News from Elizaville
About 10 summers ago, two bald eagles constructed an enormous nest atop an evergreen located adjacent to the lake just beyond the girls’ campfire site. Their daily “swoops” over the lake, athletic fields, and campuses soon became a cherished part of Scatico life—sightings that never failed to lift spirits and lend a certain cosmic perspective.
Bring on the competition! Eagles? Heron? And now a peregrine falcon? Scatico fishermen will be ready come Opening Day.
A few years later, a heron joined the camp family, fishing alongside campers (perhaps a little more spectacularly) and appearing on the dock whenever the boys’ camp assembles in the waterfront stands for weekly meetings after dinner on Fridays. With one leg ramrod straight and the other bent at a 45-degree angle, head twitched to the side, the heron focuses intently on the stories being shared.
It looks as if we have a new resident on the lake—a large peregrine falcon—yellow beak, black head, white belly, dark gray outer plumage—spotted recently on the large limb (a favorite basking locale for turtles during afternoon general swims) that juts out several hundred feet opposite from where the girls beach their canoes and paddleboards. Though a peregrine falcon’s wing span at four feet is probably about one-half that of an eagle, it can reach flight speeds of more than 240 mph, making it the fastest animal on the planet (the cheetah is the fastest on land)—about twice as fast as an eagle.
Though our annual survey clearly reveals what campers love most about their summers (overwhelmingly “friends” and “the people”) and their favorite activities, programs, traditions, and special events (see page 3 of this newsletter for results), the third support on which the camp experience stands is that of living a simpler life and mindful of all that crosses our paths each day. Sunsets and rainbows. Lining up for a morning flag-raising or for chocolate milk and cookies at twilight. Walking from girls side to the dining room along the tree-lined road or lake path. And, of course, pausing in the moment to admire the resident eagles, heron, and peregrine falcon.
The first snowfall of the off-season arrived early this year—pre-Thanksgiving (November 16 for all you record-keepers). Thanks to caretaker Teddy Lydon for the photo. Within a few days, temperatures were up over 50 degrees and the snow completely melted.
Home Sweet Home - when not in Elizaville
Here’s our annual look at where campers live during the other 10 months (2019 enrollment as of January 1):
Westchester 27.6%
New York City 16.5%
New Jersey 15.8%
Long Island 10.0%
Other States* 8.2%
Connecticut 7.9%
Florida 5.0%
Metro DC/Balt. 4.7%
International** 4.3%
*Other States includes Massachusetts, California, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Montana, Colorado, and Texas.
**International includes France, Hungary, Spain, Canada, and Hong Kong.
Fifteen states will have camper representation this summer—a Scatico record.
Staying in Touch
Welcome to the second Staying In Touch column of the 2018-19 off-season. As always, we’ll start with Ran dom Scatico Sightings (RSSes)....
Alex and Olivia
Our favorite camp sighting for this issue occurred at home plate in a fall travel league softball game, when catcher Alexa Tannenbaum realized that the lead-off batter for the opposing team was divisionmate Olivia Berk. After she removed her mask, shouts and hugs ensued before the first pitch could be thrown....Former bunkmates Brian Schindler and Simon Mandel (graduating Upper Seniors in 2016) ran into each other this fall at the Yale Hockey Showcase, playing for their respective teams (but not against each other). As high school seniors, they look forward to playing collegiately in the next academic year....
Thursday, December 27th—three independent Miami RSSes on a single day! Nicki Fleischner found herself sitting at a restaurant table next to siblings Ben and Laine Greissman; brothers Jake and Max Finkel spotted Audrey Fleischner and Mark Gretenstein earlier in the day; and when Landon Krane traveled from New York to Florida to visit his cousins Jared and Asher Gornstein, they had an RSS with 2017 CIT Ryan Schindler.... A little up the coast in Florida, Liza Zelkin spotted sisters (and 2019 staff members) Emma and Lauren Rosh in a restaurant parking lot. Also on vacation, the Cathers (Nile and Denali) met the Loigmans (Vivi and Georgia) in Playa del Carmen....
Jared, Landon, Ryan & Asher
Nicki, Ben & Laine
Emma, Liza & Lauren
Siblings Amanda and Josh Klafter were on the ski slopes in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, when they met Jesse Prager (the head of Scatico’s Outdoor Adventure program during the summer and a ski instructor during the winter)...Sadie Vandercar and Ella Simons had their RSS moment while shopping for their Bat Mitzvah dresses at a store in Westchester County....
Josh, Jesse & Amanda
Sadie & Ella
When Spencer Hellman spotted Scatico counselors Mark Perlman, Jack Heineman, and Matt Stuttman outside a neighborhood deli during winter break, his first words were, “RSS, RSS, RSS.” Little did Spencer know that he was about to experience a second RSS within one week, when he and divisionmate Tyler Korsten found themselves at neighboring food court offerings at a mall in Westchester County...
Spencer RSS#1
Spencer RSS #2
Katie & Julie
And there was even a “camp mom” RSS at a hotel breakfast in Hawaii, when Katie Mazarin recognized Julie Nahoun Hartstein (also a former camper and counselor)....
