Creating a camp community that truly thrives doesn’t just happen – it’s made possible by careful planning, strong leadership, and a network of supporters committed to a shared vision. All those elements are crucial to Kabeyun’s Second Century Campaign, which has raised $1.53 million so far thanks to the generosity of our community. “This is a grassroots...

For the first time in six years, Kabeyun campers recorded musical albums during the summer of 2023. The two albums, entitled “Whenever the Rain Flows” (Session I) and “The Session of the Sheep” (Session II) contain original music written and performed by Kabeyun campers. In all, 34 campers contributed to the albums, led by music counselor Aaron Finglass. Aaron...

This summer will mark my 14th year as Kabeyun’s director, and my 26th season at camp dating back to 1985, when I arrived as an apprehensive and uncertain 11-year-old. It is an odd coincidence (notable only to me, I’m sure) that I will turn 50 just as Kabeyun turns 100 – we will both celebrate milestones this year, if only because we tend to mark time in big, round...

Last summer, Kabeyun was fortunate to have six international counselors from three continents as part of our staff. It was such a good experience that all six are planning to come back in 2024! Hugo Castellanos, who heads our waterfront, will return for his seventh Kabeyun summer. Hugo lives in Guatemala as does Marielos Escriba, his partner. Marielos ran our Athletics program in 2023 with...

This is the 27th edition of the Log of the West Wind. We want to hear from you! Submit your news on the Kabeyun website at kabeyun.org/youralumninews.

We extend our heartfelt sympathy to the families of these Kabeyun alumni, staff members, parents, and friends.

We’re grateful to the following parents and friends, current and former campers and staff for their generous contributions to the Kabeyun Annual Fund. This list includes gifts made during the calendar year 2023; gifts received after January 1, 2024 will be listed next year.

With one third of in-camp activities taking place on the waterfront, and trips visiting lakes and rivers every day, Kabeyun strives to have more than half its staff hold Red Cross Lifeguarding certifications each summer. This recently became easier, now that two staff members, Alex Hill and Eliot Golding, hold Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor (LGI) certifications, allowing Kabeyun to teach...

In August, Kabeyun staged a memorable, high-energy, and humorous production of “Wiley and the Hairy Man.” In his directorial debut, Andy Cole coordinated a cast of eight campers and two counselors, supported by nine more campers and counselors who designed and built sets, created costumes, managed props, and operated the lighting and sound systems. This was a Kabeyun revival;...

How much has camp changed in the past few decades? How much has stayed the same? And how does that evolution fit into camp’s history overall? That’s what a small committee of Kabeyun alumni sought to learn on a visit to camp in July 2023. Maria Latham, Dan Schlozman, and Jake Wolf-Sorokin are core members of a volunteer committee compiling a history of camp that will be edited...

In 2023, Kabeyun invested in a dozen new kayaks. Thanks to a well-researched proposal by former counselor Gus Robinson and the generosity of an anonymous donor, camp purchased the Dagger Rewind in three sizes to fit campers from the Lions to the Owls. Kayaking counselor Lakeland Galinson found the new boats enhanced the program in four ways. In-camp paddling “When we ran trips...

That’s how much food waste Kabeyun diverted from the landfill and back into the earth last summer. Using small compost containers at each dining table, larger receptacles in the kitchen and at beach supper, and hearty Ziploc bags on trips, we collected almost 2.5 tons of organic waste over 9 weeks.  Lou Saviano of Renewal Compost collected the material weekly and brought it to J...

Year after year, hundreds of members of the extended Kabeyun community contribute to our Annual Fund, demonstrating the remarkably strong connections that remain far beyond their years at camp. This year, in addition to the Annual Fund, Kabeyun launched its Second Century Campaign, and we asked a few of our long-time donors why giving to Kabeyun is meaningful to them. Many of them see Annual Fund and Capital Campaign contributions as a tangible way to pass the gift of Kabeyun on to future generations of campers and their families.