Opportunity Plan has been kind enough to send us a few pages of their annual report, with the article on the Trail Blazers alumnae who have continued honoring Lois’ legacy. Read the article here (Adobe Acrobat file, PDF reader needed to view).

Prior to starting at Trail Blazers, I was the Program Manager for a not-for-profit Cultural Exchange Program that places international staff at summer camps throughout the US. It was through this program that I was first introduced to the Trail Blazers programs and was inspired by the mission and philosophy of the organization. I am thrilled to be working for Trail Blazers and hope to learn and take on all of the rich traditions and culture of this long running program to make this season yet another successful and memorable summer that will change lives.

Throughout the year I hope to hear from you and start to get to know the intricate web of resources that make this program continue to grow and flourish.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions, or just to say hello. 

-Kelly Oberndorf

koberndorf@trailblazers.org

The Harold Breene Youth Education Award is “given to a person or camp who is dedicated to actively promoting positive youth development in a unique and creative camp environment. It is given to a person or camp that is helping young people discover and explore their talents, interests, and values, while developing positive self-esteem and healthy relationships.” Kudos to all our hard working summer and year-round staff on being formally recognized for all your efforts in making Trail Blazers the remarkable place it is!

Watch Riel Peerbooms’ acceptance speech below.

Hiking is a popular “camptivity.” Campers, staff and Trail Blazers/Life Camp alumni enjoy it.

We sing, “Swinging Along the Open Road.” When one of us hears an approaching vehicle, she/he says, “Car!” and we move over to the extreme right.

The highway was always bright and encouraging. Supervised by a counselor, we alums decided to take what we started out to do. A short hike.

We realized we were going around in circles. We always reached the same milestone. We were lost.

Deckertown Turnpike

We New Yorkers did not trust New Jersey drivers. Lydia and John Monick, New Jersey residents, finally flagged down an approaching car. The driver, a stranger, was a blessing in disguise. He drove Andy Panchok back to camp. Andy summoned a search and rescue team to pick the rest of us hikers up and drive us back to camp. We were so close, yet so far away.

We camp alums are good people. We asked our charitable drive how to repay him for his kindness and valor.

The driver told us that his reward from us is to help other passersby in distress. That is the courtesy of the road.

Joy was complete every Sunday evening. Jack Allured, my deceased brother, was a regular Alumni Camp entertainer.

Jack knew the punch line. One would get to Carnegie Hall by practice. Jack aimed his sites, entertaining in nursing homes. Jack educated himself in music theory, sight reading, singing and piano. Starting out playing his melodica, he graduated to singing along with his keyboard. Jack Allured read the music, pounded the piano keys, and sang, “Will Power,” by Gary Pucket and the Union Gap.

My brother Jack had plenty of will power. He made friends like Chief Steve Durkee, who broke bread with us on Thanksgiving. And Sören Persson, who came from Sweden. Sören called out dwelling his American home.

Jack is with the Lord, now. He entertains the alumni in the sky.

Our mom, Clem Allured, another camper for life, planted an apple tree on the Double Tree lawn. A dear friend had the pianos fine tuned. All to venerate Jack’s memory. May camp remain fruitful and melodious. And may Jack Allured’s memory be for a blessing.

The Great Hall

-Written by Steven Allured. Steven was a camper from 1961 – 1963 and served as Trail Blazers staff in 1972.

Turning Point – Trail Blazer Camps

I’ve written about a couple of the turning point moments in my boys’ lives in the posts Give Me Twenty and Uno. As summer approaches and the temperatures spike I tend to daydream about the five summers that I spent as a camp counselor at Trail Blazer Camps. The camp’s current mission: “Through outdoor experiential environmental education, we strive to facilitate the development of values and life skills essential for productive citizenship in young people.” They take kids from New York City and invite them to live in the woods, in teepees, hogans, and Conestoga wagons. There were no log cabin dorms, air conditioning or in ground pool. The dining hall was the only building with an actual roof that campers used. Canvas was the norm and if your lodging was a little swankier, you had a wood platform floor.

In 1985 I traveled to Montague, NJ, near the Delaware Water Gap, inside the Appalachian Mountains, to work at Trail Blazers Camp (TBC). Flying into New York City and then finding my way to the Port Authority bus terminal, and at last meeting my ride for the final bit of travel to the camp entrance was a true journey. We arrived late at night and the rolling hills were dark, barely populated with homes set back in the forest. As I laid down to sleep in the small cot of my temporary home I knew that I was changing. I could actually feel it happening. In a 12 hour period I had taken my first plane ride, navigated NYC (I am a directionally challenged person), and plopped myself into a job commitment that was going to require my terribly introverted self (like too scared to order pizza over the phone type shy) to lead groups of children through life in the woods for 30 days at a time!

