Archive for the 'Pemi Alumni' Category

I am thrilled to write to you as the new Alumni Community Coordinator for Camp Pemi. I first visited the shores of Lower Baker Pond at the age of 8 along with my mother Kay, my brother Grant, and my stepfather Scott Withrow. Pemi holds a special place in my heart like no other. The memories I have of working hard and playing hard at Pemi—with friends both new and old—are woven into the fabric of my life. One of my favorite memories is how Tom Reed, Sr. would introduce me at the annual opening staff meetings as the person who had held the most varied number of positions at Pemi – even though I was never “a boy.”

From its very first days when Gar and Win Fauver and Dudley Reed convinced a dozen venturesome families to entrust their boys to their care in the Northern wilderness, Pemi has always been a place that forged a remarkable sense of community for those who were fortunate to spend a summer (and in many cases, many summers!) at Pemi. I always enjoyed seeing an unfamiliar car drive slowly past the Senior Beach, park in front of the Lodge, and have men of all ages step out to introduce themselves…alums from the thirties, forties, and on, who have come back to Pemi to “water their nostalgia plants” (as my mother would say).

Pemi’s regular reunions have always allowed us to reconnect with our extended camp family, but I am particularly looking forward to the 105^th, which is slated for August 17-19, 2012. We’re looking forward to celebrating the tried and true—vaudeville, sports, trips, campfires, etc.—but we’re also looking forward to adding a variety of workshops offered by visiting professionals (many of whom are already members of our community). Perhaps activities such as comedy improv, night photography, and fly-tying may find their way into the daily program of events.

Let us not forget Bean Soup, which even as I write is entering the 21^st century. From the very first 1910 edition to the most current serving, Bean Soup will be digitized so that you might read them on your own computer. We also plan to further develop and expand the Alumni section of the Pemi website and the Pemi Blog to provide more opportunity to exchange information, announcements, and accomplishments. We really look forward to becoming a comprehensive resource for the Pemi family.

Other ideas? How about events held in cities far and wide? How about travel? Imagine descending into the Grand Canyon with Larry Davis, exploring historical London with Tom Reed, Jr., or participating in the Gilbert and Sullivan Annual Festival in Buxton England. Suffice it to say there is plenty of room for brainstorming, and I hope you will share your own ideas by sending an email to me at alumni@camppemi.com.

I am eager to hear from you, to develop this new opportunity, and to support the extended Pemi community. As in the words of the Pemi Campfire Song, I wonder if anyone’s better for anything I’ve done or said, and whether good will in the heart may offset mistakes of the head. Perhaps when life’s mem’ries are gathered the camp ones will be with the rest…. Let us set out together to rekindle those memories and share in developing new ones for each new crop of the Pemi family.

Good luck, Long life, and Joy.

Warmest wishes

Nicole Wilkinson Tropeano

Nikki Tropeano joins the Pemi staff as Alumni Community Coordinator.

The Pemigewassett Board of Directors and the Fauver and Reed families are delighted to announce that Nicole Wilkinson Tropeano has joined the Pemi team as Alumni Community Coordinator, a newly created position aimed to serve and support a crucial constituency of our camp community.

Nikki grew up at the camp as the stepdaughter of Scott Withrow, the fabled Head of Music, and his wife Kay. Her formal roles at Pemi were many, beginning in the kitchen as a dishwasher and then a trip meal specialist, moving on to work in the office and then as an Assistant Counselor, Counselor, Head of Waterfront, Trip Leader, and then finally taking on the key positions of both Head of Staff and Head of Program. It’s hard to imagine anyone who wasn’t once “a boy” having a better handle on how Pemi operates. Nikki’s role as a member and recent President of the Rittner Fund Board has kept her closely involved in year-to-year operations and further consolidated her relationship with many alumni. Nikki’s Pemi credentials are striking, and along with her long and unquestioned love of camp, put her in a position to do a wonderful job.

Nikki’s training and experience in the professional world only add to our excitement in having hired her and our confidence that her impact will be immediate and profound. Nikki is a graduate of the College of Wooster, and earned a M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision at Antioch University New England. She was Director of the Middle School at Browne Academy in Alexandria, VA, before moving to Thayer Academy, in Braintree, MA where she served as Director of the Middle School. It’s our great good fortune that the recent birth of Nikki and husband Todd’s daughter, Brooklyn, has led Nikki to modify her career path, moving from secondary school administration to sign on with us.

Nikki will be in touch soon with her own vision for moving the alumni community forward. Most importantly, she will seek your vital input on such varied events and possibilities as:

• Pemi’s 105^th Reunion, slated for August 17-19, 2012
• Off-site gatherings that reflect Pemi’s instructional program of Sports, Nature, Music & Art, and Trips.
• The Pemi Blog: articles featuring alums or written by alums
• Bean Soup: digitalizing past editions
• Alumni networking: for college visits, in the workplace, and to support former campers who take the Pemi spirit and ethos into the world.

We couldn’t be more pleased to have added Nikki to the organization. If you know her already, you’ll be as thrilled as we are that she’s signed on as our Alumni Community Coordinator. If you’ve yet to meet her, we’re certain you’ll be quickly taken with her energy, dedication, charm, and hearty devotion to everything Pemigewassett. We look forward to working with her – and through her, with our Pemi alumni – for many years to come.

The following note comes from Jim Brown, a former Pemi camper and staff member who was on the shores of Lower Baker from 1951 – 1957. He and his wife Karen stopped by for a visit this summer, and sent these thoughts along afterward to Tom Reed, Jr. His eloquence here speaks for the way a lot of Pemi alumni react when they revisit camp after a time away.

