Sunday, June 29, 2025

Dear Moose Families,

It is our pleasure to write this weekly letter home from Moosilauke during summer 2025–our 121st season! Along with chronicling the day-to-day happenings at camp we will also use the intro section to write about issues related to helping boys become their best selves.

More than likely many of you have come across Michael Easter’s recent book, “The Comfort Crisis,” via a review or podcast.  In the book, the author makes the point that modern life’s emphasis on comfort is negatively impacting mental health, overall happiness, and character development in people of all ages. His recommended solution: embracing discomfort. Specifically, he recommends doing hard things in nature, challenging the body on a daily basis, undertaking mindful discomfort, and embracing solitude and boredom.

At Moose, our motto of “Fun. With a Purpose,” makes clear that camp should be amazingly enjoyable. But we are in total alignment with Easter that doing hard things and not always taking the easy path is a key avenue for enhancing happiness and resilience. At Moose we use both structure and choice to get our campers to go beyond their comfort zones. Required rite of passage trips like climbing Mt. Cube and the Umbagog/Androscoggin canoe trip, along with having to take part in morning classes in activities that not everyone is good at, are structured ways we get kids out of their comfort zone. And campers are also opting in to a little discomfort every day via things like Moose Bears early morning swim club, the two-mile run at noon, volunteering for a rigorous backpacking trip, and playing a sport they don’t play at home versus another camp.

And of course, living away from one’s family with kids from around the world in close quarters invariably will create some moments of discomfort. But according to the experts, this is a good thing. The authors of the book, “The Self-Driven Child,” write: “We don’t think it’s possible to protect kids from all stressful experiences, nor would we want to. In fact, when kids are constantly shielded from circumstances that make them anxious, it tends to make their anxiety worse. We want them to learn how to deal successfully with stressful situations— to have a high-stress tolerance. That’s how they develop resilience. If a child feels like he’s in control in a stressful situation, then in later situations when he might actually not be in control, his brain will be equipped to handle that stress better. He is, in effect, immunized.”

Given all of this, one of the keys for parents (and camp staff) is that we don’t try to micromanage the tough situations children invariably encounter. Instead, we all need to act as consultants with a primary goal of helping young people lean into the challenging moments and situations and be the primary driver of the solutions. We need to teach kids that stressful situations are not to be feared and that stress is not necessarily a bad thing.

Ultimately, the goal is for campers to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. And as parents, you have an even tougher goal: getting comfortable with your kids being uncomfortable!

And now for our daily log of activities and events for Sunday, June 22nd through Saturday, June 28th.  

On Sunday, we were greeted with some showers at the start of the day. Fortunately, the rain stopped early so all activities were up and running. Breakfast was high energy, with the traditional Moose chants starting up right away and the daily reading of the sports scores by Kenny. After breakfast, the boys spent some extended cabin clean-up time finishing unpacking and tidying up their cabins before heading down the hill for a morning of scheduled activities. As is our routine on a regular day, each age group is assigned two class periods in the morning–in the areas of landsports, backcountry leadership, and waterfront (18 different areas overall!)–and then has a choice of two class periods in the afternoon. There is free time at both noon and 5pm, when campers have time to go for a supervised run or swim, play pick-up basketball, and read and play games. On the first day, each age group also participates in a mandatory swim test.

At rest hour, Bill and Sabina and the head counselors visited every cabin to discuss the importance of inclusion. We started by explaining that creating an inclusive community–one where we are kind to each other, where we go out of our way to include and not exclude individuals from interactions, and where every individual and group is welcomed, respected, supported, and comfortable to be their authentic self–is of the highest priority.  We discussed the fact that everyone at camp should act as an agent of inclusion. We then discussed that to foster inclusion at camp we have rules and norms that everyone must follow, even if they are different from what they are used to at home and in their community. These rules include never using terms that can be construed as negatively stereotyping an individual due to their race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, body image, or any other identity element. We then reinforced three points that we have found to be critical given past experience. The first is that the golden rule of never using terms that can be construed as negatively stereotyping holds true at all times–even if you think someone has given you a “pass” and/or “permission” to use a term with them. The second is that intent does not matter. The fact that you don’t intend harm is not an excuse. Finally, we made it clear that it is not OK to use the terms in question, even if one is telling a joke or quoting a song lyric or a line from a movie or a comedy special. We know that these preemptive talks don’t cast a magical spell that keeps all our campers doing and saying the right thing all the time. However, we do find that talking in clear terms about this important issue at the very beginning of camp does go a long way towards creating the type of community we strive for.

