THE EAGLE’S NEST FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER
Inside this issue:
SPRING 2012
Join Us as Eagle’s Nest Celebrates 85 Years
OA Announces 3 New Head of School A Timeless Journey
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Venturing Out: New and Classic Added Adventures
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On Being an Eagle’s Nest Lifer
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Semester 34
7
Spring Fennel and Apple Salad
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We Like a Good Challenge
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Nest Chatter
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Visit our website at www.enf.org to make a donation, apply to a program or learn more about Eagle’s Nest.
Dear Families, Eagle’s Nest’s history is rich. The myths and traditions are as vast as the stars above Cabin 7 Field, and as magical as the glow worms by Three Falls. The lore of Eagle’s Nest intrigues all of us who have been a part of this community. It settles in our bones and becomes part of our being. Once we have been a part of Eagle’s Nest, we are always connected to that special place on Hart Road, and all of the people who have experienced life there. September 21-23, 2012 Eagle’s Nest Foundation will be celebrating our long history with the 85th Reunion: “Growing Home – Gathering Friends and Planting the Future”. We look forward to connecting with many campers, Outdoor Academy students, Hante
Participants, faculty/staff members and friends. We have an exciting weekend planned and hope that you will join us to share your stories and reconnect to the Nest. Online registration opens April 1! Bonnie’s Memories: Wow! This is the word that comes to mind when I think of the first day I stepped foot onto Eagle's Nest campus. Think back to the Wide Game Session II, 2002. Do you remember what the theme was? If you guessed Shrek you are exactly right. I spent my first day as Administrative Assistant in an office with ogres, princesses, and other characters to show me the ropes. My welcome into the Nest will never be forgotten. In the past ten years I have made memories with so many Eagle's Nest and Outdoor Academy families. During my time here I have met some of the most amazing young Continued on Page 2 www.enf.org
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85th Reunion, Continued from Page 1 people, staff and educators that this industry has to offer. Eagle’s Nest is such an amazing place to work and raise a family.
Caption describing picture or graphic.
We need your photos! Please help us complete our photo archives with your digitized and well labeled photos. Send your photos to enf@enf.org with names and location where photo was taken. Registration opens April 1st! Please go to http:// www.enf.org/85th_anniver sary/Registration and complete your registration. There is an Early Bird Discount until July 1st! In an effort to save paper we are only offering online registrations. If you need help please contact enf@enf.org.
Many of you have equally amazing stories and memories of this wonderful place. Please help us collect that history and share your stories with us. You can send information my way at enf@enf.org. I can’t wait to celebrate 85 years of Eagle's Nest and The Outdoor Academy with you!
REUNION SCHEDULE
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Jams and Jellies
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Farm-to-Table Cooking/ Demo at the Sun Lodge
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Arts: Mural Painting, Tie Dye, Green woodworking, Blacksmithing, Journal Making
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Work Crew, Gardening
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Ultimate Frisbee
Buffet Lunch – Cabin Seven Field After lunch singing or rest period
Friday September 21
OA Semester Meetings – Cabin Seven Field
Registration Begins (afternoon) Hart Rd. Entrance
Afternoon activities (same as morning)
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Natural Science with Ted
Cookout & Music – A-Field
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Drumming, Canoeing, Climbing tower
Indian Lore/Wheel Play
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Jams, Jellies, Pickles Prep for Saturday
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Explorers Club with Helen
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Work Crew/A-Field Games
Dinner - Whole Kitchen Coffee House – Calling all songwriters, musicians and story tellers!
Saturday September 22 Registration – Hart Rd. Entrance Caption describing picture or graphic.
Water Games
Activities: •
Square Dance & Campfire – New Lodge & Nature Hill Candle Ceremony
Sunday September 23 Camp Representatives Meeting on campus Off campus gatherings: •
Dupont State Forest for Hiking, Biking and More!
Note: Activities are subject to change, but if they do they will be fun!
