Empty Buildings

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Paul's musings from the AYF blog:

The first time I visited Merrowvista was during one of the cold, dark New Hampshire winters. Summer camp wasn’t in session and I was visiting friends who had been long-time campers and staff members. They eagerly showed me around the Bahn, the AC, the council circle. I’ll admit that at the time I didn’t get it. Yes, the surroundings were beautiful, it was great to be in nature and away from the world but somewhere between New Hampshire and Weston Shelter I thought, “great, another empty building.” I didn’t understand their enthusiasm.

The passion and energy my friends had for this place intrigued me, and it’s part of the reason I decided to come work at camp and see what this place is all about. It didn’t take me long to understand.

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Lost and Found

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Lost and Found

From the Canaan Valley, I send you another reposting of the AYF blog courtesy of TPM:

I’d like to pose a philosophical question to the parents of this camp community; each parent must consider and answer for themselves: Will your camper return home with more or less than they arrived with?

 

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Wealth Can't Buy Health

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Wealth Can't Buy Health

Hello, again, from the Canaan Valley. My name is Paul and I’m one of the camp nurses. Here at the health center we believe in empowering campers through health. This is my 6th summer at Merrowvista and when I first started, I underestimated the health team’s role in the community and camper’s lives. I have learned that camp nursing is more than just treating scrapes and stomach aches. Like every other Youth Development Professional here, our job is to help campers grow and learn to be their best selves.

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Reblogging our work from the AYF

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Reblogging our work from the AYF

It has been a minute since we've posted and for that we apologize. Mid-may sent us on a month long adventure across the country and through many of our old stomping grounds back to the place where our adventure (arguably) started: Merrowvista.

The constant travel made it difficult to write and now both Paul and I are working 16 hour days, juggling family, youth development, and ongoing remote work. Luckily, part of our job as youth development professional requires that we WRITE BLOGS, but not fun travel adventure posts so much as reassure parents that their children are safe and cared for posts. With the permission of the camp director himself, I repost my contribution from the very first day of camp here:

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