It is our pleasure to write this second weekly letter home from Moosilauke during the second session of summer 2024–our 120th year!  Along with chronicling the day-to-day happenings at camp we will continue to write about issues related to boys.

In Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides, Geoffrey Cohen illuminates that a sense of belonging is as crucial as food and shelter to an individual’s well-being.  He points out that when people experience exclusion and division, it can trigger a response in our brain that is similar to physical pain.  He also makes the point that ”By helping to foster belonging in others, we will also feel more connected, empowered, and fulfilled.”

At Moosilauke we emphasize the power of inclusion and the literal pain of exclusion even before campers arrive.  In our staff training, we discuss unconditional positive regard, a concept shared by Alex Sherman Venet in the Cult of Pedagogy podcast. Unconditional positive regard is about  messaging to our campers that they have value and that they deserve care and positive attention–even when they are not being their best selves.  

Once campers arrive, one of our first cabin meetings focuses on the importance of inclusion.  In this meeting we make it clear that no matter one’s intent, it is never OK to act in ways that exclude others, or to use terms that could be construed as demeaning one’s identity.

When we mediate situations with our campers, which we do many times a day, it is often important to help our boys understand that “just because we think something or even see something, doesn’t make it true.” We work hard to help campers gain an understanding of someone else’s perspective in various situations. 

Creating a community where campers feel safe and supported to express who they are, and what they value, while being valued, is at the heart of the Moose experience.

And now for the recap of events and activities from Wednesday, July 31 through Tuesday, August 6, 2024.  

On Wednesday, we had a plethora of trips head into the backcountry.  A group of Senior A2s (fourteen-year-olds) departed early for a backpacking adventure to the Mt. Washington region of the White Mountains that included close to 17 miles of hiking .  Another group of Senior A2s (fourteen-year-olds) and Senior Bs (thirteen-year-olds), headed to Cliff Island on Newfound Lake for a canoeing overnight experience that included a few miles of paddling. There was also a voluntary mountain biking trip for the Junior As (ten-year-olds).  

Due to rain, afternoon activities moved inside and included board games, trivia, card games, bowling, and a viewing of the Olympic events for the day.  In the evening the rain continued, so the Seniors (thirteen-fourteen-and-fifteen-year-olds) had the option to relax in their cabins.  For the rest of camp, there were board games and a Presidential card tournament and a trivia competition in the dining hall, as well as a viewing of the Olympic games in the Junior Hill Rec Hall.  

On Thursday, our first group of Senior Bs (thirteen-year-olds) headed to the White Mountains for a backpacking overnight that included a very hard and steep first day on the Liberty Springs trail before a beautiful traverse the next day of the Franconia Ridge. There was also an all-ages climbing trip to the Rumney crags.  The Inter As (twelve-year-olds) enjoyed a “fluff” trip to Moose Scoops for an ice cream treat.  Plans to also swim at Baker Cliffs were foiled due to high water. The Counselors-in-Training departed for their own independently-designed overnight trip to Cliff Island on Newfound Lake.  Intercamp competition continued with a 9s soccer tournament at a neighboring camp.  In the evening, there was the annual counselor baseball game versus a neighboring camp’s staff.  The campers loved watching their counselors win a close game on a walk off hit. 

 In other exciting news Thursday, the first “wall fish” of the summer was caught by one of our Inter Bs (eleven-year-olds).  A “wall fish” needs to weigh 3 pounds or more.  The campers or staff who catch one are honored with a plaque in our dining hall.  

Friday, the Senior A1s (fifteen-year-olds) enjoyed their own fluff trip of pizza and a movie in Hanover.  Intercamp competition continued with a 15s basketball tournament at Moose and a 10s baseball tournament at a neighboring camp.  Those in camp enjoyed a “Typical Moosilauke Day” of scheduled activities in the morning by age group and their choice of activities in the afternoon.  In the evening, Port shared the first tall-tale of the 2nd session with a captive audience of campers and staff around a campfire at the beach.  Also in the evening, there was hockey, volleyball, kickball, pick-up tennis, pick-up basketball, a viewing of the Olympic Games, lawn and field games, and tubing.  

