Dreaming of Elizaville
In early December I received a call from one of my former counselors, Bob Seebacher (as in my actual counselor in 1969, 1971, and 1973). He was checking in with joyful news (a first grandchild) and world lament (what’s a reconnection nowadays without some contemplation of pandemic and political upheaval). What he also wanted to share was how he had been lately dreaming about camp. Really pleasant dreams. Of camp locations, friends, and memories. And upon awakening feeling just a little more energized and optimistic for the day to come.
Camp dreaming! A few days after this phone call, I awoke one morning with a campfire story fully formed in my mind. Magic? Power of persuasion? (Definitely an incredibly deep and restful sleep!) Plus, it has since become the vision for when I know we will truly be back at camp: listening to a story while sitting around a campfire. To “pay it forward” (what’s better than the blessing of a sound night’s sleep) I reached out to senior staff and asked them to dream of camp and to envision a specific moment in the summer that will confirm for them that, yes, they are definitely back in Elizaville. I heard from...
Kerri and Cory: Lowering the flag at lineup the first night.
Head Counselors Kerri and Cory both look forward to the very first flagpole lineup on Opening Night. From Kerri: “The very first dinner lineup and looking out at all the campers and counselors finally back together. That’s when I’ll know it’s real.”
Assistant Head Counselor Dusty Fox concurs: “Looking at the U shaped lineup on girls side, with Kerri welcoming everyone to another summer at camp. Soopers have moved up to their spot at the tip of the U, with the Subs sitting on the bench, the CITs at the top, and our Juniors & Jinters standing opposite the Soopers on the other side of the U. This is the first time all of girls side is together, the first time of the summer that I know it will be another incredible summer, where new faces become family and we are ready to start the best summer yet! Who will be first to the flagpole??!!”
Art (and Philosophy) Director Ken Vallario: “I will know I am back at camp when I'm sitting on boys HC porch watching Randy and Quinn passing out milk and cookies as everybody talks about the day.”
Randy: Hoops on the A-Court
Athletics Director Randy (and not surprisingly): “First Rec Hoops on the A Court.”
Athletics Director Audrey: “Opening campfire. That’s when it will sink in.”
Program Director Mark : “The first morning of camp -- the bugle blows and lower hill is already buzzing as upper hill campers slowly gather on the picnic benches outside their bunks. My feet are getting a little wet from the dew on the grass as we all start the march together to the flagpole!”
Head of Filmmaking John: “Walking out of the dining room at lunchtime and seeing a huge group of kids hanging out on the Film Shack porch waiting to watch some classic Scatico films during Rest Hour.”
Head nurse Patti: “When I pull through those gates and hear those first-day giggles and singing.”
Chef Ally (head of the culinary program): “Approaching the gate and seeing the Camp Scatico sign. I can hear voices singing “We Welcome You to Scatico” in my head and instantly burst into song and claps myself (even if I am driving). The butterflies in my belly start to flutter and I know I am back in my summer home.”
Special events coordinator Jane: (as in Rosenfeld, who headed the theater program in her last full summer in 2016 and will return in a new leadership role in 2021—and the title may evolve): “Being at the Carnival and watching the DL horse race to see who comes in last (like I did every year as a division leader).”
Ally and Patti: Driving through the front gate.
Jane: DL “Horse” race at the Carnival. This photo is from 2016 and DL Andrew Nathin seems unhappy with the dice roll.
What’s the moment when you’ll know you’re really back at camp? Start dreaming. And send your “visions” to info@scatico.com or DM to Scatico’s Instagram at @campscatico_official. In less than 5 months the dreams will come true….
A Relection from Cory—Dreaming of Elizaville
Head Counselors Kerri and Cory on a recent DJ Pure Night. Between them, more than 45 Scatico summers (and counting)….
Cory began his Scatico journey as a 9-year-old camper in 1988. His first Scatico run ended in 2002 as a counselor in the 1-week Scatico-In-Training (SIT) program (after several years as a division leader). He then returned as an SIT counselor in 2011 and as a senior staff member (girls athletics director) in 2013. (Who says, “you can never go home again”?) He has been the boys head counselor since 2016. We asked: “What’s the moment when you’ll know you’re really back at camp?”
He answered: Over a long camp career, I have had the privilege of hearing many people speak at Friday night services which take place at the boy’s waterfront. As a sub junior I sat in the front row and played with the sticks and the sand. I was aware that someone was speaking, and I really can’t recall what I was taking in, but I think I knew enough to know that it was a special time when we were all gathered there. As an upper hill camper, the relationships I had with my peers, and especially with my counselors were the single most impactful relationships in my life, so when someone was up there speaking, I was paying attention and craved the wisdom of the counselors we looked up to each and every summer.
Even now, it is a special thing for me to watch current staff members get up in front of the camp and hold an audience while baring personal experiences that run the gamut of emotions. I don’t take it lightly how much courage it takes to get up there, and no matter who makes that walk up there, I am always wowed by the poise everyone shows.
