Fall 2012 - North Country School

‘A Place of Learning and Inspiration’By David Hochschartner, Head of School and Campin cutting-edge educational technology that brings our ratioof students to computers to 4:3 and provides our teachers andlearners with unprecedented computing power.All the same, the absence of technology at Treetops and sensibleapplication of it at NCS help create in our children a specialethos—one grounded in an awareness of the natural world andemerging sense of both their individual agency and capacityfor community—that is best conveyed through campers’ andstudents’ own words.At the summer’s final quiet campfire, senior campers reflectedon their time at Treetops. “When I first got here I’d never seenso many trees in one place,” said one boy. “You don’t have toworry about getting a text or hearing an ambulance. Here it isreally peaceful.” Said another: “Camp isn’t like the rest of yourlife which is run by computers and school. Here you are free tochoose what you want to do.” And a third: “Camp shows youthat you don’t need Facebook and all that stuff. What we needis each other.”Earlier this fall, as our 75th school year got under way,Apple previewed its iPhone 5. Analysts predicted sales ofbetween 5 and 10 million in the first week, with one estimateof 6 million over the first weekend. There’s little doubt that weAmericans love our technology (just as our media love hype).In the same week, news outlets marked the 50th anniversaryof John F. Kennedy’s moon speech, his challenge to the nationto send a man to the moon before the end of the 1960s. Giventoday’s medical breakthroughs or the role of social media inadvances like the Arab Spring, there’s also little doubt that theongoing power of technology to inspire is truly breathtaking.And yet here at Treetops and NCS, we remain an oasis ofsimple, unplugged living in a hyper-wired world. Almostmiraculously, Treetops manages to keep at arm’s length an everencroachingwave of electronics. Our campers continue to marktime by bells, to write and send weekly letters home, and tocommunicate with friends face–to-face. Of necessity, NCS doesnot observe as strict a prohibition (can anyone imagine a schoolwithout computers?), though students’ recreational screen timeis scant. As educators, we welcome any device that helps ourstudents learn, be it document cameras or classroom projectionkits. To this end, a few weeks ago we celebrated the arrival of40 new Google Chromebook laptops, a significant investmentA recent NCS graduate now beginning her college daysexpressed a similar outlook in her application for a scholarship:My childhood is full of memories running through the woods,playing in streams, and climbing trees… I loved looking at insectsand catching frogs and picking berries... While at NCS, I workedon the farm, harvested chickens, made syrup from maple sap,rode horses, and harvested vegetables in the school’s garden…Looking back, I realize how much of an impact the environmentmade in my childhood, and I want to preserve the environment asa place of learning and inspiration for future generations. I don’twant to let the world become a place of pollution and demise.I couldn’t say it any better.From the EditorAs part of the annual fall shuffle, my office moved from theEast End of the Main Building to Glass House. At my deskupstairs, I am blessed with a large window that looks outover the meadow and pond beyond.With a turn of my head, I can watch students identifyingherbs or tasting edibles in the Children’s Garden. Morningglories wind their way up the trellis, with a deep blueSeptember sky to match. Horses amble across the pasture,as trees on the ridge begin to glow orange.page 1 Organic Roots Fall 2012

Reaping What We SowBy Karen Culpepper, Camp Treetops DirectorThe farm and garden have alwaysbeen a staple of life at Treetops. Forgenerations, campers have taken partin (and loved) barn chores, gardenharvest, composting, and communitymorning work. But several additionsand enhancements to the programthis summer inspired in campers evendeeper connections to their food, theanimals, and the natural world.The newly renovated camper kitchenand the wood-fired ovens constructedand donated by an NCS alum (seepage 31 for details) provided a wealthof opportunities for cooking fresh,nutritious foods. Campers learnedto start the fire and monitor thetemperature in the ovens, then bakedbreads and scones, muffins and pies, pizza and calzones. Thecamper kitchen was busy every day, with children making jam, icecream, butter, and goat cheese. (Milking and caring for our goatswas also a new and valuable experience this summer.) Campersfrequented the gardens and patches of wild thyme and mint forflavorings, herbs, toppings, and stuffing, and they got creative withsalsa, pesto, aioli, and dipping sauces. They even invented a recipefor a salve to soothe the itch of bug bites. And campers loved everybit (and bite) of it.Likewise, the Children’s Garden became a popular locationfor a variety of activities. Not intended as a production garden,it offered campers the chance to learn, experiment, and takeownership. Campers weeded and watered, sampled edibles, andplanted seeds of their own choosing. They checked to see whichdirection the morning glories opened and tried different kinds ofmulch. A beautiful place in its own right, the Children’s Gardenbecame a favored venue for reading, playing music, and drawingand painting. A birthday celebration there for the scarecrows madeThis morning it is raining, a rarity this summer and fall. Buton this wet day I see something new: a huge blue heron fliesdirectly over head, wide wings flapping through driving rain,soaring over the meadow, then away.A room with a view is a very good thing. A change inperspective, even better.Lisa Rowleyin Junior camp was a festive evening of song, carrot cake (madefrom our own) and community.Both the Children’s Garden and camper kitchen provided a focusfor further integrating farm and garden activities into other programareas, notably our crafts. For the camper kitchen, children madecutting boards, built rustic stools, and sewed pockets on cookingaprons. For the Children’s Garden, they created ceramic gnomesto hide among the flowers and prayer flags of colorful vegetablesfelted from wool. Campers made and painted wooden cut-outs ofthe Treetops and NCS animal logo that they carried in the FarmFest parade then assembled near the Children’s Garden.During the last week of Camp, as a kind of Treetops last hurrah,two Super girls had a harvest meal that they’d been planning allsummer. First they set the table with fresh flowers, a beautifultablecloth one of the girls had woven, napkins they’d stenciledwith our Roots logo, and ceramic napkin rings decorated withbarnyard animals. They ate and drank from plates and cups they’dmade in the pot shop. The menu included a frittata made from ourown eggs, onions, and kale, with bread they baked in the woodoven and butter they’d shaken themselves. They harvested theirsalad of cukes, peppers, and lettuces straight from the garden, andfor dessert they feasted on crab apple cobbler they’d baked withfruit picked from our trees.We may have harvested thousands of pounds of veggies, greens,flowers, and herbs throughout the summer; but the gardens in turnsowed in us creativity, devotion, hard work, and community inquantities hard to measure.www.nct.org 518.523.9329 page 2

Trustee TransitionsAfter 12 years, Matt Davidson stepped down from his position as Board Chair. Duringhis tenure, Matt set the bar for strong leadership, thoughtful guidance, and tireless dedication.Fortunately, Matt will continue his service on the Board and is ably succeeded by veteran Boardmember and former Vice Chair Dennis Aftergut. Dennis’ keen intellect, steady leadership,and boundless energy will stand the Camp and School community in great stead. In July, PatPincus came off the Board after four terms of important service. Pat’s long career as an educatorprovided a practical perspective that was invaluable to Board discussions, and her insight will bedifficult to replace. Earlier in the year, Rose Lansbury also retired from the Board. Her 34-year tenure, including six years as Board Chair, will be remembered for the wisdom, dedication,and quiet strength that characterized her leadership. We are delighted that Rose has accepted a newrole as trustee emerita.Board of TrusteesDennis Aftergut, ChairBarkley Stuart, Vice ChairSandra Gray Nowicki,SecretaryJennifer Ewing AllenLisa BeckBarry BreemanPeter R. BrestJ. Matthew DavidsonGuillaume de RamelLaura Thrower HarrisJulia JonathanCaroline KenneySam KimHope KnightRoger S. LoudJennifer MaslowIn addition, the Trustees are pleased to welcome three new members.Jennifer Maslow worked at NCS from 1982 to 1985. She taught Spanish, worked with the ridingprogram, and was a houseparent in Woods House. Her post-NCS career included teaching at boththe primary and high school levels, work in admissions, and support for international studentsand their families at her alma mater, Wyoming Seminary. A graduate of St. Lawrence University,Jennifer currently lives in Ashland, Oregon, where she is a full-time mom and Treetops parent ofthree teenaged children.Bob Parker and his wife Margaret sent four sons to Treetops, racking up 27 family camp-yearsfrom 1992-2004. Bob serves as chief of pediatric hematology/oncology at Stony Brook Universityon Long Island. He also sits on several boards of local groups supporting kids with cancer andtheir families, including Make-A-Wish and Camp Adventure, the American Cancer Society campwhere Bob is the consulting oncologist. Bob did both his undergraduate work and medical trainingat Brown University. He and his wife Margaret, chief of pediatric critical care medicine at StonyBrook, live in Setauket, NY.Bethany Dickerson Wynder first learned about us from former trustee Reg Gilliam and becameenraptured by the place after attending Friends’ Weekend in 2011. With 15 years in leadershippositions in federal government and education nonprofits, Bethany currently directs the diversityrecruitment initiatives at City Year, Inc. She also serves as a member of the Ron Brown ScholarProgram steering committee and the Breakthrough Cambridge board of directors. She earned a BAin government from the University of Virginia and an MPP from Georgetown University. Bethanylives in Cambridge, MA, with her husband Chuck Wynder, Jr.Bob ParkerMarty RosenbergPamela RosenthalMatt SalingerPeter SkinnerHume SteyerManny WeintraubBethany Dickerson WynderHonorary TrusteesJoan K. DavidsonColin C. Tait, Esq.Richard E. WildeTrustees EmeritiDavid T. KenneyRose Kean LansburySumner Parkerpage 3 Organic Roots Fall 2012

Spring Alumni EventsHonoring 40 Yearsof Treetops LeadershipIn late April nearly 100 Treetops friends gathered in New YorkCity to honor a most distinguished group: all five living directorsof Camp. Helen Haskell was with us in spirit and spoken offondly throughout the evening. Current campers as young 8 or 9met the directors whom their parents knew back in the day. Tablecenterpieces of Treetops’ fixtures like the tent-line, waterfront,and butterfly house helped transport everyone from an UpperWest Side ballroom to the Lake Hill. Tributes to each director,written and delivered by Susie Localio, Bill Localio, and GeorgeDrake, brought laughter and tears in nearly equal measure. Eachdirector also received an Adirondack pack basket and messagesfrom well-wishers unable to attend. It was another Treetops nightto remember, and we thank Jane Rosenbloom for the vision andenergy that made it possible.Good Times Had By AllThroughout the spring, alumni, family, and friends gathered forinformal get-togethers in locations that spanned the country.Special thanks to our hosts—Ted and Julie Kalmus in Seattle,Brian Eng in Portland, Maine, and Greg Marchildon and BrianLansbury in Burlington, Vermont—for providing the opportunityfor people to share stories and memories of Camp and School intheir own hometowns. We hope to offer more of these events inthe future, so keep your eye on your mailbox or our website foradditional information.In April, several dozen friends gathered at Alta Lodge in Utahfor our annual weekend of fabulous skiing, great food andaccommodations, and fond reminiscing. Alta Lodge host MimiLevitt attended to every detail with her characteristic warmth andgrace.And back in February, a group of Treetops alumni and counselorsin their 20s and 30s got together for some mid-week bowling inManhattan. The bowling was hardly the main attraction, but thegutter balls and occasional strike made for a memorable eveningof laughter and connection.Check out photos and more from Friends’ Weekend 2012 on pages 23-25.Save the Date | Friends’ Weekend at Alta Lodge April 10 -14, 2013Photos (top to bottom): CTT directors and spouses: Brad and Heidi Konkler, Karen and John Culpepper, Julia and Jeff Jonathan, Dick and Sara Wilde,Debby and Colin Tait; Marcus and Cassie (Levitt) Dippo in Alta; Lindsay Putnam and Don Rand in Burlingtonwww.nct.org 518.523.9329 page 4

