that continuity, yet also enjoy the energy and direction that a new Head of Wooshop, Brian Tompkins, and Music, Jonathan Verge, will provide for us this summer.

In the cabins, 18 of the 22 cabin counselors were once Pemi boys and 17 of them have previous experience on the staff. We anticipate strong leadership from our Division Heads, three of whom return from last summer. All four trip counselors return from last summer to help our new Head of Trips launch his tenure. That’s right, after 42 years of running the Trip Program, Tom Reed handed his clipboard to son, Dan, who will help a new generation of Pemi boys explore the mountains and rivers of New Hampshire.

A strong group of Assistant Counselors, including ten former campers (seven are Pemi West veterans) provide more than adequate coverage in our cabins and programs. Those who know the inner workings of Pemi understand how vital the ACs are to the success of a Pemi season. While Pemi West is on a year hiatus, we are pleased to report that the Counselor Apprentice Program (CAP) continues with six participants. Led by Ben Walsh, these CAPs are a glimpse of our future counselors.

Buildings and Grounds Update

Maiden voyage in Lucky!

Another busy year for the Buildings and Grounds team as Pemi continues to enhance its facility while camp is not in session. Throughout the winter and spring, Reed Harrigan and his hardworking crew spent countless hours first stripping away the paint from the Mess Hall tables and applying a fresh, durable, extra tough, and glossy paint in the familiar turquoise. These will surely make the block game faster without the need for salt!

After years of service to Pemigewassett, we retired the DockSide, Pemi’s tried and true Safety Boat. Now, a 13ft Boston Whaler with bimini will patrol the sailboats, canoes, and kayaks. All current and former Safety Boat drivers will rejoice over the ease of starting and maneuvering our new boat, aptly named Lucky! Also on the waterfront, the brand new high dive will grace the shores of Senior Beach. Climbing the ten-foot ladder provides a wonderful birds-eye view of camp. The height is impressive and may give the counselors second thoughts about their aerobatics during the counselor hunt.

HIGH Dive!

A few other additions dot the landscape, including a hefty addition to the weight room. The increased space and new equipment will allow for counselors to continue training for high school and college sports seasons. In the library, we have installed a new two-stall bathroom for women and guests, replacing the outdated one stall design. These new toilets are composting, furthering Pemi’s green efforts. Down in Junior Camp above the Junior field and nestled into Pemi Hill is a new staff cabin. The Moore family are the first inhabitants, and Winston (aged 9 months) likes it so much he’s slept through the night for the first time.

Good luck, long life, and joy! –Kenny

Pemi 101 – The ‘What-is-it?’ Contest

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The ‘What-is-it?’ Contest is a daily contest sponsored by the staff of the Nature Lodge that challenges campers and staff to identify a specific specimen from nature. The item could be a rock, plant, or butterfly, etc. and it is the job of the respondent to submit the best answer possible.

How to participate?

Located right in the center of the Nature Lodge, ‘What-is-it?’ occupies the end of a table. On the table are little slips of paper, small, golf-sized pencils, and a brilliant red birdhouse. Your task? Look at the day’s specimen and try to identify it. Write your name, cabin number, and your guess on the slip, fold it up, and place it inside the red birdhouse. At some unknown time after taps, the Nature staff retrieves all of the submissions and records the guesses.

Overnight, the Nature staff will replace the specimen with a new one and reveal the answer from the previous day on an index card. Participants are encouraged to return to check to see if their guess was accurate from the day before AND to guess what the new specimen is. This process repeats itself every day but Sunday, and the system gives participants immediate feedback; you will know if your guess was correct within 24 hours.

Points are awarded for participation (1 point), general answers (2-4 points), more specific-on the right path (4-5 points), and finally the ultimate correct answer (6-7 points). Participants who continue with the contest accrue points daily and, after each session, winners are announced for the highest score in each division. The prize? A Nature Award featuring a stunning framed collage of natural specimens that you take home. You also get your name listed in Bean Soup; infamy for the ages!

What-is-it Rules?

The rules are simple. You may use any resource (books, displays, etc) in the Nature Lodge except for the Nature Lodge staff. In fact, you may not ask anyone else for help and must find the answer on your own. The challenge of independent discovery is the essence of the contest.