Climbing Tower, Canoeing & www.enf.org
The Eagle’s Nest Foundation Newsletter
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OA Announces New Head of School By Noni Waite-Kucera, Executive Director Excitement on campus has been high this winter and early spring as we wrapped up a four-month national search for OA’s next Head of School. This summer, after nine wonderful years at the helm, Mark Meyer-Braun will be stepping aside from his leadership duties and we will welcome in Michael Brown as the Head of School. Michael has been with OA as our English teacher and outdoor leader for the last two years. He brings to the position a wealth of knowledge in building community, integrating curriculum and guiding students and faculty. Michael’s vision for how OA can grow into the future is inspirational and I know it will serve our community well. Michael holds his “Michael’s vision for how Ph.D. and M.A. in OA can grow into the future English is inspirational and I know from Indiana Uniit will serve our community versity, well.” and his B.A. from Southern Methodist University with majors in both English and Spanish. His doctoral dissertation was entitled, “Imagining Wilderness, Constructing Landscapes: The Value of Vision in the Americas, 1821-1914”. Michael has been teaching for over 15, years including six years as an Associate Instructor at Indiana University, as a tutor for middle and high school students in Asheville and working extensively with students with dyslexia and other learning challenges.
to live on campus as they have since Susan rejoined the faculty in 2008. I encourage you to visit our website at http://www.enf.org/ outdoor_academy/New_Head_of_School to learn more about Michael. At this time of transition, I would also like to extend a huge thank you to Mark Meyer-Braun for the dedicated work he has done on behalf of Eagle’s Nest and The Outdoor Academy. Under Mark’s guidance, our school became accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and has matured and grown into a place that over 700 alumni hold close to their hearts. Over the coming months, Mark will be working closely with Michael to ensure a smooth transition for our school. We are so very fortunate to have these fine leaders working side by side as we get ready for the changeover. Please join me in thanking Mark and welcoming Michael!
Michael, Noah, Wren and Susan
Michael, his wife Susan Tinsley Daily, and their two children, Noah and Wren, will continue
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The Eagle’s Nest Foundation Newsletter
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A Timeless Journey By Tom Rogers, Camper, Staff Member, Parent For many meals during last summer’s Session IV, I sat back-to-back with my 7-year-old daughter Dinah. Her table looked like almost all the others spread around the dining hall: a male and a female counselor joined by six campers of varying ages, boys and girls. I sat with a handful of other counselors who had arrived for that session, among them my younger brother Gabriel and my sister-in-law Sara. About twenty years earlier, Sara and I sat together as “table parents” with six kids. Now, as biological parents to our respective campers, we sat in the same room and overheard conversations similar to the ones we had followed and instigated a generation ago. I could hear Dinah Dinah on the lake chatting with her table family about her day, and could see Sara’s daughters Ella and Daisy, clearing the dishes from their tables. Eight years old and in their fourth Eagle’s Nest summer, they had mastered such jobs.
ing on the cabin groups out on campouts. A waxing moon helped in clearings, but on many of the forest paths only splashes of light made it through the pines and rhododendron. Allowing dim but true muscle memory to take over, I followed my own feet along the curves away from Indian Village and toward Westwood (a new name to me; some things do change). After confirming that Cabins 6 and 8 were settled, I arrived at the campcraft shed where the Cabin Library girls had climbed the short ladder to the loft and were shuffling around drowsily in their sleeping bags. As I greeted their counselors I could hear Dinah’s among the murmuring voices in the dark loft and then I heard “Oh, hi daddy.” She had already forgotten I was there when I walked back across the creek a few minutes later.
