Dear Families,

We are just weeks away from the start of camp. This will be Brown Ledge’s 99th summer welcoming campers to the shore of Malletts Bay. I am incredibly honored to be leading a team of highly skilled and passionate adults, and to collaborate with them to provide the ultimate camp experience for your child. I am also remarkably humbled by the trust you put in us to look after and care for your most valuable asset.

I am also a parent. When my eldest, Freeman, was eight years old, we went to camp together. I had spent seven summers as a young counselor at Camp Deerwood, so when my son was old enough to be a camper himself, I was eager to return. Camp Deerwood sits on 100 wooded acres, and is centered around a hilltop lodge that looks over the waterfront on Squam Lake. I remember that first summer Freeman and I had together vividly, but perhaps no moment more than the first major thunderstorm. As that storm came over us in a rage, I became increasingly anxious about the whereabouts and mental state of Freeman. 

During major storms everyone in and around the lodge went inside to ride out the danger, and those on the waterfront huddled inside the boathouse. After a quick scan I noticed Freeman wasn’t in the lodge with me and so, concerned about him being scared by the multiple lightning strikes and heavy downpours, I decided to go to the waterfront to find him. I determined the wet rocky ledges of the trail would be too slippery so I headed in a full run down the dirt road.  

The rain was heavy enough that I was literally running through a stream on my way to the boathouse with thunder echoing above my head. Soaked and short of breath I reached the opening to the building, expecting to find Freeman rocking on the floor holding his knees to his chest. Instead he was happily playing a game with fellow campers and counselors, oblivious to the blowing storm outside.

I was reminded of two things. First, it can be extremely difficult as a parent to let go and trust others with our children. And second, that the camp counselors were trained and prepared for this very moment and many more like it. We will undoubtedly experience storms at Brown Ledge this summer – collectively and independently, literally and figuratively. Marjorie and I have partnered to design and deliver a robust counselor training program and we have great faith in the team we have assembled. Our Freedom of Choice program has followed the same principles for nearly a century, providing critical agency and autonomy to our campers. It is likely your child may endure some scrapes and bruises. They will probably get soaked in a rainstorm and stain their favorite t-shirt in stagecraft. They will take risks, they will struggle, they will meet challenges, they will fail. And they will do so in a safe and supported way. Through this they will also find passion for something, they will develop independence, they will build self confidence, they will experience joy.

Marjorie and I acknowledge that you put an enormous amount of trust in us. We take it immensely seriously. And we promise you, we and our staff will deliver the best possible camp experience for your child. It is the Brown Ledge way.

Yours in Brown Ledge Spirit,

Brooks and Marjorie