News From The Point

In this season of family and appreciation for all the good in our lives, we wanted to tell you about some people and things for which we are thankful.  Every day we think of the many that make summers at Point O’Pines possible.

Appreciating the Dedication of our Staff

Every summer so many hard working women and men join the dedicated year-round staff in Brant Lake to teach and guide young women and give them experiences that allow them to grow into capable leaders for the future. The staff puts aside this part of every year, and finds fulfillment in care for the children and the camaraderie of working together. Our year-round staff dedicates their whole year and career to creating the best summer ever, each and every year. What an outrageous thing to ask for, and yet they do it so well. Our staff is truly amazing and we cannot thank them enough.

Thank You to the Organizations We Work With and Support

Point O’Pines is thankful for the bounty and the community that makes our environment so healthy for our campers and family. We express our thanks with community support to improve literacy, healthcare, nutritional challenges and the general well being of our community.  Some of the local organizations we are delighted to support include Hudson Headwater Healthcare Network, the Adirondack Foundation through Generous Acts, the YMCA Adirondack Center to promote tutoring and extra assistance with reading and summer day camp for youngsters, SCOPE to provide local children in need a summer sleep-away camp experience, the North Country Ministry to support food distribution, housing assistance and winter emergencies, the Glens Falls Hospital Foundation to assist community access to emergency care, SUNY Adirondack for training students for the Adirondack culinary industry, the Culinary Institute of America for student scholarships and the Upstate Institute of Colgate University to support research in healthcare, poverty, food deficiency and education in the Adirondacks.  We thank these organizations for all their hard work each year and for working with us to support a flourishing and sustainable community.

Thank You Camp Families for your Trust and Dedication to the Point O’Pines Community

Finally, we appreciate the camp families who have made summers at Point O’Pines part of their lives for generations.  Missing a summer made us all appreciate each other even more and last summer was perhaps the most rewarding experience in our history. Without our camp families’ dedication to the safety of the children and desire for the kids to have their summer experiences back, such a safe, healthy and fun summer would not have been possible.  The sense of caring has impressed us so much throughout these unusual times. We are so excited to look ahead towards the return to healthy and normal social development for our children.  Thank you from the bottoms of our hearts for letting your wonderful daughters join us in Brant Lake and thank you, campers, for allowing yourselves to be you and bringing the best of life to summer at camp.

Thank You!

Brandon, Caressa, Jim and Sue Himoff

This afternoon the Peak of 2022 was able to gather and start planning for an amazing summer, building on the fun and excitement of summer 2021. We previewed the Summer Video for 2021 that should now be in your parents’ inbox, accompanied by your 2021 Team Sing Album. Be sure to check your actual mailbox soon for the beautiful 2021 Yearbook as well. What a great way to remember such an exciting summer.

The Peak of 2022, inspired by the great Peakers before them, talked about how they can lead and impress the younger campers with amazing events from Breakout to Banquet that will be truly unforgettable. We already see them demonstrating what a great group they will be. It won’t be long before our camp community will be together again. We miss you all and hope you enjoy your yearbook, videos, and music!

We want to announce that we have created a new camp award, The Sherie Alden and Erin Shoulberg Award for Outstanding Leadership. This award will be accompanied by a scholarship grant from the Himoff Family and will celebrate staff members who truly exemplify caring, fun, organizational skill, and leadership. Honoring those staff members who have demonstrated these extraordinary qualities, is the best way to celebrate what Erin and Sherie have brought to their life at Point O’Pines Camp.

As many of you know, Sherie and Erin have both been busy training the next generation of camp leaders at Point O’Pines in recent years. Last summer they worked with us part time to make sure that their lasting legacy of an outstanding camp experience continues. While they will be spending less time with us at camp, the imprint that they have placed at the Point continues forward. Fortunately, the Himoff family is joined by a strong leadership team that was able to share a wonderful summer with you in 2021, and navigate the obstacles of a pandemic year. We are excited for next summer and are so proud of Betsy, Annie, Kelly, and our Area Heads and other senior staff.

As we approach next summer, Sue and Caressa are working with both new and returning campers on making this coming summer what our campers and parents have been dreaming about. While most home visits continue to be virtual, they are working to stay in touch with families. We are here for you as you think ahead about 2022!

