An Introductory Letter From Greg to the Prospective Families
Gregory H. Finger, Director
Dear Prospective Thoreau-in-Vermont Campers,
Thanks for your interest in Camp Thoreau-in-Vermont (TIV) for Summer 2004. Also posted on this site is our Summer 2004 flyer (with information about our philosophy, program, facilities, and fees & session dates -- as well as the schedule of a typical camp day) a color map of camp drawn by one of our former staffers, and an enrollment form.
Thoreau-in-Vermont is a low key camp, with "down to earth" kids, who choose their activities from an extensive "menu" at our morning town meeting. At TIV, participation is most important, followed by skill development -- with competition a clear third in priority. There is a wide range of activities, offered in a co-ed, inter-aged format.
We enroll up to 145 campers, and have 44 counselors and 20 support staff, for an excellent camper-staff ratio. Last summer the average age of our counselor staff was 23, and more than half of the counselor staff returns each summer. About 10 of our counselors come from foreign countries, providing excellent opportunities for cross-cultural experiences for the campers and for the American staff.
What's special about TIV? We're small & strive to stay that way. We're very well integrated (racially, socio-economically, ethnically). We offer campers a wide range of program choices, and the opportunity to help decide what the all-camp & cluster activities will be. 2004 will be our 35th year in camping.
Thoreau-in-Vermont is accredited by the American Camping Association. Our tuition ($5600 - 8 weeks; $3650 - 4 weeks) includes laundry, out-of-camp trips, and all program activities; it does not include transportation to camp. (We do arrange charter busses from NY City; the round trip cost is approx. $220.) We have a resident registered nurse on our staff, a long-term relationship with a nearby family practice medical center, with back-up health care provided at the medical school affiliated Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
I'd like to bring (or have one of our local staffers do so) a copy of our brief informational video-tape (made by our campers and staff) to your home; please call to schedule a visit. If you have any questions, or would like the names of some other camp families in your area, please feel free to call me. We hope that you will decide to join the TIV family for Summer 2004. I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Regards,
Greg
An Experience In People, Inc.
Gregory H. Finger, Director