Walking those dark paths, listening in the dining hall at meals, seeing Dinah scamper up the hill from the lake, I frequently felt caught in a temDuring Gabriel’s first summer at camp, our older poral no man’s land—a no time land where brother, Ian, was one of his cabin counselors. some things were different, but the essence reMy wife, Hannah, and I had been Junior Counmained the same. Our children’s experiences selors when Sara was a counselor and Gabriel are the same as those of scores of campers who was still among the youngest of campers. Ian’s have no family connections, no cousins sitting son Jamie will go for the first time this summer. across the dining hall, no parents or aunts or unJuno, our younger daughter, will have to wait cles on campus. Everyone goes to camp to join until next year to join her sister and three cousins the rich community built up through chats with in Pisgah Forest. Our generation collectively has the table family, stories shared in cabins at night, nearly 20 years of experience as staff, led or tribal alliances forged during capture the flag. participated in two dozen Hantes, attended The Ours is certainly a dense set of relationships with Outdoor Academy (only Gabriel), served six Eagle’s Nest, but when Dinah walks the paths years as JCs, and took part in nearly every acthat I walked nearly thirty years ago, she clearly tivity offered between 1980 and 2000. Our childoes so as part of her own journey. And she will dren have heard stories about camp for so long grow up, just as I grew up, on the strength of her they thought every girl in the world was either a own experience, her own challenges, her own Winnesquam or a Wohelo. ties to friends and counselors and the Eagle’s Nest community as a whole. One night last summer, I walked around checkwww.enf.org
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Venturing Out: New and Classic Added Adventures at Camp! by Caroline Toy, Assistant Camp Director At Eagle’s Nest, we treasure the natural world around us, and our campers do too! Whether through creek hikes to Three Falls, gazing at the tall white pines at Indian Village, or hunting for salamanders and lizards, we all grow to know our world better while we’re at camp. For many years, Eagle’s Nesters have expanded their horizons through Added Adventures. The Huck Finn Adventure takes campers on an amazing raft journey down the French Broad River. In years past, groups have built their own shelters and eaten wild plants while exploring the high ridges of Pisgah National Forest on Paleo Man, ventured to the Atlantic coast, and taken their Nest experience to lots of other places too! This year, we’re bringing back the Sea Islands Added Adventure, a classic opportunity for campers to explore and learn about the coastal environment, AND offering a brand-new way to see western North Carolina, the Mountain Biking Added Adventure! So what are Added Adventures all about? Going to new places, trying new things, FUN, and of course, spending part of the session in camp too! Added Adventure campers have a blast at camp with their friends at the beginning of the session before embarking on an epic journey. Sea Islands campers will travel to Cumberland Island in Georgia, where they’ll explore beaches, marshes, and
coastal forests by swimming, hiking and biking. Huck Finn will embark on its classic river float, winding through eastern Tennessee while fishing, camping, and making mischief. Mountain Bikers will camp close to home, tackling exciting rides in DuPont State Forest. After spending five to seven epic days in the field, each Added Adventure group returns home to Eagle’s Nest to enjoy the end of the camp session and share stories with their cabin-mates and table families. Added Adventures are great if you’ve never camped out for a week before— AND if you’re so psyched about being outside at camp that you just want more! If you’ve ever wished you could go on a Hante but you’re not quite sure you’re ready for three weeks without a shower, Added Adventures are definitely the place for you. Can’t wait to go on Hante but still want to be at camp too? This is the best of both worlds, a way to venture into the wilderness and still be at Solstice, the musical, Giving Day, Final Banquet, and other great camp traditions. Join us in 2012, or start anticipating your adventures in summers to come! Added Adventures are open to campers finishing grades 5-8 and require an additional application. We have a full and excited group for Huck Finn in Session II, but space may still be available in Sea Islands (Session I) and Mountain Biking (Session III). Please see the website at http://www.enf.org/ camp/AddedAdventures for more information.
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On Being an Eagle’s Nest Lifer By Josh Rosenstein
Josh as a camper in Cabin 10, 2003
Josh arriving at as a student at OA, Fall 2004
Josh as a JC, summer 2006
Josh teaching at OA, 2012
As I prepare for a move across the country and away from the Nest I’ve called my home for so many years, my mind continues to return to how important this place has been to my development as a human being. My journey through Eagle’s Nest began in the year 2000 as a wide eyed 11 year old, sitting on Cabin 7 field waiting with anticipation to find out what my tribe would be and then floating down the French Broad River on Huck Finn. Little did I know that I would remain here in some regard for the next 12 years, progressing as a camper, an OA student and Junior Counselor, and eventually working for both Camp and OA. It was in my adolescent period that I learned and developed the most. This is when the seed was planted in me that has driven me to become an educator.
a new understanding of the meaning of responsibility, a deeper connection to nature, a handful of freshly-written songs, and a plethora of new friends who knew me in a special and unique way. I then took these things I gained at OA back to camp with me as a Junior Counselor, which made me better equipped to handle the specific challenges of caring for children at a residential summer camp, and to serve in the JC Group as part of a team of developing leaders.
