Happy Sunday, Kiniya Friends! As you all know, Sunday is a favorite day for many of us here at Camp and we’ve had fun revisiting some of our wonderful Sunday chapel sermons through the years. This morning, we invite you to take a moment to listen to #21883 Kelly Graham’s (Dale) message from 2015.
We’re currently enrolling campers for the summer of 2020 at Dudley & Kiniya so be sure to apply now! The sooner you apply to sooner you’ll have a bunk for another amazing summer in Westport or Colchester.
Want to recommend us to someone?
We rely heavily on our current families and alumni to connect us to more great kids who would love a summer on Lake Champlain. Here’s what you can do to help us find the next generation of campers…
The Open House tour keeps rolling along and Matt and Marnie have had a blast meeting new campers and connecting with our friends around the country. Join us for, or tell someone about, one of these upcoming stops…
Pittsburgh, PA – Nov. 17 @ 11AM Denver, CO – Nov. 18 @ 7PM St. Louis, MO – Nov. 19 @ 7PM Atlanta, GA – Nov. 19 @ 7PM Winnetka, IL – Nov. 20 @ 7PM Minneapolis, MN – Nov. 20 @ 7PM Richmond, VA – Nov. 21 @ 7PM Bronxville, NY – Dec. 3 @ 7PM
Southport, CT – Dec. 4 @ 7PM Long Island – Dec. 5 @ 7PM New York City – Dec. 6 @ 7PM Pennington, NJ – Dec. 7 @ 11AM New Canaan, CT – Dec. 7 @ 5PM Deerfield, MA – Dec. 8 @ 11AM Albany, NY – Dec. 8 @ 5PM Dedham, MA – Dec. 11 @ 7PM
Here’s some exciting news! New this year we’re offering a new session at both Dudley & Kiniya that we’re calling Champs. This new session will be offered during the final week of the 2nd Session (Aug. 8-16) at both Dudley and Kiniya and will be an opportunity for younger campers, ages 8-9, to get a chance to experience the magic at Dudley or Kiniya before coming back to embark on their Cub summer.
Champs will live in a cabin and experience every aspect of our program in the Arts, Athletics, Outdoors, and Spirituality. Interested in this new offering? APPLY NOW!
WHY IS CAMP SO BENEFICIAL?
Alumni #13426 Ned Johnson’s article from the upcoming Camp Dudley News arriving just in time for Thanksgiving! Enjoy a sneak peek here.
2019 ANNUAL FUND APPEAL KICKS OFF
The brisk morning air, autumn color, and fall festivals have become cold and brilliant winter days. While the seasons transition, memories of the summer at Camp linger. As our campers settle into their school year, we sharpen our focus on achieving our 2019 Annual Fund goal of $850,000. We are grateful to many of our parents, alumni, and friends who have donated throughout the year. Now in the weeks leading up to the holidays, we ask everyone to consider the impact of their camp experience and make a gift to the Annual Fund as a show of their support. The Annual Fund supports scholarship, leadership development, and facility upkeep, all critical components of what our campers enjoy! Gifts of any size are what will keep our Camps strong and will help push us towards the 2019 goal. Please make your year-end donation today, Online or Venmo:@campdudley. For more information, contact Dave or Dawn. Thank You!
Join the team for a Fall Open House and Play Day at Camp Dudley in Westport. You’ll get to see the 2019-20 Open House Video, but we’ll also be offering campus tours and lawn games. Come spend your Sunday afternoon with a great group and learn more about our Camps! Current campers and leaders will be on hand as well as many local friends and alumni. Join us!
Sunday, October 27th 2-4pm Camp Video, Lawn Games, Campus Tours, Cider and Doughnuts RSVP online or call 518-962-4720
This year our Camps committed more than $900,000 to financial assistance for campers. While we have made progress towards raising those funds that have already been committed, we have a long way to go before the deadline at year’s end.
#11904 John Ulin, one of Camp’s experienced marathoners, is running in the New York Marathon in November. This year he is running to boost the Willie Schmidt Scholarship fund. Please support “JU” on this run with a generous gift to the Schmidt Scholarship Fund. You can support JU’s effort by giving online or through Venmo (@CampDudley). Simply tag your gift for the Ulin Marathon at either of those online locations. Checks can also be mailed to Camp Dudley, Inc for the Ulin Marathon.
This classic running event occurs on November 3, 2019. Make your commitment today and help inspire JU to his personal “best ever” and to know every step towards the finish line is benefitting Dudley and Kiniya campers! Thank You!
#23163 Bogi Cser is at the helm of a new arts major offered for girls at Camp Kiniya; jewelry design. Some of the things the girls will learn is to combine contrasting materials together and to use alternative ones as well, instead of just metal. For this lesson, the girls created bracelets with pipe cleaners, wire and friendship bracelet string. Using tools to bend, twist and mold the wire required intense focus and concentration for a long period of time. The girls have learned to be patient with the materials in order to match their completed jewelry with their original designs.
