Letter from the Camp Choconut Director

With only about 1 week before Camp Choconut’s 85th season things are a buzz here at camp. With a successful workweek and Joe Horne’s (our Site Manager) attention to detail the camp property is in near perfect condition for another successful summer camp session. I can’t begin to describe how excited I am to work my 3rd summer at camp and my first summer as Camp Director.

I want to thank every one of you that have supported this endeavor and those of you that will be in the future, whether its by volunteering your time, sending your child, sharing with other parents this great opportunity for boys and young men or sending in your tax-deductible donation. Camp Choconut is in existence because of you! Thank you.

As you know, I will be running Ham’s program again for its third year. I am not making it up as I go. I am implementing Ham’s program almost in its entirety, from morning details, milkshakes, Jury, free-time and, of course, the Big Games!

To help me implement the Camp Choconut program is a great staff. Meet Daryl Durham, our Program Director (Head Counselor). Daryl is a family man from California that has 25 years in the furniture manufacturing industry, 15 of these years running his own furniture company and is an avid hiker/camper. He spends as many weekends out hiking with his two youngest children as he possibly can. Daryl will be our Wood Shop counselor and afternoon free-swim waterfront counselor. Ken Stiner, from Oregon, one of our Junior Counselors will support Daryl. Then there’s Ray Turner. Ray is a long-time camp crafter with over 10 years as assistant scoutmaster in Burlington, NC. Ray has many years experience with summer camps and has even been a Camp Director himself. He is a Chaplain and is currently studying elementary library science. Ray will be running our camp craft department with the help of Elijah Peterson a Sub-Counselor and resident from Endwell, NY about 30 miles north of Choconut, PA. Paul O’Brien will be our resident Naturalist and will be heading up the Nature department. Paul is a senior citizen, also from North Carolina, and is an ACA certified outdoor instructor. Paul will be implementing an extensive Nature program as well as teaching the kids meteorology. We’ll be using the new weather shack this year! Aron Ronai, a Junior Counselor and an avid naturalist himself with a focus on reptiles, will assist Paul. Aron is from Hungary and this will be his first time to the United States. (Editor’s Note – do they have Fruit Loops in Hungary?). Jennifer Fletcher (’08) will be a returning counselor from last year. Jennifer had such a wonderful and unique experience at Camp Choconut last summer she decided to change careers and has been an Outdoor Education Instructor at the Pali Mountain Institute in Running Springs, CA this past year. Jennifer is from International Falls, MN. In addition to being the most sort-after “fishing instructor” by many of our young campers, Jennifer will be adding to her repertoire this summer that which she’s been teaching at the institute, Archery and Orienteering. We can’t leave out all-time favorite visiting alumni counselor Rafa Alvarez ('75, '76, '77, '78, '79, '80, '81 & ’08) who spent one week with us last summer. Rafa is returning this summer, bringing his two boys, for 3 weeks. Rafa will be heading up our Work Projects department and after he leaves we are pleased to welcome alumnus Mr. Ed Malles (’74, ’75) taking Rafa’s place as Work Projects counselor.

As I get closer to the beginning of camp I cannot help but feel a sense of humility. I have big shoes to fill. We all knew Ham, but lets not forget those Camp Directors that came before; Roland Jessup Mulford, Sara Mulford Winlock, George Lane Winlock, Jr. and Constance Hayden Winlock. These people are my inspiration, the young boys my motivation, my memories keep me going, the sounding of the bell my reward.

I want to close by sharing with you my Mission Statement for Camp Choconut, one that I hope inspires us all to move forward keeping the Choconut spirit alive, as we have for so many years…

“The mission of Camp Choconut is to promote the highest standards of creativity, responsibility, confidence, independence and reliance in one’s surroundings and abilities through the teaching of outdoor living skills and, to instill in young people an awareness of nature's important role in the enrichment of the human spirit.”

I want to invite each and every one of you to two special days at Camp this summer. First is our Alumni Camp Fire. This will be the first Camp Fire of the summer on July 4th. We’ll be serving up Pat Mitchell’s ice cream. The second is Ham’s day, a celebration of Ham’s Birthday on August first. Come enjoy a Bon Fire, great food and lots of Watermelon. Please RSVP after June 16th by calling the Camp office at 570-553-2995.

Thanks again for all your support.

Fred Lorber, Director
Camp Choconut