There’s so much that I learned at the camp, about nature and about myself. There is one moment though that shifted my perspective permanently. I was participating in the two week training program with the other counselors. Essentially, older wiser counselors, former camp directors, and seasoned trainers used their summer vacation to play in the woods and teach young and very green people like me how to feel confident in the woods, leading decentralized programming, under formidable and primitive living conditions, while singing songs and playing games. There was a lot to learn. Red efts, lashing our shelters together, cooking outdoors, tool safety, group motivation, and social-emotional needs of our at risk youth, who would be in our care for a month, all needed to be absorbed in 10 days. One evening after dinner every single counselor came for a talent show of sorts. The talents were fun games or sing-a-longs that would be good to use when the campers came. Everyone was supposed to get up and share something, in front of 30 other staff members. I had been a part of some great one-on-one conversations but the whole group? Heart racing. Gulp. Sweat. Yikes!

When it was my turn to share something, I dug deep. Somewhere in my past Girl Scouting history I’d seen a kooky dance/song that was an excuse for absurdity and silliness. It was so far out of my comfort zone but it was the only thing I could think of to do. I stood up, beet red, nervous,and without any introduction or explanation and shouted in a military cadence type chant:

“LET ME SEE YOU SHOOT THE MOON!
(shout back to me, “What’s that you say?”)
“I SAID LET ME SEE YOU SHOOT THE MOON!
(What’s that you say?”)
“I SAID LET ME SEE YOU SHOOT THE MOON! OOH AH AH (pointing gun fingers up at the moon) AH OOH AH AH (more gun fingers and quick spins like I’m in a gun fight) AH OOH AH AH AH OOH!”

Resume normal posture and begin again, “LET ME SEE YOU COCK A ROACH!”
(What’s that you say?)
“I SAID LET ME SEE YOU COCK A ROACH!”
(What’s that you say?)
“I SAID LET ME SEE YOU COCK A ROACH!”
Drop to ground laying on my back, hands and feet in the air, like a large roach turned over on it’s back side and wiggling. “OOH AH AH AH OOH AH AH AH OOH AH AH AH OOH!”

There were about three other verses but you get the idea.

I wish I could find a You Tube video of this chant because it doesn’t get it’s just presentation here in print. I wish I could also have a picture of the group of counselors and trainers that were staring back at me that night. They were smiling and laughing but also stunned. Where was the quiet, unassuming, responsible, and probably too serious newbie? Where indeed. I learned a lot that summer but mostly I learned that I was very capable, good at motivating others, and a leader. I was pushed to do stuff that I wouldn’t have done or even thought to do on my own. The pushing allowed me to learn about myself and my capacity. There was something about being so vulnerable, physically outside, that pulled out this courage and confidence in me. Lake Mashipacong, The Lodge, Awanasa and Fernhill Farm campsites, the Dining Hall lawn overlooking the garden and the mountains, these are the places where my hardest and best summers took place. These are the places where I started to discover my current self.

Happy Summer!

- cross-posting by eltee. eltee is a Trail Blazers alumna and mom who shares her reflections on raising a family on her blog “This WILL Be On the (Parenting) Test.”

Mrs. Greenbaum atop Conestoga Wagon, circa 1941

Conestoga Wagon

It is really quite remarkable – a Conestoga wagon

And there with my pigtails and girlish body

Is my eleven year old self, sitting on the side

Posing in this obviously Brownie camera photo.

At camp, we prized the covered wagon pulled by the burro

We tramped along, singing favorite camp songs

The wagon carrying our sleeping bags and food

For the overnight stay under the stars.

We settled down on the edge of an awesome valley

Just barely visible below in the photo

A pattern of geometric farms, divided by hedges

A sight, even then I realized I was exceptional.

How could I have known that the vision would still resonate

It was all so long ago, but I do believe

That vista, that wagon, those songs

Have buoyed me through my long journey.

- March 2010

Mrs. Greenbaum was a camper in 1941 and still lives the Life Camps/Trail Blazer principles. She still spends times outdoors and prefers active outdoor vacations such as river rafting and trips to Antarctica and the Galapagos.

Dessert has its place at Trail Blazers and that’s as part of a healthy and balanced dinner. This past summer, a fresh, baked goodie was usually part of the evening meal. On those occasions where the temperature, both inside and outside of the kitchen, rose to triple digits, something cooler was substituted. This summer, we’re going to work our baking schedule around the weather forecast with each dinner ending in a sweet treat.

I have no problem with sugar and butter, as long as the portion is sized correctly and controlled, and there’s a balance of exercise and physical activity. We’ve become accustomed to over-sized products, so it comes to a surprise that a recommended food portion is much smaller than expected.

I recently test drove this recipe from The Houston Junior League’s Peace Meals with my Fraternity brothers and was a bit concerned the next day when I saw two remaining cupcakes. This would never happen at camp or at the Frat House. Were they not good?  Was there something wrong with them?