6.30.19 #18500 Rev. Bill Harper
7.7.19 Jack Gillis
7.14.19 #25331 Christina Lowery
7.21.19 #11584 Rev. Dr. Pete Allen
7.28.19 #14016 Sean McCalla
8.4.19 #17272 Katherine Appleyard
8.11.19 #21982 Domanick Walker
8.18.19 #10846 Rev. Bob Langston
8.25.19 – CDA Reunion – #7381 Paul Lutz
Know anyone that loves working with kids, being outside, and working with great people?
We’re looking to fill a few Program Staff positions this summer in Westport and Colchester. See below for the available positions. This is a great opportunity to work some very talented (and fun!) folks at Camp Dudley or Camp Kiniya.
If you’re interested in a position at Camp Dudley please send your cover letter and resume to Evan George at evan@campdudley.org.
At Camp Kiniya positions include…
Theater Director
Ceramics Instructor
Music Director
Pianist
Waterski/Wakeboard Instructor
WSI Swim Instructor
Paddling Instructor
Athletics Coaches
If you’re interested in a position at Camp Kiniya and would like more information please send your cover letter and resume to Marnie McDonagh at marnie@campdudley.org.
This past weekend we welcomed just over half of the 2015 Kiniya JLs to Westport for our Leadership Training weekend. We had the fire roaring in Maclean all weekend and were thrilled to spend some time outside as well. Our time together was focused on learning about our own styles as individual leaders and discussing a few tools on how best to work with our campers this coming summer. Each person brought a different perspective and helped the group see leadership in a variety of ways. Mollie led us in some outdoor discussions and adventures out on the frozen lake and we cooked a nice treat over the fire at the Middlebury Outdoor Pavilion – muffins in an orange peel! We wanted it to feel as much like Camp as possible so we included vespers, a chapel talk, and even Sunday talks! Our time together served as an excellent time to begin preparing for summer, as first time employees, and as a nice break from their busy lives at home and school.
Originally Published in the 2014 September/October Camping Magazine
The camp director of one of the oldest and most respected camps on the continent remembers how, a few years ago, his camp’s continuing tradition as a tech-free environment was especially hard for some fourteen- and fifteen-year-old campers. Cell phones, texting, and social media were the personal default setting of their lives. “We had some kids who really missed it,” he told me recently. The networked life was the only life they knew at home and school. Going tech-free was a culture shock for them. Today, he says, the same-aged campers “express a huge sigh of relief to be getting away from the phone and Facebook®.”
Never before have there been such compelling reasons to send a child to summer camp, as we all adjust to life in the digital age. Very few places are left on the planet today where you can see 150 kids happily walking, talking, giggling, and singing together, where they’re fully engaged, fully present to each other, arms linked, with nobody looking down to check a phone. Where else can you see groups of children laughing with each other over the story they’re telling and not the YouTube® videos they’re watching? The tech-free, unmediated moment is so rare in children’s lives today. They hardly know what it’s like to be around grownups, young adults, and peers when nobody puts a conversation on hold to take a call on their cell phone, or “just check” for texts or e-mail. These mini-moments of disconnect have become an accepted part of relationships, but not a helpful one.
The application for the summer of 2015 is available online. The camper application deadline is January 15th, but why not get those applications in now before you get all wrapped up in the holiday season (no pun intended). Returning Campers: apply via their Online Account. New Campers: can apply online here. Aides, JLs, ALs, & Leaders: Remember, your first step is to submit a written Letter of Interest to either Matt or Marnie by December 1st.
Do You Know A Great Kid for Camp?
It’s not too late to apply for the summer of 2015. If you know a great kid for Dudley or Kiniya be sure to mention us. Our focus for recruitment is on boys currently in 5th grade and girls currently in 4th grade, but we have new campers in all divisions. You can send families to our website, refer them through our Refer A Camper page, or simply call us at 518-962-4720.
Donate Today
In 2014, the William J. Schmidt Scholarship Fund gave away over $800,000 to support over 250 Dudley & Kiniya campers. The scholarship fund is made possible through the generous support of alumni, parents, Leaders, Staff, and even some campers! That’s something all of us can be proud of. Please join your friends and family and help us support more great kids at Dudley & Kiniya. You can donate to our Annual Fund here.
The Lost Sheep Campaign
We love to keep as many people as we can updated about the great stuff we’re up to at Dudley & Kiniya. That’s why we’re in the midst of a campaign to update the information for as many alumni as we can. It’s easier than ever too! If you know anyone that’s not getting the Camp Dudley News or emails like this one then send them to our Reconnect Form here.
The Open House Video is Online
At each of our Open House stops we’ve been getting rave reviews for this year’s Open House Video (great job Brendan “Lefty” Loughman!), so we figured we should put it online sooner rather than later. So here it is…
Looking for Some Christmas Gifts?
How about something from Dudley & Kiniya? Our online store has tons of great gift items for any fan of our camps.
