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Nick Newberry – Camp Naturalist – Vespers

Hello, my name is Nick Newberry. I hail from Oakton, Virginia where I am a high school science teacher. This is my 12th summer at camp. My role at Camp is to design signs about Coniston’s incredible nature.

While Coniston’s nature has deep meaning to me and holds many Vespers-worthy lessons, today I will not be talking about nature, but people. Specifically people from countries other than the United States: our international staff.

Before I begin in earnest, I’d like everyone to silently raise their hand if they would like to visit a foreign country at some point in the future (a vast majority of campers and staff raised their hands). I hope that each of you who raised their hand is able to travel and experience other cultures. Traveling for me has enriched my life in so many ways. My experiences in the far corners of the planet have shown me different perspectives on life fulfillment and values, cuisine, and ways of living. I am forever grateful for those experiences. With that being said, some of my most cherished international experiences have actually taken place right here at Camp in the Woods of New Hampshire.

I have been coming to Coniston since 2005 and in that time, I have come to know and be influenced by many international staff members from Brunei and Zimbabwe to Mexico, Canada, and many places in between. Every year these incredible staff members step away from their lives back home, leaving the comfort of their friends, family, and favorite food behind to take a chance on a camp in rural New Hampshire where they may not know a single person, or even feel confident with the language. These brave and adventurous people have shared a tremendous amount with me through stories, conversations, and experiences. I have lived the intensity of a Mexico-U.S. soccer game with 20 Mexican staff as the only American; learned the ins and outs of outdoor adventure in New Zealand; and heard tales of food, culture, and exploration in the mountains of Colombia and Mexico. These moments and many others have allowed me to gain authentic views of life in another culture with my feet firmly planted on American soil.

Those of you who know me well, know that I love a good story. I find that a good story shared with me by someone allows me to teleport and time travel in my mind, and to feel a stronger connection with the storyteller. So, I want to share one particular story with you about a very special connection I made last year at camp. As many of you are aware, Coniston has an exchange program with a hospitality school in South Africa. Last summer I grew close with the counselors from this school, spending long hours getting to know them at the cooking program area and during free time. Eventually, the end of the summer came and they returned to their homes in South Africa and Zimbabwe, and I returned home to Virginia. The story picks up a few months later when, during the winter holidays, I received a gift from one of my students. The gift was a small figurine of a Blue Jay, which the student bought at a local fair trade shop. The Jay was made by painting a large Ulumbe Tree seed, which is about the size of a thumb. Accompanying the Jay was a short story about its origin. The seed was grown in Bulawayo and painted in Ruwa, both of which are in Zimbabwe. I messaged Yolanda Zenasi, the lone representative from Zimbabwe at camp last summer to see if she knew either of these places; it turns out she has been to both! Telling my student about this connection made the gift all the more special for both of us. Fast forward 7 months to two nights ago when I drove some of the South African group to the Bigelow cabin across the lake for a celebration dinner they were preparing for their school’s directors, who were here at camp visiting. Because of my pre-existing relationships with this South African staff, I was invited to stay and ended up remaining there for many hours while each South African student shared their story of how they came to be at the school and the gratitude they had for their directors. Each student spoke for between 15 minutes and half an hour, which is not something I have ever experienced in America. Their stories about hurdles they had overcome to get to Coniston and the gratitude they had for being here brought tears to my eyes. I now feel a stronger connection than ever to these incredible people from across the world.

I will leave you all with a challenge. Your challenge for this session is to start a conversation with a staff member from a different county. To allow yourself for a brief period of time to travel the world through a story while strengthening your connection to that person, camp, and the world. That connection won’t happen by accident, you need to seek it out.

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Izzy Pavano – Cabin Counselor – Vespers

Hello Girls Camp, my name is Izzy I have vespers tonight, are there any announcements?

This past year marked a huge milestone in my life which was arguably the most dramatic change I’ve experienced so far. The fall began the same way as the previous 12 years of school only now instead of worrying about my overdue summer work on the first day of school, I was sporting a red “seniors” shirt and worrying about how to make the most of what would be my final year in the town I’ve called home for all 18 years of my life.

I knew that my last first day of high school would only be the first of many lasts I would experience last year.

