Fall Alumni Newsletter

by Jerry Lerman on November 30, 2021

Dear Camp Caribou Family,

Welcome back to the Caribou Alumni Newsletter! We hope you had a lovely and safe summer. As we settle into the Fall, and the season of giving thanks, we wanted to let you know that we’re thankful for YOU, and each and every member of our Camp Caribou family. We wanted to connect with all of you to let you know that we had another amazing summer at the Bou’ in 2021, and are already so excited for 2022!

Some highlights from this past summer were that we had the pleasure of having an incredible group of second generation campers at Caribou! A big shout out to all the following alumni campers from last summer: Alex Waxler, Ryan Waxler, Max Einstein, Sam Drayer, Daniel Schaul, Felix Shainker, Cannon Gross, Jagger Berkowitz, Noah Weisberg, Rafi Aborn, Oliver Aborn, Rafi Aborn, Ezekiel Lockman, Noah Brandt, Fabricio Pelayo, Craig Kelman, Patricio Rivera Torres and Max Sharf!!

We are really looking forward to having that whole crew back again and we also want to welcome a few new second generation enrollments for the upcoming summer: Tyler Jacobs, Jackson Mirabito, Matthew Meshel!

It’s so unbelievable to witness the yearly growth of our campers, and even more amazing to watch their children grow. There’s really nothing like that feeling of reliving your own camp experiences through your children. Lori and Alex are going through the same thing right now getting their oldest child, Ellie, ready to go to camp for the first time this summer! It’s so special to share the traditions of camp with your children.

If there are any future Caribou campers in your life that you would like to send or recommend to camp, we are still offering our “alumni transferable discount”. If you refer Camp Caribou and that camper enrolls, they will receive a credit towards their tuition* and you will be sent a new Caribou Alumni sweatshirt! Thanks in advance for spreading “the good word” about Camp Caribou, we truly appreciate all of your referrals. Camp Caribou Referral Form

*family cannot already be working with another referral agent to be eligible for credit

Check out an exclusive Zoom interview between Alex Rotman and Bill and Dick Stern, brothers who went to Caribou in the 1950s and 1960s!

Alumni Spotlight – Ben Sheehan

We would like to highlight alumnus Ben Sheehan from the DC area that just came out with a new book called What Does the Constitution Say?

Favorite Camp Memory?

Climbing Mount Katahdin. We stayed overnight halfway up the mountain and had pills to purify the lake water for drinking. It’s something I’m 100% glad I did and 100% sure I won’t do again. Runner-up is getting my Marksmanship patch. Don’t mess with me.

What Caribou values or lessons have you brought into your life after camp?

Caribou taught me that our athletic side and our artistic side can (and should) coexist. It also taught me that every personal achievement should be rewarded with a slushie.

Favorite piece of life advice?

Your interests and passions will be different from what you thought they were, so try everything once. Hard to find a better place to do that than at camp.

Alumni T-shirts Available

We still have our limited edition Caribou Alumni t-shirts available for all alumni and their families! If you would like the t-shirt pictured below for yourself and/or your family, please email jerry@campcaribou.com with the sizes you would like and the mailing address and we’ll send it right out! They’re nice, soft, Bella Canvas brushed cotton t’s!

Evelyn Lerman’s Memorial Service

At the end of the camp season this past summer, we had the pleasure of welcoming many alumni to celebrate the life of our recently passed matriarch, Evelyn Lerman. The service took place down at the tip of the peninsula, right down by “Lowden Point”, which is now lovingly renamed “Lerman Point” in honor of Al & Ev. In addition to our visiting alumni, campers and staff were all invited to attend, and we had Big Al and family on the Zoom screen too. The celebration was a true testament of the Caribou family and how we continue to support each other long after our camp years have gone by. The service concluded with ice cream sundaes for all, in honor of Ev’s favorite treat!! It was wonderful and she would have loved it. If you are looking for ways to honor Evelyn’s memory, please think of ways to support literacy in your community. Evelyn was a teacher until the very end, and she believed in empowering youth through literacy.

She would want you to show kindness to a stranger and patience to those you love.

We are sending you all out the comforting love and hugs that she’d want you to have!

Fort Kaplan Dedication

Through the generosity of Barry Gudelsky we were able to build an incredible lean-to in honor of our friend George. This past summer we were able to officially dedicate our new lean-to structure with this plaque. Our youngest campers used the structure as an outpost for camping and s’mores around the fire. They even coined the name “Fort Kaplan”. We think George would have loved this.

Our 100 Year Anniversary Celebration

Our 100 Year Anniversary will be happening this summer during the weekend of July 30th, 2022. We would like to invite you and your family to celebrate this milestone with us! It will be a fantastic opportunity to connect with old friends, partake in your favorite camp activities and show your family the place where you’ve spent some of the best summers of your life! Below is a tentative schedule for the event:

Saturday, July 30th

10:00am — Meet & Greet / Camp Tour / Open Activities

(Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, etc)

12:00pm — LUNCH

12:30pm — Aqua Zip & Open Swim

3:00pm — Golf Tournament & Open: Tennis, Basketball, Volleyball, Ropes, & Swimming

5:00pm — APPETIZERS and DINNER

6:30pm — Campfire

RSVP: 100 Year Anniversary

If you have any questions regarding the event or are interested in attending please reach us at 207-872-9313 or jerry@campcaribou.com.

We hope you all had a lovely Fall and Thanksgiving. Stay well and keep in touch!