History of the ‘What-is-it?’ Contest

Clarence Dike, Pemi’s first Head of Nature Programs, started the contest in the 1930’s. The first mention of the contest appears in the 1937 Bean Soup. Since then, it has become a staple of the Nature Program inspiring boys and staff to visit daily to participate in this challenging endeavor. Not only do you need to be consistent with your dedication to the contest, but you must have a penchant for curiosity and a willingness to find answers on your own, using resources right at your fingertips. Taking nature occupations will certainly help build your base of knowledge, but further research is necessary for the true die-hards.

2002 – Near Perfect Score – 295/300 – Upper Camper Alex Dyer

Over the years, there have been some very competitive contests and some remarkable scores. Larry Davis, Pemi’s Head of Nature Programs since 1970 remembers one year when the front-runner (Ethan Schafer!) stopped submitting answers with just a few days remaining and got beat out by a more persistent peer: a clear example illustrating the steady diligence needed to win. Since 2015, Associate Head of Nature Programs, Deb Kure has managed the contest. Here are a few other notable factoids.

1982 – Highest Camp wide Participation – 170 people, campers & staff participated in the Contest

1990 – All Star Staff Division – Johnstone brothers compete in a special Nature Lodge Staff Division

2008 – Very Junior Award – Victoria Malcolm continues the tradition of Staff Children participating in the contest.

2015 – Upper Andrew Kanovsky and Lower Will Ackerman earned Full-Season Perfect Scores: 210!

—
Campers – Are you ready for the 2018 ‘What-is-it?’ Contest?

Alumni – Do you have memories of participating in the ‘What-is-it?’ Contest?

Share your thoughts and comments via the Pemi Blog.

 

Kenny Moore Now Associate Director

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I am very pleased to announce that veteran Pemi camper and staff member Kenny Moore is taking on a new title and responsibilities as Associate Director of Camp Pemigewassett.

Kenny and Sarah Moore with son Winston

One of the many joys of being at Pemi is watching our young boys become older campers, our older campers become young counselors, and our young counselors grow into leadership positions. As our young leaders gain experience, confidence, and wisdom, they come to take their place as part of the Pemi leadership team. Kenny is a vivid example of this type of progress.He began as a camper in Junior 5 in 1992 and joined the staff in 1999. Kenny settled into his position as Pemi’s Assistant Director in 2011 and has steadily taken on greater responsibility over the past years. This past Fall, Pemi’s Board of Directors and I both recognized that Kenny was ready for even more involvement in the management of the camp and, with this in mind, we were delighted to change Kenny’s title to Associate Director and to offer him increased participation in the winter responsibilities as a Camp Pemi director. Moving forward, Kenny will be working as first contact for Alumni whose sons are ready for camp, and, beginning this past winter, he has also been charged with the responsibility of hiring cabin counselors and many of our assistant counselors. Kenny is also overseeing Pemi’s Buildings and Grounds.

Please join me in congratulating Kenny on these new endeavors. We look forward to seeing Kenny and Camp Pemi thrive together as he takes over these new responsibilities. We thank him for his excellent ongoing work, and for being an exemplary model of Pemi’s tradition of leadership!

–Danny Kerr

Pemi 101 – The Pemi Hill Shelter

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The Pemi Hill Shelter is an Adirondack-style structure that sits on Pemi’s property roughly two-thirds of a mile above the Junior Camp. This shelter provides cover overhead and is walled on three sides to protect occupants from the elements. Ten yards from the open side of the building, which faces eastward, is a campfire circle essential for cooking meals and for providing a central place for the group to congregate.

Over the years, Pemi has utilized the Pemi Hill Shelter in different ways, most notably as an overnight hike destination for individual cabins. The group traditionally departed after supper, climbed in the early evening hours armed with sleeping bags and a change of clothes, and enjoyed a night in the great outdoors. Led by the cabin counselor, and possibly the cabin’s Assistant Counselor, these hikes aided in developing cabin unity and gave the boys a chance to practice their camping skills.

Campers and staff have documented many of these Pemi Hill trips in Bean Soup articles. Click the links to read about Lower 7’s trip in 1988, or Junior 2’s outing in 1998.

History of the Pemi Hill Shelter

In the earliest days of Pemi (from 1908 into the 1920’s), boys climbed Pemi Hill for similar reasons, but experienced a very different landscape – pastoral rather than forested. In fact, cattle grazed on the slopes above the camp in the 1910’s, and the clanking of cowbells could be heard in the cabins after Taps and before Reveille. In the 1920’s, the first Pemi Hill Shelter was constructed near the spring where the cattle drank. Over the decades since, white pine, white and yellow birch, and various other trees overtook the pasture, creating the wooded landscape familiar to us today.