The thought of so many goodbyes brought more stress and anxiety to my life than joy and excitement for what was supposed to be the best year of high school. As I tried to fall asleep my mind would swarm with thoughts of what my last a cappella concert, family dinner, football game, calculus class, sleepover with my sister, late night yogurt beach run with friends and eventually graduation would feel like. I was so determined to savor every one of these moments and squeeze every drop of life out of my senior year, but I had no idea how to do it.

Amidst this turmoil, I came across the concept of being a yes person. Put simply, a yes person accepts invitations, challenges new experiences and through their immersion in new settings they make memories that wouldn’t have otherwise happened. I knew that my simple solution to the stress of making the most of my senior year would be making a conscious effort to be more of a yes person.

My friends Kate and Will asked if I would audition for my school’s improv troupe one afternoon. I said yes, hopped out of bed, drove to the audition and after a successful callback was one of the eight new members accepted into the troupe of the 30+ auditionees. Some of my fondest memories of senior year are those made with my improv troupe and I undeniably gained life skills and confidence in myself and the power of “yes, and” that I wouldn’t have otherwise gotten.

Similarly, this spring my friend Brady asked if I would be interested in trying out for the sailing team despite the fact that the last time I had touched a sailboat was when I was in G-11 and I’d never read a sentence of the 120 page rule book that seemingly every sailing team had memorized and readily available in pdf format on their phone. I said yes, made the team (it was no cuts), met amazing new friends, travelled to beautiful clubs and learned an entirely new skill that is now one of the most fun things I’ve ever done and something I hope to continue in college. I found myself saying yes to more a cappella gigs, invitations to ice cream and walks with my dad.

When I look back on my senior year some of my fondest memories are long rehearsals followed by dinner with my improv troupe and music filled bus rides to regattas in Rhode Island with the sailing team.

I am not suggesting that you invest yourself in the performing arts or a brand new sports team but I do urge you to say yes to things you’re unfamiliar with, that may scare you, or things that may just be easier if you said no to because you never know what may come out of them.

To close I have a quote that I feel embodies this message well and urges me to be more of a yes person which is “and it never will be again.” Every passing moment is an opportunity to learn something new and will never be again. Last year was my senior year of high school and it will never be again.

Today is July 11th at 5pm of Session 2 2023 and it will never be again. This is your life GK and it will never be again so treat every moment as an opportunity to say yes to a new experience or lesson and enjoy the results.

Now I have a song..

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Rainy Days: Finding the Magic in Any Weather

Why do we love rainy days at camp? 
We asked campers and here are just a couple reasons why — 

“The water is really nice in the rain.”
“It’s nice to cuddle in the cabin.”
“It’s raining cats and water!”
“It’s easier to frolic in the rain.”
“The vibes.”
“I love rainy days in the cabin.”
“Indoor evening programs.”

When it rains, we always have a back-up plan. 

At landsports, the campers and staff trekked away from the rainy fields to find a new spot to use their hockey sticks.  They found a place right outside of the dining hall. Under a tent, affectionately known as “the slab,” the counselors set up the game of street hockey. 

 

It turns out the slab was a perfect place for an impromptu game. Frisbee, on the other hand, embraced the rainy field for their game of mini-ultimate frisbee. We hope all white shirts made it out without a stain, but no promises. 

 

The senior Basketball period accepted the rain and played an intense game of pickup. It was known that the rain was the 6th defender for both teams. Of course, they had time to pose for pictures (Is that the Celtics starting five?).

 

Girls Waterfront wasted no time jumping into the water, because as we know, the water is  always warmer in the rain. The campers and Waterfront Instructors compared the water to a “nice bath” or a “relaxing sauna.” “Swimming in the rain is magical,” Claire, Waterfront Instructor.

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Brackett Lyons – Aquatics Director – Vespers

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

– Fred Rodgers

Seven years ago, I sat around a campfire at a camp much like this one. With bated breath, I listened as a list of names was called. The list carried with it a chance to return to Camp Belknap for at least one more summer under the pines. And the list did not carry my name. At 16, my days at camp were over. I would never work for Belknap.

I was crestfallen. Camp was over, but life beckoned with new chances, adventures, and opportunities.

I wiped the tears from my face, hugged my friends goodbye, and drove home to the real world.