And what I have thought a lot about lately is that, as far back as I can remember a common theme has echoed at the lake on these Friday nights, “Take advantage of your time here”…In some form or another it is a message that runs through most sermons. A message that we all hear and understand, and we might make a mental note to live the day long, but as we often do, we head back up to the hill, get involved in camp and we live.
Dylan Patterson, Matt Gross, Andrew Kassin in recent summers all bringing a raw emotion in describing all different situations they lived through and how you should take advantage of the time you have, wherever you should find yourself…And we think we do. And then you leave Camp on August 16th 2019, you say your goodbyes, you hug your friends, maybe you cry in the backseat as you wind your way down mosquito hollow and out past the gate. And all the while you’re thinking of the great memories and right there you start to plan for next summer.
And then there is no next summer. And there is also so much more than that, we have all gone through so much.
August 7, 1993—the final night of Color War. Green Captain Cory Schwartz (hand on heart) speaks from the heart to the entire boys camp in the social hall…. Foreshadowing things to come 20 years or so later.
And now here we are, planning for summer 2021. We can once again take advantage of our time together, and really understand what that means. We’ll get there, and there will be hello’s at orientation, and we’ll navigate how this new reality works. We’ll have an opening day, and it will be different, and we’ll navigate this as well as best we can. I know we’ll be prepared.
And the sun will get to that perfect spot in the sky, probably my favorite light of the day, where it’s letting us know it’s time for mess call. We’ll all shuffle down to mess in our fresh white tees and green shorts ready to take on the world. We’ll fall in and lineup with our groups at the flagpole. The sun is perfect right now, and I’m in the middle of the lineup looking around at all of you and I know this is the moment I have been waiting for all these months. Thinking of what it took to get back here. Thinking of how lucky we are, and how we need to take advantage of our time here.
SCATINEWS
As of this writing, all of the camp doctors and many of the teachers on staff have had their first COVID vaccinations. Just for the record books…. the first vaccinated? We’re thinking longtime camp doctor (and an ER physician at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx) Greg Mazarin on December 16th….
Campers Alexa and Eli Tannenbaum visited camp on a particularly cold and snowy morning in late December. While sledding on the golf course proved a very new Scatico experience they were (as reported by dad and camp alumnus Andrew Tannenbaum) even more impressed by the hollow and echoing sound of rocks landing on the partially frozen crib at the boys waterfront.…
Alexa and Eli
Greg gets vaccinated!
A shoutout to Art (and Philosophy) Director Ken Vallario, who created the most “liked” meme in Scatico history (sent minutes after the end of the Biden Inauguration): Bernie Sanders sitting in front of the Admin Building. In true Scatico fashion it inspired a flurry of other Bernie “sightings” at camp.…
Sub-Junior Benny Katz is a featured performer in “The Apple Corps,” a 15-minute PSA musical video sponsored by the NYC Department of Transportation (and to be shown in NYC Public Schools this spring). Viewers will follow a group of “school friends as they navigate their way through NYC during hybrid or remote school days.”
In the Spring issue of camper newsletter we’ll share news of Random Scatico Sightings (RSSes) and other masked/distanced camp connections. You can send all news (and non-news) to info@scatico.com.
Home Sweet Home…
(at least when not in Elizaville)
For the statistically and geographically minded, our annual look at from where our campers depart to travel to Scatico. As of February 1….
Westchester 28.3%
New York City 17.7%
New Jersey 12.7%
Long Island 8.8%
Connecticut 8.5%
Metro-DC 5.3%
California 4.6%
Other States* 4.5%
Pennsylvania 3.5%
Florida 3.2%
International 2.9%
*“Other States” includes Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, North Carolina, Texas, and Vermont.
Scatico campers live in 16 states, 1 district (D.C.), and 3 countries (not including the United States). The records aren’t complete, but we’re pretty sure this is the most home states in camp history.
Parent Portal
This is the year we hope to go paperless (or almost paperless). A link to the Portal will be sent to parents by the end of February. With the following timeline for forms/information:
February—Summer Forms: Clothing List, Shipping and Luggage, Health Histories, Transportation, Camper Confidentials
April—Parents’ Handbook: Information to get you ready for the summer of 2021
New For 2021
Among many harbingers of summer in the camp office…. placing orders for program supplies and finalizing plans for capital projects.
For the discerning Scatico eye, changes in 2021 will include program enhancements (additional wheels for ceramics; a new 25-foot Rave at the waterfront; a new floor in the dance studio….) and operational improvements (expanded handwashing capacity at the dining room; several 200 to 400- square-foot popup tents to add more covered outdoor spaces…).
For the less-discerning eye, it will be hard to miss a major renovation of Bunk 9-10 on boys side that will add an extra shower in the bathroom, rebuild the porch, and create more floor space in the main part of the cabin.
The Spring issue of the camper newsletter will share more details regarding other program additions and 2021 staff.
