EBR Camps Blog

KEEP YOUR FINGERS AND TOES CROSSED!!!!

As I am sitting at my kitchen table in the morning darkness, miles and miles away from Equinunk and Blue Ridge, about two hours before reveille, my fingers and toes are crossed, superstitiously, wishing for an “all clear” bugle call announcing the beginning of camp. Since the daily reports, information and opinions of leading “experts” appear to change from moment to moment, I try to control my emotional swings.  This reminds me of the two minute drill in football where one team drives the length of the field to take the lead to the elation of their fans, only to have the victory snapped from their grasp, by the opponent kicking the winning field goal as the clock expires. The passion that many of us have for sport is founded in our love for the game, the loyalty for our team, wearing our colors on Game Day and the hope that in the end we will prevail.

Camp is like that…. love, loyalty, uniforms and the hope that our children will prevail. Although we can’t predict what will happen in the coming weeks, we can hope and we can count on what we do know that is true. Sheryl and Adam and their leadership team are steadfast in a resolve to get camp ready to open. That’s genuine! Camp parents, campers and staff have universally sent emails, written letters that zoom hope, empathy and unwavering support. Wayne County camps are in constant communication with one another sharing their letters to parents as well as their hopes, strategies and brother/sisterhood. That’s a pretty amazing display of compassion form competitors!! In a recent conversation with the directors of three nearby camps, I told them if we didn’t own our camp, I would be proud to send our grandchildren to theirs! Such is the greatness of people and camping.

I continue to count on my family, friends and all you guys to continue a lifetime of summers. Please continue to support one another and keep your fingers and toes crossed!!.

Love,

Richie

Hometown: Merrick, NY 

Favorite Band: Sting and the Police, James Taylor

Hobbies: Yoga, hiking, kayaking, and my cat Nugget.

Favorite Summer Themed Movie: Now and Then 

Favorite Food: All cake, especially cake with coconut in it 

Tell us a little about yourself: Born and raised on Long Island, summer camp became one of the threads of my childhood. My younger brother and I grew up attending day camp and then transitioned to sleepaway camp when I was in 3rd grade. My mom worked Arts and Crafts and my dad would come up on the weekends to do rocketry and play on the staff softball team. Camp became our home away from home. I always felt most at ease at camp– it was my place to shine, take risks, and grow in every possible way. 

As I got older, I began playing competitive soccer and had to choose between soccer or camp. I chose soccer– one of the biggest regrets of my life. It paid off, though, and I ended up earning a scholarship to play at American University in Washington D.C. There I studied Public Communication with a minor in Education Studies. At the time, I knew I wanted to work with kids but not as a teacher. So, I went on for my Masters in School Counseling at George Washington University and later, earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. I’ve worked as a school counselor (teaching Life 101), since 2007 in private and public schools in Virginia and in south Florida. 

I have always been committed to working with young people so woven in between my studies and the school year, were summers at day camp and working teen tours. I enjoyed these summers so much that I soon developed  this dream that “in my next lifetime, I’d work at camp year ‘round.” This year while in pursuit of a summer job at camp, I stumbled upon the Assistant Director position at Blue Ridge. The stars were aligned and well, here I am! I cannot express how excited I am to return “home” to camp. 

What are you most excited about: Connecting with like minded camp fanatics and becoming immersed in the rich traditions of Blue Ridge. 

What was your favorite “Evening Lineup” segment: Richie’s Friday night stories. I love a good story that tugs on your heart strings and makes you want to be a better person. 

What is your favorite camp quote: “That’s OK… let’s try again!” It really speaks to how camp is a safe place to make mistakes and use them as learning opportunities. 

What is your favorite camp meal: Though I don’t eat meat anymore, I have fond memories of camp cookouts. And I always loved “bug juice.” 

What is your favorite camp activity: Color War!

Social Distance Learning has been one of the major adjustments we’ve all had to make in this unprecedented time. While some things are postponed, schools and our teachers have done an amazing job making sure education continues. Because of all the hard work teachers and students have put in, those who were expecting to graduate, are able to graduate on time. As a majority of them are not able to have the normal graduation ceremonies we wanted to give a special shout-out to all our Elementary, Middle School, High School and College graduates. We are so proud of all you have accomplished and know you are going to do amazing things with your education. Despite not being able to celebrate the proper way, don’t let it diminish the significance of your accomplishments. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

We are so proud of you all!!!!

– Eric

We hope you have been enjoying our weekly Evening Lineups on both Instagram and Facebook! We love staying connected throughout the week and providing fun and engaging activities for all. Our goal, now more than ever, is to bring you some of our favorite traditions and activities from camp right into your home as we count down the days until camp. Some highlights for us were our Virtual Tribes, Spring Edition Camp Shirt Day, singing songs with Hilary, our live dance party with DJ Todd Yahney and of course Richie’s Friday night stories! We have a lot more in store coming up – be sure to look out for a special musical video from GleEBR, Trivia Night, Alumni interviews and more! What makes our camp community so special is the care and love everyone has towards Equinunk & Blue Ridge and we want to keep seeing that spirit! If you have any videos, pictures or ideas please email us at info@cecbr.com.

Click here to view the entire –>  2019 Fall Buzzer

What makes camp, camp? 