Almost qualifying as RSSes (and attesting to the power of social media).... Bunkmates Julian Levine and Jed Greer learned a day beforehand that their rec hockey teams would be playing against each other (despite representing New York City and Montclair, NJ, respectively). Julian’s sister Olivia and neighbor Roy Goldstein joined as fans....When Matty Carroll and Kael Au-Carroll where on vacation in Berlin, they discovered that 2018 Division Leader Kate Rosenfeld was spending her Junior year abroad and living close to their hotel. Matty (the boys assistant head counselor) and Kael first met at Scatico as staff members in 2008....
Jed, Julian, Olivia & Roy
Kate & Kael
Jamie & Francesca
In other non-RSS news.... Continuing the semester abroad theme, Kael also connected recently with Sara Mester (who was studying in London). And, 7,249 miles away in Santiago, Chile, 2018 Division Leader Jamie Segal and longtime camper and counselor Francesca Rubinson enjoyed a November Scatico reunion....
Not everyone made the photo below, but 20 Scaticonians pastand present traveled to West Hartford, CT, for Isaac Greenblatt’s December Bar Mitzvah, including current campers from California (Oz Rubinson and Charlie Weinstein), Colorado (Austin Moscou), Maryland (Derek Goodman), Massachusetts (Hayley Kahn), and Pennsylvania (Adam Stiefel and Nick Mozga)... When not attending camp events/reunions like Isaac’s, Nick is spending a lot of his off-season time on the ice, playing for a rec hockey team in Pennsylvania coached by former NHL player Jason MacDonald. In a recent New Jersey tournament, the team finished 5-0 and Nick was named “player of the game” in the semi-finals....
Celebrating with Isaac
Nick Mozga after the game!
Girls assistant athletics director Moises Torres was on vacation in the Czech Republic recently and sent in a photo from Prague’s Old Town Square with support staff Katie Simova, Peter Makuch, and Aneta Toufarova....
Thanks for staying in touch. For the Spring Camper Newsletter issue, send along all Scatico news, non-news, and photos to info@scatico.com.
Survey Says...
Thanks to all who returned the summer of 2018 camper surveys.
GIRLS
Favorite Sports Activities
Basketball
Tennis
Soccer
BBK
Volleyball/Newcomb
Softball
Kickball
Favorite Non-Sports Activity
Cooking
Art
Waterfront
Ceramics
Gymnastics
Climbing
Woodshop
Theater/Dance
Favorite Special Events
Divisional Sing
Color War
Miss Ugly Contest
MiniCamp
SCATO
Movie Night
BOYS
Favorite Sports Activities
Baseball
Basketball
Soccer
Hockey
Slapball
Football
Tennis
Favorite Non-Sports Activity
Woodshop
Cooking
Waterfront
Outdoor Adventure
Art
Cards
Film/Media
Chess
Favorite Special Events
Color War
Human Stratego
Sports Leagues
Divisional Sing
College Bowl
Waterfront Cookout
The Off-Season Pilgrimage to Elizaville
Home from college for winter break? For metro-New York area staff the winter day trip to camp (and just maybe including an ice cream stop at Holy Cow in Red Hook) is as familiar as the ball dropping in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. On a recent December day, 7 former boys side bunkmates (all getting set for another summer as counselors) posed for the photo above on the A court: Matt Stuttman, Mark Perlman, Dylan Patterson, Ben Putzer, Mack Madorsky, Jack Heineman, and Ben Holzer.
Counting 2019—more than 80 Scatico summers! A few days later, Kate Rosenfeld and Hannah Schor (also former campers and current staff members) made the trip to camp during their college breaks (officially the first off-season visit in 2019, but, alas, no photo). Kate, a division leader in 2018, is looking forward to starting a girls side media program this summer.
Upcoming Parent Mailings
February—Summer Forms: Clothing List, Shipping and Luggage, Health Histories, Horseback Riding, Transportation, Camper Confidentials, Permissions
April—Parents’ Handbook: Information to get you ready for the summer of 2018, including details on Opening, Visiting, and Closing days.
The 2019 Open House (for all first-time campers, including 2018 and 2019 1-weekers) will be held on Saturday, June 15, from 12:30PM to 3:30PM at camp. Details to follow....
The Hudson Valley: One of “the 19 destinations to visit in 2019”... in the world!
When Airbnb recently released a list of top places in the world to visit in 2019, the Hudson Valley (home to Woodstock, Franklin Roosevelt’s historic home, and Camp Scatico—among many other famous places) ranked number 11, based on a variety of criteria including increased searches, bookings, and inclusion on “wish lists.” The Hudson Valley was one of only two locations in the United States that made the countdown, flanked by Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, and Santa Catarina State, Brazil. Number one on the list? Kaikoura, New Zealand.
An Iconic Scatico Moment:
Sienna, Olivia, Kate, and Rachel light their candles at the Opening Campfire.
Mark Your Calendar
Open House: Saturday, June 15
Opening Day: Friday, June 28
Visiting Day: Saturday, July 20
Scatico-In-Training: Sunday, July 28, to Saturday, August 3
Closing Day: Friday, August 16