In the summer of 1962, Al Fauver, former Director and owner, began the project to create a new shelter on Pemi Hill. Charlie Ladd, Pemi’s longtime maintenance man and carpenter, was the builder and led trip counselors Wes Ackley and Roger Spragg and a few campers as the building team. Others (including Board President Tom Reed, Jr.) aided the efforts by carrying up all the posts, lumber, hardware, and roofing materials needed to complete construction.

In 1963, Al charged his son Fred Fauver (current Board member) and trip leader Paul Lewis with locating the old spring and rebuilding it into a useable water source for the shelter. After an all-day search, Fred and Paul had not uncovered the old spring, but they did find a wet spot at the base of a ledge not far from the shelter. After digging it out, they found a growing pool of water and erected a stone dam and beehive roof to protect the water source from debris. The best water in the world still flows from that pipe.

(To read more about the history of the Pemi Hill Shelter, be in touch to secure your copy of Pemi’s History Book – Camp Pemigewassett The First 100 Years!)

The Pemi Hill Shelter today

In planning for the 2017 season, Pemi’s trip staff developed a new (but also old!) system to provide the 8-11-year-old Juniors campers with an engaging, safe, and memorable Pemi Hill experience. Now, the specially-trained trip counselors lead the Junior overnights, aided by the cabin counselor, so that the younger boys learn more about the trip program and develop their camping and outdoor skills.

In the morning, the trip counselor outlines the trip and what to expect, giving the boys a packing list. Later that day, a check verifies that each boy has essential gear, including rugged footwear, a rain jacket, water bottles, a toothbrush, and the food that has been organized in the kitchen. On the ascent, each boy is given a turn to lead the group, learning how to set the pace. The counselors talk about the plant and animal species to be found along the way, features of the landscape, and first aid protocol. Some of the boys take this time to share something they learned in a nature occupation with their peers.

Upon arrival, the boys drop their packs and head to the Pemi Hill Spring to fill their water bottles. Once camp is set up, the boys explore the hillside and use a topographic map to study the land. They also learn to tie useful knots. This safe, unstructured time in the woods provides an ideal opportunity for camper development and growth.

An offseason trip to the shelter during the Family Winter Weekend in 2016!

The boys gather good firewood to cook dinner over the fire. The trip counselor demonstrates how to arrange the wood in the fire pit and talks about regulations and safety relating to controlled fires in the wilds. Other items covered are the principles of Leave-No-Trace camping, which reduces the impact we have on the natural areas in which we camp and hike. After dessert, the boys relax and read a book before falling asleep in the shelter (now equipped with mosquito netting as an appreciated latter-day improvement!). No clanging of cowbells now, though; only peaceful slumber.

Boys rise early at the Pemi Hill Shelter; the extra elevation allows the sun to peek over Mount Carr a bit earlier than the counselors might hope. After a quick breakfast over the fire, the group packs up their supplies and heads back to camp in time for their morning occupations – happy, well-fed, and a bit wiser in the ways of the wilderness.

Check out the detailed description of two 2017 Pemi Hill trips by clicking here. Stay tuned to the Pemi Blog for our next Pemi 101!

–Kenny Moore

Pemi 101 – What’s a BVT?

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A BVT is a Baker Valley Tournament comprised of four neighboring camps (Moosilauke, Walt Whitman, Kingswood, and Pemi) and organized by age group (10 & Unders, 11’s, 12’s, 13’s, and 15 & Unders). Teams compete in round-robin athletic tournaments in soccer, basketball, lacrosse, ultimate Frisbee, swimming, archery, and tennis. We also play baseball against our Baker Valley friends—but only in head-to-head match-ups, given the length of a traditional camp baseball game. On any given camp day, there may be three athletic tournaments taking place in the Baker Valley: 10’s Soccer at Pemi, 12’s Hoops at Moosilauke, and 15’s Tennis at Walt Whitman.

BVT Hoops

The Baker Valley

The Baker River, originating on the south side of nearby Mount Moosilauke, runs south and east, joining the Pemigewasset River in Plymouth. All four camps are located within 10 miles of each other, allowing for quick transportation to and from these afternoon tournaments. One of the many positive features of a BVT is how well it integrates with the overall Pemi program. Boys can still participate in all their morning occupations, play in an afternoon BVT, and be on the beach for Free Swim at 5 PM.