Graduation 2012Cool, blustery weather could not dampen emotions for NCS’s74th graduation. On Saturday, June 2, twenty-two members of theClass of 2012 processed proudly into the Quonset to the delightof their families, teachers, and fellow students. Nearly two hourslater, they filed out just as proudly, drying tears and clutching theirsenior books, as our newest alumni. In the interim, the facultyappreciations of graduating seniors and students’ heart-felt voicingof thanks made for a wonderfully moving ceremony—and aneloquent expression of what makes North Country School unique.Hock honored the recipients of the 2012 Jamieson-Roseliep WorkAward—Dante Buckley, Heidi Choi, Andrea Flores, Eun Bi Go,Marcos Fernandez, and Hannah Runyon—as well as seniors Louisede Mattos and Naomi Peduzzi for achieving Literary 46er status inthe Title Trekking program.And Matthew Tuck, NCS 78 and 15-year managing director atCredit Suisse, gave the graduation speech. Recalling his own daysat NCS, Matt spoke of the limits he tested and the discipline andhard work he learned here at the hand of wise and dedicated faculty.Here’s a short excerpt:I quickly embraced NCS with a passion, and frankly, not always ahealthy passion. I was naughty, rebelled unsuccessfully, and got intotrouble… I was, simply put, trying to grow up, and I was having ahard time.Photos (top to bottom): Class of 2012; Babacar Ly, Hannah Runyon, Marcos Fernandez; Matt Tuck NCS 78 and Hockpage 5 Organic Roots Fall 2012

Alumni Voice: Learning Outside the ClassroomBy Steve Lang, NCS 53, CTT 50, CTT parent 81-86One learns many things at NCS outside of the classroom.Aside from skiing, I was very interested in skating,especially hockey. As one can see from the 1952 photo ofmyself and roommate Dick Sands, our outfits were moreappropriate for the classroom than the rink.Fast forward to the present. I was at the yearly boat show inRockland, ME, when a friend approached and said, ”Hello, Iwant you to meet a fellow nut.” It seems his friend also playedsenior hockey. (One thing that has stayed with me from NCSis staying in shape, and playing hockey all these years hashelped to keep me fit.) To make a long story short, he askedif I might be interested in joining histeam and playing in Friendship Gamesin Slovakia, an event arranged bythe American Embassy. I ended upjoining the Old Geysir’s team fromWashington, DC.The experience of playing FriendshipGames in Bratislava and Kosice, thetwo largest cities in Slovakia, was fun.The hardest parts were the long flightsfrom California, via Washington, DC.Though one might expect language tobe a problem, hockey is international.The Slovakians were shocked that oldfellows would still be playing. Thegames would have been very lopsidedif we had not split up the teams andmixed players, for they were half ourage. The U.S. Ambassador, Theodore(Tod) Sedgwick, was our honorarycoach.I now have some idea what aprofessional must feel like. With jetlagfrom the traveling and playing threegames in a week, there was not muchtime for anything except eating andsleeping at the hotels. Would I do itagain? I think once was enough.I always had a dream of being ableto play hockey in Europe one day,but one never knows whether dreamswill come true. But in true NCS/CTTfashion, if we work hard and longenough at what we strive for, goodthings eventually happen. I was not avery good classroom student at NCS,but I learned much more importantthings outside the classroom thathave helped me all my life—and forwhich I am most thankful.Photos (top to bottom): Steve (left) with roommate Dick Sands; Steve shooting on goalwww.nct.org 518.523.9329 page 8

The Inspiration forSummer’s ChildrenPhotography and Insight fromBarbara MorganSummer’s Children, Barbara Morgan’s photographic homage to Treetopsfirst published in 1951, is a well-loved volume prized by generations ofCamp families. Over the years, Barbara’s children, Douglas and Lloyd,and grandchildren, Willard, Adele, and Lael, have generously donated tous archival quality prints of Barbara’s Treetops photographs. Last winterthe Morgan family sent us several more photographs. We chose the threepresented here because they capture so vividly the child’s world of whimsyand play that Helen Haskell (pictured at right) created.In addition to the photographs, the family sent an unexpected treasure: a copyof an interview that Barbara gave in 1971 at UCLA, her alma mater, to oralhistorian Bernard Galm. In it she speaks at length, and with evident affectionand admiration, of Helen and Doug Haskell, of life at Treetops, and of theexact moment in the early 1940s when her inspiration for Summer’s Childrencame into focus. Below are excerpts from the interview. For additional photos,visit www.camptreetops.org/bmorgan.“Well, now, let’s see how to do this. We knew the Haskells just after having ourfirst child. So they immediately told us, ‘Well, sometime you must come up andvisit us at the Camp, and bring Douglas.’ And we did, and I just can’t imagine ourchildren’s childhood without this marvelous experience in the camp.“… The main pitch was… they wanted to expand the city child’s experience andtune them in to the basic experience of nature. So each summer children fromwealthy families, from totally poverty stricken families, children from everyethnic group, and so on were all brought together in this warm atmosphere of—well, literally—of love.“… And they didn’t take children that were really problem children, like psychoticchildren; on the other hand, every child has certain problems. All of us do. Andthat is what Helen wanted to know… For the most part every kid has some littleslight hang-up, and so if a child was a little bit afraid of a mountain trip, the childwouldn’t just be thrust into it. But they’d go through some modest experience andget such a kick out of it that by the time they went on a real trip, they were readyfor it. And it was that kind of preparation that was always going on.“… Incidentally, one of the wonderful things about this camp, Mrs. Haskell andMr. Haskell always had animals there for the children to love and to be responsiblepage 9 Organic Roots Fall 2012

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The Inspiration for Summer’s ChildrenPhotography and Insight from Barbara Morganlearning about sex, but they were also learning about caring forthe baby. And as soon as possible, the child that was allowed tohave a little bottle of milk and nurse a kid goat, or later on a littlerabbit, you could see the pride and the silent joy in the child, andit was just terrific.“… So one day when I was staying in the farmhouse, I’d turnedon the radio just to see what was happening in the world. Andsuddenly the news came on, and I was just swept away andbewildered and couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was tellingof Hitler’s invasion of Warsaw and the slaughter of women andchildren. And I just couldn’t believe [it]. I found myself weeping,and I suddenly thought: at least let Helen know what’s going on,because I knew she didn’t have a radio up in the main camp.“So I started running. And as I went by the barn, I saw acounselor or two and a lot of children grooming the horses. Itwas early morning, and they were having their barn chores beforebreakfast… The kids take turns doing this barn chore work, andone child loves this horse and one child loves that horse, so theygroom the horse they love, you see. It’s part of this whole thingabout the affection and learning to be responsible to an animal.to. They both felt that the experience of growing up with a cat ordog, or in this case with a goat or a rabbit, was one of the mostformative experiences of their life and that having an animal tolove and to also be responsible to—to be sure that it was fed andcared for and petted and anything else—was sort of prelude tobeing responsible to human beings… So every year, she had apregnant goat, a pregnant rabbit, a pregnant pig... And usually,about in the first week, something was born…“The children were so excited, you know. Well, they were“So I saw this, well, with a new light. ‘My god, in Warsawpeople are being destroyed, and here these children are caressingan animal, stroking the horses’ flanks, combing out the kinks ofthis horse’s tail.’ And I saw this wonderful rapport between thecounselors and the children and the love that was going on rightthere in front of me, and I knew at this moment destruction oflife was also going on. And so as I saw this, this whole thingjust burst into my brain: ‘I’ve got to do a book on this camp andshow this love that goes into the forming of a child’s life.’ And Ibegan weeping again—it was just a tragedy and a miracle all atthe same time.“So I dashed along... into the kitchen and grabbed Helen andsaid, ‘Come.’ And she knew something was going on, and so shedashed with me, and we went into some little corner, and I toldher what was going on. And I said, ‘I’ve got to do a book. I’ve gotto see your counselors tonight.’ And well, Helen is so intuitiveand such a marvelous person that she knew that it was real. So shesaid, ‘Okay, I’ll get them.’”page 11 Organic Roots Fall 2012

Farm & Garden Update, Part IMore, Bigger, RiperBy Katie Culpepper, Treetops Farm EducatorThe following first appeared as the August 8, 2012 entry on theTreetops/NCS Farm blog.It’s that time of summer when the list of vegetables to beharvested gets longer and longer by the day. It’s hard to walkin the greenhouse without tripping over a giant cucumber.There are more string beans than we can keep up with. Andeven when we just want to thin the carrot patch, we walk awaywith brimming baskets. It seems a little funny that just as Campbegins to slow down for the end of summer, our gardens are justgaining momentum. That doesn’t mean we’ve been twiddlingour thumbs for the last five weeks, waiting for the onions tobulge. We’ve been busy harvesting right from the start—oftenthe unfamiliar or unconventional crops—but harvesting all thesame.Chickweed, for example, grows abundantly in garden pathwaysand amid the kale and kohlrabi. So we harvested it to makea salve to ease the itch from mosquito bites. We’ve breweddandelion flowers and greens, high in calcium and vitamin C, fortea. Crushed up plantains soothed the pain of bee stings. Beforeour flower bed was in bloom, we gathered wild flowers for thevases on our dining room tables. We’ve been creative with greentomatoes as we wait for the red ones.We’ve been finding a purpose for as much of what we have as wecan. Weeds like galinsoga, purslane, and lamb’s quarters becamegarnish for the garden lettuce in our salads. Rocks, jokinglydubbed our best crop, were harvested and used to build twocairns to mark the entrances to the Children’s Garden and to ournew apple orchard. We roped off wild thyme and mint patchesgrowing on the property to keep them from getting mowed whilewe waited for our garden patches to fill in.And now that we have more, and bigger, and riper, we’re startingto use that, too. Our meals, beautifully prepared by our kitchensright from the start, are now even more packed with the kale,beans, radish greens, cucumbers, squash, and herbs that campersharvest every morning. Dilly beans and pickles add color to theshelves in our camper kitchen. Several heads of chopped upred and white cabbage are soaking in the fridge on their way tobecoming kimchee. Raspberry scones coming out of the breadoven are finished with a swipe of homemade mint butter. Afterharvesting scapes over the last few weeks, campers are finallyable to pick the garlic planted last fall. Recipes for salsas andsauces are whirling around in preparation for the imminentripening of tomatoes, tomatillos, and peppers.Both campers and counselors have been learning the rhythmsof the garden. Throughout the summer we’ve had quiet timesand times of abundance, and we’re seeing the value in them all.Sometimes we need to give the newly planted echinacea just alittle water, and sometimes we have to run screaming throughthe garden as we declare war on the potato bugs. Sometimes ourharvest baskets are filled with more than we know what to dowith, and sometimes we have only weeds to eat. This summer,I have surely found the value in weeds. But I can’t wait for myfirst tomato straight off the vine.www.nct.org 518.523.9329 page 12

