Dear Moosilauke Family,

This is our last weekly newsletter of the 2025 Camp Moosilauke season. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful boys with us this summer. It has been an amazing season and we are so grateful. 

Before we recount the last week we wanted to share a few quotes that support your decision to send your boys to a great overnight summer camp like Moose. Dr. Michael Thompson is a child and family psychologist and author of eight books, including Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys. He states: “What are the sweetest moments of your childhood?” Most people remember moments that really belonged to them — a moment of challenge when mom and dad weren’t hovering over them, a moment that was their own. It’s almost the definition of camp, isn’t it? I think camp is a place where kids can truly grow.” Relative to the social life of boys he states: “For boys (and girls) there’s usually a popular group in school that defines your status, and you get locked into it, sometimes for years. At camp, kids have the opportunity to reinvent themselves, which is such an amazing gift.”

And now to the highlights for Monday, August 4th, through Friday, August 8th. 

On Monday, we had numerous groups head off on wilderness adventures. A third group of Senior Bs (thirteen-year-olds) departed for their two-day, overnight hike to Mt. Lafayette. The boys had amazing views along the whole Franconia Ridge. The Inter As (twelve-year-olds) left after breakfast for an eight mile canoe to Hanover on the Connecticut River, followed by a pizza feast and movie in Hanover. The Junior Bs (seven-to-nine-year-olds) enjoyed an afternoon of swimming and jumping in the natural waterslides of Baker Cliffs, followed by an ice cream treat at Moose Scoops. And there were all ages trips to the crags in Rumney for a day of top-roping and to Green Woodlands for mountain biking on the 70 miles of groomed trails. In camp, the day was spent moving through activity areas, with the waterfront being especially popular given the heat.

Tuesday, the spectacular weather continued, as did the trips. The Senior A2s (fourteen-year-olds) ventured to Whales Tales for a day of fun on the many different waterslides at the park. The Inter Bs (eleven-year-olds) headed to Baker Cliffs for some swimming, sliding, and jumping fun in the natural waterslides. An all ages group went climbing in Rumney. And a group of campers with a solid Eskimo Roll headed to the Hartland Rapids on the Connecticut River for some fun in the Class II white water. And the Senior A1s (fifteen-year-olds) enjoyed a “fluff” evening in Hanover that included a pizza dinner, followed by a movie. At camp in the afternoon a boat full of boys worked on the carving wake surfing, and our more advanced sailors took part in a regatta.

On Wednesday, it was our annual Olympics competition with the Poseidon team vs. team Zeus. Events included the Moose Mega Relay, basketball, tennis, Ultimate frisbee, soccer, archery, kickball, a combined track meet and canoe regatta, and age group rope pulls. The final events in the evening were the Senior As basketball game and the team fire-building contest. As per usual, it was a close competition and much fun was had by all. 

Thursday was a special morning, with a surprise 9 am breakfast on the beach that included donuts and hot cocoa courtesy of Dunkin Donuts, and tables full of fun sugar cereals. After breakfast, a few more “fluff” trips departed. The Senior Bs (thirteen-year-olds) enjoyed a day of bumper cars, arcade games, boardwalk treats, and swimming at Weirs Beach. The Junior As (ten-year-olds) headed to Hobo Hills for miniature golf, followed by some swimming fun at Cascade Park. There was also an all-ages open hike to Lonesome Lake and a climbing trip to Rumney. A highlight of the day was a special fishing trip to Indian Pond that resulted in the boys netting a 3 pound pickerel and a 3.5 pound bass. 

After lunch there was an event that encapsulated so much that is special about Moose. Stealing from Ernest Shackleton’s famous recruitment ad for his Trans-Atlantic expedition in 1914 (which stated “Men wanted for hazardous journey.  Low wages, bitter cold. Safe return doubtful”) Bill asked if anyone wanted to volunteer for a “task that will be hard, and cause you to get sweaty and dirty, with no reward except for a job well done.” Amazingly, ten campers and counselors volunteered to spend their rest hour cleaning out and sorting a huge wood pile. In the evening, Port shared his final tall-tale of the summer at our beach camp fire ring.

Sadly, Friday was packing day. After a morning spent tidying up the cabins and packing, the campers had free time that included open waterfront, final work on wood shop projects, ping pong, pick-up basketball, and lawn games. In the afternoon, there were sign-ups, along with a Senior A (fourteen-and-fifteen-year-olds) Coke League intramural softball game. In the evening, we had our end-of-session banquet with a feast of steak, twice-baked potatoes, Caesar salad, dinner rolls, and strawberry shortcake for dessert. After dinner, the camp enjoyed viewing a multi-media extravaganza that covered all that happened at camp this session. Then it was time for a huge bonfire that by tradition was set ablaze by our oldest campers. At the bonfire we gave out t-shirts and other swag to campers who have been with us for multiple years, our Moose Bear participants, and those who brought friends to Moose.

Thanks so much for sharing your amazing boys with us! Have a wonderful rest of the summer.

Best,

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