Kingswood For Life Issue 2

KINGSWOOD FOR LIFE
KFL
NEWSLETTER
Issue 1, Volume 2
Thank you for registering in our new association, named "Kingswood For Life"
Please tell others in your network about Kingswood's efforts to reunite with old-time campers
and parents. Give them this link to sign up for themselves:
https:/ / kingswoodcamp.campintouch.com/ ui/ forms/ applications/ alumni/ App

REVEILLE
Enjoy taking a photographic tour of Summer 2015 at Kingswood. After camp ended, we did a series of four
reports, which hit the highlights of our thirty-first year at the helm.
In the first installment, covering the first two weeks, you will see how the council fire area got a complete rehab
this summer; you will see me getting thrown out of a ball game; you will see a young camper who climbed 29
mountains in one summer at camp. For that, and more, click here
In weeks 3-4, you will learn that the weather turned brilliantly summery and stayed that way the rest of the time
camp was in session. It was so nice that on some days the game room tables (ping pong, foosball, etc) moved
out of doors. In every session, we get more creative as time goes on. For more on these notions, click here
Second session these days is only a three week tenure. But, man do we press the accelerator to equalize it with
first session. No question but that the fish bite more as summer wears on. We run Egg Drop today just as we
did 25 years ago. Ditto with Cabin Carnival. Why try to fix something that is not broken? To enjoy this
segment, click here
Finally, we all begin to realize that summer is nearly over -- already! A final fling with the girls from Camp
Wa-klo and the annual Celebrity Chef Night (when counselors do all the cooking) set the stage for Bow &
Arrow Week. Remember the Apache Relay? These days, we do not reveal the times of each ?rope? until the
very end. Something amazing occurred? click here

ALL HANDS ON DECK
The following are our preliminary reunion dates for 2016. Just what is a
?Kingswood Reunion?? Well, a bunch of us pick out a bar or restaurant and
hang out. Kingswood pays for the appetizers and you pay for the beverages.
We had two such gatherings in 2015 -- one in New York and the other in
Washington, DC. Both occurred before we had created the Kingswood For Life
alumni association. While attendance was gratifying then, it could be much more
abundant this go around.
The Alumni Newsletter will be
published 3-4 times per year. Naturally, we
desire to expand on this simple
communication to include photos, history
and much more. If you have any stories to
tell, or ideas for articles we can do, let us
know.
We?ll call this the ?preliminary? schedule, in case we have overlooked an
important date that would compromise too many people?s plans. Email Rob to
either accept the date or suggest another time you feel would be better for most of
the guys you know.
Next, the link below takes to you
the Kingswood web site/ Kingswood
Resources/ Camp Archives. Scroll to the
bottom and you will see that every Monday
Blues Buster from 2002 to 2011 is available
for rediscovery. Same with the Summertime
daily Director?s reports. What a great way to
reminisce. If you find anything that really
strikes you as funny, entertaining, be sure to
prompt me to include it in one of those
upcoming alumni reports.
http:/ / archives.kingswoodcamp.com/ main_new.php
JANUARY 14: BETHESDA, MD / Caddies sports bar, 5pm- 8pm
JANUARY 30: NEW YORK CITY
TBA: BOSTON
On all reunions- further details will be emailed as the time nears
Let us know if you plan to attend!
Email acceptances to rob.wipfler@gmail.com
603-795-2235

OLD SCHOOL
OLD SCHOOL

LISTEN TO THE LOONS
HOW WE GOT KINGSWOOD
Part 1
Kids want to know how it happened that the
Wipflers came to own Kingswood. It goes like this:
Both my father and mother were educators in
Elmira, New York near the Finger Lakes region of upstate
New York. In 1951, when I was four years old, dad took
a summer camp job at Camp Norway on Lake Fairlee, in
Ely, Vermont ? not far at all from Kingswood,
coincidentally. My brother Billy at age seven was placed
in Cabin 2, while little Bobby was stuck living with my
mother in a dreary house at the edge of a lagoon coming
off Lake Fairlee. Oh, how I hated that place and I ran
away from mom whenever she was not watching closely.
Oh, come on mom, putting that fragile eye-hook lock on
the screen door was no deterrent whatsoever to this
curious little four year old. Mom, however, died a
thousand deaths every time I was found to be missing
since the trail off to camp went along the edge of the
dark, swampy water. But, I always made it to Cabin 1
where Charley Wilhite or George West slid me under the
bed whenever they heard my mother calling out my
name. I can still hear them today saying ?Oh, no, Mrs.
Wipfler. We have not seen Bobby all day long? ? One
deliriously happy little boy emerged from his hiding place;
he was now a camper!
I have plenty of stories to relate about those
Norway years, but they can wait for another day since this
report needs to fast forward to the Kingswood years.
Simply stated, I stayed at Norway for the next eighteen
years until I had graduated from Washington & Lee
University and taken a teaching position at Landon
School in Bethesda, Maryland. It was through Landon
friends that I met Alice and after we got married in 1971,
I took a summer off from camp to get my Masters Degree
from Georgetown University. That damned near killed
me ? not that the curriculum was difficult ? but I was not
at camp. We fixed that fast and the next summer found
Alice and me at Camp Wachusett on Little Squam Lake
in central New Hampshire.
Alice and I loved every minute of our thirteen
year stint at Wachusett. But, by adding eighteen and
thirteen, you get to thirty-one summers at camping for
me. By 1980 or so, I had gotten the itch to run a camp
on my own.
Graffiti from the Hilly 1 Cabin wall and
ceiling adorn the margins of this report.