Alumni Spotlight: Helen Cohen, CTT 69-71© Jesse Freidin Photographerby Susie LocalioCTT 55-56, 58-59, Staff 65-80, 89-94We used to call her La Belle Helene. But instead of launchinga thousand ships, Helen Cohen has launched a breathtakingarray of projects that address issues of social and economicjustice, tolerance, and respect for diversity. For nearly 20years she has been a documentary film producer with afocus on community land trust development and anti-biaseducation. Her current project, “grace,” is her first filmabout a personal friend.Dr. Grace Dammann is a pioneer in HIV/AIDS care who washonored by the Dalai Lama in 2005 as an “unsung hero ofcompassion.” In May 2008, she was on the Golden Gate Bridgedriving home from her work in a public hospital serving lowincomepatients. An oncoming driver blacked out, veered acrossthe divide, and caused a head-on collision. Grace’s injuries werehorrific. She was in a coma for 48 days. She finally regainedconsciousness, miraculously with her cognitive function intact,but with her body shattered and her life forever altered. Sheunderwent nine surgeries and the “ultra marathon” of rehab.Helen and her husband and filmmaking partner, Mark Lipman,follow Grace with their camera and tell the story both of herphysical recovery and the role of strong community support andspiritual practices in her healing. Helen does the interviewing.Mark is the tech guy doing the filming. It’s been a labor of lovefor the past two years. Helen and Mark are now launching alarger campaign to get funding and turn the film into a full lengthfeature about how one woman in the face of daunting challengesis discovering a new way of being.Another of Helen’s current projects is “Arc of Justice,” the firstfilm in a series called “Streets of Dreams.” It tells the story of therise, fall, and rebirth of New Communities, Inc. (NCI), the firstmodern community land trust, established in southwest Georgiain 1970. NCI, which sprang from the Civil Rights era’s desirefor economic self-sufficiency, comprised almost 6,000 acres andwas the largest black-owned farm in the nation. It was lost toforeclosure in the 1980s in large part because of discriminatorylending practices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Twelveyears after NCI folded, 2,000 black farmers filed a class actionsuit against the USDA and won. It was the largest civil rightssettlement in history, and with the money awarded, NewCommunities was reborn and now owns 1,600 acres about 30miles from the original farm. Helen’s film will document thelabor involved in turning this land, once a plantation workedby slaves, into a productive farm and chronicle this triumphantevent.Affecting progressive social change through film seems fittinglife’s work for a Treetops camper of the late ’60s and early’70s. Indeed, Helen Cohen speaks of Helen Haskell as one ofher most influential and early mentors. “The values nurturedand seeds planted for me at Treetops have informed everythingI have done with a focus on sustainability, fairness, economicand environmental justice, community building, and music,” shewrote to me.And she has done a lot. “Arc of Justice” and “grace” are justthe most recent in a long list of films Helen has directed andproduced. The award she is most proud of is from the NationalAssociation for Multicultural Education, which awarded herits 1999 Multicultural Media Award for “It’s Elementary:Talking About Gay Issues in School.” This groundbreakingdocumentary designed for teachers and parents focuses on howschools discuss violence and discrimination directed at gay andlesbian people. In it second graders react to a book about a childwith two mothers, third graders debate gay marriage, and olderstudents ask questions of a gay guest speaker. The film makesit clear that rather than being an issue that kids shouldn’t hearabout, anti-gay prejudice affects many children, and teachershave a responsibility to educate students about these issuesin appropriate ways. Perhaps predictably, the PBS broadcastof the film in 1999 unleashed a heated backlash which Helendescribed as “quite a ride,” complete with threatening hate mailand a billboard campaign in Idaho damning the film as immoral.Despite the uproar, “It’s Elementary” is still used extensively inteacher training programs and has sparked two additional filmsPhoto: Helen at home in San Francisco with her husband Mark and dog Marniepage 13 Organic Roots Fall 2012

in a series for kids, one about the diverse composition oftoday’s families, the other about bullying in middle school.For her own schooling, Helen graduated from an alternativepublic high school and Hampshire College, another institutionthat nurtured the values instilled in her by Helen Haskell andTreetops. She was a counselor at Treetops during her time atHampshire. After graduation her desire to work with innercity kids led her to a job in a youth shelter in Somerville,MA. Finding the arena of social services limiting, she movedto the Bay Area (by way of Mexico and Central America) andworked in the fields of community economic developmentand socially responsible investment. Twenty-five years ago,she founded the Northern California Community Loan Fund,which to this day provides loans and technical assistance toorganizations serving low-income communities. And fromthere she followed an eclectic path through a master’s degreefrom MIT in urban planning, films and music, motherhoodand art.“I have always needed a personal creative pursuit,” Helentold me. For years it was singing in choruses. She startedpainting when her special needs daughter, Anna, entered preschooland left her a few hours of free time every day. Withsupport from an incredible teacher, Helen began to paintlarge, abstract canvases suffused with color. She now findspainting a passion and balance to the rest of her life. Ratherthan being cerebral and analytic, art for Helen is immediateand expressive. Over the years she has worked with acommunity of artists, been in group and solo shows, anddone artist-in-residence programs. Later this year she willbe represented by the Agora Gallery in New York City andpart of a group show there December 20, 2012 - January 12,2013. (530 West 25th Street.) And Anna, whose departure topre-school in 1995 started this new chapter in Helen’s life, isoff to a college program at Lesley University in Cambridge,MA, studying to become a pre-school teacher and learning tolive a full, independent life.In her work, Helen has seen much that is neither just nor fair,but she keeps the enthusiasm and warmth I remember fromher Treetops days. She expresses her joy in vibrant art, andshe makes this world a better, more beautiful place.For more information about Helen and her work,visit her websites, helenscohen.com (art) andopenstudioproductions.com (film).Susie Localio lives with Daniel Brodkowitz in PortTownsend, WA. She was a counselor and program directorat Treetops. She is the twin sister of Bill Localio who stillworks at Treetops. Their nephew Donald Localio was ajunior camper this past summer.Photo: Helen at Treetops, circa 1970www.nct.org 518.523.9329 page 14

Campus Greening & RenewalBy John Culpepper, Director of Facilities & SustainabilityMain Building UpgradesIn the brief interval between the endof Camp and beginning of School, wecompleted some important renovationsto the Main Building. The roof in thedining room received necessary structuralrepairs, and later in the fall—thanks to avery generous gift made by an alum overFriends’ Weekend—we replaced all thewindows and door to the outside with newtriple-paned glass that will dramaticallyimprove the room’s insulation as well asaesthetics.In addition, the computer lab has moveddown the hall to a new home in the formerreference area of the library. Now newlibrarian Mark Richards has a true mediacenter adjacent to the reading area. Thissummer’s purchase of 40 new, state-ofthe-artChromebook laptops gives usunprecedented computing opportunitiesfor word processing, presentations, andresearch. Combined with our existing Macmultimedia lab, this latest investment intechnology raises the School’s computerto-studentratio to nearly 3:4. The formercomputer lab has been converted to ahistory classroom, providing more spaceand flexibility for our academic program.In another move, the admissions office,joined by communications and businessoffice staff, has relocated to the secondfloor of Glass House. The downstairsliving room is being transformed into areception area for visiting families, withthe kitchen re-modeled to create a smallconference room in the former diningarea. The aim is to enhance our admissionsprocess by making the visiting experiencemore welcoming and comfortable forprospective families.Green EnergyOur first solar electric panels were installedon New House in fall 2010. Since thenwe’ve added two additional solar arrays,one on Flushing Meadow (the wastewater treatment plant) and one on theTreetops Science House. As of mid-September 2012, our combined 18 kWsolar system has generated a total of30,280 kilowatt hours of electricity.New CTT Sod PodOver the summer, local artisan DustyGrant constructed a new grass-coveredlean-to in the Super girls’ area of Seniorcamp. Campers collected sod from ourriding rings and placed it on top of alayer of soil to create a 6- to 8-inchthick earthen roof. While conventionalroofing has a life expectancy of 15 to 25years, this natural materials roof shouldlast many times that. According toseveral Super girls, the new lean-to alsohas a very high “cool factor.” Near the endof the summer, campers collected lupineseeds and planted them in the sod duringan evening ceremony.Biomass Conversion &Sustainable ForestryWe continue the push to move all campusheating plants away from fossil fuels tobiomass. Last spring we installed in thePavilion a pellet stove that will be theprimary source of heat for the building.(A monitor propane heater will serve asbackup.) This past summer, the oil boilerin Woods House was replaced with a moreefficient, state-of-the-art propane gascondensing boiler. This new boiler willserve as a backup system once the hotwater lines are run from the chip/pelletplant to Woods House. Later this fallBramwell House will see the final phaseof its conversion to a high efficiency woodgasification boiler as the primary sourceof heat and domestic hot water. Withthe completion of workin Woods and BramwellHouses, we will haveonly two more oil boilersto replace, those in FarmHouse and Road House.Besides the environmentalbenefits of reducing our useof fossil fuels, our biomassunits are also deliveringsignificant monetarysavings. Because woodchips and pellets are wayless expensive than oil orpropane, our combinedbiomass systems savedthe institution an estimated$35,000 during last winter’s heatingseason.Now we are engaged in an experimentto determine the cost-effectiveness ofpurchasing pellets for the boilers versusproducing our own chips from woodcut on campus. Tucker Culpepper haspage 15 Organic Roots Fall 2012

een cutting the necessary fuel woodfor next winter by selectively thinninglow-quality, younger trees in threeovercrowded forest areas: the Scotch andwhite pines between the upper gardensand Dexter pasture, the red pines alongthe front entrance, and the mixed standbetween the Main Building dining roomand Flushing Meadows. His work willallow us to collect data aboutharvest rates, test the feasibilityof sun drying the pole wood priorto chipping, and determine theoverall impact on our communityof this selective cutting.So far the data look promising.Just as encouraging is thesignificant improvement to theareas of forest where Tucker hascompleted thinning work. Thetrees there are less crowded andhave greater access to the sun,water, and nutrients they need.It is tremendously exciting thatharvesting the fuel for our biomassheating plants may also improvethe health of our forests. Inaddition, our forestry efforts havebeen so well received by othersthat three neighbors have askedus to apply the same thinningtechniques to their 100 acres. Withthis additional acreage, we shouldhave the capacity to supply 100percent of our biomass fuel fromour own wood.SCA VolunteersFor the third consecutive summer,college-aged volunteers with theStudent Conservation Associationspent a week on campus in June.They gained training in trail workand rustic construction by workingon several projects for us: movingthe Raspberry Knoll Lean-to awayfrom the summer traffic on the loop roadto a new location near the Treehouse;building a bridge over the stream onthe trail they built last summer behindthe Hubbard Lean-to; and improvingthe trail up to Trouble as well as theboardwalk on the path to the ski hill.Spreading the WordA measure of the growing stature of oursustainability initiatives is the number ofinvitations John Culpepper receives tospeak at various conferences. In the pastsix months or so he has traveled as far asthe Pacific Northwest to give numerouspresentations, including:an hour-long workshop with Hockat the NAIS National Conference inSeattle about the advantages of biomassheating for the triple bottom line—thewelfare of kids, the environment, andfinancial viability;a 90-minute evening keynote address,“The Sustainable Camp: A CuttingEdge Model,” at the North AmericanCamp Maintenance Conference inLake George, NY;two sessions on our biomass andsustainable forestry efforts at theNortheast Biomass Heating Expo inSaratoga Springs, NY;discussion of our campus greeningefforts at the annual conference of theAdirondack Research Consortium inLake Placid;a workshop on the successes of ourbiomass initiatives at the NorthCountry Clean Energy Conference inLake Placid in June; anda webinar with Hock on the costsavings of our pellet chip plant formembers of The Association ofBoarding Schools.Photos (top to bottom): Treetops campers working on the sod pod roof; Tucker Culpepper hauling cut trees for biomass fuelwww.nct.org 518.523.9329 page 16

Alumni in Focus: Luis Aguilar, NCS 87And Many Happy ReturnsBy Suzanna Finley, NCS 01Luis came to North Country School in the middle of his 7thgrade year, on the recommendation of family friend AntonioDelgado, father of Alex Delgado (NCS 84). He arrived inNovember and planned to be here only a few months. But NCSproved a good fit, and Luis stayed the rest of the school year.When he returned to his home in Guatemala City, he asked hisparents for an unusual birthday present: to attend 8th grade atNCS the following year.Wish granted, Luis returned to North Country School, wherehe fostered a deep connection with nature. “I was passionatelike you wouldn’t believe about the outdoors,” he says. “I didclimbing and outdoor activities every single weekend.” Hehiked most of the High Peaks in the less than two years he washere. Despite the distance, he hasn’t entirely given up on theidea of becoming a 46er. “I have eight or nine left that I stillneed to climb.”As an international student at NCS, Luis remembers appreciatingthe chance to live with young people from around the world.“NCS helps students to develop a humbleness with their peers.Kids are all sharing chores around the house and School. Itbrings people of different social status or backgrounds to thesame level. For me, it helped to show that everyone, no matterwhere they are from, is the same, is equal.”After NCS, Luis went to Gould Academy in Maine, then attendedOhio Wesleyan University, where he majored in accounting.After graduating from college he returned home to Guatemala in1996 and began working in real estate development. He currentlyruns a company called Techo with his brother-in-law and twobrothers (Rodrigo, NCS 91 and Alfredo, NCS 02-04, CTT04). Focusing on low and middle income urban development,the firm works with large pieces of land to construct plannedcommunities and has completed several developments in andaround Guatemala City.Luis’ deep respect for nature gives him a unique perspective asan urban developer. Proud to call himself an environmentalist,he is “constantly aware of the pollution we make as developers.I try to be careful about what products we buy. I think the Schoolimprinted on me the fact that you have to be conscious about theenvironment.”page 17 Organic Roots Fall 2012