After dinner, there were evening activities of S’mores at the Point for the Junior Bs, fishing, knockout, kickball, Ultimate frisbee, dodgeball, standup paddle boarding and canoeing, fishing, and tubing. The oldest campers (the Seniors) were also given the option to watch the NBA Finals game in the Junior Hill Rec Hall.

Monday kicked off with our first Moose Bears session of the summer.  Moose Bears is our voluntary early morning swim, splash and song club. Nearly 40 campers and counselors enjoyed a refreshing dip in Upper Baker Pond before breakfast. On Monday, we initiated a number of day trips. A group of Senior A2s (fourteen-year-olds) enjoyed an afternoon playing in the rapids at Baker Cliffs, followed by an ice cream treat at Moose Scoops. The youngest campers, the Junior Bs (eight-and-nine-year-olds), enjoyed a nature tour of the lake on our pontoon boat. Our first all-ages climbing trip ventured to the crags at Rumney for a day of top roping fun. We are very fortunate to have one of the premier sport climbing destinations in the country only 15 minutes away from our campus. Rumney is a great spot for beginner and advanced climbers alike since it offers climbs at all grades, from 5.3 to a crazy 5.15a. Finally, an all-ages group participated in a mountain biking adventure around our lake. Another highlight of the day was our first “free time challenge,” involving a timed (2 minute!) shot competition. In the evening, there was kickball, S’mores at the Point for the Junior As, street hockey, dodgeball, World Cup soccer, ultimate frisbee, canoeing, and tubing.

Tuesday was another sunny, hot day, perfect for all things Moose. The big trip of the day entailed our first group of Senior A2s (fourteen-year-olds) departing early for our two-day Lake Umbagog/Androscoggin River adventure. After a 2+ hour drive to Errol, NH, the intrepid group paddled from the base of Lake Umbagog 6 miles to their wilderness campsite. Once at the campsite, they set up their tents, swam, fished, and relaxed, and then enjoyed a dinner of hamburgers, hot dogs, and steak with S’mores for dessert, followed by a tall-tale from Head Counselor Jake, before settling into their tents for the night. In the morning, they paddled 4 miles to the rapids in Errol. The boys loved running the Class II white water. No canoes flipped! The boys then ventured to the famous jumping bridge where they got to leap into the rapids feet first. On their way back to camp they were treated to a much deserved all-you-can-eat pizza dinner.

On Tuesday, another group of Inter As (twelve-year-olds) ventured out on their own mountain biking adventure around the lake. The Junior As (ten-year-olds) enjoyed a nature tour of the lake via pontoon boat. The Senior A1s (fifteen-year-olds) traveled to Baker Cliffs for an afternoon of swimming in the natural water slides, followed by ice cream at Moose Scoops. The second “free time challenge” occurred on Tuesday, this time involving soccer and a “nothing but net” shot competition. Also on Tuesday was another all-ages rock climbing expedition to Rumney. A highlight of the afternoon was the first wakesurfing session of the summer with Bill and Manny.  In the evening, there was a sprinkler obstacle course, water tag, Ultimate frisbee, pingpong and lawn games, dodgeball, swimming, Frisbee golf, and tubing.

Wednesday, the sunshine and clear skies continued, with slightly lower temperatures.  Wednesday’s big trip saw a group of Senior Bs (thirteen-year-olds) depart early for an overnight backpacking adventure to Mt. Lafayette and the Franconia Ridge. The group spent the first day hiking over 3.5 miles and 2000 feet of elevation to the Liberty Springs campsite.  The hike was described as a challenging “stair-master” climb! Once at the campsite, they set up their tents, ate a rice and beans dinner, and played cards in their tents, before falling asleep. On day two, the group traversed the ridgeline that took them over Little Haystack, Mt. Lincoln, and Mt. Lafayette. After a stop at the Greenleaf Hut for a snack they hiked down 3 miles to their vehicle and stopped for an all-you-can-eat pizza feast on the way home. Overall, they hiked about 8 miles on the second day. Also on Wednesday, the Inter As (twelve-year-olds) enjoyed their turn swimming and jumping in the natural waterslides of Baker Cliffs. Another highlight of the day was an all-ages trip  to the 70 miles of machine groomed trails at the Green woodlands MTB park in Dorchester, NH. The Counselors-in-Training (CITs) started their three-day Lifeguard Certification Training. In the evening, favorite activities included sandcastle building, a knockout tournament, and a movie for the Senior A1s.