LISTEN TO THE LOONS
Then along came the gypsy moth caterpillars. I?ll
guess that is was the summer of 1982 that Alice and I
arrived at camp to the horrifying sight of millions of
leaf-eating pests, devouring everything green on the trees,
including pine needles, once all the deciduous goodies
were gone. I do not mean hand-picked leaves, like the
yummy maples and oaks; I mean it when I say
?everything? alive was food for the caterpillars.
It was worse than winter, since not only were the
trees barren of green, but the infestation continued down
to the nubs of the leaves. And, caterpillars have bowels
like the rest of living things, and they were constantly
pooping. It got so bad that Alice started walking around
during the sunny daytime with an umbrella.
Finally, two days before the campers arrived, out
of sheer desperation we hired an exterminator who
showed up in a truck hauling a huge tank of chemicals.
He attached a long fire hose and began bombing the tops
of all the trees, working his way all the way to the bottom
? one tree at a time. It took him hours to complete his
task. ?What is that stuff?? we all inquired. ?Liquid
Sevin,? he replied. ?But that is toxic to humans,? we
insisted. ?I?m still alive today,? he shot back with a
toothless grin.
Anyway, the caterpillars started dropping from
the vegetation as if they were hailstones in a summer
storm. Each one hit the ground, gyrating in an
involuntary spasm for a few seconds before dying. I can
remember standing near a picnic table and watching at
least a six-inch pile up of carcasses build
up in about five minutes time. Naturally, the counselors
present all began to mimic the caterpillars, lying on their
backs and flailing hands and legs wildly to and fro.
Miraculously, we had the whole mess cleaned up two days
hence and boys arrived only to a wintry-looking setting.
Of course, the summer was great, like all of them are.
So, what the heck does this story have to do with our
getting Kingswood? Plenty.
Stay tuned.
Little Bobby at center, 1951
Wachusett era photos

PHOTO OPS
Each issue will feacture a bunch of pix, plucked from our
enormous file- boxes of willy-nilly photos stored in a basement
closet. Send us your pictures or make a request from a fond
camp memory. Email pictures or requests to swipfler@gmail.com
4
1
5
2
6
3
1. ?Give those carneys a $10 and they will give you back $2,? we warn the
boys every time we go to the North Haverhill Fair.
2. Nocella, Grant and Dietz on their night off -- oops, the same North
Haverhill Fair. We have other photos of Grant on that same night. (no
explanation forthcoming)
3. Don't anyone ever again attest that The Great Zucchini has never danced
with a girl.
7
4. "Pelt David Silver" was one of the most popular Cabin Carnival games ever
offered.
5. Well, that is David Silver, two right of Robles and next to Smokey.
6. Zweber was always much more than just "the old ball coach" at Kingswood.
7. We still haul out the very old retro uniforms once per summer.

PHOTO OPS
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1 2
5
3
1. Ari Blum, center, was one of Kingswood's first great catches, way back in 1985.
2. Nick Hall, head framed by the right side of the birch branch, was one of our top
favorites from the old Kingswood, who returned to camp in 1985.
3. The 15 and Under basketball team celebrates it's fourth consecutive Baker Valley
Tournament championship. Fat Bob's declared an extra dividend that summer.
6 7
4. How lucky to have this photo of classic counselor, Stefan Lorenzutti, and the current
Lake Swim record holder, Roald Oines as counselors in Echo Rock with Stalkrantz and
Rominger.
5. Find Klaus in this picture.
6. The idea in this carnival game was to swing on a rope to the spool, without touching
the ground. Barnett, Bell, Blass, and Weedin are the most visible of the seven.
7. Yes, Elvis still is alive and well.
Want to see more pictures?
Email swipfler@gmail.com with your requests! Follow
Kingswood Camp on Facebook for throwback pictures

SMITTY ERA PHOTOS
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2
1. You are looking at the Wipfler cottage and former Guides Lodge. During Smitty's time, the building was called
"Junior Lodge" and even had a husband-wife couple living in one of the side rooms. Pictured here is Christmas in
July.
2. Love this picture. The only building still standing is Hilly 4, at top left. Indeed, you can see the infamous Hilly 3
and Hilly 2 cabins during their glory years. They called the building at bottom "Wigwam" where today stands the
Dining Room (built in 1957). Things like the trails and even certain trees are quite familiar looking, despite the huge
amount of time that has passed.

