Kingswood For Life Issue 4

KINGSWOOD FOR LIFE
KFL
NEWSLETTER
Volume 1, Issue 4
Please consider making a tax deductible contribution to
the Kingswood Scholarship Fund. See page 11
Click here to register as a member of Kingswood for Life

REVEILLE
One delightful development at Kingswood over the past few years has been the gradual evolution of ?The
Kingswood Marina.? In short, we have so many more boats, kayaks and paddleboards than before.
Added to the mostly Sunfish sailboat fleet were two Hartley12?s replete with jib sails. Better to know your stuff
when rigging or sailing one of these craft.
The days of those simple playak craft are nearly gone. Yes, we still have a few dinged up and half-waterlogged
playaks, which in the glory years were staples in the Bow & Arrow boat meet. But, nowadays, they go largely
unused with the advent of so many stable and beginner versions of real kayaks. On any given waterfront clinic,
one can witness lifeguard instructors flipping kayaks to give boys practice at recovery maneuvers. Good camp.
In a more recent summer, paddleboards were introduced to the community. Instantly, they became the new rage
and on any pleasant evening, an oft-repeated scenario the past couple of summers, all eight boards enjoyed
constant use. Yes, we had one day when splash wars and jousting matches were sponsored, but mainly the
paddleboards are employed for leisurely sightseeing about the glorious and forever-to-be-undeveloped Lake
Tarleton.

REVEILLE
All this reported, one concern that came to the fore was the limited space along the sandy beach next to
Waterfront Cabin. Most assuredly, all alums can picture this setting.
One day this past summer, I came across a scene along the beach that resembled Times Square at rush hour.
Dan Bixby, maintenance director, was nearby so I asked him how could we expand the beach. ?Just hire a
crane, pluck Waterfront Cabin off its foundation, and move it up the hill at bit,? he said while pointing to a
grassy spot thirty feet away.
Well, it happened and the effect, on the eyeballs at least, is stunning.

All Hands on Deck
1921 Map of Piermont
OLD SCHOOL
This enhanced version of the 1921 Map of Piermont has been awarded to Kingswood persons who have
reached the first level of Varsity Club. In light yellow, you can see local hikes we do every summer.

LISTEN TO THE LOONS
The graphic on the next page is the new award that goes to members of Varsity Club. Called the ?Wheel? for
short, one version goes home with the recipient, with green, blue or gold dots placed in the outer ring to
represent hikes achieved. Black stars are mandatory hikes for inclusion in each of the three levels of
accomplishment. A replica of the take-home Wheel hangs on a wire in the Game Room of the Main Lodge.
If you are a member of Varsity Club and would like your personalized Wheel, send us an email listing all the
hikes you can remember doing and we will mail you a Wheel plus place a replica on the wire. Allow us to go
so far as to urge you to do this.
It would be so neat to have everybody included in this immortalizing endeavor. Bob@kingswoodcamp.com
This summer, campers on more than one hike up Mt. Moosilauke ran into an actual moose on the trail!

LISTEN TO THE LOONS

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
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1. Hayes Humphreys, second from right, and his family have
been generous contributors to the Kingswood Scholarship fund.
That?s nothing to run away from!
2.Dewey Gordon, right, poses with Ernie Betheil in the 1985
Circus Parade.
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3. Former counselor, Eric Knaus, a.k.a., The Great Zucchini (the
Washington area?s number one child entertainer) wore more fluff
than he ever consumed.
4. That giant spruce tree at left had needles so prickly that no
one ever tried to reach into the branches to retrieve a Frisbee.
Mr. Wiff told this story last summer but forgot to mention that
the swing set, too, was an obstacle on hole #7 of the Frisbee golf
course.

PHOTO OPS
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1. It is with deep sadness that we announce that Matty McLean
passed away earlier this year. We will miss this great Kingswood
character.
2. Phil Grant, top right, as coach of the U-15 four-time BVT
hoops champions. His ?Monster Defense? schemes made all
the difference.
3. Garrett Smith, left, and Gus Wood, right, intercept the
?Black Hornet? before he could wreak more devastation on the
camp community.
Follow Kingswood Camp on Facebook and Istagram
(@kingswood_camp) for throwback pictures
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4. Jamie Kyle and Adam Kelmenson stir up a witches brew
5. The first thing we did in 1985 was to move the council fire to
its present location. The original totem pole with injured wings
sat behind the benches and the canoe rack, while made
accessible to the lake, did block out some of the natural view of
Mother Tarleton.
6. Todd Sabiston, then, and as he remains to this day,
Superman.

SMITTY ERA PHOTOS
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Check out our recent Blues Buster to see Smitty era photos juxtaposed with photos from summer 2016.
Some things never really change! Click to view

EVENING SPONSORSHIPS
Check out the previous KFL publications!
KFL1 KFL2 KFL3
CLICK TO READ CLICK TO READ CLICK TO READ
Save the Date for the NYC Kingswood Reunion: Saturday, February 25.
Time and location TBD. Let us know if you are interested and we'll keep
you updated as we finalize the specifics.
This link takes you to the Kingswood website/ 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 strikes you as funny, entertaining, be sure to prompt me
to include it in one of those upcoming alumni reports.
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

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
responsible, caring young men.
We are confident that this statement resonates with the 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 use the National Association of Independent School?s financial aid evaluation service, which assists us in awarding
director?s scholarships to families who qualify. In calendar year 2016, Kingswood granted $73,270 in scholarship assistance to
otherwise full-paying clients. Through the generosity of camp friends and alums, we received $15,010 in gifts which we applied
directly to several specific camper's tuitions, thus enabling them to attend Kingswood.
We would like to continue to provide scholarships to well-deserving families with boys who are highly recommended to
us. A simple definition of the word ?deserving? to us entails a child who would not only personally profit from a camp experience,
but who would also clearly ?enhance? the quality of our existing camp community by his presence as a camper. To be certain, the
first requisite is the boy?s character!
Our parent 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.
To make a contribution, go here
We appreciate your generosity as we work to make the Kingswood experience a viable option for as many stellar candidates as
possible. In the years that follow closely, Kingswood Camp will grow!

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