These skills and experiences made me much better equipped to become an educator. I started my first job with Eagle’s Nest, living in Cabin 8 and teaching Music and Indian Lore. I relied heavily on what I learned as an OA student and a JC, and in subsequent summers, helped lead the JC program and teach teenagers the same Eagle’s Nest offers a great progres- skills I had learned in my own way. sion of programming that truly fos- Then coming full circle, I’ve reters leadership and character de- cently been working at The Outdoor Academy, getting the velopment. As a CIT (the oldest chance to teach both leadership group of campers), I had more camp responsibilities, from clean- and community building outside ing community bathrooms and the the classroom, as well as music and history inside the classroom. kitchen to setting an example for Growing and progressing through my younger peers. My final summer as a camper in 2004, I discov- Eagle’s Nest Foundation as a participant and a staff-person has had ered an amazing feeling of coman immense influence on my own munity and connectedness with life-path and journey. It has the other “dudes” in Cabin Treetops. That experience pushed me shaped me into the passionate developing educator I am today, givto take a life-changing leap of faith and apply to be a student at ing me the courage and guidance to seek out continuing opportuniThe Outdoor Academy. After attending Semester 19 that Fall, I re- ties to grow. turned home with a new toolbox of leadership and community skills, www.enf.org
The Eagle’s Nest Foundation Newsletter
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Semester 34 Galen Bishop Katie Hansen Kista, Sweden Chapel Hill, NC Kungsholmen Gymnasium Chapel Hill High School Caroline Bluhm Winston-Salem, NC Paisley IB Magnet
Hannah Helmey Lilburn, GA Parkview High School
Nole Brunelle Pisgah Forest, NC Brevard High School
Cosima Hernandez Chapel Hill, NC Cedar Ridge High School
Grace Castillo Falls Church, VA George Mason High School
Blair Hudson Columbia Falls, ME Washington Academy
Ingrid Coates Avondale Estates, GA Decatur High School Ben Ghertner Nashville, TN University School of Nashville
Haley Jackson Asheville, NC Homeschool Lexie Jones Kingston Springs, TN Father Ryan High School
Lauren Marton Whitehouse Station, NJ Hunterdon Central Regional Maja Olsson West Point, VA Episcopal High School Maddy Pearce Chapel Hill, NC East Chapel Hill High School Erin Phillips Fletcher, NC AC Reynolds High School Ben Pierce Kingston Springs, TN University School of Nashville
Eliza Renner Atlanta, GA Grady High School Zoe Rollenhagen Morrison, NJ Newark Academy Gus Starck Madison, WI West High School Joachim Trinh Washington, DC Woodrow Wilson High School Emily Wingate Atlanta, GA Grady High School
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Spring Fennel and Apple Salad By Ashton Powell, Chef and Kitchen Manager
Fresh spring ingredients
“This salad has a great sweet, rich and tart flavor.�
When the winter months finally turn into spring, there is a renewed feeling that comes from seeing the changes going on around us. Along with these changes in nature comes the opportunity for a new harvest of seasonal vegetables and fruits. One spring vegetable that I truly enjoy is fennel. Fennel originates from the Mediterranean and is a familiar ingredient throughout that region. It grows well here in the mild spring months of the southeastern United States. It is commonly referred to as sweet fennel or Florence fennel. This variety produces a large bulb at the base of the stalks and fronds. It has a mild sweet licorice flavor accompanied by a hearty leafy
Recipe Start by portioning out the lemon juice 2 Fennel bulbs and olive oil. Then go (remove stalks ahead and pick the and fronds) parsley and set these 2 Tbsp Lemon juice three ingredients to (1-2 whole lemthe side. Using a ons) 2 Apples smaller in mandoline or ansize (use a hard other sort of vegetavariety like fuji ble slicer will work best for the fennel, or pink lady) just be careful! Slice Âź cup Flat Leaf it perpendicular to Italian Parsley the grain of the fen(picked of nel. You want to slice stem) 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin it pretty thin, around Olive Oil 1/8 inch. Its okay to salt and black pep- do it by hand, just try per to taste to keep it thin. Stop once you get close Ingredient List
Time to get back to work in the garden!