We’re just about to get started and we’d love to see you on the road. Gather your friends and family and come join us at an event near you. And bring anyone you think might be interested in a summer at Dudley or Kiniya. It’s the very best way to learn about our camps.
#14866 James Mayo is bringing back another Camp Dudley and Kiniya Mid-Year Hymn Sing! Bring your hymnals, if you wish, but hymn booklets will be provided!
Where: Christ Church Epsicopal Church
17 Sagamore Road, Bronxville, NY 10708
The 2013 German Exchange Group are into their final week in Germany with tour stops that will include Berlin and Munich. Reports back have told us that it has been an incredible time for all with our dear friends at Camp Abbensen YMCA. We’ll have the whole group back in the United States on Saturday with the boys heading back to Westport and the girls back to Colchester. We’re looking forward to hearing all of the stories from the trip, and we cannot thank the folks at Abbensen for their generous hospitality over the past month! We look forward to hosting the 2014 group!
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What a wonderful start to 2nd session here at Dudley and Kiniya! Check out all of the action in our Week 5 gallery. A new set of pictures will be uploaded every Friday morning. Also be sure to keep an eye on the website for our weekly blogs and LIKE us on Facebook to keep up with all of the happenings. Enjoy the pictures!
This session the Arts Department has been busier than ever. Between a new printing major and the life size board game extravaganza The Theater and Treiber Center have been nothing but smiles. The pines are constantly filled with girls working on projects ranging from painting to friendship bracelet making. The wheels have been turning in the ceramics major as they create sushi dishes, teapots and even camp themed chess pieces. The Wednesday and Saturday night shows have been shining with talent. Acting, singing, and dancing are just a few of the acts we have seen on the stage this session. Each day at camp is exciting and new, and our Arts Department is never afraid to splash some more color into the daily activities! We can’t wait to see what will be created during second session!
Here is the latest news from the Athletic Department! The Kiniya Open Tennis Tournament is in “full swing” with some hotly contested matches in both singles and doubles. Campers and staff both competing for the title! Our team competitions are being played in lacrosse, soccer, softball and basketball. Strategies from coaches and keen execution from campers has lead to some dramatic final minutes! Needless to say, the cheering on the sidelines is just as fierce and spirited as the competition on the field! The Archery and Golf Majors are definitely improving their skills daily. The Athletic Department provided a “Christmas in July” Extravaganza on Saturday, complete with Reindeer Races, Ski Races, Ornament Making and singing of Christmas carols. We even had our version of “the Grinch”, running around, trying to spoil our Christmas spirit, but the campers would win him over with their smiles, laughing and joyful singing! All in all, it has been a terrific session filled with a great variety of activities, competitions and fun that has gone into overtime!
Come check out all the action from Week 3!
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The Outdoor Program at Kiniya is in full swing! Not only have we visited all over the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont but we’ve also headed out to the Adirondacks in New York as well for a canoe trip! To add to the list, we’ve also sent out our first ever Paddle Boarding trip! The Kiniya Aides are currently over at Dudley experiencing both the high and low ropes course today as well! Until next time…
The first session at the waterfront is off to a tremendous start! The water level is a lot higher than last year, which has allowed campers and staff to indulge in quite a few dips. Sailing, paddling and aquatics have all been enthusiastically attended as majors, and campers try to remain down at the beach up until the last second trying out new skills they have acquired over the course of the week. Aside from majors, the waterfront has hosted a Pirate Treasure Hunt as the new Sunday Game with cabin Coyne finding the loot, which was a great highlight to end off the previous week. The Paddle-boards were put to good use this past Friday for an overnight trip up the Lamoille River, and a great deal of fun was had by both campers and the trip leaders. The packs were all thrown in a canoe, in case any visions of campers struggling with a loaded pack, a PFD, a paddle, a water bottle and a board may be running through your minds. Overall a good program and some VERY happy campers!
What a fantastic start to the summer! The lake level is high, but the spirit at camp is even higher, with, as expected, great activity and competition happening all over camp. This week has seen the successful introduction of paddle-boarding, with many campers stating that “this the most fun I have ever had ever”. We’ve also had a number of Extravaganzas which have been an absolute blast. (Especially one centralized around Pirates!) The Juniors have been thoroughly excited about the Team Competition, keeping tabs on exactly which team is top of the log, and begging for the scores to be announced at every meal. Seniors have hit the trails for the first ever three day, two night canoe and hiking trips. They are expected to return tomorrow around lunch, with many stories about which, to write home. Our guest at chapel this week, Anna Carter Florence, was truly inspirational. She told the story of four young women in High School who took it upon themselves to change their town’s policy on segregation, and pointed out that age does not restrict one from changing the world and taking responsibility. We hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July, we’re gearing up for that next!
We had a great turnout for Spring Work Weekend 2013! With two crews working at both Dudley and Kiniya, much was accomplished. Thanks to all that came out! To view all of the pictures from the weekend click here.