Purpose and Goals

The proximity of the four camps was one of the main catalysts in the creation of the BVT. In the early 1990’s, Charlie Malcolm, Pemi’s longstanding Athletic Director, and Port Miller, owner and Director of Camp Moosilauke, thought of the idea: keep the high level of competition, as was custom from the previous Lakes Regions Tournaments, but limit the transportation time to and from competitions. BVTs are now a mainstay of the Pemi athletic program.

15 and Under Soccer pre-kick off

Charlie remembers the original vision: “There was a group of us who shared the importance of sportsmanship and participation. Because of the round-robin format, instead of a ‘winners’ bracket and a ‘consolation’ bracket, we created an environment for kids of all different levels to compete. From a BVT match, coaches and Athletic Directors could identify the best, competitive match-ups and schedule a direct re-match during one of our Saturday play-days.”

Twice a summer, Charlie and the other camps’ Athletic or Program Directors meet to discuss all things BVT, and over the years have developed a tight bond. These “lifers” maintain their individual camp’s standard and further support their camper-athletes through the promotion of healthy competition. These relationships help drive the success of a BVT.

The Origins of the BVT

A trip into the Bean Soup archives uncovered facts about the origins of the Baker Valley Tournaments. In 1991, the 13’s Soccer team played in the first Baker Valley Tournament. This inaugural BVT, which remains each year’s first scheduled event, was co-hosted by Pemi and Moosilauke. Four teams played: the two host camps, Kingswood, and Camp Dunmore. Pemi won all three games. You can read the details of the tournament from Coach Andy Honker’s Bean Soup article.

The third Pemigewassett Newsletter of the 1991 season noted the event with the following description: “Designed to promote the dual goals of good competition and better sportsmanship, it was highly successful. Six well-played games featured some skillful and hard-fought play, with nary a cross word directed at opponent or official. All of the teams ended the day with a heightened appreciation for the fact that competition on any level implicitly demands and depends on cooperation between combatants. With so little sportsmanship left on any level ‘out there,’ we hope that whatever we generate here at Pemi may rub off during the rest of the year.”

Stay tuned to the Pemi Blog to read information and updates on this summer’s BVTs.

-Kenny Moore

Alumni Magazine – News and Notes – January 2018

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Welcome to the next installment of the Alumni Newsletter. This edition, Alumni News and Notes, offers updates from members of our Alumni Community. We invite you to write your own update in the comments section of the blog post via the Pemi website.

CONGRATULATIONS

Austin Blumenfeld was just named campaign manager for Ed Perlmutter’s re-election campaign for the 7th Congressional District of Colorado. Austin had previously interned with him in Washington D.C. Austin also noted that his former Lake Tent cabin-mate Jay McChesney is the Field Director for Walker Stapleton’s campaign for Governor of Colorado. Amazing, two former cabin-mates working in the trenches of Colorado politics!

Thibaut, Adriane, and Éloïse

Thibaut Delage, and his wife Adriane, live in Northwest Arkansas where he has been since leaving NYC eight years ago. They had a little girl, Éloïse, born in August 2017. After 6 years working in various roles with Wal-Mart, Thibaut now works in sales and logistics consulting for different brands currently at Wal-Mart or aspiring to do business with the retailer. Thibaut still plays tennis and soccer once a week, sports he enjoyed very much as a camper at Pemi 99-01.  A graduate of Pemi West (2002), Thibaut enjoys exploring the Natural State and the many state parks that surround his home. He is looking forward to his daughter turning 6 months old and bringing her to swim lessons in 2018!

Campbell Levy is marrying his fiancé Courtney in Zermatt, Switzerland on 1/18/18. Campbell writes, “Should be fun!”

Owen Ritter graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in political science & economics. Prior to starting his job in the live music industry, Owen plans to travel for two weeks in Japan.

PEMI ENCOUNTERS

Leif leading a rocks and gems discussion with the Waitzkin boys.

Patrick Clare moved to Tampa with his wife Holly after accepting a job at Berkeley Preparatory School. Pat is teaching history and the head boys’ varsity lacrosse coach. He ran into Pemi camper Reed Cecil on his first day on the job despite having no idea that Reed was a student there.

Leif Dormsjo visited Austin, Texas and reconnected with fellow Alumnus Gramae Waitzkin and Gramae’s three boys. Leif was visiting a Texas Department of Transportation highway project south of Austin on behalf of his new company, Louis Berger, who was hired to operate and maintain the 40-mile toll road. Leif is leading a team that provides management services to owners of highways, toll roads, and airports.

