Tag Archives: 2014

Camp Best Friends are the Best Kind of Friends (part 1)

Seven Saturdays from now an excited group of first year campers will step off the bus and begin their Trail’s End career. This will be the start of an amazing journey that will carry them from a camper on campus, to Varsity, to a TEC staff member. Their experience at TEC will help shape them into the adults that they will someday become, while creating memories and friendships that will last a lifetime.

For the past 10 years, we have been fortunate to have a group of 9 friends who have grown up with us and created bonds that epitomize the Trail’s End Experience. In this two part Trailblazer series, we will introduce you to this unique group and allow them, in their own words, to shed a little light on their days at TEC. We are proud of what the Trail’s End Experience has meant to this group and many, many others that have spent their summers with us in Beach Lake, PA.

Name: Nicole Vingan
Nickname: Nikki
Years in Camp: 7 years camper and 3 years counselor
Favorite Food: Sushi and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Favorite Quote: My favorite quote is from a Dave Matthews song called Two Step. It’s “Celebrate we will, because life is short but sweet for certain”
Years you won Olympics (team and year): Ukraine 2006, Turkey 2007 and India 2009.

I am from New Jersey. I just finished my freshman year at the University of Michigan. I started camp as an extremely shy and homesick 10-year-old camper and by the end of my first summer, I couldn’t get enough of camp. I kept coming back every year until LT summer, which was by far the best summer of my life. I am now going to camp for my 3^rd year as a staff member and going on exactly a decade at Trail’s End. My best friends have been with me through every step of the way and I have the most amazing camp memories with them. We keep in touch all year long in our group chat and I even go to school with one of them (Jordan Halper). What makes camp friendships so special in general is the sheer amount of time you all spend together. It’s amazing what you can learn about other people when you surround yourself with them everyday for 8 weeks. I’ve learned secrets, fun facts, likes and dislikes and so much more; and as cliché as it may sound, my camp friendships are the ones that will last forever.

Name: Hanna Feibus
Years in Camp: 8 years as a camper and 3 years as a counselor
Favorite Sports Team: NY GIANTS
Favorite Camp Tradition: Olympic Opening Ceremony “YES.”
Favorite Quote: “A stove is a stove no matter where you go” – SpongeBob Squarepants
Favorite Song: Space Jam by QCD

I attend Duke University (with Brett Finkelstein). My experience as a camper had its ups and downs. I used to be a shy kid and was definitely very quirky. I wasn’t sure I would make friends. Camp is a place where I’m always comfortable being myself. Varsity was my prime and shaped who I am today. I became a more confident person. I then became a counselor and to my surprise, my years as a counselor have been my favorite. It was time to take responsibility and help younger kids fall in love with camp like I did. I especially love it when my campers ask me about my friends. They all tell me that they hope their friends will be as close as us when they grow up. My friends and I talk all year long. We’re always caught up on each other’s lives and always trying to make plans to see each other. We do the occasional group video chat as per Bass’ requests. We’re so comfortable telling each other anything and I’m sure our friendship will never change. I am thankful for camp bringing them into my life.

Name: Lindsay Bernstein
Nickname: Blobz (the names your camp friends make up for you always stick… no matter how strange they may be)
Years in Camp: 7 as a camper and 3 as a counselor
Favorite Food: I would have to say camp cookies, but for the 10 months of the year when we aren’t in camp I LOVE avocado!
Favorite Quote: “I always knew looking back on my tears would bring me laughter, but I never knew looking back on my laughter would make me cry”- Cat Stevens
Favorite Song: “Slide” by the Goo Goo Dolls
Olympics Victories: Green and White Turkey 2007

I am currently a freshman at Penn State University. This will be my tenth summer at camp, and I can say from the bottom of my heart, that there is no place I would rather spend my summers. My friends further enhanced the camp experience and helped me learn some of the most important life qualities. I feel comfortable around them, like I am able to be myself, free from the pressures of the outside world. Our friendships are unlike any friendships I have ever experienced. These eight people are truly my best and closest friends. They quickly transformed from my best friends for the 52 days of the year that we were in camp, to my best friends for all 365 days of the year. They are the most kind-hearted, selfless, and funny people I know, and I really don’t know where I would be without them. I am so lucky to have them for advice and guidance during the most difficult times. Being at camp with my best friends has made me a better friend, a better leader, and a better overall person, and I truly am better for having been at Trail’s End Camp.

Name: David Margulies
Nickname: Marg
Years in Camp: 8 years as a camper, 3 years as a counselor
Favorite Sports Team: Philadelphia Eagles.
Favorite Song: “It Happens Every Time” by Dreamstreet
What you look forward to every year at camp: The first day of camp is the most anticipated day of my summer.

