Sunday, September 6, 2009

Check us out on Facebook

Hello VSCers,

Heidi Duncanson has created a Vineyard Sailing Camp alumni group on Facebook. Check it out. A lot of campers and counselors of yesteryear re-connecting.

Friday, October 12, 2007

I'm a Rambler and Rover ...

The latest news comes from Nicole Morey 77-81 fourcsmv@gis.net Nicole lives on the Vineyard year-round. She writes: "We had a busy summer. My son, Liam, (12) and Ienjoyed a week aboard the Shenandoah with his West Tisbury classmates. Lots of jumping off the boat but only two days sailing due to lack of wind& visibility. The best was watching the kids swabbing the deck every morning at 7am! He loved the Sail MV program at VSC & won pirate day. Walking up & down that hill brought back memories. The path to Comet is totally overgrown. We went to the Boston Pops concert in Ocean Park. Spent time at the Farm Institute in Katama where Liam is a Farmer-In-Training. We did get off island & went to Cardigan Lodge in NH for a weekend. A VSC reunion would be great - we could rent the Mainstay...Take care,Nicole"

Monday, September 10, 2007

For Loud Roars The River...

More news has been coming in! Robin Patrick (Daniels) 72-81 writes: "When I got up this morning and looked outside, I immediately thought of the Vineyard and how much I wished I was back there....I was just telling someone last week how fortunate I was to have spent my summers at VSC. My daughter, Emma, has just started her Junior Year at Hingham High. She was selected to play recently in the NCAA Schoolgirls Division National Championship (lacrosse) and made the All-Scholastic Lacrosse Team. We had a sweet sixteen party for her in June. I made a tower of cupcakes, stuck candles in them, and cried when the kids sang Happy Birthday. I am a total sap. My "baby" Eliza, who seems to get taller every day, turns 12 at the end of September. Basketball is her game. My husband, Andrew, and I are try to stay active and hit the tennis ball around a bit, but then we can't get out of bed or walk the next morning! Pitiful! Miss you all, and our summers, loads."

I saw Donna Kramer (Merritt) dmerritt@bodyandsoulmag.com (74-77) and Vicki Palmer (Chase) vchase@mjinc.com (74-77, 80) over pizza and beer in Newton last week. Donna brought along her 1970s VSC photo album and we howled through every page, tube socks and all! It was fun remembering all of the staff and campers, and all of our many activities and antics. Donna is the Associate Publisher of Body and Soul Magazine, and is just as "wicked cool" and funny as she was at 12. Plus she looks like she's 25! She didn't recognize me when we met because, of course, I look about 50 years older! Donna has a 23-year old daughter, Esther, who is working in Boston at an advertising agency. Vicki is great too. She works in Concord NH for an engineering firm as their wetlands specialist. She also plays ice hockey and indoor soccer, and continues to beat me at triathlons. I continue to be bitter. Vicki's kids, Ali and Joe, are at Bowdoin and Bentley respectively. They are both great kids!

Liz Goode (Dowd) goodedowd@comcast.net (75-77) writes: "I work as the reading specialist at Berwick Academy in Maine. Over Labor Day, my family and I spent a fun-filled weekend at the Rapple house on the Cape and even went boating, although it was in a Whaler, not sailing. Of course, that didn’t stop Sue and I from singing a million camp songs as always. My youngest, Jamie, is 2 . My oldest, Maggie, just turned 10. My husband and I have a lot of fun together and I feel very lucky to be where I am in life. Of course, I still think about and long for the carefree days of summer on the Vineyard, or anywhere with some time for quiet reflection, or just a moment to myself! My kids both love to sing and I have been known to teach them a camp song or two and that will just have to do for now. I can still picture us all singing in the Mainstay. VSC was so much about the singing and friendships for me!

Dottie Oehmler (Williams) williams.dow@verizon.net (Years 73-79??) lives a few streets over from me in Belmont --can you believe it? I haven't yet seen Dottie to catch-up on her life, but our families are getting together for a cook-out (we're going to do some planking) in late September.

