I’ve spent every summer of my life in New Hampshire, but seldom have I visited it in other seasons. Last October, I decided to join my parents on a “business” trip up to camp. Ostensibly, there was work to do – trail maintenance, trail research, checking the condition of our fields and cabins. But in reality, it all was just an excuse to get up to camp and see it in all its fall splendor. On Saturday, Rob and I decided we were going to explore a new trail – the Tunnel Brook trail, which runs in the valley between Mt. Moosilauke and Mt. Clough. But as we started to hike, we decided the weather was just too perfect to stay down in the valley, so we decided to hike Moosilauke via the Benton Trail, a new trail to both of us. As we huffed and puffed our way up the mountain, Rob offered me my dream job – to be co-director of Kingswood, starting in September of 2020.

I am five years younger than Rob. When you are young, five years can be a big difference. Few sixth graders really want their first grade brother hanging around with them, especially when they have friends over. But I can honestly say that Rob has always been a great brother. Never once did I hear him complain about having to share a room with me (which we did till he graduated high school). Sure – there were moments where he used his size and strength to put me in my place (pinning me down and blowing his Cheerio breath in my face till I dry heaved being one of the more “memorable” moments) – but these were far and few between. Usually he was kind, fair, and willing to let me hang out with him and his friends.

As the years went by, and the age gap diminished (at least in ratio form), we grew even closer. After I graduated from Davidson, Rob helped me get a job at The Hill School in Middleburg, VA, where he was teaching fourth grade and coaching sports. We often saw each other in the halls and during assemblies, but we also had a ritual of playing handball every Thursday night. Some of my fondest memories of the last twenty years were the car rides to the courts, the epic battles on the courts, and the dinner, drinks, and recap afterwards. I lost far more often than I won, but those few victories were oh-so sweet.

I can not say enough wonderful things about my nineteen years working at The Hill School. I have been surrounded by – and learned from – so many exceptional teachers, and I have had the honor to work with so many great students and families. But perhaps the most lasting lesson I learned from my years at Hill is the value of connection and community. As a teacher, administrator, colleague, I learned to build relationships by doing what came naturally to me – treating everyone with respect, taking an interest in everyone’s life (at school and beyond), and working collaboratively to support and challenge students. Were it not for Rob’s offer, I would happily be at Hill right now, trying to make middle school in the COVID era as fun as possible.

I am forever indebted to Rob, not because of his friendship or landing me a job at one of the best schools in the country, but because he introduced me to my future wife, Cristin. We have been married for fifteen years, and she has never missed a Kingswood summer. While my summer days have been consumed with engineering a creative and diverse program for campers, she has been doing double duty – caring for our children Liam (8) and Olivia (3), and continuing her work as a dietician and health coach.

I am so excited for this new chapter in my life. While I have loved working as a teacher, the profession is all-consuming. From late August to early June I was so focused on my students and my curriculum that it was difficult for me to fully engage in issues relating to camp. As the beginning of the school year rolls around, I feel weird (and a bit guilty, to be honest) not preparing lesson plans and putting the finishing touches on my classroom. But I am thrilled to be able to fully invest my energies into camp, working with (and learning from) my parents and brother to make sure Kingswood continues to be the best place for boys to spend their summers.

For those of you who are alumni, I look forward to reconnecting with you and making sure that the Kingswood experience remains the same (in principle) for generations to come; don’t be surprised if you see an email from mike@kingswoodcamp.com in your inbox down the road, as I’m really curious where life’s twists and turns has taken everyone. For current parents, I look forward to working with you and making sure your son and family has the best camp experience imaginable; since Rob and I will be sharing administrative responsibilities, if you send a message to wipfler@kingswoodcamp.com, now both Rob and I will receive it, and one of us will respond ASAP. And for new families, I can’t wait to meet you and your child(ren), and I will never forget that you are putting faith in the Wipfler family to provide a safe and enriching experience for your son.