Hello, World!

(What follows is the text of a letter sent in November, 2010 to all members of the Kabeyun community.)

Greetings from Kabeyun! As we approach our 88th summer, I am at once proud, moved, and humbled with the responsibility and distinct privilege of serving as Kabeyun's director. My priority is to ensure that the qualities you and I cherish in Kabeyun will endure. I am committed to continuing the legacy that John Porter began in 1924, and which Nick Latham and Chuck Mills carried through decades of strong and dedicated leadership.

That legacy is delegated not only to me, but to many others with whom I look forward to collaborating as we march towards Kabeyun’s 90th and 100th anniversaries. Counselors who have for years been the underpinning of every successful summer will return to “make the magic happen.” We are all committed to the continuation of a culture that emphasizes personal choice and exploration. Hands will fly up this summer for sailing, for swimming, for woodworking, leather, and drama. Expeditions will summit peaks, descend rivers, and climb rock faces. Our boys will face challenges, revel in triumphs, and uncover the life lessons that will help them grow. Everything that we love about Kabeyun will happen again, as it did last year, and the year before that, and for decades before that.

The profound effect of a Kabeyun summer is well documented. We know how important the Kabeyun experience is in the development of strong, compassionate, loving, and independent boys. I am the person I am today in large part because of the time I’ve spent at Kabeyun. The good that I do in the world, the good that people see in me – Kabeyun is a part of that, and as such, I am gratified to be a part of Kabeyun.

Camp is nearly ready for the winter cold and snow, and my attention is turning to making plans, enrolling campers, hiring staff, ordering supplies, and dreaming big dreams. I am available to you. Ask me your hard questions, challenge me with your concerns, and heap your expectations upon me.. If I don’t have an answer, I promise to seek one out, and to continue the conversation as long as we need.

To get the process started, I plan to visit an area near you this winter to gather and talk camp — an informal conversation aimed at continuing to introduce myself, answering questions, and most importantly, listening to you. There are many members of the Kabeyun family whom I know only by name; I’d like to put a face to each name and hear about those aspects of the Kabeyun experience you most value. I hope that you’ll have time to join me and share your thoughts, confident in the knowledge that your contributions are of tremendous importance to me.

Charcoal Ceremony is only a short time away. This year, I’ll add a stick to the fire in addition to last year’s charcoal — a bit of my Kabeyun past that owes itself to so many who have preceded me, and new energy to devote to those who will come in camp’s bright future.

Thank you for your continued dedication to our boys and our community.

Warm Regards,

Ken Robbins
Director, Camp Kabeyun