I finished high school, went to college, met a girl, and picked out a career. Camp had built me into a young man filled with confidence and hope for his future. And it was all going according to plan.

But man plans, and God laughs.

Six months after my college graduation, everything had unraveled. I was brokenhearted, unsure of my career and life, and losing a battle with depression. For months I wallowed in a dark apartment in Cambridge and scrolled endless jobs on indeed that I knew deep down I didn’t want. I slowly slipped away, swallowed by the weight of it all. I had no light at the end of my tunnel.

I needed help.

The thing is, when you are the one that needs help, finding it can be astonishingly hard. The slightest effort becomes herculean. Looking for helpers feels like a monumental task. I felt like I was using every ounce of strength I had just to hold on. How could I reach out with my fingers so preoccupied gripping the ledge?  How could I look for the helpers?

But what the quote I read doesn’t mention is that true helpers do not need to be asked. What is so incredible about them is that they will find you. They will help whether you are looking or not. They will help whether you ask or not.

In the bleak winter, they will wade through snow drifts. They will come to you in the cold and the dark and light you a fire.

One of my helpers is sitting here today.

Nate Levine has been my friend since we were nine years old. And for those of you who don’t know, we’re old, so nine years old is a LONG time ago.

Nate saw me in trouble. He heard me talk about life. He saw someone who needed help. And he was brave, kind, and generous enough to offer it. Nate did something incredible for me. Nate brought me back to camp. Not my camp. His camp. The place he loves more than anyone I have ever met. And he opened the door to me because he knew what a place like this could do. Nate gave me a light in the dark.

This summer, Camp has saved me. I am back to enjoying my life. I smile more in a day than I did in a year. That is because of the helpers. I want to thank everyone at Coniston for that. I want to thank Nate more than anyone. Nate, you saved me. I love you. I will owe you forever.

Being under the pines truly and unequivocally made me a better man. It forged me. It gave me love, empathy, and kindness. It taught me to put others before myself. And it’s clear that being on the lake did the same for Nate. It is doing the same thing for all of you. If you let it, this camp will change you for the better. Because this camp is filled with helpers. They are your councilors. They are your fellow campers. They are across the water in GK. They are your cabin mates.

Among the faces around you now are helpers like Nate.  Look at them. I implore you to let them help when you need it. And trust me, you will need it. We all need help at some point. And if you are brave enough, there is a helper in the mirror too. I encourage you all to look for those in need of your help and give it without hesitation. Look for the helpers. And if you don’t see one, be one.

My name is Brackett Lyons. This is my eighth summer at camp. And my first summer on the lake.

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Honor Heisler – Girls Camp Director – Vespers

This past year I think I went through what most college students approaching graduation experience, which I can only describe as a complete crisis of character. After spending 4 years dedicating my time and energy into preparing myself for a future career in criminal investigation, I pretty much broke down into a spiral of self doubt and fear as I prepared to face the void of an uncertain future. I went back and forth with myself for weeks questioning every decision I had ever made and worried that I was setting myself up for a future that I would ultimately be unsatisfied and unfulfilled with. In essence, I was terrified of being unhappy. This idea of happiness is something that both confuses me and stresses me out at the same time. Because happiness, or at least what most people consider to be ultimate happiness, seems pretty much impossible to achieve. These days it feels like unless you are dealt a perfect hand in life, you simply can’t come back from it. Our life circumstances, the genetics we are passed down, the things we have or do not have, and the traumas we experience in our lives all feel like giant hurdles in the sprint towards the idea of being happy.

While in the depths of my crisis, my developmental psychology professor played all of the graduating seniors a Youtube video that did a lot to quell the intense anxiety I was feeling about my ability to live a life that made me happy. At the National Council of Mental Wellbeing, Dr. Laurie Santos who is a professor of psychology at Yale University gave a speech about a class she taught to a room of therapists about happiness. The class was a step by step analysis on the most important research studies that have ever been done about mental wellbeing, and then condensed into 10 of the most important tips about being happy. Her speech was not only fascinating to me as a psychology student, but I also found it extremely comforting to have some insight into how I could live my life with my happiness as a leading priority. So today I am going to give all of you the scientifically proven “10 secrets to being happy”.

#1: 50% of our happiness is controlled by our genes, 10% is controlled by our bad and traumatic experiences, and 40% is controllable.