green taste. The crunchy texture provides a fresh element to a meal. One way I like to prepare it is by making fennel and apple salad. This totally raw salad includes fresh apples and lemons along with extra virgin olive oil. This salad has a great sweet, rich and tart flavor. It is a very healthy and nutrient dense dish that is high in antioxidants and beneficial fats. Fresh fennel can provide relief from indigestion. It is high in vitamin C and is one of the top antioxidant foods. The lemon juice acts as a liver cleanser as well as digestive aid. The monosaturated fats in the olive oil actually help to lower cholesterol levels and, it is believed that it can lower blood pressure. This is a great dish that I hope you enjoy!
to the bottom of the core. Cut the apple from top to bottom into round disc shapes about 1/3 inch thick. Then cut the discs into match stick shapes about 1/3 inch thick. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl along with some salt and pepper to taste and mix gently. It can be eaten immediately or within the next day or two. This recipe will serve four healthy portions.
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The Eagle’s Nest Foundation Newsletter
Trustee Updates Eagle’s Nest Foundation Board of Trustees officers for 2012 are as follows: President—Steve Robins, Nashville, TN Vice-President—Alyssa Merwin, New York, NY Secretary—Elen Knott, Winston-Salem, NC Treasurer—Heather Goodling, Atlantic Beach, FL
Eagle’s Nest is honored to welcome the following new members to our Board of Trustees: Jamey Lowdermilk, MS Jamey is an alumna of OA’s Semester 5, was a longtime camper, JC, Hante participant, and staff member. She is a Presidential Management Fellow at Helena National Forest in Helena, MT.
Shelley Gaynes, MBA Shelley’s three children, Jonathan, Melanie, and Carley, have been involved at camp in every possible capacity since 2001. Shelley is President of GeeWiz, a sales and management training firm, in Atlanta, GA. Rich Orland, MD Rich’s son, Eli, is a member of OA’s Semester 32, longtime camper, and will be attending Hante Spain this coming summer. Rich is the Care Management Director at St. Thomas Health in Nashville, TN Rotating off the board, taking with them our exceptional gratitude for their service, are: Norm Carl, MBA of Nashville, TN Thorns Craven, JD of Winston-Salem, NC Jim Smith, MBA of Butler, TN
We Like a Good Challenge By Susan Gies Conley, Director of Development Challenges are a part of daily life at OA and Camp, and most certainly in the world of development! Last December, an alumni family challenged our community at large to raise $5,000 in the last weeks of the year, and they matched each dollar. During OA’s 15th Anniversary Reunion, two challenges motivated unprecedented numbers of alumni and parents to step up for OA. These challenges were an important part of our fundraising efforts, and as you can see, our own challenge continues! Last year, 101 campers requested $142,453 in camperships. We were able to award $74,360 to 84 of them. Even so, there were 17 campers who could not attend at all because of a lack of funding. 84 campers is a lot of great kids helped, but my heart breaks for those 17. Also in 2011, 28 admitted OA students needed financial assistance. We gave out $195,000 of the $384,060 for which they qualified.
22 students were at OA because of this aid. Six motivated young people stayed home because we could not provide enough scholarship dollars.
“The potential power of this community is thrilling!”
The Waste Treatment Plant, aka “The Ship,” needs to be replaced. We bought the current plant used in 1978, and it cannnot take any more repairs. This necessary project is going to cost $300,000 through 2013. (At least the topic makes for good puns.) If you like a good challenge, and you love OA and Eagle’s Nest Camp, then 2012 is your year to give! Last year 417 families and organizations decided to make a difference by making a gift to Eagle’s Nest. If they got us this far, what would happen if others follow their example? The potential power of this community is thrilling! www.enf.org
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News and Updates: Carolina Giraldo (OA) was awarded a Posse Scholarship and will be graduating MAST high school in Miami, FL, a year early in order to attend Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. Graydon Pleasants (Camp) is a sophomore at Rochester Institute of Technology in digital media. Mason Dowell (OA) After his beginnings as a new woodworker while at OA, Mason has taken his craft to a new level. In exchange for sponsorship from various material suppliers, he is currently working on producing “how to” videos for turning acrylic pens and wood bowls. Check out his YouTube channel @ BasementWoodworker Thomas Wilson (Camp) completed the Beach to Battleship Ironman in October. Congratulations Thomas!! Naomi Siegel (Camp) is in the studio recording an album with the Jefferson Rose Band. The band is comprised of some of the best world music players in Seatlle, including Naomi and her trombone! Hannah Levin (OA Faculty) will be teaching yoga at Penland School of Crafts during its first session (May 27-June 8) and is releasing her second CD in June. Check out more at www.hannahlevinmusic.net.