Some say the friends, some say the traditions, some say a little bit of both but I think everyone can agree that it is the people who make Equinunk and Blue Ridge such a special place. Whether it be Sheryl and Richie, Nicki and Adam, Lori and Gil, Hilary and John, Ralphie and Lilla, a counselor and a lifeguard, maybe even Stan, everyone who has spent time at Equinunk and Blue Ridge has been positively influenced by a CECBR Staff member.  

It is these staff members, not a treehouse, basketball court, amphitheater, or Color War Break that makes Equinunk and Blue Ridge what it is today. It is through the hard work, attention to detail, and level of care of these staff members that separate Equinunk and Blue Ridge.  

You may have noticed but rather than leading up to camp with a “countdown” social media campaign we are doing “Staff Spotlights” on Instagram that showcases some of our extraordinary staff members. Check out our Staff Spotlight Campaign or see what’s going on at Equinunk and Blue Ridge by clicking here.  

#WELIVEFORTHIS 

-Eric Iskols, CE Camper Liaison 

“FIFTY”

“Fifty” – a flagpole cheer at Equinunk line-ups during the past few decades cries out to our Upper Seniors to score fifty-plus points in the Color War Basketball Game. Mikey Goldman, Ryan Daly and Jeremy Hoch scored 50, 52 and 53 points respectively in recent years.

A few summers back we celebrated Bernie’s 50th season. This summer we’re proud to welcome Lori into this elite circle as she celebrates her 50th summer at Blue Ridge. This milestone is remarkable in its longevity, her contributions and the consistency Lori has displayed as a camper, counselor, group head, athletic director, head counselor and assistant director. She has transcended the decades, generations of campers and staff and astonishing world events. 

To put her 50th-year tenure at Blue Ridge in perspective, consider the following worldwide phenomena fifty years ago: 

– The New York Mets led by Tom Seaver, the Jets led by Joe Namath and the Knicks led by Willis Reed won world championships in 1969 in their respective sports. The New York Yankees were nowhere to be found. (Sorry, Lori!!) 

– Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong walks on the moon. The Apollo 11 had less advanced technology than the iPhone you carry around everywhere today…but not at camp!!! 

– Woodstock, a concert in Bethel, New York, 45 minutes from camp, attracted more than 400,000 rock and roll fans. The concert impacted our culture far greater than the 3 days of fun, love and music. 

– “The Outsiders”, a book mostly about boys’ struggle with adolescence was written by a 16-year-old girl, S.E. Hinton, and has spoken then and now to generations of boys and girls. 

– Walmart, much to the delight of our staff, became incorporated!!! 

Celebrating Lori’s 50th, we remember: 

– Camp bugle calls for revile, mess, taps, etc., were played on a record player and were transmitted over the camp PA system 

– The Blue Ridge tennis courts were made of clay 

– Blueberry-picking was an activity 

– Lori started at camp when she was 6 years old, typical for that time. Some campers started as early as 5 

– Camp had an open visiting policy and some parents stayed at camp for the entire summer at the Plaza, Ritz or Waldorf hotels. These buildings were later transformed into the Garden basketball court, the movie theater, the Hobby Center and our current main office and staff housing complexes. Visiting Day every day?!?! What?!?! 

– Hockey with boys wearing sneakers, not skates/blades, was played on a make-shift rink on a tennis court with Social Hall benches turned on their side enclosing the court 

– CBR Gymnastics was housed in the area we now call Breeze 

Some things never change!!! 

– Equinunk boys led by the Seniors cheered before meals 

– Blue Ridge sang 3 times a day after breakfast, lunch and dinner 

– Color War plaques in the CBR and CE Social Halls listed the names of the Chiefs and Seniors  

– Although there were no golf carts, radios, satellite dishes or cell phones in camp, we were all connected, loved our friends and continued to live for camp 

Lori has seen it all, been there and done that and like Blue Ridge and Equinunk, has gotten better with age. Our entire Blue Ridge and Equinunk Family congratulates Lori on this milestone and can’t wait to celebrate Lori this summer. 

– Richie
 

From the moment I stepped off the bus in June of 1966, with my Yankee cap on, and baseball glove in hand – I knew that my life would change forever…and I was right. I’m about to spend my 50th summer at Camp Blue Ridge, and the impact that camp has had on my life has truly been remarkable (for those doing the math – I missed 4 summers after I got married in 1984, and Amy was born in August of 1987 – that made it difficult to come to camp that summer).  

Growing up as a camper, I found a place that was warm, welcoming and supportive – a place where I could thrive, be myself, have fun – a place where I was free. I’m amazed to say that over 50 years later, I still feel the same way about camp. My goal is to continue to provide this same environment for every camper and counselor that spends their summers at Camp Blue Ridge.  

When I reflect on my 50 summers, I am overwhelmed by the memories, stories, and emotions. I can tell stories about Tribes, Color War, camp shows, the waterfront, my friends, my counselors, activities, HQ, being in the bunk, the flagpole – the list is endless. I would be happy to share a story with all of you this summer – just ask when you see me around camp. 

The connections and relationships I’ve made over the years are the most special part of my 50-year journey at camp. Whether it’s a lifetime friend, a coworker, or a camper that was in my bunk for only one summer – those relationships and connections have enriched my life since 1966.  

A heartfelt thank you to Richie, Sheryl, and Adam for being such a huge part of my 50 years at camp.  

So…everybody up, up, up! It’s going to be an amazing 50th summer. I’m looking forward to 50 more!  

Love, 

Lori