Brandon and Caressa Himoff have taken on an increased summer role at camp, and join with Jim and Sue in supporting and nurturing our campers and staff. Jim and Sue continue their very active role in camp, and are thrilled that their children want to make sure that POP will continue our cherished traditions. They are devoted to continuing strong communications with our current and alumnae families while listening to the needs of our future parents and campers.

Betsy is busy planning our 2022 program, working with our staff and preparing to recruit more talented staff for next summer from her office in Michigan. Annie, Kelly and Megan are busy organizing and executing our destination weddings and events, and helping look ahead to the summer. We have been working with some of our Area Heads and leadership staff to build upon last summer and move ahead to next summer’s fun. We are excited to see our great leaders take on broader roles at camp. We appreciate Sherie and Erin’s mentorship of these extraordinary people.

Sherie Alden will be retiring after 41 years at Point O’Pines. Her legacy will be felt in the modern programs and activities she created over these years, and the hard-working and deeply caring culture she has instilled in everyone she has worked with. Erin Shoulberg has dedicated 28 years to Point O’Pines and has led the camp to be thoughtful and intentional about every aspect of the camp experience. Erin will be dedicating her time to teaching and research at the University of Vermont Department of Psychological Science.

We would also like to share that Emily Perelman has decided to focus on her demanding work with Horace Mann School and will step away from summers at the Point. Emily was a truly outstanding camper, worked as a camp counselor, grew to lead our Peakers, and in 2021 became an Assistant Director working with both our parents and campers. She will continue to be a supportive and valued alumna, and we are so proud and excited for her career ahead and her upcoming marriage. We appreciate her dedication to camp and the relationship we have with her and the entire Perelman family.

Peaker Julia brings this news article from the Point

It is crazy how I am writing this reflection on my peak summer 7 weeks later, after going a full summer without being at camp at Point O’Pines. Wow, so many thoughts rush into my head about this incredible summer, but most importantly is how unbelievably grateful I am that I was given the opportunity to lead camp with my 44 sisters all summer.

I would of never imagined how two peaks could of come together, but now I don’t even know the difference. Even though there were some differences this summer, we faced every single one of them and made the best out of it.

For example, first camp fire was on the beach this summer, but was better and more special then ever as we got to watch the beautiful sunset.

DJ Jeff was outside, but was my favorite one yet because I was able to see and dance with everyone in the fresh Adirondack air!

All that was different this summer, just meant everything was more special, and one to remember!

It was shown this summer more then ever that all that matters with the Point is that the traditions are kept, and as long as you are at the beautiful place with all of the people around you that is all that matters.

Walking around camp seeing everyone’s smiles everyday is what the energy of camp is, which is exactly what I saw everyday from breakfast to taps. That energy is what made camp a normal and spectacular summer.

I’m so happy with how amazing this summer went, and am so proud of everyone in camp for giving a little bit of a different summer a chance, making it the best summer ever! After 8 magical summers at the happiest place on Earth, it is so hard to leave the Point, but I’m more than happy with all that I get to take away with me forever and for ending off on a perfect peak summer of 2021!

Today we sit by the lake and see the reflections of the clear blue sky, as we reflect on our experiences together this summer. After two years apart we were able to come back together with friends, reconnect as a community, and return to enjoying the fun of our lives together. We could restore and experience the feelings in our hearts for camp, our campers and staff. We learned so many things, not just in our activities. Many grew a bit in height, and all grew in wisdom, character and experience.

We can’t wait to come together again, whether it is at camp reunion, at camp or when we are next able to visit one another.

We are thinking of our Peakers who began as two Peaks, and quickly became one. Leading us out into a summer that will always be one of the most treasured.

We are also thinking of our staff who took on so much more this summer than ever and still made camp the magical place it always is for the campers. We appreciate so deeply all their hard work in making this summer both safe and fun. We miss you all and cannot wait until you return to your summer home.

We want to give special thanks to the experts, dedicated health professionals and researchers both at camp and around the world who made it possible for us to create our island of calm and beauty in the churning sea of the outside world. We are hopeful that as campers and staff return to school and jobs that they stay safe and healthy and that this summer of fun provides an anchor as we navigate through to clearing skies, still waters and much brighter days coming to us.

We miss you all, and we look forward to seeing you all again soon!