Luis works to incorporate trees and green areas into hishousing developments. But he struggles with the complexitiesof creating affordable housing whilepracticing environmentally responsiblebuilding methods. “We still have along way to go,” he acknowledgesabout developers in Guatemala. “We’reworking to comply with environmentalregulations, but we’re a ways off fromgreen building. We need investmentsin new technology, and right now wefocus a lot on social responsibility,paying workers well, which is agrowing priority.” Luis hopes to beat the forefront of progress towardenvironmentally conscious buildingand is beginning to set an examplethrough his own company’s work.At home, as well, Luis tries to modela responsible environmental ethic. Heand his three children keep a makeshiftnursery, planting trees from seedlingsthey’ve grown themselves. “When theyare about a foot long, we plant them allover the place, and some we give awayto our friends.”Luis also hopes to give his children thekind of birthday present that meant somuch to him as a young teen. His eldest,daughter Maria Cristina, 14, will attendTreetops this summer; his two boys,Luis Roberto, 13, and Sebastian, 11,each hope to come to NCS for eighthgrade.They seem well prepared for theadventure. Luis has made a point ofinvolving his children in camping, hiking, and other outdooractivities since they were very young. During my time inLatin America, I went with the entire Aguilar family to Volcande Pacaya, one of five active volcanoes in Guatemala, withan elevation of 8,373 feet. We drove partially up the mountain,then climbed to the top in three or four hours. It’s hard to saywho enjoyed it more, Luis or his children.Luis welcomes news from classmates or alums. He can bereached at lgmaguilar@hotmail.com.Suzanna Finley is a Brooklyn-based freelance photographerwhose day job is assisting the Global Director at Equality Now,a women’s rights advocacy organization. Check out her otheralumni profiles on our website at www.nct.org/alumnifocus. Formore of Suzanna’s photography, visit www.suzannafinley.com.www.nct.org 518.523.9329 page 18

Dear Friends,On behalf of the Board of Trustees and administration of North Country School and Camp Treetops, we are pleased toannounce the most ambitious fund raising effort in our long history.The Strong Roots, High Peaks Campaign seeks to raise $25 million to enhance and sustain our first-rate School andCamp programs, preserve and improve our facilities, and increase scholarship aid and staff compensation. Achievingthis goal will provide the expanded financial foundation to meet priority needs and pursue exciting new opportunitiesof great value.If we expect families to continue to entrust their children to our care, we must upgrade our facilities and providethe best possible spaces for living and learning. If we are to deepen our practice of sustainable living, our buildingsand infrastructure must be energy efficient and environmentally sound. If we are to strengthen our longstandingcommitment to diversity, we must provide additional financial aid. And if we are to keep offering our unique andmulti-faceted program, we must better support and reward the remarkable adults who deliver it.The Strong Roots, High Peaks Campaign has already made significant advances towards these critically importantobjectives. Thanks to the immense generosity of early supporters, the “quiet phase” of the Campaign has raised $12.5million to date, resulting in a substantial positive impact on our programs, endowment, and facilities.Now we invite your participation in this historic effort. We cannot succeed without your support. Please join us inhelping to secure for Camp and School the best possible future—one that is worthy of our proud past.Dennis Aftergut, Board ChairBarkley Stuart, Campaign ChairDavid Hochschartner, Head of School and CampKaren Culpepper, Camp Directorpage 19 Organic Roots Fall 2012

The Strong Roots, High Peaks Campaignwill address needs in three majorfunding areas, allowing us to sustain ourprogramming, transform our campus, andgive our children and adults the support theyneed to flourish.Sustain. Transform. Flourish.Campaign GoalsSUSTAIN.Campaign Annual Fund Goal: $10 millionProvide robust, ongoing support for our AnnualFund to ensure the experiences of NorthCountry School and Camp Treetops will beavailable for generations of children to come.TRANSFORM.Campaign Capital Giving Goal: $10 millionContinue improvements—by way of CapitalGiving—to our Camp and School buildingsand infrastructure, to provide the facilities ourstudents, campers, and staff deserve and theenvironmental stewardship our communityexpects.FLOURISH.Campaign Endowment Goal: $5 millionIncrease the size of our Endowment to expandscholarship funding for promising studentsand campers—regardless of family income—and to enhance salaries and professionaldevelopment opportunities for our first-ratestaffs.Achieving these goals, without question,represents a major challenge. But with $12.5million raised to date, we are already halfwaythere. And this small institution, set in the roughbeauty of the Adirondack High Peaks, knows athing or two about scaling great heights.For more information, please contactDavid Hochschartner at hock@ncstreetops.orgor visit the Campaign websitewww.nct.org/strongrootshighpeakswww.nct.org 518.523.9329 page 20

Staff ProfileRuth HarzulaSenior Camp Assistant Program Director, Head of CraftsCTT staff 77-80, 89, 2001-present, CTT parent 99-01, 03-08By Lisa RowleyGardens, children, growth, and changeThese are the constants that run through Ruth’s varied career.And they were evident in her early adult experiences, evenbefore she first came to Treetops, 35 years ago.After growing up in Hillside, NJ, Ruth went to DelawareValley College, where she was the first female to graduate inher major, ornamental horticulture. Inspired by a botany teacherwho “brought the subject alive,” Ruth acknowledges that thetrailblazing was difficult. “They didn’t know what to do withwomen,” she says. “They weren’t sure if they could ask me todrive the tractor or dig a hole for a tree.” But Ruth loved thoseand other practical applications of her field and earned her BSin 1974.Soon after, Ruth won a fellowship that in hindsight seemed aperfect fit for her emerging professional interests: she workedat the Brooklyn Botanic Garden as an instructor in one of thecountry’s first children’s gardens, founded in 1914. She hadkids start seedlings on weekends in the spring, then work inthe garden a couple of times a week throughout the summer.“I loved sending the kids home on the subway carrying giantzucchinis,” she recalls. She also maintained a fragrance gardenfor the visually impaired and did her first experimenting withnatural dyes. Most prophetically of all, she met Tessa Huxley,who told her about a camp in the Adirondacks that alwaysneeded garden counselors.After a quick trip to Connecticut to interview with Colin Tait,Ruth was hired as the garden counselor in 1977. That firstsummer at Treetops “was very different from now,” Ruth says.“I was responsible for the gardens but also was a tent counselor.We had no greenhouses, no interns, no year-round garden staff.It was very hard to maintain a garden that was useful either forproduction or as a teaching resource.” It’s rewarding for her nowto see how far the gardens have come: “It’s what we envisionedin the old days but didn’t have the capacity for.”Ruth returned to Treetops for the next three summers, drawn bythe beauty of the Adirondacks, the kids, and community amongstaff. For the rest of the year, she was back in Brooklyn runninga landscaping business that she started with a friend. “It was funlugging trees up elevators to rooftop gardens in Manhattan,” shesays.A turning pointIn 1980 Ruth moved to California, where her husband wasbeginning graduate school, then took a break from Treetopswhile she raised her family. Her eldest, Samuel, now 26, hasspent two years in New Mexico with Teach for America teachingmostly Hispanic and Native American students. Chris, 17, willbe a senior in high school next fall.Both kids came to Treetops as campers, and Ruth believesthey’d be very different people if they hadn’t. “Samuel had hislove for the outdoors instilled here, and it’s really been home toChris, who’s been here since he was six.” Both sons joined theirpage 21 Organic Roots Fall 2012

Staff ProfileRuth has run the craft shop ever since. Offering alternativesto what kids experience in school, she teaches the value ofworking with one’s hands, helps develop fine motor skills, andexperiments with natural fibers. “I want campers to know whatwool can do or what silk feels like or the pleasure of sewingwith a nice piece of cotton flannel.” Increasingly, her projectsemphasize connections to nature: cotton hand towels decoratedwith different species of tree leaves, for instance, or the silkscarves colored with natural dyes that have become a staple ofthe craft shop. “That’s been the most consistent project over theyears,” Ruth says of the scarves. “The kids have such a greattime playing with color.”mother at Treetops this past summer, Samuel as a counselor inJunior Camp, and Chris as a kitchen assistant in Senior Camp.Chris finished his first 46 during his Super year and couldn’twait to return for more hiking and time with friends. Samuelpreviously was a counselor from 2007 to 2009, and Ruth thinksthe long hours plus the diverse campers here helped prepare himfor the intensity of Teach for America. On the other hand, sheadds, “he’s a natural teacher.”The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. As her boys got older,Ruth began teaching pre-school in California, then in 2001opened her own home-based school for 2 to 5 year olds. Basedon the Waldorf approach to education, her program is quiteTreetops-y. Children play, stretch their creativity with craftsand music, take neighborhood walks, and eat healthy, localfoods. “What you have to do when you teach,” Ruth says, “isto put yourself in your students’ shoes. It’s not about relayinginformation but trying to see what their needs are to learn.”As owner, Ruth spends roughly half her time communicatingwith parents, empowering them to feel okay about guidingtheir children, setting appropriate limits, not being their friend.“Today’s parents want to protect their children from any situationwhere they might cry,” she says. “So parents need to get throughthat—it’s their education as well. But it’s wonderful, like here,to see the changes taking place in children.”HomecomingIn 2001, Ruth returned to Treetops, hired by Brad Konkler torun the craft shop in Senior Camp. First thing she did: “I calledDebbie Tait, an excellent crafts counselor, and pumped her forideas.” Ruth realized that she didn’t have to teach every craft;rather “just hire good staff and empower them to share thewealth of handwork.”The long view gained from so many years at Treetops provides akind of comfort—and its own reason to return. “To see camperscome back for their last year here or become counselors afterhaving a rough patch for awhile—this is what keeps me comingback (besides the view!) Plus the camaraderie of counselorsand staff working together on behalf of children, watchingthem grow thanks to our efforts. What we’re able to accomplishhere in such a short time, you just wish that every child couldexperience that kind of focused attention from adults.“This is a place of transformation for children and the peopleworking here. Built into the fabric of Treetops—and I don’tknow how Helen did it—but there’s an understanding andforgiveness that mistakes will be made. We’re all here to learn. Idon’t know if we’d survive if the program were any longer, butfor seven weeks here we do amazing things.”Back home in California, the woman who has spent so muchof her life empowering others recently did the same for herself.Despite Ruth’s love of all things horticultural, when she firstmoved to the West Coast she could not bring herself to planta garden. “The climate is Mediterranean, totally different fromhere,” she explains. “For so long I couldn’t bear the idea ofhaving a garden without rhododendrons.”But several years ago, she could no longer stand not having agarden. “I took out the front lawn and put in drought tolerantplants: tons of lavender and rosemary, a pretty redbud tree, andmany drought resistant salvias that attract hummingbirds,” shesays with a smile coming to her face. “And I have an irrigationsystem that I can turn on and leave for two months in the summerwhile I come to Camp.”www.nct.org 518.523.9329 page 22