This first insight into happiness might seem counter productive, because it seems like the opposite of being in control of your own happiness. Suggesting that 50% of our happiness is dependent on factors outside of our control is pretty scary to think about. However, it means that we do actually have control.

Because secret number 2 is…

#2: Our life circumstances don’t matter as much as we think.

Consider some of the luckiest people alive, lottery winners. I would assume most people believe that lottery winners should be pretty damn happy, considering they no longer have to worry about financial insecurity for the foreseeable future. However, lottery winners that were surveyed on mental wellbeing and happiness 6 months after winning were statistically indistinguishable from the results of people who had never won. The same is seen in the opposite direction, those who are unlucky. People who were left paraplegic after traumatic accidents who were tested for mental wellbeing, were also statistically indistinguishable from people who had never been in an accident.

#3: If you want to change your life, you must work hard to do it.

It’s not surprising to suggest that happiness is not a permanent state of mind that we just transcend into one day. Like most things that we want to achieve in life, our mental wellbeing takes effort. But it shouldn’t be a bad thing that being happy takes work, Sonja Lyubomirsky said, “It may be obvious that toachieve anything substantial in life – learn a profession, master a sport, raise a child – a good deal of effort is required. The active choice to live your life with happiness as a priority matters more than you think.

#4: Your mind is lying to you a lot of the time. 

Especially about what society tells you it thinks you need to be happy.

#5: Become wealthy in time not money

Studies have shown that once a person makes around $75,000 a year, which is about 25% above the average starting salary at most full time jobs. Doubling or even tripling your salary has no impact on your happiness. Money doesn’t buy happiness, it rings truer than you may think.

#6: Make time for social connections

A researcher assigned people to go on a subway and do one of three things, sit in silence, be told to have a conversation with a stranger on the train, or do what they normally do. Those who were tasked with making a connection with a stranger reported to feel X2 happier in general than those who were asked to sit in silence.

#7: Helping others makes us happier

In this study people were asked to either take $20 for themselves, or take $5 to spend on somebody else. Unsurprisingly, those who choose to do something for someone else reported to be happier than those who had just been given $20. Providing happiness for others is a circular experience that benefits our mental wellbeing, probably more than it does theirs.

#8: Make time for gratitude

Especially in times of uncertainty it can be easy to fall into the state of mind that we have nothing to be grateful for. There is no light at the end of the tunnel, or we have no tools to dig ourselves out of the hole that we have found ourselves in. However, taking time to find even the smallest things that make us grateful each day is a reminder that life is a balance of dual emotions. Happiness and sadness, grief and elation, they go hand and hand. With that being said, today I am grateful that you are all here, I am grateful that I get to spend my days surrounded by people who choose to dedicate their time to a mission that they believe is important.

#9: Healthy practices matter more than we think This one is simple, take care of yourself. In the ways that you need. Always.

#10: Happy people tend to be present in the moment

This final secret to happiness was what I needed to hear most in that moment. Thinking about the future as set in concrete, based off of the decisions we make today is a meaningless exercise. We can prepare and think and plot for our futures as much as we would like. But in the end spending hours stressing about securing our happiness for the future, is damaging our lives that we are living today.

What I wish for all of you to take away from these “secrets to happiness” is that ultimately you are in control of the perspective you choose to view the world and your lives through. Although we can’t always control the circumstances we are handed. What we choose to do with the other 40% that remains ours and ours alone, makes the differences between living your life with the intention of maximizing your potential happiness in the present rather than fearing the unknown of the future.



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Lauren Torres – Assistant Summer Camp Director – Vespers

Returning to camp to see old familiar faces juxtaposed with many new ones has me in a state of wonder and reflection about myself and the role camp has played in my life over the years.

When I was a junior, I wrote my parents a letter every day, asking them to take me home. I was too afraid to take the short walk to the college in the middle of the night to use the toilet so I had a regular spot outside my cabin where I popped a squat in the middle of the night with panic coursing through my veins that I would get caught. Would a reasonably prudent person do that? Likely not…

When I was a middler, every moment of each day was spent on the basketball court, silently battling IBS in the college or in a panic-ridden state of insecurity about what others thought of me.