THE AMBASSADOR'S SPIN
The guy's name is Michael. But, don't ever address him as such. He is
KLAUS, plain and simple. He has been with us for 21 of Kingswood's 31
summers under the Wipfler banner. As Head Counselor, he makes knowing
every boy his prime camp duty. He is everybody's best friend, UNLESS he has
donned his black trench coat, black hat and dark sunglasses, whereupon he
transforms into the mean Mr. Ambassador (from nowhere to nowhere). His
mission is to smash every egg to bits during the infamous Egg Drop
competition. He's got a great way with sarcasm and we think you will enjoy
his biting wit. Take it away Mr. Ambassador.
Seeing the picture of the Smitty-era Santa Clause (who for the rest of this article will be called Smittyclause) got
me thinking. Clearly these juniors are excited beyond measure to see what Smittyclause has for them. The real
winner, of course, is the child who received the New York Board of Education approved Pancho Gonzales tennis racket
and not the kid who got what has to be the most useless looking water inflatable created by mankind.
However, I am not a big fan of Santa Clause. People most frequently mispronounce my name with his and
children do not appreciate his gifts to the fullest. I put my trust in a different gift-giving individual who appears every
summer? .Fat Bob.
Fat Bob appears every summer dispensing ice cream indiscriminately to campers for a host of reasons. He is
just like Santa Clause except way better? .allow me to explain.
Clearly I have my trust in the right one. Truth be told, I am rather thankful for one child who did not take
Smittyclause?s gift because that tennis racket one day did find a home: mine.
- Klaus

LOOKING PROUDLY DOWN
RENTING KINGSWOOD
Kingswood has hosted a variety of events during the off-season: weddings, reunions, prom, school retreats, and
week-long specialty camps. Each of these families and groups have revelled in the beauty of the setting and the
opportunities of the surrounding areas.
After camp ends, the weather is often perfect. Sunny days of August give way to cooler nights in September,
culminating in the gorgeous colors of fall in October. There are at least two months of opportunities to make use of the
property. The photos below show a wedding held last August. We would love to offer alumni this same setting.
If you or a group you are associated with have interest in a ?destination? gathering, contact Rob:
wipfler@kingswoodcamp.com or 603-795-2235.

TAPS
At Kingswood, our mission is to create a happy,
close-knit community that treasures kindness, the
natural world, and the joy of play; a place where
boys develop confidence, make independent
choices, value true friendship, and grow into
"Nec ex f eugiat
f orensibus integre
luptatum eum oratio
blandit responsible, ef fcaring iciantur young men. quo ei.
Te vel vivendo f acilisis."
We are confident that this statement resonates with the terrific community we have created over our 30+ years at the
Kingswood helm. Yet, there remains one more significant value that cannot show up in any mission statement: Who becomes the
beneficiary of such wholesome goals? We believe that Kingswood should not be limited only to families of means.
The number of families requesting and qualifying for financial support for their boys to attend camp has increased
exponentially in recent years. For summer 2015, we awarded over $70,000 in tuition assistance, an enormous leap from our
average numbers in the past. We would like to continue to provide scholarships to well-deserving families with boys who are
highly recommended to us.
Our parental accrediting agency, the American Camp Association, has developed a vehicle that allows individuals to make
tax-deductible financial contributions to specific camps of their choosing, for use as scholarship funds. Accordingly, we have
created a Kingswood Scholarship fund through the ACA auspices. Precise guidelines and rules apply to such distributions, to
include grants only to deserving children.

Standards of Eligibility for Kingswood Camp
Scholarship Assistance
Kingswood Camp uses the following guidelines in
determining the applicability of scholarship aid to families
who apply for it. Both the personal characteristics of the
boy and a complete family financial disclosure are factors
weighed by the camp administration in making assistance
offers.
- The boy himself understands the basics of our
program and is eager to participate.
- His age is between 8 and 16 years old.
- His teachers/ coaches/ guidance counselors describe
him to us in areas of his curiosity, integrity,
intelligence, and general demeanor.
- The boy must acknowledge that he enjoys the
out-of-doors. He must realize that even our
wood-framed sleeping bunks have that ?outside feel?
to them.
- Kingswood seeks boys who are respectful of others
and able to follow the guidelines of positive group
dynamics.
- We are assured that he is capable of enduring the
physical demands of our program.
- He expresses interest in grasping a larger
understanding of the physical world, and hopes to
acquire greater self-confidence through his camp
experience.
- He is committed to being a positive contributing
member of the Kingswood community.
- The boy?s family supports this endeavor and is
willing to provide all the information the camp needs
from them.
- The family submits a letter of recommendation from
the boy?s primary advisor or principal.
- The amount given toward the participation of any
scholarship camper shall not exceed the amount of
tuition and airfare minus the amount the family is
able to pay.
To contribute, click here