Friends’ Weekend 2012Spectacular late summer weather and a record numberof attendees (222) set the stage for another fabulouslong weekend reunion.From barn chores and garden harvest to the square dance andSaturday night’s BBQ and bonfire, time-honored activitiesremained popular with friends of all ages. Highlights included asunrise hike up Balanced Rocks, early morning polar bear swims,a canoe trip to the St. Regis wilderness area, and hike up LowerWolf Jaw via Bennies Brook Slide. Work parties constructed ashelter for wood across from the sugar house and unloaded inthe barn 50,000 pounds of wood shavings for the horses’ stalls.And meals under the tent outside the Main Building foyer (dueto renovations under way in the NCS/Junior camp dining room)proved an unexpected pleasure.Don’t miss any more of the fun: mark yourcalendars for next year’s Friends’ Weekend:August 21-25, 2013.Photos (clockwise from top left): Bob and Gail Schumacher with Hock; the Szor family; hikers on Bennies Brook Slide; Bill Harris, Karen Waddell,Chuck Schwerin, Dan Kohn; Bob Console and Hock; Lara Kelly, Claudia Horowitz, Willard Morganpage 23 Organic Roots Fall 2012

Friends’ Weekend 2012Photos (clockwise from top): Annika Morgan makes the leap; Wood stacking work party: Kate Fredland, Martin Williams, Greg Katz,Coulter Richardson; Susie Hubbard and Brian Bronfman; Greta Konkler on the loom; Ralph Jones picking beans; Jill Werfel with Peanutwww.nct.org 518.523.9329 page 24

Friends’ Weekend 2012Of Special NoteThe prodigious efforts of organizer extraordinaire Liz Macken (CTT 75-77, TTW 78-79) resulted in an impressive showing for a minireunion of Treetops campers and counselors from 1975-79. Liz’s deft (and tireless) handling of social media drew more than 60 CTTfriends and family members from all over the country. The gathering included Brian Bronfman (CTT 72-78, staff 87), the driving forceseveral years ago behind construction of Hubbard Lean-to, named for his friend Bryan Hubbard (CTT 72-77, TTW 78-79) who died atage 31 from an undiagnosed heart condition. Also on hand were Susie and Jasmine Hubbard, who joined the ’70s CTT group for theirfirst-ever time on campus and emotional but upbeat visit to the lean-to that honors their husband and dad.Remembering Reg GilliamOn Saturday afternoon, dozens of friends gathered in the Pavilion to honor the life of Reg Gilliam (CTT 55-58, counselor 61-67,trustee 71-75). His life-long friend Reggie Govan (CTT 66-67, counselor 74-81, trustee 01-08) opened the informal service and spokeof Reg’s storied career, trailblazing advocacy, and dedication as an educator and mentor. For more than an hour, friend after friendrose to share well-remembered stories of friendship, humor, and leadership, as well as admiration for Reg’s many accomplishments—physical, intellectual, societal—that defined a life of service. Many spokeof Reg’s abiding love of the mountains, born at Treetops, and the peace heand wife Arleen knew from their cabin on the shoulder of Porter.Erika Rosenfeld (CTT 56-62) could not attend Friends’ Weekend but sentus the following memory that seems a fitting tribute to Reg’s enduringinfluence:The summer I was 13—my last at Treetops and Reggie Gilliam’s secondas counselor—Reggie and Bud Lovett led the Seward Range trip—notrails, all blow-down, a fairly miserable slog leavened by Reggie’ssardonic wit. (“Hi, hiker! You are climbing trail-less Seward.”) Wespent the first night up top (Seymour, I think), freezing and huddlinglike puppies around the fire. Whenever more wood was needed, Reggiewould tell me to fetch it. “Why is it always me?” I asked (being astandard-issue whiny teenager). “Because I know you’ll do it,” saidReggie. Even then, I understood that this was a compliment and achallenge. I know I keep trying never to let Reggie down.For more about Reg’s life and career, see In Memoriam (p. 38). And tolearn about the Reginald Gilliam Mountaineering Leadership Endowment,established by his wife Arleen and other friends to benefit NCS andTreetops, please visit www.nct.org/reggilliam.page 25 Organic Roots Fall 2012

Connectionand CollegialityReflections on a Career at NCSBy Christine LeFevre, as told to Lisa RowleyChristine LeFevre, known to many as Ciel (French for sky anda homonym of her initials, C.L.) retired from her position asadmissions director on August 31, 2012. Having left and returnedmore than once, her exact tenure at NCS is hard to calculate; shebegan as a teacher and houseparent in the fall of 1984 (unless youcount the house cleaning she did during the spring and summerbefore that). She was away for one year twice during the ’80sand for several years during the late ’90s but returned to directadmissions for good when Hock became head of school in 1999.In her 20-some years here, Ciel taught French and English,gave clarinet lessons, ran the library, lived as a houseparent inMountain, Bramwell, and Balcony Houses, and shepherdedhundreds of families through NCS in her admissions work.Among colleagues she is prized for her insight and guidance,upbeat outlook, and unshakable belief in kids.About a month prior to her departure, I sat down with Christine totalk about her time at NCS. After a quick outline of how I thoughtthe interview would go, Ciel nodded her head in agreement andthought silently for a moment. Then she simply began.Ciel: I took a very interesting workshoplast summer about the difference betweenwriting biography and memoirs. And thedifference is: with biography you have tostart at the beginning, but with a memoiryou can start anywhere you want. As ithappens, the subject of how I got startedin admissions came up just the other day.It was 1989, and I was teaching Frenchand living in Bramwell House whenJulia Jonathan [then admissions directorand current trustee] said to me one day:“Would you be interested in going toCalifornia during the summer?” She hadsome families to see, but she was looking tomove out of admissions. I thought, “Sure,why not?” So I went and thought it wasgreat, and a short while after that Roger[Loud, then head of school] called me upand asked if I wanted to do admissions.That was it. And it was the same when Ifirst started teaching here.That was in 1984. My daughter Jenny was astudent here from 1980-84. During Jenny’slast year, in October of 1983, my partnerSusan [Patnode, former NCS teacher andhouseparent] and I moved from Seattle toLake Placid. We moved without a clearplan about what would happen next, whichwas not an unusual occurrence in my life.(Later I wrote an article for Organic Rootscalled, “Why I followed my daughter toNCS.”) By December we were running aguest house in Lake Placid. It had a bigkitchen, so we could have Jenny’s houseover to our place for homenights, and wewere on campus a fair amount visiting.So one day we were on campus just beforethe April board meeting, and Gladys[Straight, longtime laundress] camerunning over. The cleaners had quit, thetrustees were coming, and she begged us,“Won’t you please clean the houses beforethe board meeting?”So we did that for a time—you get a veryinteresting perspective on things whenyou work as a custodian. Then we paintedCamp buildings and the Glass Housekitchen—Tsu Hansen [former teacher,houseparent, and business manager] hadeverything color-coded. Then one dayRoger called. He’d heard we had priorteaching experience, and he had openingsin sixth grade and in French. So I startedthe 1984 school year teaching Frenchand living in Mountain House, and Susantaught sixth grade.Our coming here was the product of thetime and the evolution of NCS. This hasalways been a school that embraces uniquepeople who are willing to find their ownplace. One of the great things about NCS isflexibility; people are allowed to discovertheir strengths, and if you can find yourniche, you can move into different areashere.Photo: Ciel in her office with two of her Victory Chickens, given to her every time she hit her enrollment target.Her large flock includes prints, cards, pillows, and chickens made of wood, ceramic, and metal.www.nct.org 518.523.9329 page 26

Connection and CollegialityReflections on a Career at NCSSo we came here as a pack, which is oftenwhat happens at NCS. I already had a lotof the components of NCS in my past. I’dgrown up in the country, in the rolling hillsof rural northwest Maryland, with a largegarden and extended family and lots ofmusic. So when I first arrived, I thoughtit was amazing that I could do everythingI had always loved. My grandmothermade lye soap, for example, so one of thefirst things I did here was to collect thehamburger grease from the kitchen anduse it to make soap with the kids. I playedthe clarinet and gave lessons my first year.We loved outrageous homenights. Lateron when we lived in Balcony, we setup a restaurant in East Alley. Every kidhad to bring a date. We printed menus.Jerry Marchildon [former assistant head]supported this fine dining experience bybeing our maître d’. Those early yearswere filled with such wild ideas—andreally great kids.LR: Can you talk about the times you left?Was it ever strange coming back?Ciel: No, it was always really easy, likecoming home. The first time, I was awayfor a year teaching French in the DCarea. Jerry Marchildon had left to becomeheadmaster of Burgundy Farm School inVirginia. I said, “If you’re going to be in aday school, then I want to be in one, too.”So I taught French at Burgundy Farm for ayear. Then Roger called again, and I wentback to NCS. Another time I was awaywas 1987-88. It was Jenny’s last year inhigh school and with college coming up,I knew I needed to know something aboutfinancial aid. So I got a job in the financialaid office at UVM. A lot of what I learnedwas very helpful and great training for mylater admissions work.I’ve had two great trainings in my life: onewas the financial aid work at UVM andthe other was when I learned to administerhome dialysis for kidney patients in Seattlein the late ’60s. I hooked up my patient tothe dialysis machine and monitored theprocess. I was chatty, so I talked withpatients and got to know them, then I wascooking for them. It was an incredibleexperience.When I came to NCS, I felt as if mywhole life had been preparing me for thisplace. Looking back, all these jobs arehard to characterize. Like home dialysisSynergySerendipityServiceAn ever-presence duringCiel’s admissions work,these three guiding wordsare both what she hassought and been given.provider. You didn’t know the name ofit or that it even existed, but it gave youthe opportunity to really know people andcomfort them during a time of need.My whole approach to admissions has beento try to provide that kind of experience forother families. Many who came to us wereexperiencing distress, disappointment, anda worry that their child was not learning.Admissions is all about convincing themthat this is the right place at the righttime for their child. Because every familycomes with their own narrative of whatbrought them here. And it’s always anamazing story with amazing people. Andthat’s the fun of it and why I stayed.I was raised to do school admissions,though I didn’t know it. The hook for mewas always the people—their stories, theirchildren—and that I could do somethinggood for them. I love the travel, theadventure. Later on, the relationshipsthat you develop with consultants andcolleagues on the road or at conferenceswere profoundly worthwhile. And aftera while you realize that you belong toa big team, and at some point your teamstops being just your school and includesthis external group of colleagues. Thechallenge is to keep the proper balancebetween the internal and external.For me, admissions is a beads-on-astringkind of job. You have to have allthe essentials lined up: your travel, yourcolleagues, and then you begin to workwith a bigger vision. You can’t just be alittle school in the Adirondacks. It needsto be nourished; otherwise it will die.Teachers need to go hang out with otherteachers who are teaching in new andinnovative ways. It’s all about connectionand collegiality.LR: What are your hopes for NCS in thefuture?Ciel: First, that it will always be here.And that it will always be a place where achild can find the combination of freedomand responsibility necessary for healthydevelopment. It’s nearly impossiblefor families these days to provide thatcombination. Parents have too manyexternal worries to give their kids thefreedom they need, and they have too manyways to solve problems without givingtheir children any real responsibility.We give children the freedom to walkto the barn by themselves and reportat the proper time for chores and theresponsibility to care for the animals. Mostpage 27 Organic Roots Fall 2012