I am a freshman at Vanderbilt University. I’m about to begin my 11^th summer at TEC, and looking back, I’ve had some of the best experiences of my life. I came to camp knowing only one other kid, but I immediately gained many new friends. Teddy, Ben and I became friends on campus but once we entered Varsity, the girls joined our tight knit group. Camp allows each and every camper to step up and become his or her own person, to become a leader. Through the years, I became closer with all of my friends from campus, and made tons of new friends of all different ages. What I like most about camp is I can completely be myself around my camp friends with no fear of judgment, and I can tell them anything. When transitioning from camper to counselor, my group of 8 friends was always there to back me up through all of the hard times as a counselor, giving me advice or just lending an ear when I needed someone to talk to. These are all of my best friends, and we have never stopped maintaining constant contact throughout the year with a group message that is constantly ringing.

Name: Perri Vingan
Nickname: Per
Years in Camp: 7 years as a camper and 3 years as a staff
Favorite Camp Tradition: Opening and Closing Campfire
Favorite Quote: “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” – Robert Frost
What do you look forward to every year at camp: Meeting my campers
Years you won Olympics: India (2009), Sweden (2010), Latvia (2012)

I am a freshman at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Camp has been a major part of my childhood and my transition into adulthood. Trail’s End has shaped my views regarding friendship, leadership and commitment. My friendships with my camp friends are indescribable. We talk non-stop over the course of the months we are apart and try and make as many visits to each other as possible. It’s difficult now that we are all in college with different semester breaks and final times, but we try and make it work.

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you want to become. I am so thankful that I have my camp friends in my life. They are my rocks and I will be forever grateful for everything they’ve done for me and who they’ve helped me become.

Alumni Spotlight – John and Lew

Trail's End Hill

Alumni Spotlight – 1947 – 1957

At Trail’s End, there is an expression that while we spend only 8 short weeks together, you are never just passing through. We strongly believe that each of our alumni has left their mark on Trail’s End and we hope that the TEC Experience has helped them become the person that they are today. For the past 67 summers, the essence and spirit of TEC is exactly what it was in 1947. We caught up with two of our alum, John Benfield and Lew Mittleman, to see what Trail’s End was like for them from 1947-1960.

Sing 1957

John R. Benfield:

John R Bendfield

Years at Trail’s End Camp: All as a staff member, 1947-1950 and again in 1961 as the camp doctor. A Honesdale surgeon invited me to join him in practice after completion of my residency and at times, in the later years, I thought I should have accepted his invitation
Life after Trail’s End: I became a retired Professor of Surgery at David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA
Describe Trail’s End to us during your time here: I worked with Joe Laub at Camps Delaware and Delawaxen where he was the Head Counselor. In 1947, he asked me to come work at Trail’s End as the waterfront director. It was what you would refer to today as a “startup,” very primitive
What is your favorite Trail’s End memory? Nothing really jumps out as a favorite; I enjoyed all aspects of camp

Who do you still stay in touch with from your Trail’s End Years? Steve Wolfe, Mike Laub and Allen Laub Joe Laub
What was the best lesson Trail’s End taught you? How to get along with people regardless of the situation
What was your favorite camp activity? Waterfront and Horseback Riding
When is the last time you visited camp? I came to visit this past summer; it was great to see camp and catch up with Starr and Stan

Lew Mittleman:

Years at Trail’s End Camp: 1954-1957 as a camper with my brother

Life after Trail’s End: I am currently doing Internet sales and leasing for Arnold Chevy Buick in West Babylon, New York and living in Wantagh, New York

Describe Trail’s End to us during your time here: I spent four summers at Trail’s End, living in bunks 5, 6, 8 and 12. I have very fond memories from that time. I remember camp being very regimented. We had a strict schedule that we followed. The bunks had Army blankets and cots for beds. Leon, who was the Boys Head Counselor at the time, would always come on the loud speaker and call next period, making sure we were sticking to the program. Every afternoon the entire camp would do a general swim down at the lake (there was no pool then). A majority of the campers in my group and in camp were from Brooklyn and Bronx, very few were from Long Island

What was your favorite activity? All of them were good, nice and enjoyable but I loved going horseback riding. I remember Buzz from Staten Island used to run the program. There was this one arrogant pony. If you were giving Buzz or one the counselors a hard time, then you were bound to get that pony, which would cause for a difficult period

If you could do anything different what would it be? I would try and be a bit more outward. I was ridiculously shy during my time at Trail’s End. I would have pushed myself a bit more Horse Drawn Carriage

