“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