American kids never know that muchfreedom and responsibility and get stuckin their self-development until they havethat fundamental experience. Kids needto feel the self-respect, other people’srecognition, and the fun of that kind ofteamwork.On the other hand, we do have to beresponsive to today’s safety standards. Justas cars evolved to have seatbelts, we’vehad to pay attention to safety: kids now skiwith helmets; all the faculty know first aid;we limit the numbers of kids on a trip. Butwe still provide more freedom than mostfamilies can. Having someone besidesyour parent put you to bed at night and getyou up in the morning and take care of youwhen you’re sick creates a trust that you’llbe nurtured in life—and not just by yourparents. And I think you have to learn thatin order to grow up.So we have to keep reinventing ways forkids to have adventures within currentsafety standards. [Current science teacher]Dave Steckler is doing some of that withactivities like tracking animals and theWARP games. At the same time, the oldtraditions like Box Suppers are still funand still loved by the kids. This has alwaysbeen a place for goofy games and silliness,and I hope that never changes.LR: Now as you’re leaving through onedoor, you have two grandchildren comingin another.Ciel: Yes, my grandsons Kai [10] and Han[8] were four-week campers at Treetopsthis summer. They both loved it and wantto come for the full seven weeks nextsummer. Han got his clothesliners on hisfirst day, and Kai climbed seven 46ers.Their parents survived without them anddidn’t even get through the “to do” listthey’d created.The other day I saw something that onlyhappens at Camp Treetops and showshow much ritual means to children. Kaiand Han were on their way to knife safetyclass. They’d made lariats and were soexcited: “Did you see my knife? I’ve gotmy knife now.” That’s their initiation intothis world of freedom and responsibility.It’s the people here who carry the narrative,and you need that continuity. I never wouldhave thought I’d be the last one standingfrom my group. But I kept growing withthe job, and the job grew on me.LR: Do you know yet what you want to doin retirement?Ciel: I want to clean my house and getmy gardens back into presentable shapeand go through my cookbooks. I hope tocontinue my explorations into writing,travel, and healing arts. Maybe I’ll finallylearn to play the native flute in my officeor to speak Spanish. I’m looking forwardto having more time for the things I love.Photo: Ciel with her family on Treetops’ Visitors’ Day, July 2012www.nct.org 518.523.9329 page 28

New Faculty and Staff, 2012-2013Rachel CarterDavid DamicoMelanie DamicoMeredith HansonLuke HudakWendy PowersRachel CarterESL Teacher, Houseparent (Algonquin)Rachel graduated from Scripps College with a BAin French and linguistics. During her time there, shetaught French to third graders and ESL to adults. Aftergraduation, she joined the Peace Corps and spent threeyears teaching English to middle school students in arural village in Benin. She also spent several years as aconstruction volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in herhome state of Florida. In her free time, Rachel enjoystraveling, hiking, reading, and playing board games.David DamicoDirector of AdmissionsDavid came to us from Wyoming Seminary CollegePreparatory School in northeastern Pennsylvania,where he directed admissions for four years. Previously,he worked in admissions and as dean of students forThe American School in Switzerland (TASIS); for 12summers he also directed TASIS’ French languageprogram in the Swiss Alps. David holds a BA in Frenchand international relations from Bucknell University.Along with a passion for travel and exploring newterritory, David is most at home outdoors—sailing,paddling, hiking, and skiing—and enjoys spendingtime with his wife Melanie and two young children.Melanie DamicoHouseparent (New House)Melanie earned a BA and master’s of teaching in biologyfrom the University of Virginia. She then worked forthree years at The American School in Switzerland,where she met her husband David. After an academicyear of overseas travel, Melanie and David moved toWyoming Seminary. Seeking more outside adventureand a “back-to-basics” community, they came to NCSin July 2012. Currently, Melanie is a stay-at-home momfor Samantha (born 2008) and Luca (born 2011). Sheenjoys trail running and skiing.Meredith HansonInternational Student Program CoordinatorESL TeacherMeredith joined us from Hawaii, where she completedher MA in second language studies at the Universityof Hawaii at Mānoa and taught pre-college ESL inthe Hawaii English Language Program. She has alsotaught English in Michigan, Indiana, Japan, and France,the latter on a year-long Fulbright English TeachingAssistantship. Meredith spends her summers at a youthlanguage immersion program in northern Minnesota,where she has taught French and Japanese and workedin administration. She earned her BA in comparativelanguages and linguistics (French/Japanese) with aminor in ESL from Earlham College. Meredith enjoyscontra-dancing, knitting, and learning to quilt and playthe ukulele.Luke HudakHistory Teacher, Houseparent (Cascade)A Lake Placid native, Luke holds a BA in journalismand communications from St. Michael’s College inVermont. Prior to coming to NCS, Luke taught history,English, and science at the nearby National SportsAcademy. Besides a serious love for both tennis andhockey, Luke enjoys all the Adirondack Park has tooffer. His favorite activities include hiking, swimming,kayaking, and fishing in the summer and cross-countryskiing, back-country skiing, and pond hockey in thewinter.Wendy PowersRiding DirectorWendy has worked with show jumping horses forthe past 25 years, traveling with the show circuit inthe United States, Canada, and Argentina. After fivesummers as the riding director at Camp Chateaugay innearby Merrill, NY, Wendy has made the Adirondacksher home. She has a bachelor’s degree in behavioralsciences from National-Louis University and is CPRcertified. In her free time, Wendy enjoys camping andhiking with her dog.Hailey StillFarm InternHailey graduated from Wesleyan University in 2012with a bachelor’s in American studies, concentrating inenvironmental studies and anthropology. During collegeshe worked as a sustainability intern and received theAward of Distinction for Environmental Stewardshipfor her efforts to improve sustainability at Wesleyan. Shecompeted for the equestrian team, worked extensivelywith the campus permaculture group, and rowed crewon the Connecticut River. During the summer, Haileyworks as an environmental educator for a nature camp.She also enjoys travel, taking photos, and organizingpotluck dinners with friends.page 29 Organic Roots Fall 2012

New Faculty and Staff, 2012-2013Hailey StillEmily VirziEmily VirziFarm InternA lifelong Boston area resident, Emilygraduated from Western State College ofColorado in December 2011 with a BAin environmental studies and sociology.During college, Emily captained thewomen’s rugby team and spent sixmonths in Italy, working on organicfarms and researching sustainable foodsystems. After graduation, she workedas a line cook and for a small producerof organic foods like flax crackers andcoconut lavender macaroons. Emilyloves back-country and cross countryskiing, running, and rock climbing.Farm & Garden Update, Part IIWhat A Welcome Back By Jessica Wegrzyn, NCS Farm EducatorThe crisp early mornings and gloriously blue skies of Septemberannounce both the winding down of the growing season andbeginning of a new school year. This year as students arrived oncampus, the farm crew was unrolling row covers to protect themore fragile greens and summer squashes from the first frosts.Our chickens and pigs, who enjoyed the summer grasses downon Dexter pasture, were brought back to the barnyard. And thetomatoes, basil, and peppers in the greenhouses could not bepicked quickly enough.The opening weeks of school were a flurry of activity on thefarm. Level III students had their first Edible Schoolyard(ESY) class, becoming familiar with their class locations inthe Children’s Garden and the greenhouses. Students beganby picking and tasting tomatoes and cucumbers. For some, thejuicy burst of freshness was a totally new experience; for othersit was a welcomed reminder that there is nothin’ in the world likea homegrown tomato. Students also tasted cheese made fromthe milk of our own goats—a culinary treat that led one studentto exclaim: “I took a bite, and I was taken to heaven, and thiswas made from goats right here on our farm!” Later on, theseventh graders also transplanted seedlings for a new successionof greens in the back greenhouse. We will be eating these greensright on up until Thanksgiving. Awareness of where our foodcomes from is a key goal of ESY class, and the Level III studentshave eagerly begun their journey of exploring food systems.Understanding the life cycle of plants and nutrients—using ourcomposting practices as an example—is another goal of ourfarm-based education programming. Level I will dig deep intotheir study of vermiculture via the portable worm-bin. Level IVearth science and math classes will analyze rates of compostdecomposition, design and construct a vertical garden for thescience classroom, and research the link between innovativegardening techniques and climate change.For the first homenight of the year, students and staff workedtogether in the potato field, harvesting Norland Reds, Superiors,and Adirondack Reds and Blues. House teams moved through therows, unearthing the tubers that will fill our bellies in numerousforms throughout the year. The day was warm, feet were bare,and by the end of the afternoon, fingernails bore the embeddeddirt of good old-fashioned hand labor. Coming together to workas a community at such an early point of the year provides anopportunity for new names to be learned and new friendshipsforged.What better way to celebrate the hours of planting, tending,and caring for our garden produce than to have a communityHarvest Fest! The first Sunday afternoon of the term, studentsand faculty sampled freshly-made garden salsa served on redcabbage leaf bowls; they bakes individual loaves of bread inour wood-fired oven, seasoned with herbs snipped from theChildren’s Garden and spread with hand-shaken butter. Studentsdyed and spun wool from our own sheep and ended the day byharvesting carrots—1,214 pounds in all—as orange as the latesummersun. What a way to be welcomed back!www.nct.org 518.523.9329 page 30

From the Advancement OfficeDonor Profile: Dan Wing, NCS 62Doctor, Baker, Fixer, Doer By Lisa RowleyEarly in 2012, NCS and Treetops received a wonderful New Year’spresent. Physician, author, and NCS alum Daniel Wing, classof 1962, delivered two wood-fired ovens that he had built on ato maneuvering the long-handled peels in and out of the oven,children and adults alike enjoy each step in the process. Eating thescrumptious results—bread, pizza, calzone, scones, and more—isbest of all.Dan’s journey with bread, baking,and ovens stretches over a lifetime.“My first exposure to good bread wasin Brazil,” he began, “where I livedwith my family during fourth and fifthgrades. Every morning for breakfast,we had fresh bread delivered by a boyon a bicycle. These were slim rollsof white bread, like small Europeantypebaguettes; despite the occasionalwell-cooked cockroach, they weredelicious.”revamped farm wagon at his home in Vermont, then transported tocampus via a flatbed trailer truck.An expert in artisan bread baking and masonry ovens, Dan built theovens for School and Camp for the simple reason that he thoughtwe should have them. He built us two (one for bread and one forpizza and roasting), because different uses call for different kinds ofovens. And he built them on the wagon, so they can move betweenCamp and School.The gift is an extraordinarily generous one. The ovens tookseveral months to complete, at a cost approaching $25,000 had wecontracted for their construction. Dan also spent two full days oncampus, training staff and students how to use them.The ovens have become a fitting and popular addition to ourprograms. From kneading the dough and preparing toppings orstuffing—with many ingredients picked fresh from our gardens—Dan’s father was an MD who workedfor the World Health Organization,instituting public health education inseveral countries. Back in the States,Dan enrolled in NCS as a seventhgrader, following his older siblingsDavid (NCS 57) and Deborah (NCS61). He took note of the whole grainbread served at School, among other fond memories of NCS.Dan moved from consuming bread to baking it during his collegeyears. At Oberlin, where he majored in biology, Dan was elected abread baker for his dining co-op. For two years he spent his Fridaynights baking enough bread for the day ahead, 17 loaves at a time.Dan continued to bake bread (and often pizza) for friends and fellowstudents at Dartmouth Medical School. After graduation, internshipin New York, and residency at the University of North Carolina,he joined a family medicine practice in Chelsea, Vermont. On hissmall farm in nearby South Washington he raised beef cattle, didsome sugaring, and baked bread. (Later, he and his wife moved toan old house in an adjacent town, Corinth.)In the early 1980s Dan ventured to the University of Washingtonfor a residency in physiatry (physical medicine and rehabilitation).“Think Gabby Giffords,” Dan said, referring to the former Arizonapage 31 Organic Roots Fall 2012