Hi Tom,

Thanks so much for a wonderful visit to Pemi today. Karen and I enjoyed seeing Betsy, Al, Penny and you, as well as meeting Dottie, Danny, Dwight, Matt, and other counselors and campers. So much seemed the same, and yet, so much was different. The lake and the facilities were beautiful as I remembered them, and yet, the campers were more enthusiastic and more interested in a variety of activities than I recall. Singing at lunch was a treat, and learning that part of a sports team was hiking down Mt. Cube to join their teammates at Camp Moosilauke for a sporting event was also telling.

So many wonderful activities and the camaraderie of boys joining together for a great summer of learning and fun. Beyond that, the staff, counselors and boys make up what has been, and hopefully, always will be, Camp Pemi. Congratulations to you and your associates for maintaining this wonderful spirit. Keep up your fine work and continue to provide a wonderful experience for so many young boys.

For me, almost 60 years ago and now, seeing Camp Pemi was a real treat! Thank you.

-Jim Brown

If you read The New York Times and have an interest in technology, there’s a very good chance you’ve read David Pogue’s work. He is the Times’ personal technology columnist, and he’s also a former Pemi camper. (Read his full bio here. Or, join the more than 1.3 million people who follow him on Twitter.)

Whether he’s reviewing a cell phone, an e-reader, a camera, or any other piece of technology that you might find yourself interacting with, Pogue’s articles and videos are witty, relevant, insightful, and always carefully consider the pros and cons of whatever the item at hand is. (For example: Curious about what Google’s new Buzz service is all about? Or, want to see a good comparison of the best cameras under $300?)

He also has a great sense of humor; one of my favorites of his video reviews is this sketch about the Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader.

I caught up with David Pogue via email to ask him about his summers at Pemi.

Pemi: What years were you at Pemi, and what are your memories of your favorite activities there?

David Pogue:

I went to Pemi for two summers, when I was 12 and 13. I think that would have been 1975 and 1976. A bunch of kids from the Cleveland suburbs, where I grew up, all went to Pemi.

Really, I have a huge number of fond memories, some of which you could even say were career-shaping. I wrote for “Bean Soup” and performed in it regularly, which helped to foster a love of writing, humor, and live performance.

I learned to sail at Pemi, too; I sail to this day, and every time I get into a Sunfish, I’m taken back to that sunny lake!

I remember Hurricane Belle in particular, which hit the East Coast in 1976. It was dark and rainy and windy—one of the few times I’d ever seen whitecaps on the lake—and our sailing instructor, Chris, yelled: “Come on, David! You and me, on the Sunfish! We can do this!” I climbed aboard in the howling gale–and we actually sailed a Sunfish on Lower Baker Lake in a hurricane!

Today, Wikipedia tells me that by the time Hurricane Belle hit New Hampshire, it was little more than a rainstorm. Since a professional sailor had the controls, I’m sure there was no danger whatsoever. But to me, there was nothing more exciting and dangerous than to go zipping around the lake in a real live hurricane, splashed by spray and foam! I’ve never forgotten that day, and have told my kids about it many times.

But I also loved the Gilbert and Sullivan musicals; I’m sure Pogue fans will tell you that my acting career’s highlight was when I played Angelina, in drag, in “Trial by Jury.” That scrappy spirit—piano accompaniment, going into town to do the show for the locals, learning real harmonies in rustic wooden cabins—has never left me. I got the musical-theater bug at Pemi, and went on to spend ten years on Broadway, conducting and arranging musicals!

Not a bad life impact for a place where I spent only a few weeks each summer!

Thank you very much, David Pogue!

-Rob Verger

The Four Docs, the founders of Camp Pemi.

Welcome to Pemi’s new blog! Check this space often for news from camp, information on Pemi’s history and traditions, discussion on camp-related topics, and the occasional profile of a Pemi alum, camper, or staff member.

We plan on offering a wealth of information– varied, useful and possibly even entertaining– in this space. We hope that it grows into a forum where everyone in the Pemi family can participate, be they parents, campers or staff. We also hope to include as many voices as possible, both in the blog items to come and in the comments field below. We’ll explore topics that pertain to campers, like Pemi’s diverse programs or the possibility of homesickness, and to parents, like the challenges of “letting go,” or how colleges might view the camp experience.

Since 1908, Pemi has been on a remarkable journey. As those who know Pemi well can attest, Pemi’s excellence comes not just from the singularity and warmth of its community, but also from the balance it strikes between tradition and change. For example, most Pemi boys still start each summer day with a jump in Lower Baker Pond, but happily we no longer have to cut ice from the lake each winter to use as a refrigerant during the summer, as we did in the early twentieth century. In short, Pemi has been around a long time, and has evolved a great deal since its birth. While boys at camp still have to write a letter (on paper!) home each week, here we’re happy to embrace the digital age.

To celebrate the launch of the new web site and this blog, we turn to our Pemi alums, and ask: Did one or more of Pemi’s program areas– sports, nature, music and the arts, trips, the waterfront and boating– influence your passions or professions? And what ideas might you have for how this space can be used?

Please submit a comment below to join the discussion. (If you don’t see the comment field below, click on the “Full Post and Comments” link above, just underneath where it says “Welcome.”)

–Rob Verger

Rob Verger, a freelance writer, is a former Pemi camper and staff member. His work has appeared in the Boston Globe, the Travel Channel’s website WorldHum.com, the Valley News, and other publications.