Tell me about the food at TEC: The food was GREAT! Every Sunday morning we would have bagels and lox – that was everyone’s favorite meal. There was a baker named Sal that was from a bakery in Queens and had a place near camp. He would come to camp and make the best desserts. Every Sunday he would make chocolate danishes and chocolate rolls. We always had desserts after every meal, danishes after breakfast, cake after lunch and dinner and then extra nourishment in the afternoons (today it’s called Moo Call), where we would have milk and cookies everyday

Tell me about traditions you did every year while at TEC: We would go on trips out of camp to the local roller rink and to Frisbees (the local ice cream shop) on a hayride. The shows down on the stage by the lake were something I always enjoyed watching as well

Explain Trail’s End in five words: Safe, Ran Methodically, Great Experience

Fill in the Blanks: I think of Trail’s End Camp when I think of summer, see horseback riding, watch, camp movies, hear Reveille/Taps/Neil Sedaka, or eat, lox with boiled eggs

Remember to Save the Date for our 2^nd Annual Alumni Day on August 9^th. Hope to see you all there!

Trail’s End Camp – What’s Coming Up and New….

Trail's End Camp - What's Coming Up As Opening Campfire 2014 continues to get closer every day, we wanted to get everyone in the TEC spirit with 2 great events and tell you all about the new things coming your way.

100 DAYS UNTIL CAMP – THURSDAY!

Let’s celebrate 100 days by wearing our favorite camp clothes to school or work this Thursday, March 20th. Campers, staff, parents and alumni – show the world you love Trail’s End and how you cannot wait to be at your summer home in Beach Lake, PA.

Make sure to email Sara photos of you and your camp friends showing off your TEC spirit! All photos will be posted on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

TEC2013_Wk4_007

New What's Coming Up Trail's End Camp Summer Camp New York City Primer Camp

2nd ANNUAL TRAIL’S END MARCH MADNESS CONTEST

Trail's End Camp March Madness We are excited to announce the 2^nd Annual Trail’s End Men’s College Basketball March Madness contest.

Last year’s champions, Jonah Kaufman (Kadets), Noah Mittman (Staff), and Lauren Fleischer (TEC Alum) will be looking to defend their titles when the tournament begins on Thursday March 20^th.

Please click the links below to join your TEC March Madness Tournament. The winning camper will receive a TEC duffel bag filled with camp gear and the camper’s GROUP will have a Two Guys Pizza Party on the second day of camp to celebrate their big win. The winning TEC Alum and Staff member will receive a duffel bag filled with camp gear and a $50 iTunes gift card.

Camper March Madness Contest
Current Staff March Madness Contest
Alumni March Madness Contest

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. We will update the standings after each day of the tournament.

It’s Staffing Time – Trail’s End Hits the Road!

London Group Regardless of the time of year, summer is always just around the corner for all of us in the TEC Office. As soon as the buses roll out of the gates in August, we begin preparing for our next camp adventure. A large part of the preparation is staff recruiting. We review Edinburgh Scotland hundreds of applications and attend domestic and international staff fairs. We do all of this with one goal in mind: finding the perfect counselors to join our camp family.

We recently traveled to England and Scotland, where we attended camp fairs for Camp America and CCUSA. With the help of a few wonderful TEC Alumni, we hired many GREAT new staff members. This month we will be traveling to Colorado State University, the University of Northern Colorado, Indiana University, Purdue, Penn State, Clarion, Lockhaven, Slippery Rock and Indiana University o London Fairs f Pennsylvania. We’re excited to continue our search for the best counselors these schools have to offer.

Counselors are an integral part of the Trail’s End Experience. They are role models, mentors, coaches and older siblings. They help create an environment where our campers feel comfortable and confident, while having “An Experience of a Lifetime.”

In order to get a sense of what the TEC Staff Experience is all about, we spoke with 3 people, each viewing TEC through their own unique lens. First, from our alumni ranks, Sam Elman, who grew up at TEC. Sam was a 6-year camper and a bunk counselor for 3 summers. Second, we have Kate Howe who was our dance instructor for 2 seasons. Kate will be returning to TEC in 2014 for the first time in 5 years and will be serving as a Varsity Group Leader. Third, we spoke with James Aird who will be a first time bunk counselor in for the summer of 2014. He was recently hired at a camp fair in the UK.

Sam Elman

Nickname: Selman, The Legend Elman
Favorite Sports Team: New York Giants and Syracuse (Cuse) basketball
Favorite Quote: When Stan tells everyone at services, “Close your eyes and think of someone you never knew before you got to camp. Think about why that person is important to you today.”
Years at TEC: 9 Amazing Summers!