Planned Givingat NCS and Treetopscongresswoman who survived a gunshot wound to the head,“and the effort to restore her health. I enjoy helping those brokenor hurt as they begin to recover. I guess I’m just a fixer and adoer.”While in Seattle, Dan was introduced to sourdough bread. Thenatural leavening appealed to him, and the attraction stuck. Hebegan to bake exclusively with natural leavens. “You can’t bakegood bread without good dough,” he said, “but even with gooddough, you need an oven that can bake it properly.” In the 1990sDan had his first chance to bake in a masonry oven, the kindbest suited to sourdough bread, and soon turned his attention tobuilding one.He sought help from the leading expert in masonry ovens at thetime, the late Alan Scott, a West Coast icon whom Dan met on avisit to the Bay Area in 1995 after Dan’s granddaughter was bornthere. With Alan’s guidance, Dan built himself an oven at homeand continued his quest for the perfect loaf of sourdough bread.He also closed his medical practice and began what became anine-year stint as a traveling physiatrist, working in rehab unitsall over the country so he and his wife could spend more timewith their granddaughter. In this arrangement Dan worked inmedicine roughly half the year. He soon found a compelling taskfor his free time.Over the first year of his friendship with Alan Scott, Danhad urged his mentor to put down on paper his vast store ofknowledge. “Eventually, I realized that Alan was never going towrite the book,” he said. “So I did.” In 1999, co-authors DanielWing and Alan Scott published The Bread Builders: HearthLoaves and Masonry Ovens to rave reviews. The book detailsthe history and chemistry of sourdough bread and includes howtoinstructions for building a masonry oven. Nominated for aJames Beard Award for best writing about food, the book hassold 65,000 copies.Now fully retired from medicine, Dan continues to bake at home,teaches seminar courses in sourdough baking twice a year, andadvises individuals and organizations considering a masonryoven. He was pleased to spend time with us on campus inJanuary. Dan enjoyed his own student days here and believes thatNCS greatly affected his and his siblings’ development. After all,he said, “I live in a place just like this one.”Daybreak. And on the hillssurrounding North CountrySchool and Camp Treetops,the sun’s warmth wrapsitself around Pitchoff Mountain and Balanced Rocks, ourguardians for generations.With these sure and steady boulders perched above,Camp and School likewise benefit from the foresightand generosity of earlier generations. Including NorthCountry School and Camp Treetops in your plannedgiving is an especially meaningful way to ensure thefuture of our community. And by doing so, you becomean honored member of our Balanced Rocks Circle (BRC).Options for planned giving range from a simple bequest todonating a portion of retirement assets, life insurance, orproperty. All are easy, and for many, membership in theBRC is its own reward.BRC membership is growing. If you think you mightalready be a member, please confirm your plans with thedevelopment office. To do so, or for more informationabout planned giving, please contact Michael Gillis at(518) 837-5402.Why Join BRC?“To help provide for the long term has been meaningful tome. Knowing that the place, the philosophy, the values willcontinue far into the future gives me so much hope and peace. Iwant my children’s children to be part of the community in theyears to come, and if my small gift can help ensure Treetopsis there for them—and for all the future children—I want todo my part.”— Jill Werfel, CTT 74-80, BRC Member“I give to NCS because of my gratitude for the growing thatI did there. The spirit of giving is really its own reward, alegacy to Walter and Leo, Jane and Hamm, and so many…It’s a circle of giving; the people who made a decision toprovide for my future and enhanced experience are all part ofthat circle. And the children are at the center.”— Janet Hyman, NCS 49, BRC Memberwww.nct.org 518.523.9329 page 32

News and NotesNCS ALUMNI1951 Sally Powell Culverwell“Two of my grandsons, ReedCulverwell and Will Rositzke, were atCamp Treetops this past summer. Theyrepresent the third generation of myfamily to go to Camp. I almost felt asthough I were back at NCS/CTT as Ifollowed what was going on at Campthroughout the summer. It was thrillingfor me, and the boys (of course) hada wonderful time. They’re alreadylooking forward to next summer.And I’m looking forward to Friends’Weekend in Alta next April. That’s afabulous event, and I keep hoping thatmore of you will join me!”1958 Susan Masters“Living in Ft. Gibson, OK since 1985.Second daughter May Yen married inJune, last child Laura Kyger marriedin September. Husband David Kygerstill practicing internal medicinefull time, and we’re both involvedin thoroughbred horse racing andbreeding.”1958 Elmina Edmonston Placek(also CTT 55-56)“Worked for 30 years at The Universityof Texas in Austin as a computerprogrammer/analyst for the financialaid office. Breast cancer survivor since1995. Now caring for my 89-year-oldhusband who has dementia.”1960 Victor Rostow“Madame and I currently are restoringa 1950 Austin A70 “Hampshire” andtraveling anywhere with a mountain ora sea coast to escape the DC heat.”1965 Peter A. Thacher(also CTT 61)“I continue to plan large capitalprojects here in Saudi Arabia andhave been extended beyond thenormal retirement age of 60—throughSeptember 2013. My wife Sarah andI continue to travel to Bulgaria forskiing, Thailand for fun, and Spain forchores renovating our house there. I amlooking forward to joining my familyon North Haven Island off the coastof Maine in September. Anyone fromNCS who passes through the MiddleEast is most welcome to visit us inDhahran.”1967 Guy Fowle“I am living in Bermuda. I am gladthat every once in a while kids fromBermuda have the opportunity to attendNCS and to like it as much as I did.”1968 Janet Wentworth(also NCS parent 96-97)“Enjoying my camp in Maine andlooking to retire. Big hugs to my fellowclass of ’68. Hope to see many of youat Friends’ 2013 for our 45th. [Janetis pictured here at Friends’ Weekend2012] GO, HOCK! You have donewonderful things for NCS.”1971 Charles Biddle“Sorry to have missed Friends’Weekend. I was delivering my sonCharley to Georgetown Universityin DC. I am officially ‘retired’ fromBIG business and doing a greatdeal of volunteer work for Save theBay (Narragansett), Narrow RiverPreservation Association, AudubonSociety, and an oyster rejuvenationprogram. Our daughter Kate is ajunior at St. Paul’s School. If in theProvidence or Newport, RI area, give ashout. Best to all, Chas.”1971 Howard Sutherland“The Sutherlands are still living inOyster Bay, NY, and I’m working asthe general counsel of OTR Globalin Purchase, NY. Last year I joinedthe board of the Heckscher Museumof Art in Huntington, NY. Shamelessplug: come visit the Heckscher! It’sa fine regional museum with a strongcollection and very friendly staff. Mywife Alex and I celebrate our 20thanniversary in the spring. Alex is nowworking at Raynham Hall Museumin Oyster Bay (also well worth avisit, especially for Revolutionarywar buffs) running that museum’seducation programs. Older son Ashbyjust started his freshman year at EckerdCollege in St. Petersburg, Florida(almost evacuated this week for Isaac,but stayed put in the end.) Youngerson Christopher returns Labor Dayweekend for his sophomore year at St.Andrew’s School in Delaware, wherehe’s showing considerable promiseas an oarsman. We were very sorryto miss Friends’ Weekend 2012 afterattending 2008 through 2011; maybenext year we will be back on track!Best wishes to all of the NCS/CTTextended family.”1971 Daisy Emma Rhoads“Still in private practice as a psychotherapistand working as a counselorin an elementary school. Hello to oldfriends.”1972 Susan Mahaffy“I’ve been spending a lot of mysummer hiking the high country on theeast side of the Sierra Nevada. Hopeto make it to Friends’ Weekend one ofthese years! May not be until I retire in5 years.”1977 George BoltonHock was on hand to witness (andphotograph) George in the winner’scircle after his horse My Miss Aureliawon the Mandy’s Gold Stakes atSaratoga on August 8th. The race waspage 33 Organic Roots Fall 2012

the three year old’s first since winningthe 2011 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillieslast November at Churchill Downs andextended her record to five wins in asmany starts.1980 Chris Cooper“Still living in and loving Boulder, CO.I’m hoping for a better ski season thisyear!”1984 Jennifer Smith-Yuen(also CTT parent 12)“Both of my boys had a fabulous timeat CTT this summer! It was wonderfulto be back on campus.”1989 Steven HalaszLast February,Steve took partin the CookieClassic Race atDewey Mountainin Saranac Laketo raise money forcystic fibrosis.ANnual Giving1992 Matthew Ackerman“Our second boy, Eli Berl Ackerman,was born in July. He joins his olderbrother, Samuel Lev Ackerman, inEnglewood, New Jersey. Just took ajob with New York Jewish CommunityRelations Council, where I will headour efforts to try to get Jews to talkmore nicely to one another about Israel.Should be interesting. Been writing alot lately the past couple of years or so,mostly for Commentary Magazine.”1993 Tyler Johnston“I’m splitting my time between Maine,the Bahamas, and Los Angeles,working on several independent filmprojects, including a documentary filmI am producing and directing aboutHaitian refugees living in the Bahamas.I have also founded the Portland MaineFilm Festival, happening this fall for itsthird year October 4th-7th. Any NCSstudents and alumni filmmakers arewelcome to contact me about screeningtheir work.”News and Notes1995 Samantha Naftal“Adam and I celebrated the arrivalof our son David on July 3rd. We areliving in Williamsburg, Brooklynand having a wonderful summer as afamily.”2001 Suzanna FinleySuzanna sent us this photo of herselfwith Gloria Steinem, as evidence ofhow much life can change in just oneyear. Gloria is on the board of EqualityNow, where Suzanna currently worksas assistant to the global director; lastyear we pictured Suzanna on thesepages (with fellow NCS alum MichaelClurman, NCS 72) at her then placeof employment, Manhattan investmentfirm Dahlman Rose.continued on next pageNew Donor Spotlight:Max Romanoff, CTT 07-08, NCS 2010A current junior at Forman School, Max is one of our newest (andyoungest) donors to the Annual Fund. At school, he runs cross-country,is involved with drama, and helps out at the IT support desk. Max madehis first Annual Fund gift online in August during a flight home fromFrance, where he’d been traveling with his family. Max explained in anemail why he gave:I was sitting on the airplane and Just looking through the apps onmy iPad. I have a thing called Google Drive that stores all of mydocuments. So I decided to open up the folder called North CountryStuff. Inside that folder I had my three years’ worth of work. So Ilooked in the Level III folder and read all the papers I wrote in Peter’sEnglish Class and then all the ones I wrote in Liz’s [Level V] EnglishClass. Realizing how far I have come education- and emotion-wise,what I valued most about North Country School is that there I was able to be myself and learn new things that I would not be able toanywhere else. So I’m sitting there thinking of all the experiences I had and what I learned from North Country School and the speechHock Gave that every dollar counts. So I made a donation.The Annual Fund makes possible the experiences that Max so clearly values. His gift, in turn, helps sustain those experiences for today’sstudents and campers. Please join Max and make your gift today. Thank you.www.nct.org 518.523.9329 page 34