Margaret Flock (OA) has been lighting up the stage in Atlanta, starring in The Lovett School’s production of My Fair Lady and as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. Rosie (Emeny) Norlander (OA) supported OA at her Alma Matter, Sandia Prep this past February. Rosie is living in her hometown of Albuquerque, NM, spending her time teaching students about field ecology at the Sandia Mountain Natural History Center and spending time with her husband, Danny. Ryan Flanigan (OA) promoted OA at his Alma Matter, St. Paul's School. Ryan took his Appalachian studies course to heart and is now working as a talented furniture maker and upholster in his hometown of Baltimore, MD. Cara Kidd (OA, Camp) Cara is finishing up high school in Pembroke Pines, Florida and is looking to study Art Education at Appalachian State University. Good Luck, Cara! Shout-outs/Thank Yous! Great to see OA Alumni, Ben Rousseau, Cameron Rabb, Kate Paulson, Will Riedlinger, Elise Ammondson, Kendall Clark, Molly Hurd, Katie Gilbert Rowlett, Andie Gould, Emma AberleGrasse, Carson Shadwell, Alison Merlin, Margaret Flock, Leah Bishop, Eli Orland, Will Kotchitzsky, Maddie Vogelsang, Carolina Giraldo, Rose Escalante, Ana Sophia Mifsud, Gabbie Dowell, Ryan Flanigan, Rosie Norlander, and Cameron Evans for coming out to support OA at the school visits this year! www.enf.org
The Eagle’s Nest Foundation Newsletter
Graduations: Clay Pittman (Camp,OA) graduated from NC State University in December with a BA in Political Science. We’re sure to see Clay behind the scenes of some campaign this year!
Erin Masi (Camp) was married in November 2011. Susan Williams (Camp) married in St. Simon’s and France.
Ali Scher (Camp, OA) graduated from USC School of Cinematic Arts and is currently promoting her film The Maiden and The Princess, www.maidenandprincess.com
Baby Finn, born 9/18/11
BIRTHS
Marriages: Marti Rosenberg (Trustee) has been very busy this spring! Her daughter, Jane Rosenberg (Camp, OA) was married 2/18/12 and her son, Ben Rosenberg (Camp, OA) is getting married 3/31/12.
Jane Rosenberg
Ming Lindsley (Camp) was married in September 2011.
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Susan Williams
Passages: Long time Eagle’s Nester Nancy Abberger of Orlando, Florida, passed away this winter at the age of 86. Nancy worked as a parent counselor while her sons attended Eagle’s Nest. She loved the arts and helped direct camp musicals and dining hall singing. Nancy is credited with bringing “The ABC Song” and lots of joy to Eagle’s Nest. She will be missed. Memorial gifts are being given to the Fran Price – Nancy Abberger Camp Scholarship Fund, which honors two loyal Eagle’s Nest supporters from Orlando.
Owen McCance Belanger To Matt and Laura Belanger (OA) 3/28/11 Finnegan Bradford Lupfer To Serena Jones (Camp) and Eric Lupfer 9/18/11 Lincoln Marshall Young To Jay Young (Camp) and his wife 11/22/11 Mila Rose Farrell To Biff Farrell (Camp) and Lara Souza 2/7/12
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Eagle’s Nest Foundation P.O. Box 5127 Winston-Salem, NC 27113 (336) 761-1040
PAID Winston-Salem, NC Permit No. 456
Eagle’s Nest Camp 2012—Enroll Now! Limited space is still available in both Camp and Hante Adventures! Session I: June 9—June 22 Session II: June 24—July 13 Session III: July 15—August 3 Session IV: August 5—August 12 Call 336-761-1040 for more information regarding availability