At a recent wedding, Papa Jerry Slafsky had the great pleasure of meeting the Macfarlane brothers, Pater and Noble, who are the cousins of Hannah Geese. Hannah married Jerry’s grandson Michael Slafsky. It was a beautiful wedding and a great weekend in Concord, NH.

Pemi Staffers JP Gorman, Nick Hurn, Harry Cooke, and Andrew MacDonald held the first official four nationalities summit in a big ol’ tower in Scotland.

IN MEMORIAM

Former Pemi camper and counselor Chris Johnson died unexpectedly of natural causes on October 5, 2017 in Portland, Oregon. Chris spent two summers as a camper in 1986 & 1987 and was a recipient of the Fauver Baseball Trophy during his first summer. An avid baseball enthusiast, Chris went on to coach baseball at Pemi during his four summers as a counselor. In 1992, Bean Soup awarded Chris and his best friend, Phil Bixby, the Counselor of the Year Award, with the following note as part of the article:

These two are exemplary within their cabins. They were not the most gregarious on the staff, but the amount of work they put in within their cabins is remarkable. They do not have to make a big noise and get noticed. They just get on with their work, helping their campers sort any problems out and making each and every camper that they deal with have a great season.

Details of a service will be announced as they become available. To read the obituary, follow this link.

ALUMNI NEWS

After 34 years of service to the Boy Scouts of America, John Carman is planning his retirement by the end of June 2018. In retirement, John hopes to be more regularly involved at Pemi assisting with the Alumni Work Weekend and the Rittner Run.

Representing Ireland, England, the United States, and Scotland.

Will Clare lives in Brooklyn with Kelsey Wensberg and works as a CPA for Novak Francella LLC. Will was just promoted to Senior Auditor.

Frank Connor writes “To anyone who was at Pemi from 1943 – 1946 inclusive, perhaps you will remember me, Frank Connor. I’m married and we had two daughters, one deceased. My wife, Karen, and I, moved into an old peoples home 10 months ago in Denton, Texas, the city where we have lived since 1970. My wife has beginning Alzheimer’s so we don’t get out a lot, but my main problem now is a new hip, which in another month or so should be back to normal. I still stay active in water polo, refereeing the Dallas Water Polo Club’s scrimmages twice a week. That all started at Pemi where I had my first taste of competitive swimming. To make a long story short, I started playing water polo in college (and later for the Illinois Athletic Club), and ended up in the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame. I was a mathematician, although in terms of research, not a very good one. So, I primarily taught mathematics in universities.  Not a bad life.”

Rick Coles and his wife Diana will celebrate their 12th Wedding Anniversary in April, with their daughter Luisa and son William. In 2017, the Coles family did a good amount of traveling. Rick and Diana spent a few weeks in Spain, visiting Barcelona and Madrid, and the whole family went on a Disney Cruise through the Baltic Sea over the summer. The cruise visited Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia and Estonia. Luisa spent her summer at Camp Coniston just down the road in NH.

The Coles Family in Copenhagen, Denmark

Rick recently founded a company, Greentech, which is beginning to hit its stride. He sells low voltage lighting systems for commercial and government use. In the beginning, he concentrated on perimeter lighting on fencing at large properties, like military bases or airports. With his system, Rick can light up a five hundred foot fence line at the same cost as a sixty watt light bulb in your house. One of his most prestigious projects included Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington DC. Last year, Greentech launched a new system for warehouses, parking garages, and other indoor systems. Check out www.greentechsecure.com to see his products.

Teddy Gales lives in the Uptown Neighborhood in Chicago, and is staying busy with his acting. In the fall, he traveled around Illinois acting in educational theater and just closed a run of a sketch comedy show at Second City. You might have seen him in a new Toyota Commercial, Mall Terrain.

Teddy writes, “Over the past year and a half since my graduation from Chicago College of Performing Arts, I’ve been in a few smaller plays in the Chicago store front theater scene and have booked principle roles in some independent films. One of which, titled, The Annual Taylor Family Thanksgiving Day Ping Pong Tournament, received an official selection at the 2017 Cannes Film festival.

Fred Fauver is in his second year as president of Royal River Conservation Trust, which includes the twelve towns in the Royal River watershed in Maine. Fred has just fired up his new sauna, a two and a half year project that he built himself. The Facebook page “Traditional Sauna” has several albums of 5-10 photos each by Garrett Conover, who has been documenting the construction for a chapter in a sauna book he’s writing. Fred’s new granddaughter, Frankie Jane Fauver lives in Switzerland, daughter of Jonathan and Vanessa!

