As I sat down to write this blog I called my mentor, Biff Sutcliffe. Biff was my dorm parent, chemistry teacher, and advisor when I attended Tilton School. He also introduced me to Camp Deerwood, where he has lived and worked for over 50 years. Since I met him, Biff has always been my rock. He’s been there to celebrate the good times and offered advice and counsel during the most trying situations. Over these many years I felt the lowest when I believed I let him down, like as a teen when I had to explain how I spilled three unopened gallons of paint while fishtailing a golf cart. In return, I have been the most fulfilled when I sense his pride in me, like when I excitedly called him last spring to tell him I was hired as Camp Director at Brown Ledge. 

Following that call with Biff, I began to think about gratitude. I went in search of a relatable definition and became most fond of one in the Oxford dictionary which illustrates that gratitude is the “readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” In this way gratitude is a state of being. While we can perform acts of gratefulness with a “thank you” when we drop our dirty dishes off in the kitchen, a true feeling of gratitude is being genuinely appreciative of having the folks washing the dishes in our community, and being thankful for their contributions to camp.

As I think deeper, I also believe gratitude is acknowledgement that our accomplishments come as part of collaborative efforts. Is there such a thing as a “self-made” man or woman? Don’t we reach individual achievements through the support and guidance of others? Of course, teachers, parents, camp counselors, friends, and so many others play vital roles in helping us reach our goals. And it’s hardly ever just one to one. It’s often a myriad of interactions, direct and indirect, that lead to the successful completion of an undertaking. Every Brown Ledger earns their basics with the help of activity counselors, who in turn are mentored by their Department Head, who themselves are supported by the leadership team and so on. This may sound hierarchical, but in reality it should be cyclical. As Camp Director, the successful realization of my goals relies on the goal setting and accomplishments of all the campers and staff in our shared community. Therefore, all of our objectives are intertwined. Maybe the best example is that when we read out weekly achievements on Sunday evenings, we are not just celebrating the individuals being named, but also acknowledging these as accomplishments of our community as a whole.

Perhaps just sharing my thoughts here about Biff is a form of gratitude. While I certainly learned plenty from him in the classroom, it was the lessons he imparted during collaboration that I gained the most. I remember distinctly as a young man helping him rough-in the electrical wiring in the new addition to the main lodge at Deerwood. While teaching me the basics about positive and negative connections, he also shared kindness and wisdom as our conversation floated through school, friends, and family. I don’t recall any specific lesson other than maybe understanding that work can bring joy, and that there is pride to be had in completing even seemingly menial tasks. Not a summer went by after that that I didn’t feel a sense of accomplishment and ownership everytime I walked into that space and turned the lights on. The best way I can thank Biff, then, is to share the very same kindness he has exhibited and bestowed. Truly the highest form of appreciation I can give to him is to practice the same positive role modeling and mentorship to others that he has done for me. 

These same types of mentors have been part of the Brown Ledge fabric as well. There is no shortage of stories from virtually every BLC constituent I have talked with about the impact of stalwarts like Fred & Twyla, Bill & Kathy, Richard, and Barbara Winslow. We are also fortunate to continue to experience kindness and love each summer from bastions like Fish, Hans & Eva, Lori, Stina, and Franny & Timothy. They are the rocks of Brown Ledge. They are the folks we least want to disappoint and the friends we want to make the most proud.

Therefore, as we approach Thanksgiving and enter a season of giving I challenge the Brown Ledge community to truly embrace the state of gratitude. Let us all find ways to express and welcome kindness in the same way the champions of camp have done for nearly 100 years.

– Brooks Johnson