News and Notes2002 Parker CroftFalling Overnight, a film that Parkerco-wrote, produced, and acted in,premiered nationally this summerand fall. The film has screened in 25international and domestic festivals andreceived 15 major awards.2005 Nicholas BregenzerNick graduated from the FloridaInstitute of Technology with a BAin aviation science and is currentlyteaching flight in Princeton, NJ.2007 Scott CohenScott is doing well as a junior atClarkson University and has MIT in hissight for grad school.2009 Noah WertheimerNoah organized a team of fellowPutney students and staff to participatein a spring Tough Mudder event.2010 Nick SolleyNick is enjoying Proctor Academy andlast spring studied in Costa Rica.NCS STAFFArt teacher Laura Bill attended asummer course on Toni Morrison’sBeloved at St. John’s College in SantaFe, where she also soaked up the localart scene, took in the Georgia O’Keeffemuseum, and explored the NewMexican landscape.Congratulationsto formerphotographyteacher Laurie(Steckler)Burgdorff,whose children’sbook Lewisthe Lambwas published this fall. Set at NorthCountry School, the story featuresfabulous watercolors of the barn, skihill, and other campus scenes. Booksmay be purchased by sending a checkfor $9.95 per copy to: Shaggy DogPress, PO Box 318, Westport, NY12993.Over the summer English teacher LizJordan attended a workshop for yogainstructors as well as a two-day coursein blacksmithing at the AdirondackMuseum.Science teachers Matt Mitchell andDave Steckler and former farm internEllie Matheny all completed the LakePlacid Marathon in June.Former Level II teacher LarissaPowers participated this summerin the Big Ride Across America,from Seattle to Washington, DC, toraise $8,000 for the American LungAssociation. Check out her blog atwww.larissaridesforcleanair.org.In October photography teacher CarterRowley completed a three-day rockclimbing instructor certification courseoffered by the American MountainGuides Association.Over the summer, farm manager MikeTholen spent fours days in Berkeley,CA, for the Edible SchoolyardAcademy, and farm educator JessWegrzyn attended a Farm to Cafeteriaconference at Shelburne Farms inVermont.In September former art intern MaggieZamoyta-Fenwick joined up withGloria DeWalt (NCS 00) in Boston forthe Walk to End Alzheimer’s.CAMP TREETOPSFRIENDSLanie Lacy FleischerCamper 49-50, staff 53, 55-59, 61-63Lanie came all the way fromAnchorage, Alaska, to attend Friends’Weekend. She is pictured here (farright) with other members of the Lacy/Clark/Eldridge clan.John IsaacsCamper 55-58, parent 94-98John is executive director of theCenter for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, where he focuses onmissile defense and nuclear weapons.In April he appeared on PBS’ NewsHour to talk about North Korea’s latestmissile capability.John KotlerCamper 61-62John and Meg reside in Kensington,MD, near Washington, DC. John iscompleting his final year in the MSW(clinical social work) at CatholicUniversity. Meg is a manager in theCaregivers Support Program withthe Veterans Administration. They’dlove to hear from friends (jdkotler@comcast.net).Jane GattaCamper 64-67, parent 07-12“Our son Ben comes home tomorrowafter his last summer at Treetops.After six years, I am sad to see hisTreetops experience come to an end,just as I was sad for myself when itended decades ago. I am so immenselygrateful for all that Treetops has givenhim and will continue to give himthroughout his life.”page 35 Organic Roots Fall 2012

News and NotesJim SteyerCamper 65-68,staff 77Jim’s new book,Talking Back toFacebook, aboutthe impact ofFacebook anddigital media onkids and education, earned muchmedia attention following its May2012 release. Jim made appearanceson NPR’s Fresh Air and On Point, TheToday Show, CNN international, andthe Christian Broadcast Network. Tolearn more or to order the book, visitwww.talkingbacktofacebook.com.Tom SteyerCamper 65-68Tom spoke about energy policy at thisfall’s Democratic National Conventionin Charlotte, NC.Organic RootsFall 2012EditorLisa RowleyContributorsJohn Culpepper, Karen Culpepper,Katie Culpepper, Chelsea Eakin, Suzanna Finley,David Hochschartner, Steve Lang,Christine LeFevre, Susie Localio, Lisa Rowley,Jessica WegrzynPhotographyLisa Beck, Brian Bronfman, Tom Clark,Katie Culpepper, John Eldridge, Suzanna Finley,Jesse Freidin, Keith Gerstenmaier,Kimberly Corwin Gray, Sierra Grennan,David Hochschartner, Liz Jordan,Barbara Morgan, Lisa Rowley, Susie Runyon,Bill Savage, John Skovron, Dan SzorLayout / DesignAaron HobsonPrintingQueen City PrintersKenneth HornsteinCamper 66-68, parent 03-07Ken has joined Merrill Lynch WealthManagement in Hunt Valley, MD,specializing in financial planningfor affluent individuals and families,after working 20 years in the WealthManagement Group of M&T Bank.Son Jon Hornstein (CTT 03-06)graduated with honors this year fromUniversity of Michigan BusinessSchool and begins work at the Chicagooffice of Huron Consulting Group.During junior year in college, Jonserved as president of the university’sHillel Chapter, one of the largest in theUS.Dr. Betsy AugustCamper 68-71“I am so proud of my nephews, Eli(CTT 01, staff 11-12) and Daniel (CTT06-08, staff 11-12), who are counselorsthis year! So continues our Augusttradition.”Karen WaddellCamper 72-76, parent 01-08Congratulations to Karen, whose essay“Looking for Laundry with Llamas”(Organic Roots, Winter 2012, p 19-20)was one of six finalists (out of 40,000entries) for the Best Piece of CulinaryWriting, part of Saveur magazine’s2012 Best Food Blog Awards.Bill HarrisCTT staff 74-77Bill has produced two greatdocumentaries that are in seriouscontention for Academy Awardnominations. If you’re in NYC or LosAngeles, check out Trial by Fire: LivesRe-Forged and Digital Dharma.Carolyn Feinstein EdwardsCamper 76-79“All is well in San Francisco. Wasso sad to miss this year’s Friends’Weekend but am trying to plan nextsummer around going. Hope to seemany friends there!”Betsy RandolphCamper 76-77“I have made Baltimore, MD, myhome—with partner Louisa, daughterLyla (10) and son Finn (8). We live ina wonderful city neighborhood withfriends for neighbors. The closest weget to farm life is going to the farmer’smarket on weekends and visiting ourfriend on a dairy farm in Virginia. Weget up to Keene Valley every summerfor a week or two, and the kids havecaught the hiking bug, much to mydelight. Lyla and I visited Treetopsone day this summer, and my dream isto send her there in the next couple ofyears.”Thatcher BrownCamper 77-80, parent 10-12“Living in Genova, Italy, with myfamily. [Sons] Hollis (10) and Crosby(8) are enjoying Treetops this summerwith their cousin Elsie Brown.”Cindy MarvelCamper 77-80“An exciting summer as my son Theoturned six during the Boulder JugglingFestival in June. I performed at theEdinburgh Fringe as a guest artist withFreedom Family Circus, a Californiatroupe. My book, Shadow Princess:An Indonesian Story, co-authored withpuppeteer Tamara Fielding, can befound on Amazon.com and the Barnes& Noble website and will soon makethe transition to Kindle. The featurelengthfilm Theo and I performed inas juggler and pirate, Love in the Ageof Corruption, recently opened inPortland, OR, and played in Boulderthis September.”See www.bouldercircuscenter.com.Benjamin ButtrickCamper 80-81“Enjoying life in Beverly, MA,working at Cambridge Associates,married, and raising two teenagers.”Eliot SloanCamper 80-85“I am living in Burlington, Vermont,working as a writer, editor, and collegeprofessor. I am eager to connect withother Vermont-based Treetoppers.”continued on next pagewww.nct.org 518.523.9329 page 36

News and NotesKate ChassonCamper 83-87“I am still living in Winter Park, CO,where I teach skiing. This summer Iam coordinating one of the communitygardens—gardening at 7,935 feet!”Noah HarlanCamper 84-89, staff 91“My wife Micol and I are thrilled tobe enjoying the summer with futureTreetops camper Mazhira Harlan (a.k.a.Mazzy), who is eight months old—which means, if I do my math right,that she’s only 93 months from WoodsHouse!”Alberta HemsleyCTT parent 84-90, staff 86-90“Traveled to Peru with my daughterJenny (Winkler CTT 84-86) formy spring break to babysit secondgrandson, Ari. Teaching science atVirtual High School with CincinnatiPublic Schools.”Willard MorganCamper 84-90“Jenn, Sierra, and I moved off theChewonki campus after seven years toa 220-year-old house in nearby Alna,Maine.”Stacy (Kelly) DensmoreCTT staff 87, 92“Married since 2000 (in Vegas,baby!), I now have a five-year-oldson, Cameron, and seven-year olddaughter, Zoe. We currently live inAnkara, Turkey, where my husbandBill works for the US State DepartmentDiplomatic Security Service.saknomad@yahoo.com”Zachary BookmanCamper 88-92“I am currently serving as a civilianlawyer on the Anticorruption TaskForce at NATO in Afghanistan,headquartered in Kabul.” Last spring,Zachary had an article about settlingAfghan disputes on the New York TimesWar Blog.(Visit www.nct.org/campnewsfor a link to the article.)Campers and counselors from the 1990s hid their drinks for a group photo at Friends’ Weekend 2012.Mrs. Oren (Barbara) RootCTT parent 90-92“Our daughter Mica (Micaela Root,CTT 90-92) is on sabbatical for 2012,improving her Spanish in CostaRica. Otherwise she lives and worksin Philadelphia as the founder anddirector of Media Mobilizing Project.[Nephew] Nathaniel Root (CTT 97-1)is living in NYC; [nephew] GregoryRoot (CTT 97-03) is working in Beijingfor Teach/Asia; [niece] Amelia Root(CTT 02-06) is a junior at HamiltonCollege studying geology.”Jim HayesCTT staff 01-06, NCS staff 07-10Havinginexplicablymissed theTreetopsBowling eventin Manhattanlast spring, Jimmade it back tocampus for theNCS Graduationfestivities(pictured here) as well as for Friends’Weekend. He’s living in Brooklyn andworking for Tough Mudders.Don’t miss another issue. Sign upnow for eRoots, our new electronicalumni newsletter. While you’re atit, send us your latest updates forNews & Notes. Contact Kimberlyat kcorwingray@ncstreetops.org.Thanks.page 37 Organic Roots Fall 2012

In MemoriamReginald E. Gilliam, Jr. (CTT 55-58,staff 61-67, trustee 71-75), 67, diedfrom complications from lymphoma onMarch 28, 2012 at George WashingtonUniversity Hospital in Washington, DC.The son of a Pullman railroad car porter,Reg was born December 29, 1944, in NewYork’s Harlem neighborhood. He was a1965 graduate of Lincoln University, ahistorically black college in Pennsylvania,and a 1968 graduate of Harvard LawSchool, where he helped found the BlackLaw Students Association. He taughtpolitical science at Williams Collegebefore moving to Washington in 1975to serve as legislative counsel to Sen.John Glenn (D-Ohio). In 1980, PresidentJimmy Carter appointed Reg to theInterstate Commerce Commission. Helater served as New York state’s directorof commercial transportation under Gov.Mario Cuomo (D) and as chief of staff forRepresentative Louis Stokes (D-Ohio).Reg joined the private sector in 1993, firstwith the lobbying firm Hill and Knowlton,then with Sodexo in 2002 where he helpedestablish the firm’s government affairsoffice and was a senior vice president atthe time of his death. Survivors includehis wife of 42 years, Arleen Fain Gilliam.For more information about Reg’s lifeand the Reginald Gilliam MountaineeringLeadership Endowment established atNCS/CTT, visit www.nct.org/reggilliam.Shirley Green Lovett (CTT staff, NCSstaff, CTT parent 56-72) died August 13,2012 in Longmont, CO. In the 1940s,Shirley was a counselor at Treetops, whereshe met her husband of 65 years “Bud”Francis W. Lovett, Jr. During the 1970s,Bud taught English at NCS for a year,and he and Shirley were houseparents inAlgonquin. In addition to Bud, Shirleyis survived by their three children, F.William Lovett III (CTT 56-63), JaneLovett Schenderlein (CTT 62-64, staff69-72) and Susan Lovett Dahl (CTT 62-67), and four grandchildren. This BarbaraMorgan photograph of Shirley fromSummer’s Children captures the kindnessshe was known for.Jason Anthony Redge (NCS 94), 31, diedJanuary 4, 2012 at his home in Surfside,SC, after a brief illness. He was a graduateof Rochester Hills (MI) High School andHorry Georgetown Technical Collegein South Carolina, where he earned anassociate’s degree in heating and airconditioning. After four years of restaurantwork, Jason was planning a career changeto restaurant management and eventplanning. He is survived by his mother,Susan Barbara Redge, MD, (NCS parent88-91), three brothers and sister, a nieceand two nephews, and aunt and uncle.Richard E. Rittenberg (NCS 40) of Salem,VA, passed away peacefully at age 86 onNovember 6, 2011 after a lengthy illness.He served for five years in the U.S. AirForce during World War II and is survivedby his wife of 36 years Helgard Rittenbergand other relatives and friends.www.nct.org 518.523.9329 page 38

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGEPAIDBURLINGTON, VTPERMIT NO. 399Stay tuned for news of special events throughout this year of celebration.page 002011Organic Roots Spring/Summer