Saturday’s highlight was the inaugural hike up Mt. Cube for all new campers (not already participating in another hike) and some volunteer returning campers.  Amazingly, the skies cleared just as the group was approaching the summit and the views of camp were crystal clear.  Saturday also saw an all-ages mountain biking trek to the 70 miles of machine groomed trails at the Green Woodlands mountain biking park.  Campers not on the hike or the mountain biking trip had their choice of sign-up activities in both the morning and afternoon.  In the evening, it was once again Movie Night with viewings on both Junior and Senior Hills and homemade popcorn provided by the CITs.   

Sunday, everyone enjoyed a lazy morning with an amazing brunch. The campers enjoyed eggs, bacon, sausage, homemade pastries, a fruit/yogurt/granola bar, and hot chocolate, before heading down the hill for some rest and relaxation, board games, reading, lawn games, ping pong, and pick-up basketball.  There was also a group of campers watching the USA vs. the World counselor soccer game.  Most of the camp enjoyed a refreshing swim in the lake before lunch.  In the afternoon, it was Carnival!  Activities included 3 large inflatable games including a massive waterslide.  Favorite booths included the TP toss, face painting, homemade donut making, “Chuck-a-Duck,” a paper airplane competition, Black Jack, a 3-point competition, and Sno-Cones provided by the CITs.  In the evening, there was a sandcastle building competition, water polo, tubing, and more fun with the carnival inflatables.  The cabin clean-up winners (3 cabins this week!) enjoyed a night watching a movie, with treats.  

Monday, the Senior A1s (fifteen-year-olds) departed for their two-night, three-day whitewater rafting capstone trip to the Kennebec River, in Maine. After arriving at their destination on the first day the boys enjoyed the campsite and a dinner of pizza, salad, and brownies.  They slept in a riverside bunkhouse.  On day two, after a great breakfast, the boys were outfitted with their river gear and then took part in a safety briefing.  After a short ride the rafting adventure started at the Harris Station Dam which immediately enters a narrow gorge, hundreds of feet deep.  Right after they picked up speed and plunged through “huge rolling waves and heart-pounding drops” before tackling Class III and IV rapids such as “Big Mama” and “Magic Falls.”  All-in-all, the boys rafted over 12 miles.  

Monday also saw a second group of Senior Bs (thirteen-year-olds) depart early for their backpacking overnight in the Franconia Ridge section of the White Mountains.  Also on Monday, the Inter As (twelve-year-olds) left for a canoeing adventure down the Connecticut River.  The group paddled 7 miles from Lyme to Hanover, NH.  Once in Hanover, they enjoyed a pizza dinner, followed by a viewing of the movies “Harold and the Purple Crayon” before returning to camp.  The Junior Bs (eight-and-nine-year-olds) went to Moose Scoops in the afternoon for a delicious ice cream treat, along with a cabin of Junior As (ten-year-olds) who had their previous trip rescheduled.  The group also were able to visit the local fish hatchery and feed the enormous trout there. Additionally, there was an all-ages climbing trip to the Rumney crags.  In the evening, Port shared another tall tale around a campfire at the beach.  

Tuesday, the Junior As (ten-year-olds) had a great time playing miniature golf at Hobo Hills and swimming and tubing down the waterslides of Cascade Park, capped off by a picnic lunch.  In the morning, a camper group of mixed ages had a mountain biking trek around the trails and hills surrounding camp, stopping at Orford Beach for a swim and nature exploration.  Another group of campers headed to the Green Woodlands Trails for a mountain biking adventure in the afternoon.  And the Inter Bs (eleven-year-olds) had their turn visiting Moose Scoops for an ice cream treat and a visit to the local fish hatchery.

Tuesday was also the second day of a camp-wide treasure hunt that ended with campers finding a letter from the mythical Mrs. Hoovernose under the Camp’s sign on the office.  When the letter was read at dinner the campers roared with excitement since it announced that the whole camp was going to the local drive-in movie that night as part of our 120th anniversary celebration.  The campers loved having the whole theater to themselves!

Meals during the week included waffles and bacon, egg frittata and croissants, and homemade muffins for breakfast; meatball subs with french fries, chicken parmesan sandwiches with tater tots, chicken and cheese quesadillas, and assorted cold cut sandwiches for lunch; and dinners included macaroni-and-cheese, the popular “Kenny cookout,” homemade deep-dish pizzas, and tacos with rice, beans, and all of the fixings for dinner.  

That’s all for now.  Thank you for sharing your boys with us.  As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to Bill or Sabina if you have any questions.

Happy Summer!

Warmly,

Bill, Sabina, Kenny, Ingrid, Todd, Preston, Jake, Quinn, and Charlotte