When I was a senior, my soul was battling a longing for the past, gratitude for the present, and fear of the future.

When I was a CIT I was ready to prove myself and show people that I could be who they wanted me to be. I craved acceptance and approval and in doing so lost myself in the excitement and drama of it all.

When I was a LIT I adored my co and she showed me that she trusted me. With her encouragement, I started to see what I was capable of and trust myself. I also waited in line at the payphone with my calling card hoping that when I dialed my friend’s home phone numbers they would answer. I felt homesick for a simpler life, knowing that, if I had never come to camp as a counselor, my summer would have been easier. Wondering…what if my summer had been easier?

When I was a junior counselor, I faced challenges with my campers that I couldn’t have imagined I could navigate, but I did. And, then, that was enough for me. I was done with camp. I was tired of carrying the weight of responsibility.

As time passed, and the memories of the challenges faded the pull of camp returned…I got accepted as a West Coast CIT director…the best job in the world (with the exception of a fellow trip leader who insisted on falling asleep with his legs splayed open while he rubbed the bottom of his feet together), I got to see some of the most beautiful parts of this country and be a part of the experience and evolution of others.

If I could go back in time to give little Lauren advice….I wouldn’t. She needed to face her life as it came at her. Advice would have been ignored anyhow, and warnings would have just taught her avoidance.

But in the spirit of wonder and reflection here’s what I learned as a:

Junior – Your parents aren’t there to rescue you, their role is to show you what you are capable of, not to do it for you or to save you from discomfort. If you can recognize this, you might be able to appreciate your parents in a different light.

Middler – There’s more to life than basketball (though you will be voted captain your senior year). You have the chance to try horseback riding, and though you tried it that one time and the horse ran away with you on it, get over it. Holding on to your fears is just an excuse to avoid really experiencing life.

Senior – You don’t have to fear the future. As always, things will be good, bad, pretty, ugly, scary, fun, and wild, your emotions will span the whole mood meter. But all of that is going to happen no matter what. You can fear it, or embrace it. It’s the not knowing that makes life worth living.

CIT – You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone. Figure out who you are and be that, unapologetically. Anything else is an exhausting waste of time.

LIT – Easier isn’t better. It’s just a different path with different results. You can choose to take life easy sometimes, you can choose to challenge yourself sometimes. You can choose to cry because your emotions were so big they came out of your eyes. You can choose to be kind or unkind. You can choose to be welcoming or alienating. You can spin any struggle into a funny story. Whatever it is that you choose, choose wisely, it will come back at you.

Junior Counselor – You can handle whatever comes your way, not because you’re special, but because you have no other choice but to handle it. And when you are faced with no other choice, there is no other choice. And that’s okay. Life works out anyhow.

CIT Director – Being a part of someone else’s journey is what gives your life meaning. If you get to explore Zion, the Channel Islands and the Grand Canyon along the way, you better thank your lucky stars. But it’s not about what you get, it’s about what you give. Don’t give so much of yourself that you lose yourself, love and care for yourself so deeply that you can give to others freely, without want or need. That is freedom.

I am who I am because of camp. Camp and the people I’ve met through it have found their way in and out of my life. I loved many of them, liked most of them, and found just a few challenging (but I learned the most from those who challenge me). And I’m better off for all of it.

I often wonder what my life in another universe is like, if I never went to camp; if I never left camp, if I didn’t have a lactose intolerance at ice cream socials, if I had gotten over my fear of horses. But the wondering about what life could have been takes away from recognizing what my life is, right now; here I am, at camp. While so much is different, nothing has changed. I’m still in one of the most beautiful places in the world with people that continue to inspire me, shape me, and accept me. And regardless of what is happening to me, in another universe, I’m grateful to be in this one.

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In Memoriam: Paula Louise Craig

(1960 - 2022)

It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to Paula Louise Craig. Paula passed away very peacefully on November 14, 2022. 

Paula was a 70s alum and was a wonderful, deeply-loved member of our community. 

On March 27, 1995, Paula married her best friend, Gary Kudrna. They made their home in Ennis, TX and together raised Gary’s sons Ty Kudrna and Chaz Kudrna.  Paula loved being “Mom” and friend to Ty & Chaz and “Bonus Mom” and friend to Gary’s stepdaughter Taneel Pace of Jordan, Utah. She also felt blessed to have a big extended family of beloved nieces, nephews, cousins & in-laws.