I saw Clare O'Connell coconnell@amcoutdoors.org (76-81?) in June before she went off on an amazing hiking vacation -- complete with broken wrist and all! She is the Director of Development at the Appalacian Mountain Club in Boston, and lives with her husband, Michael, in Newton. I see Lisa Cutts (Patten) elizpatten@comcast.net (76-81) on the Cape in the summer. She and I both have houses in Chatham, and we have been known to do some tacking and gybing together. Cutts is an all-star sailor and has posted all sorts of awesome results at the Stage Harbor Yacht Club. She's taken that VSC "skipper" and perfected it! Cutts and her husband, Rick, have two kids, Ben (17) and Grace (10) and are busy with all of their activities, plus Cutts is working on her masters in theology. Sandee Magliozzi smagliozzi@sbcglobal.net (75-80) is on the west coast heading up the law program at the University of Santa Clara. She visited last Memorial Day, and we got to spend some time out on Pleasant Bay together.

I hope to hear from many more of you. I've been trying hard to track down Debbie Clifford (the Melrose Moose), Ducky Drake, Sue Brubaker, Dotty Brackley, Elaine King, Rosie Reilly, Leslie Robinson, and Gail Kitchen...some of staff and campers that I remember, and you have all asked about... I did find Patty Jipp (Finkelman) but haven't yet connected with her.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Oh, the Winds A Blowin'

Since my last post several weeks ago, I've heard from so many VSCers who have re-surfaced. They've all come forward with stories of yesteryear, and news of the last 25 years! I'll attempt to share that news in this post the best that I can. First off, thanks to Robin Patrick (Daniels) RDaniels@archstonesmithcom (74-81), Peter Gow (72, 73, 80) pgow@mindspring.com , and Michele Monserrate (78-80?) monserrate@1stlaw.com for posting comments. If you'd like to make a comment, you'll need to create a sign-in with Google. Takes 2 minutes and is painless ... even for technophobes like you, Miller!

So, yes, I've heard from Di Miller (Schoder) schoders@aol.com (72-80?), who writes "I haven't made it to the Vineyard at all this summer but it's always on my mind. Some close friends bought a boat in RI and of course sailed to the Vineyard before coming up north with it (they brought us fudge though) .... We've all been sailing as much as possible. I've been lucky and had many weeks at a time on the boat. Took a family vacation to the BVI's on a 40 ft catamaran last January. My three girls are doing well...Tammy got her masters in Literacy in May, Carly got her BS in nursing, and Molly is going into 6th grade!"

Heidi Duncanson HeidiD4660@aol.com (74-77?) actually started this whole blog idea with an email that started "It's the end of the summer and that always makes me think about the end of camp...sniff, sniff. I had the usual crazy working mom summer. When I wasn't in the office, I was driving, driving, driving - to and from camps (Hope), to and from parties and movies and concerts (Andrew). I'm afraid I haven't been doing my part for reducing my gasoline consumption..."

"Bats" aka Patricia Keyser PKeys@aol.com (75-78??) writes "I work in NYC (as a banker). I recently purchased a quilting frame and machine and have been trying to use it. I make quilts for homeless families. My small contribution to make life better for someone less fortunate. It would be great to see everyone."

Michele Monserrate (78-80?) writes "This is such a scream. I visited the blog and promise to add to it. What, did you get out your old CIT looseleaf notebook and copy all the song titles down? (yes) I did not see the Princess Pat listed...I sing it with my kids, Caroline (5) and Sean (7), who both think I'm a nut case. I live in Albany and work 3 minutes from my house and only 3 days a week, which keeps my brain from getting too mushy. My husband, Sean, is also an attorney, but our areas of practice are entirely different -thank god! I would love to know about Cutts, Caroline and Dottie Oehmler, Nicole Morey, Elaine King, Bats, and Deb and Marty Taft. It's funny how often I still think about the camp and how frequently I still draw from that life experience -- we really roughed it (hot showers 3x per week, outhouses, capers) and thought it was the greatest place! I promise to search my memory bank for some material for the blog.

Cindy Gardiner chester1581@cox.net (76-??) writes "Hey, great to be back in touch after all these years. I have been a single mom for 17 years ... my daughter, Tracey, is headed tomorrow to Univ of New Haven grad school for a masters in forensic science. (Holy CSI !) My 17-year old son Chris is a bass player. I have been an RN for 25 years and worked for several years on a fire dept and rescue squad...and am now in administration in a nursing home. Hope we can have a reunion!"