On Thursday, we had our first inter-camp competition: a 14s Basketball Tournament at a neighboring camp.  At Moose, there are no cuts and we encourage campers to participate in inter-camp competition even if they have not played that particular sport in the past. We embrace three scoreboards at Moose: the first is the actual score, the second is a rating of overall sportsmanship and effort, and the third focuses on best flow/hair. Other highlights from Thursday included:  an all-ages Climbing Trip to Rumney; an all-ages mountain biking expedition to the Green Woodlands trails; an Inter Bs (eleven-year-olds) trip to Baker Cliffs and Moose Scoops; and the CITs continued with their Lifeguard Training. Thursday also saw a second group of Senior A2s (fourteen-year-olds) embark on our Lake Umbagog/Androscoggin River overnight wilderness adventure. During this version of the trip, the group ran the rapids twice, with a few campers experiencing the thrill of flipped canoes.

Thursday’s version of the Mt. Lafayette backpacking adventure encapsulated nicely the importance of our motto: “Hope for the best, plan for the worst.” On the first day the group of Senior Bs (thirteen-year-olds) did a great job of making their way close to their first night’s destination–the Liberty Springs campsite–but in the process one of the campers fell on their knee. After consulting with the admin at camp via cell phone, and with the help of the forest service experts at the site, it was decided that the whole group should head back down together so that the injured camper could be looked at by medical professionals. In the end it all turned out great: the camper’s injuries were minor, and the campers were rewarded with a pizza fest before returning to camp.

Friday, inter-camp competition continued with 12s soccer and 15s lacrosse tournaments at Moose, along with a 10s soccer tournament at a neighboring camp. Another highlight of the day was an all-ages golfing outing to the Bradford Country Club. And, the courageous and mighty CITs completed their final day of Lifeguard certification training.  Highlights from the evening included our weekly “Kenny Cookout” dinner on the beach, along with evening activities that included fishing, pingpong and lawn games, tennis, canoeing, and stand-up paddle boarding.

Saturday’s temperatures were a bit chillier but the expected rain stayed away so all campers were down the hill for some choice activities in both the morning and afternoon.  In the afternoon, inter-camp competition continued with a 13s flag football and a 15s baseball tournament at a neighboring camp. In the evening on Saturday, we had our much-anticipated “Movie Night,”  complete with popcorn and candy compliments of Todd and the CITs.  

There were many camper and staff birthdays in the first week. The honorees, as is tradition, were celebrated with a “Happy Birthday” serenade in the dining hall complete with a delicious cake to share with their cabin.  

Finally, a few words about food at Moose.  We strive to provide healthy food that the kids and staff enjoy and look forward to.  Highlights of breakfast meals so far this week have included pancakes with bacon, waffles with all of the fixings, and egg and cheese sandwiches. At breakfast there is also always a full yogurt, granola, and fruit breakfast bar and hot and cold cereal. Lunch favorites this week included chicken tenders with french fries, macaroni and cheese and chicken wings, quesadillas, grilled cheese, and chicken and broccoli stir fry with egg rolls. At lunch, there is also always a full salad bar and a soup option. Dinner favorites have included hamburgers and french fries, spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread, pulled pork and roasted potatoes, turkey and mashed potatoes, tacos with all of the fixings, and deep dish pizza. On Fridays for dinner, the camp feasts on the favorite “Kenny cookout” with grilled chicken, sausage, potato salad, fruit salad, corn bread, soda, and ice cream for dessert. 

In closing, a few fun facts about our incredible staff. 100% of the nine top administrators have worked at the Camp before–and amazingly, all are members of the Miller/McMahon/Hale family! (For background on these folks click on here.) The majority of all staff that work directly with the campers are returning and/or have gone to the camp. In addition, a third of our counselors are Lifeguard certified and seven have their Wilderness First Responder/First Aid certifications.

That’s all for now. Please don’t hesitate to be in touch with questions.

Happy Summer!

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