2017 was a very busy year for Matthew Norman and his wife Sarah as they both began new jobs. Matthew transitioned within US Bank to be a Product Manager and Sarah started a new job at 3M. They traveled to Orlando in May to celebrate Matthew’s fathers 75th birthday, and then to London in September for a vacation. They met up with fellow Pemi alumni Owen Murphy and David Wilkinson.

David Wilkinson & Matthew Norman

After spending 2 enjoyable years working in Salt Lake City, Utah, Andrew McChesney moved back to the east coast, Lower East Side of Manhattan, to continue a career in finance. He is very much looking forward to being back east and participating in alumni events!

Bridger McGaw writes in, “I loved seeing a lot of old pals and mentors at the Reunion. I am so grateful for my counselors and cabin mates who provided and drove into my life so much of the important inner power of Pemi. I’m working in Boston for Athena Health as their Global Security and Business Continuity Lead protecting 5,000 employees and our cloud-based health care network. I live in Lexington, MA and recently was elected to our local Town Meeting. So I’m enjoying the change from national to local politics…for now. Cheers to you all!”

Last year, Stephen Funk Pearson moved from Cambridge, MA to historic Butternut Farm in Belmont, NH. He is in New Hampshire full time now with his rescue dog, Gunnar, and two rescue cats, Clio and Orio. He rents outs Ephraim’s Cove cabins on Lake Winnisquam. His brother, Tim Pearson, and sister-in-law live with their three children fifteen minutes away in Tilton.

Peter Rapelye travelled to the UK this past October to see his nephew at the University of St. Andrews, followed by a week in London, visiting a dozen British schools on behalf of Princeton University, where his wife Janet, a Camp Wawenock alumna, is half way through her 15th year as Dean of Admission. In retirement, Pete continues to serve on three independent school boards, audit classes at Princeton, and teach history courses part-time in Princeton and in Duxbury, MA during the summer. He is still playing tennis, a little golf, and enjoying Duxbury Bay with family and friends. Peter reminisces, “I have fond memories of Baker Pond, hiking trips, camp fires, and Tecumseh Day.”

Richard Scullin is teaching English and doing some technology integration at Miss Hall’s School. He used to teach at Kent Denver School, then NMH. His daughter Hazel, aged 14, runs cross country and skis Nordic. Richard, his wife Karin, and Hazel live in Williamstown, Mass and he’d love to hear from Pemi folks!

Ben Ross & Pierce Haley, current Pemi counselors, competed in the Head of the Charles Regatta this past fall for BB&N.

Lee Roth has a new website – check it out!

Matt Sherman recently moved to Reno, NV where he’s working as an engineer at Tesla’s Gigafactory. He notes, “It’s very different from the east coast but still has a lot of great hiking and skiing nearby that Pemi Alumni would love.”

Eli Stonberg had a great year professionally. He co-directed the video for Portugal. The Man’s “Feel It Still,” which is now the biggest rock crossover hit in the past five years, and peaked at #4 on the Billboard charts. The video currently has eighty million views and won a bronze lion at Cannes. Check out the interactive version of the music video too!

William and Caroline Wigglesworth moved on November 6th to Shaker Heights, Ohio.

— Kenny Moore

Defining Photos of 2017

Posted on by kmoore

Each fall, photos from the previous summer are compiled to create a picture book for prospective campers, current families, and alumni. Below are a few favorites that are worth sharing, enjoy!


Harry Cooke about to lead the Soundpainters in a performance during Campfire on Senior Beach.


A batch of freshly baked bread from Tom Ciglar and the Kitchen Staff.


Felix N. navigating Lower Baker Pond in a Sunfish.


Pemi West Director Dave Robb teaching an orienteering lesson to Pemi Westers at high elevation in Olympic National Park.


The stars at night, are big and bright, deep in the heart of Wentworth! Photo from behind the Library looking towards the Junior Lodge.


Frank A. finishing the 50 yard Butterfly against Tecumseh well ahead of his counterparts.


Members of Upper 3 posing on the Franconia Range during their Greenleaf Hut Trip.



The Lords Chorus, with Stephon and Phyllis, from this years production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe.


George F. clearing the High Jump during Pemi Week’s Pentathlon.


Absolutely stunning Nature Awards given to boys with outstanding interest and expertise in Nature, carefully crafted by Larry, Deb, and the Nature Staff.


…and finally drops in the West.