I've also heard from Candy Swan (Ruitenberg) cruitenberg@hotmail.com (77-78?) who writes "Spent the summer up at the Vineyard. My daughter, Kaitlyn works at a gallery in E-town, Zak in a coffee shop and Chelsea in a clothing store. I've been very busy with the schooner business. It has been an interesting summer. My husband, Paul has been flying back and forth. There is finally a charter flight from NJ to MV! I hope all is well with everyone!"

Katie Goode katiegoode@verizon.net (73-78?) writes "I'm busy with a new job. Last November I moved from Marmaxx to HomeGoods - another division of TJX. It was a small move in terms of location, but a pretty big promotion from a small fish in the ocean to a bigger fish in a pond. I went on a 2-week cruise to Greece, Egypt, adn Turkey in May, which was fantastic. I'd love to see you all whenever we can arrange it."

Martha Monserrate (McDade) MMONSERR@aol.com (75-??) writes " Rapple - I can't believe it! Michele just sent me your email...the blog song list brings back a ton of memories. I think about our VSC days often -- in fact, if I am stressed and cannot sleep at night, I visualize the Mainstay and the bluff, the campfires, singing "The Vineyard Winds", walking to the waterfront for sailing... Whatever happened to MaryPat Burdick, Candy Swan, Di Miller, Elaine King, Ducky Drake, and Pat Fox? I have been happily ensconced in Rye, NY for 16 years. I have a husband and 2 sons - Conor (16) and Colin (14). I live on the water (Long Island Sound) and have a boat (sadly, a motorboat - 2 family members get seasick on sailboats!) Neither my husband nor my 2 boys ever properly tie a figure-eight on the cleat which irritates me to no end! I am an environmental engineer and run my own shop from home. I am also on the Rye Planning Commission - and several other volunteer ventures. My latest is a foundation to help returning troops who have lost arms or legs -- called the Given Limb -- inspired by the husband of my non-VSC sister, who was the "Hawkeye Pierce" of Iraq and is now working at Walter Reed. I would love to hear from any of the old gang.!

And, I've also heard from Dawn Pars (McKenna) DawnMcKenna@HGParsLabs.com (72-76?) who writes "What a great idea. Believe it or not, I am writing you from Martha's Vineyard!!! My husband and I bought one of the cute gingerbread houses in Oak Bluffs 20 years ago and we spend every summer here. I miss VSC and the people who made it great. And, by the way, when VSC closed I went to see it "one last time," saw the old painted sign on the tree and took it - don't report me! While never looking forward to summer's end, now I am dying to go home and look through the old stuff to find out what I can remember.....My husband, Stephen, and I have two wonderful kids -- Ashley who just graduated from college and is going to grad school, and Stephen who is about to be 17....I spent 6 years as a Selectman in Lexington, am Chairman of the Tourism Committee, adn am now trying to find something to do so I can get paid for all my efforts for a change!"

All for now!

Thursday, August 23, 2007

And We As Crew and Skippers Too

Hello VSCers,

I am attempting to create a site where camp friends of yesteryear can re-connect. Did you go to Vineyard Sailing Camp on Lagoon Pond? If so, when? What unit were you in? Who were your friends? Do you remember your counselors? Do you remember any camp songs? Are you still sailing today? What is your favorite memory?

As I'm sure you know, sadly VSC closed its doors for good in 1981 after Patriots Trail Girls Scouts made the decision to sell the property. It was sold to the Town of Oak Bluffs, and they haven't changed it much. While the tent platforms and all of the out-buildings have been removed, the Mainstay is still there, and is used by the town for all sorts of functions. And, they run a community sailing program from the beach on the Lagoon.

The spirit of VSC is still alive today in the hundreds of campers and counselors who remember their days sailing on the lagoon, taking "tippy" tests, tying a bowline, singing around the campfire, biking to Edgartown, canoeing to Portside, or getting their annual hashmark. I'd love to get this blog going, and see how many "alumni" we can find. I look forward to hearing from you. Please pass this URL along to any and all former VSCers.

Rapple