Hi, my name is Sam Elman and I am a junior at Syracuse University, but am currently studying abroad this semester in London. Since being abroad, I have been able to catch up with so many old friends from camp. I was fortunate enough to be able to experience Trail’s End. My time at Trail’s End was unforgettable and helped me become the person I am today. The family atmosphere, incredible staff members and continuous support at Trail’s End helped me grow during my time at camp.

The best part of the experience for m Sam Elman e as a counselor was seeing each and every one of my campers grow up before my eyes and become the people they are today. A lot of my campers are going to be in Varsity this summer, which is crazy! I can remember when Brandon Warren was a Pioneer and now he will be a First Year… time goes so fast. Being the go to person for my campers, giving them advice and working together to solve whatever problems they were having was the part of the job I loved.

Last summer was my first summer not being at Trail’s End, real life kicked in and I cannot tell you how much I missed it. It’s weird when you aren’t at the Axelrod Site for Opening Campfire in June but I know Trail’s End will always be a part of me. I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend your summers, as a camper or staff member, other than in Beach Lake at Trail’s End.

Kate Howe

Nickname: Watson, Datey
Favorite song: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Favorite Artist/Group: Arctic Monkeys, Rihanna, Rudimental, Ben Howard, Chase & Status, Florence + the Machine…I could go on!
Favorite Quote: ‘You’ll always be my friend, you know too much ;)’

My name is Kate Howe. I live with one of my best friends in the West Country of England. I’m currently working as a personal banker for Barclay’s Bank in the UK, the last thing I thought I would ever get into was finance but finding it quite interesting!

This will be my third year at Trail’s End, but my first as a Group Leader for Varsity. I have previously been a dance counselor with the Lowers. I had an amazing group of girls in 2007 and 2008. In 2008, I was lucky enough to have been made Olympic captain for Israel. TEC Olympics was the most exciting few days I’ve had. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed and cried so much in such a short space of time! I have so many amazing memories of camp as a staff member. It’s definitely the best job in the world and I cannot wait to return to my summer home in 2014!

Camp Colors Kate I never thought that after 5 years I would be going back to camp, but I’m so happy I am! I know I needed a few more summers at camp before I can say I’ve had my Trail’s End fix, but I’m sure I’ll still be saying that when I’m 50! I have made lifelong friends at camp, with co-counselors and campers. I feel very lucky to be going back this summer and starting my Trail’s End journey all over again!

This summer, I simply cannot wait to do the following things: Winning Lou Flego 🙂 Sing, Dancing with Rona, Olympics, Campfires and s’mores, Nancy Tucker and basically every amazing thing camp has to offer (which is EVERYTHING!).

James Aird

Nickname: Airdy
Favorite Sport: Football (soccer!) and Rugby
Favorite Quote: “All know the way, few actually walk it”
Favorite Bands: The Courteeners, Oasis & Blink-182

Hey! My name is James. I am from Blackpool, near Manchester, England. I attended Arnold School and I am currently studying International History and Politics at the University of Leeds. I am a huge sports fan and I love to play football (soccer) with friends. Music is also a big interest of mine and I really enjoy going to concerts and festivals.

Last summer, I traveled around Europe with a group of friends and saw some incredible things. When I returned from my travels around Europe, I wanted to see as much of the world as possible and I realized camp was a great way to do this. After watching the video for TEC, I saw how happy the kids and staff were and knew Trail’s End was the camp for me! This is my first year at Trail’s End. I attended the international fair in Leeds, met Sara, and got hired all in one day. It was very exciting.

I will be acting as a JAMES 2 Cabin Specialist. I can’t wait to see camp in person and experience everything being part of the TEC family has to offer. Although it will be a challenge living in another country, it is very much a challenge I am looking forward to! I am very excited for this fantastic opportunity. Trail’s End looks an exceptional camp. I cannot wait to meet everybody and have the best summer ever! It truly will be a summer of a lifetime for me!

We are excited for everyone to reunite with all of their counselors from last summer, while also meeting all of the wonderful new staff we have hired. Summer is just around the corner. We can’t wait till opening campfire. Only 132 more days!

TEC Flag FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL – Last summer’s opening season for the new TEC flag football stadium was a roaring success.

Complete with a booming sound system, bleachers and bright lights to illuminate even the darkest summer night game, the stadium has already inspired some exciting new traditions. This summer, we will once again be hosting football bowls complete with tailgate barbeques, and our 2^nd Annual Alumni Day Varsity Football Game under the lights.

Watch the video above to see some great highlights from last season. We’re counting down the days until kickoff for the summer of 2014!