Paula worked at every level of the entertainment industry from small, intimate theatrical shows to epic world class multi-media and fireworks extravaganzas like the Power of Houston.  While she loved the unique challenges that came from each production, her very favorite part of her work was meeting new people.  She truly enjoyed the company of new and old friends; and she cherished every friendship made along the way during every chapter of her life from school to Camp Coniston to work.

Our community shared some of their treasured memories with Paula:

“I shared a cabin with Paula MANY years ago. I can still see her beautiful long, dark wavy hair and her practicing her ballet ‘en pointe’. What an incredible life she led. My deepest condolences to her family and friends.”

“I remember her telling a stories about being Snow White at Disney. And also meeting Ace Freely and Gene Simmonds from Kiss. She was one of my favorite all time counselors at Coniston.”

“I have many fond memories of Paula – laughing and singing. Such a great spirit. Peace to her family and friends.”

“One of the dearest, sweetest people from my years at Coniston. Such a wonderful soul. Such a dear friend. RIP, dear Paula.”

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Alumni News

Read on to find out what our wonderful Alumni have been up to this past year!!

This summer we were finally able to host our 2000, 2001 and 2002 CITs for their 20 year reunion! We had to postpone these reunions the past two years due to COVID, but we were finally able to host everyone at Camp for this summer for an amazing day of catching up with old friends, exploring Camp’s new facilities and a tasty cook-out! They even reunited with Sue Strebel, who was a nurse when they were at Camp and was still working this summer!

Coniston ambassador, Beth Worthington  planned a weekend reunion with Linda Pinkham Wiewel, Janet Hatfield Legro, Susie Greenwald Ammatelli, Lynn Hunter Horton, Dawn Ferguson Ighodaro and Sherrill Hill at Perkins Pond. The group also visited Camp and toured all the new facility updates.

 

 

Congratulations to Hannah and Michael Slafsky for welcoming their beautiful baby Hartford on September 6th! Warner will be a great big brother!

 

Jake Glenshaw, former Boys Camp Director, has moved to Innsbruck, Austria for year in pursuance of a Fulbright Austria Combined Research Grant. As a part of this program, he will be teaching English, taking grad school courses at the University of Innsbruck on Environmental Management of Mountain Areas, conducting independent research under advisement of Dr. Robert Steiger on climate change’s impact on the ski industry’s adaptability and accessibility, and working with Protect Our Winters Austria as they work to fight for further climate protection.

 

Wilfrid Shon, a former international staff member recently started his own gin business! The gin is called Shroton Fair Gin. After finishing his postgraduate study, Wilfrid returned to his hometown, Dorset Village, and spent nearly a year searching for the perfect recipe. The gin has already won multiple awards including gold in the Taste of the West 2022, and bronze at the London Spirits Awards!

Adaleide Barnes, a 2021 CIT is now on the UK National Taekwondo Team! She has already secured two second-place finishes at the British Taekwondo National Championships and a spot on the GB Taekwondo Development Squad.

Coniston Ambassador, Eben Gannett graduated Granite State College and has become a certified teacher in NH. He is currently a 5th grade teacher at Sant Bani School. Congrats Eben, we know you will be an awesome teacher!

Talia Ungarelli  recently accepted a position as a zookeeper in the Tropical Forest department at the Franklin Park Zoo. Talia spent the last year working for the Gladys Porter Zoo in Texas as a Gorilla and Carnivore Keeper/Trainer.

Arts and Crafts Director,
Barb Hawley is teaching classic camp arts and crafts classes in her home-state, Kentucky! Projects include yarn creations, shrink plastic art, holiday ornament making, painting, and of course tie-dye!

Liv Rasmussen graduated from Suffolk University with a B.A. in Advertising and Minor in Graphic Design. She recently started as the Content Specialist with Fuseideas!

Cassie Short Cassie Short got engaged to Bobby McLaughlin. They will be getting married in June 2022!

Congratulations, Guiseppi Marzelli, on his marriage
to Kaley Hansen! They were married in October last year. “Hands down the best day of my life (and really the best weekend) marrying my best friend surrounded by all our family and friends”.

