All Hail Our Amazing Pathfinder Staff!

The successful 2021 season, our 108th Pathfinder year, followed the only closed season in the camp’s history, a terribly sad necessity for our Staff as well as for so many of our camper families and alumni. For Pathfinder to have made a Covid-free comeback in 2021 says so much about that staff, who returned to Source Lake this past June from difficult and discouraging Covid isolations at home, but hit a collective home run for their kids.

Camp's return to action in 2021-2022 highlighted the staff qualities that make Pathfinder so special. Expertise, focus, hard work, dedication, empathy, patience, mutual good will, and a LOVE of FUN. All age groups of staff acted in the finest traditions of Pathfinder to make sure we had a healthy setting, a vibrant program, and the warmest sense of  'welcome home' for the campers. The Staff simply worked their tails off and gave everything with their whole hearts. The result was a camper experience including great trips, esprit de corps, healing routines and beloved traditions.

Looking to our upcoming 110th season, the Staff remain key to the Pathfinder experience. Already on the roster are the following staffers -- Glenn and Sladds return for their 22nd year of ownership, with Mary Chestnut in the front office, Paige Clark on program, Jack Sladden as assistant director, Andrew Beecher taking over the DOT role, Virginia Boyer running the waterfront, Chefs Gonzalo and Omar, camp medical directors Dr's Julia and Aaron Orkin, Indigenous educator Christine McRae, canoe maker Dave Statten, and CIT / LIT mentors Christian Kolaga, Nell  Bruckner, Simon McNamee and Simon Jeens. The veteran Headman ranks already include all stars from last summer. Ella Born and Erin Iserhoff return to the waterfront as veterans, along with Leigh Moeser! And, we can't wait to see Tiger Lion, Pete Johnson, Corot Reason, Gyro Coakley, Josh Anderson, Zach and Stephanie Arem, Aubrey Spring and more in their Alumni in Residence roles.

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The target numbers for our summer community are 100-110 campers, with 75 staff members including up to 12 CITs. Camp this year will again be using a range of measures to safeguard the community and prevent the arrival or spread of Covid-19. See these measures summarized in the Pathfinder Covid Plan.

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Once again, the Staff will lead the use of vaccination, pre-screening, testing and limited cohorting. If needed, cohorts can live, dine, bathe, trip and in-camp-play together in what public health defines as a household unit, without masking and distancing. 

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Our senior staff includes the directors, area supervisors and activity directors as usual. This management team will be its own cohort all summer, and will mask and distance as recommended so that their leadership between teams can’t accidentally allow any viral transmission. 

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The Pathfinder Staff will see the return of a successful new LIT program. The counselor in training (CIT) summer has become an age-17 year. CITs will graduate into Second Man privileges later in summer, after their training and certification, while age-16 boys will become LITs, tripping all the time and enjoying tandem paddling life together with their directors, focused on guide skills in preparations for a Staff career.

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Our age-18 crew are the veteran Second Men group, while eligible age-19+ trip staff are the Pathfinder Headmen. This includes the 2021 rookie Headman class, and a stellar slate of veteran Headmen A full schedule of training, certification this June includes the fourth biennial Pathfinder Spruce Root, a unique wilderness leadership conference bringing renowned experts in a constellation of fields right to our Staff at the Island.

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We’re all excited to be reuniting as the 110th Pathfinder Staff season kicks off in June. We can’t wait!