Director’s Reports

“Shout it Louder”

July 11, 2026

So Klaus announced a new round of table assignments. You might think this would have produced a bit of momentary awkwardness as boys encountered fresh faces at their dining room positions. And you be incorrect. I was watching closely and the noise inside increased noticeably. Most boys have reached a good comfort level here at camp and it shows.

Just about everybody now knows everybody else.

Get out your magnifying glasses and scan the latest photo albums and you will find many confirming examples of the above postulation in the boys’ body language. The “Gravy Days,” when we reach near 100% adaptation to camp life, are still seven days away. This being our 83^rd session as Kingswood directorship, we know these things with fair precision.

Both Sara and I were on hand for afternoon general swim, though I was mightily distracted by all the racket emerging from the Great Room where a throng of lads were taking in the Spain-Belgium World Cup game. We have loads of Spanish campers so most of us were rooting for Spain to pull it out, which they did with just a few minutes left in the game. The ensuing pandemonium was fun to both watch and photo.

The Kingswood directorship aforementioned is a thoroughly hands-on operation.  Posted just now is a set of photos taken from the Lake Constance loop led by Mike Wiff. Mike has been here for all 83 sessions and I teased him about having that many trips to this nearby wilderness “where they could have filmed Jurassic Park,” as I like to tease.

Mike’s co-director Rob never misses the main gigs, even though he is often locked in his office doing mundane things like answering parental emails and paying bills. More on Rob’s essential role in upcoming reports.

It was breezy and cool for last night’s council fire. Todd and I got there an hour early to get an established fire going before the kids arrived. Wind and council fire do not go together all that well so it is best to have good embers glowing from the start.

The plan basically worked though smoke wafted its way up the noses of several of the musical performers.  Beckett and Drew nearly gagged during their duet but emcee Shupe brushed it off as simply part of acceptable camp. Agreed.

Before the music we bade farewell to the twenty-some boys who are leaving after the two-week mark. Several campers who are staying on spoke very nicely and sincerely about their departing mates. “Great guy, fun to have in the cabin, learned the Kingswood way quickly,” that sort of thing.

A couple of those who are the ones going home were elegant in their praise of newly made friends. “This is my fist time at Kingswood and I had no idea what to expect. But everyone was so friendly to me and now I can’t wait to come back next summer,” allowed one young fellow.

Huzzahs. As the Kingswood song goes, “Shout it louder.”

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