We wish you a future of happiness!

Congratulations to Ben Kamisar on his marriage to Shelby this April! The wedding was quite the Coniston reunion with Coniston alumni: Jen Evans, Emily Bensen, Michelle (Tarkulich) Faithfull, Kyle Olson, Katie Comstock, and Matt Comstock attending!

Congratulations to Coniston alumna, Ashley, who got married to Bill Jantzen last year! We hope you have had a great first year of marriage together.

Summer Office Assistant, Sophie Burleigh, has just accepted a job as an Office Manager/PA for a wine investment company in London! Good luck with your new London life Sophie!

Cassie (Short) McLaughlin, a 2008 CIT and 2014/2015 CIT Director got married on June 19th! Congratulations Cassie!! We wish you both a happy future together.

Coniston alumna, Lizbie Harbison Weeks recently got married! Congratulations Lizbie!

Former camper and staff member, Caitlin Elgert and her husband Dan, welcomed
a daughter (and future camper), Lucy in April 2022. Congratulations! She is beautiful.

1980’s alumnae, Kelly Williamson Polanco, MBA, MS has started a new job as Vice President, Head of People & Culture at Aktis Oncology. In the past, Kelly worked for Bristol Myers Squibb, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies. While at BMS, Kelly spent eight years living in Argentina, supporting South America, Middle East, Africa, and parts of Europe.

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Girls Camp Director – Meg Davis’ Favorite Summer Memories

Our 2022 Girls Camp Director, Meg Davis, reflected on her favorite memories of the summer.

Summer 2022 was one of the best summers I have ever had at camp. I loved having a more influential role in both staff and camper’s experiences all summer and it was incredibly rewarding to watch everyone fall more and more in love with camp every day.

This summer gave me a unique opportunity to see parts of camp I had never experienced before and think of things in a different frame of mind. Some of my happiest memories from this summer were planning activities to help staff bond, giving vespers, playing in the camper staff soccer games, cheering people on in the triathlon, sitting on program porch or main lawn and watching everyone in program areas, and watching the CITs and international staff run into the lake.

And when I wasn’t always having the usual camp fun, I also genuinely loved being someone others came to for advice, providing support to campers, and critically thinking about how to best solve problems in order to improve the overall Coniston experience. Summer 2022 will forever go down as one of my favorite summers at Coniston and I feel so lucky to have had such wonderful staff and campers to make incredible memories with!

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In Memoriam: Jessie Milne Freeman

(1978 - 2022)

It’s with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to Jessie Milne Freeman. Jessie was a camper in the 90s and then went on to become a beloved staff member. Jessie continued her work with children at Sunapee elementary school, and most recently at James House, in the preschool of KRSD.

Many people have since donated to YMCA Camp Coniston in her memory. We were truly honored to have Jessie be a part of our community and we will miss her dearly.

“Naming Camp Coniston as one of Jessie’s suggestions for gifts in her memory was an apt memorial for our daughter, who died in June at the age of 43. Camp is the opportunity for kids to discover that they can conquer their fears while sharing outdoor fun with others. Coniston does this masterfully. 

Jessie was a fourth child and only girl who followed her older brothers to Camp Coniston as a camper. She loved swimming, dancing, riding and singing at Camp, but even more so, she bonded with her fellow (cabin 8) campers as sisters.

When she returned a decade later as a counselor of riding, Jessie loved her job, helping kids learn to have fun and be safe with large animals. She was a cautious instructor who encouraged the riders in her care to consider the horse or pony as their partner in learning. The experience colored her life’s journey toward teaching, the study of human development, and motherhood. She often spoke of her campers’ successes and felt honored to be connected to Coniston in two ways.

After her initial diagnosis of melanoma 16 years ago, Jessie attended two retreats for cancer patients and survivors herd at the Kripalu Yoga Center. A favorite counselor there was Dr Joan Borysenko of Harvard, who credited overnight camp “under the pine grove” as one of her most important formative experiences. As she studied and taught, Jessie followed Dr Borysenko’s writing and research on the mind-body connection, gently guiding children through challenges at school and her son at home.

It is her family’s hope that Coniston will continue to give kids and young adults camaraderie and a strong start to productive, nurturing lives.”

– Dale Milne, Jessie’s father