|
 Camp Veteran Returns from a Leave of Absence
When 24-year old Liz Aibel first came to camp, in 1994, she immediately wanted to turn around and go back to her home in Hoboken, New Jersey. However, time, patience, and a thing called “Pok-O-MacCready Spirit” eventually grabbed hold and, to date, has yet to let go. A graduate of Hamilton College with a Masters from Leslie College in Boston, Aibel works as an elementary school teacher in Brookline, Mass., where she also now makes her home. The former camper, counselor, section head and swimming instructor is back following a three year layoff, spending the 2006 summer as the head of MacCready’s Senior Section
ROUGH BEGINNINGS: “I first came to camp with my best friend from home and I wasn’t happy. I sent my Mom about four faxes the first week saying things like ‘There are too many bugs’.... ‘The screens have holes in them’.... ‘There’s too much peer pressure’.... ‘I’m not eating; I’m wasting away’.... ‘You gotta get me out of here’. The turnaround came at the opening council fire when I joined the Cayuga. Things started shifting and by the Revolutionary War (July 4th) I had the best day of my twelve year life”
BACK AFTER THREE YEARS: “Working at camp fits nicely into my life. My best friends are here. Plus, I wanted to see- professionally- what I could bring to camp as a 24-year old teacher, as opposed to an eighteen year old kid. There’s a difference between being a teacher and a camp counselor; a shift in the respect. The classroom is very teacher-centric but at camp it’s all about the kids, much more interactive. There’s a shared sense that this is our summer, what we together want to make of it.”
SECTION HEAD: “You’re a bit administrator and a bit counselor. You’re working on your relationship with your cabin but you have a responsibility over 30 other kids and your staff. It demands a broader perspective to create a community.”
FUTURE AT CAMP: “This is a fabulous place to come for the summer. Whether or not I do it every year, I don’t know. I’ll play it year by year. My relationship with camp and my camp friends is testament to the lasting impression this place has. It’s a wonderful, safe feeling that never leaves this place, and never leaves me!”
|
It’s arguably the reason why some campers return each summer. It’s unquestionably the
biggest event of the camp season. Indian Games kicks off today with the boys track meet. The opening girls event, the swim and boat carnival, is scheduled for Saturday.
