News From Elizaville

At camp, we always look to embrace the moment. From the obviously spectacular—180-degree double rainbows to impeccably-timed fly-overs by the resident bald eagle; from last-second game winners (fill in the sport) to spot-on Divisional Sing performances that equally elevate the group and the audience. If you look carefully, there can be magic at any time in any day.

Hopefully, there’s another kind of wonder revealed in the behind-the-scenes tours of camp I take bunks on each summer. What’s beneath that mysterious mound to the right of the front gate? An 1800s ice house (when ice was harvested from the lake in the winter to use as refrigeration year-round). The bricked up fireplace in the basement of the Admin Building? That’s where the farmhouse kitchen was located in the 1800s (pre-plumbing days and with an outhouse out back). Those ruins atop the ridge on the path to the girls campfire site (the highest point in camp)? Remnants of a water tower that supplied water to camp pre-1960. Can anyone explain why a tree has grown fully around the vestiges of an upright piano in the woods behind the Cove tennis court? Probably not, but we can always make something up.

The tours also take a peak at the camp infrastructure. What does a treatment and well system look like that can provide thousands of gallons of water every 24 hours? (Two thousand gallon holding tanks are pretty big and surprisingly cold to the touch on a hot day.) How do you store 4 to 5 days of food to serve close to 500 people daily? (Start with 4 walk-in refrigerators, 6 freezers, and several rooms for storing dry goods.)

Clearly, if you take the time to look, there’s magic and wonder to see at so many times and in so many places. And maybe the most magical and wonderful moments are those that surround us every day. And are the simplest. Walking with bunkmates to a meal and debating whether the tree-lined road or lake path is more scenic. Playing cards at a picnic table outside your cabin during the free time before dinner. Queueing up outside the HC bunk with campers of all ages for chocolate milk and cookies at 9PM taps....

As the summer of 2025 approaches, we will look to celebrate both the once-in-a-generation and the everyday routine. And I’m already plotting some new locales for the behind-the-scenes explorations. Does that stone wall running randomly through the woods really date to the 1700s?

Summer of 2024: Memorable Moments:

Staying In Touch

Our first “Staying In Touch” column of the 2024-25 off-season and, as always, we’ll start with Random Scatico Sightings (RSSes)—unplanned sightings of members of the community outside of the 12523....

The deep playoff runs for the Mets and Yankees provided a few RSS opportunities. Watching the Mets at Citifield: Boys head counselor Mark Gretenstein and Charlie Oren; former head counselor Cory Schwartz with Noah Stiefel and his dad Marc (a camp doctor); and Counselor Emmett Miller and 2024 Upper Senior Spencer Hellman.

In the Bronx for the Yankees: Mark (no NY favoritism from this Miami native) and assistant director Audrey Fleischner with 2025 Upper Senior Jonah Cooper and his dad Jon. If you’re keeping score at home, the dads Marc and Jon were divisionmates, counselors, and group leaders together in the 1980s-90s....

Jonah scores a double-RSS for this issue after discovering Liav Klein on the opposing team for a September AAU basketball tournament in New York City. (A spe- cial shoutout to Liav for the green-and-white attire.)....

Sam, Tyler, Michael, Kerri, Amy and Lainey

This month’s exotic RSS locale? The Journey Behind the Falls tour at Niagara Falls. Girls head counselor Kerri Winderman and her husband Michael (Scatico’s top flag football referee!) were on a pre-college drop-off road trip with their son Tyler (on their way to the University of Michigan) when they spotted campers Lainey and Sam Tunick and their mom Amy. Kerri and Amy overlapped as campers and counselors in the 1980s-90s.

Other camp news.... At UMich, Kerri and Tyler connected with fellow Scaticonians Noalee Rubin, Scarlett Hartstein, Ethan Rotko, and Emma Rotko (visiting her older brother). By our count, there are 11 current and former staff and campers currently attending the University....Heading west, former counselors and campers Isaac Greenblatt, Charlie Bochner, and siblings Lara, Brooke, and Michael Tostoi held a Scatico get-together at the University of Colorado in Boulder.... Thirteen of 16 divisionmates made the trip to Pittsburgh, PA, for the Bat Mitzvah of Rosie Marcus. Most impressive was Georgia Riccio making the trip north from Texas.... Greetings from San Francisco—where Carson Beer and Alex Callahan are classmates (and sent in this photo as they headed off on a school trip).... And lots of divisional bowling reunions: the 2024 Frosh, Sub Junior, and Junior boys and Junior girls (all at the same alley on the same day)....

Send news, non-news, and photos for the Winter issue of the Newsletter to info@scatico.com.

On the Horizon

In the Winter Issue of the Camper Newsletter: More results from the 2024 Camper Survey (last chance to send back your forms) as well as updates on program and capital plans for next season.
For Families: The Camper Portal with paperwork like the packing list and medical forms will go live in January.... Campers (and parents) love visiting Scatico in the off-season. The fall foliage season may have come and gone, but winter looms on the horizon. Sledding on the golf course hills. Taking in the ice-fishing on the lake. Walking across the lake from the Clubhouse to the Woodshop. Obligatory stop(s) for pizza at Sal’s and/or ice cream at Holy Cow. Just email in advance so we can provide a weather up-date (and confirm snow cover or if the lake is frozen).

Home Sweet Home

(at least when not in Elizaville)

Totals include 2024 enrollments and 2025 first-time Scaticonians.

Campers represent 14 states, 1 district, 8 countries, 5 continents, and 1 world.

Westchester 25.2%
NYC 16.5%
New Jersey 14.6%
Connecticut 9.1%
Long Island 6.1%
Other* 6.1%
California 5.8%
International** 5.8%
Metro DC 3.2%
Upstate, NY 2.6%
Massachusetts 2.3%
Florida 2.3%

*Other includes Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Colorado, Texas, Vermont, and Illinois.

**International includes Spain, France, Hong Kong, Austria, Ghana, Kenya, and Ecuador.

The Pie Tins and Cotton Balls Mystery

Lucy and Abby at work in Outdoor Adventure

One annual fall task is to read through the program evaluations, inventories, and next-season recommendations as completed by Scatico’s program directors. One 2025 supply request by Will Bussert, the head of Outdoor Adventure, generated a little head-scratching. Thirty pie tins and 300 cotton balls. One text to Will later and the mystery was solved: “It’s a less messy and safer way to practice starting a fire with flint and steel.” He even attached a photo to his response. Can a first Scatico appearance on “Survivor” be far off?

Survey Says Early voting before the polls close...

Favorite activity? Cooking will defend its 2023 championship. Favorite special event? Divisional Sing. In the interest of full disclosure (and to prevent a landslide in the results), we didn’t include Color War as a full-camp Special Event (limited to activities taking place in a single day). The 4th of July (BBQ, talent show and Fireworks) and the Carnival finished just behind the Divisional Sing in 2nd and 3rd places respectively.

Let’s play....Guess the theme day/activity!

Every now and then a division needs a bit of a pivot from the regular schedule. This is when their group leader and staff put on their super hero capes and invent (concoct) a day/activity program around a certain theme. If playing at home—Good Luck!