Turns out each cupcake was enough for one serving. Declared delicious by the brothers, the cupcakes also helped up their daily consumption of 1 % milk. Now that’s a healthy balance! - Chef Julia

Makes 24 cupcakes (Recipe may be halved). Prep: 25 min; Bake: 25 min; Cool: 2 hours 

Ingredients – Cake:

12 oz. unsalted butter (3 sticks)

2 cups sugar

6 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

Ingredients – Oreo Frosting:

16 oz. unsalted butter (4 sticks)

4 cups powdered sugar

4 teaspoons milk, or more for consistency

½ cup crushed Oreo cookies, additional for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line two standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.

2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla and then sour cream to mix.  When blended, add dry ingredients (cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt).  Mix until blended.

3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins, approximately 3/4 full.  Bake 25 minutes and test with a toothpick to judge.  To do this, insert toothpick in center of muffin and if it comes out clean, your cupcakes are ready.  If not, keep them in the oven for another 5 minutes.

4. Cool 2 hours.

5. While cupcakes baking, make the frosting.  In mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy.  Add powdered sugar, gradually, and then milk to thin frosting to desired consistency.  Use a spoon, not a mixer, to gently fold crushed cookies into frosting.

6. When cupcakes cool, top each one with some frosting (you will have extra left over – freeze it!) and garnish with additional crushed cookies.

7. Refrigerate until serving.

I usually adapt recipes to serve four, but this recipe I only have in big (20 servings) or bigger (200 servings).  Big batch cooking isn’t super complicated, just more time consuming because of the quantity of ingredients.  First timers will take longer to prep the ingredients, but with some practice, you, too, can dice and chop at the same speed just like the kitchen staff at Trail Blazers. Here’s the smaller version that I recently cooked up for my Fraternity clients.  This super-easy recipe has all the deliciousness of traditional Alfredo-type recipes but with less fat.  Try making it for a family party!   – Chef Julia

Ingredients: 

6 lbs. broccoli crowns, cut into florets.  Reserve stalks for soup

10 lbs. boneless & skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cubed

4 lbs. penne rigate, or another pasta shape of your choice

¼ lb. unsalted butter (1 stick)

½ cup canola oil or other mild vegetable oil

2 cups chicken broth

1 quart 2 % milk

1 ½ cups grated Italian cheese

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1.  Set large covered pot of cold water on stove.  Turn high to reach boiling point.

2.  While water comes to a boil, prep broccoli crowns.

3.  Prep chicken after broccoli to prevent cross-contamination.

4.  When water reaches boiling point, add some salt and then broccoli.  Turn water down to medium and cook broccoli for 3 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, remove broccoli from water and put in a large bowl.

5.  Turn water up to high and when boiling, add pasta.  Cook according to directions (usually 10 minutes).  Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.  When cooked, drain pasta and add to the broccoli.  Cover with foil or plastic wrap.

6.  In a large pan, melt butter on medium.  Add in oil and stir to blend.

7.  Salt and pepper chicken cubes and put in pan in a single layer.  Depending on the size of your pan, you may have to do several batches.

8.  Sauté chicken cubes on all sides, taking care not to brown them too much.  Adjust the heat if they are cooking too fast.

9.  After 4 minutes, remove the chicken from the pan and put in a separate bowl.  Turn the heat to high.  Add the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, stirring often to incorporate all those tasty bits into the broth.

10.  Add the milk and stir to blend.

11.  Stir in cheese and turn heat down to medium.  Continue to stir sauce as it thickens.

12.  Add chicken, including any juices, into the cream sauce.  Cook for 5 minutes and then add pasta and broccoli.  Stir to mix and cook for 10 more minutes.

13. Serve with additional grated cheese, if you like.

Central to kitchen traditions at Trail Blazers is scratch baking. With the exception of bread and bagels, every baked goodie and cake served this past summer was 100% homemade. Campers could always count on a fresh cookie after dinner and crate lunches would sometimes have pumpkin bread.  There were never any leftovers and it reminds me that we need to buy more loaf pans so we can make a bigger batch this summer.

Pumpkin is an excellent source of vitamin A, along with vitamins C, K and E with an extra serving of important minerals, such as iron, potassium and magnesium. You can add raisins or nuts to this recipe. It also makes an awesome muffin recipe and you can substitute 1 cup low fat Greek yogurt for the canola oil to reduce fat and calories. - Chef Julia

Ingredients:

1 cup canola oil

3 cups brown sugar

3 eggs

2 cups pumpkin puree

3 cups whole-wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Grease and flour two 5″ x 9″ loaf pans.

3. In one bowl, combine oil, sugar, eggs and pumpkin puree (wet ingredients).  Mix until smooth.

4. In second bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt (dry ingredients).

5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix to blend.

6. Pour batter in two prepared loaf pans.

7. Bake for 45 minutes.

8. Let cool 30 minutes.  Deliciously served with whipped cream cheese.

Next edition:  Light Chicken Alfredo with fresh broccoli

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