News from Buck’s Rockers
4/2/08,
Alex Anastas (Painting/PASS) proposed to Fiona Donaghey (Sewing) in Australia on top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge this past Valentine’s Day. They will both be returning to Buck’s Rock this summer where they first met!
Nichola Proffitt and Phil Clooney got engaged after camp and will be married in the UK this May. They will be returning to Buck’s Rock this summer as Guidance Counselors.
Brian Kaplan and Christina Ames will also be married in Hawaii this upcoming May.
Richard Simms (LSD) and Bridget Kennedy (Lifeguard) have been together for now 10 years since they met at Buck’s Rock in 1997. They are engaged and will be married on December 1, 2008.
Many Buck's Rockers (including Phil Feldman, Hannah Kass, Cameron Nadler, Max Scholick, Maya Sharma and James Thurm) took part in the March 23rd performance of "The Kids are Alright" at the Magnet Theater in Manhattan. "The Kids are Alright" was a comedy variety show featuring improv, music, stand-up and sketch comedy staring an entire cast of teenage comics. Buck's Rock stand up comic Ale Kolleeny hosted the night and it was produced by head of the Clown Shop, Louie Pearlman. The show was a big success and Louie hopes to produce more variety shows for young performers in the future. Louie also teaches regular weekly improv classes for teenagers through the Magnet Theater. You can check out www.magnettheater.com for more information.
Buck's Rock veterans Sam Kusnetz and Jason Zimbler have recently begun collaborating during the rest of the year on their new theatre company, The Re-Theatre Instrument. RTI is a company dedicated to creating new work built around adaptations of classic texts. Their goal is to reconnect our audiences to these timeless stories by illuminating in them current social, moral, ethical, and political issues. Their unique playwrighting process, which is centered around actor-driven improvisation, was developed at Buck's Rock starting in 2003 with a Wall Street adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Tempest". More information can be found at http://www.retheatre.org
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Upcoming Events and Dates To Remember: 2008
3/31/08,
Spring Open House
Our Spring Open House will be held on Saturday, May 17th at 1 PM to 4 PM (Rain date May 18). On that day, we will be offering tours of the camp and facilities and would be pleased to discuss our performing and creative arts program with any newly enrolled or prospective families. Please call us at 800-636-5218 to advise us if you plan to attend. Driving directions to camp can be obtained from our website at www.bucksrockcamp.com
2008 CIT Meeting
The CIT Meeting will be held in New York City at the School of Ethical Culture, 2 West 64th Street and Central Park West, on Saturday, May 10th from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. We will discuss the CIT program, paying special attention to our expectations of this year’s CITs as Big Brothers and Sisters, followed by a pizza lunch.
Here and There: A Tribute to Musicians Everywhere
This summer, in our second session, Johnny Rabe and David Pollack are spearheading our annual multi-media tribute show, founded by Ivan Rubenstein-Gillis. Prepare to rock out around the globe because on August 5th, Buck's Rock is taking music for a spin! Here and There: A Tribute to Musicians Everywhere is a show that features songs, instruments, artists, artwork, and dances from around the globe. From Salsa to Latin-Pop, tribal drumming to the African influence on Jazz and Blues, Canadian independent rock to the British Invasion and many more, Here and There will take you through music's travels. Join us in celebrating artists such as Bob Marley, AC/DC, Gloria Estefan, The Beatles, Daft Punk, Bjork, Moxy Fruvous, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and many more. All full, 2nd session and extending campers are welcome and encouraged to get involved in this multi-media music tribute show.
Reunion 2008 / NYC Art Gallery Exhibit
We are currently planning a first ever Buck’s Rock NYC Art Exhibit in coordination with our Annual Reunion. The event will take place at the Art Directors Club on 106 West 29th Street on Sunday, December 7, 2008. We will invite current campers, staff and alumni to include their artwork in this show and very much look forward to continuing to share the developments of this exciting event with the Buck’s Rock community, present, past and future! Coming soon more info on how campers, staff and Alum can be part of this incredible Buck's Rock Showcase.
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More Exciting Renovations and Additions - Spring 2008
3/31/08,
The Culinary Arts Studio is quickly developing into what clearly will be a central attraction at camp. Located at the old site of the Photo Studio, the studio will have morning and afternoon sessions teaching the delicious art of cooking! Here campers will be able to experience hands on with a qualified chef.
Digital photography has been added to the Publications Shop in a new space of its own and will allow campers to explore digital photography and learn how to print, manipulate and enhance their images using Adobe Photoshop. In addition, the shop will have a light studio where campers will be able to photograph their projects for portfolios and print photography images.
The Computer Shop has doubled in size to include the space Leather had previously occupied. The interior of the shop has been completely renovated and the design will prove to be extremely user-friendly and accommodate more campers.
The Leather shop has in turn been relocated across from Computer and now is housed in it’s own building. The same variety of great leather projects can be made in this new and more spacious studio.
We are very excited about all these additions and know that they will enhance our program and our campers' experience.
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The Rock - Fall 2007 Newsletter
11/21/07,
Fall 2007 Newsletter
Festival 2007
Festival 2007 was a great finish to another incredible summer! The scheduled events and art exhibits highlighted our campers’ achievements and new and honed skills. The Festival Day show “A Wolf in Thief’s Clothing” was wonderful, as were the dance, clown/improv and musical presentations. The evening musical production of “Cabaret” was exceptional in every way! Congratulations to all our campers and staff for their participation in our Festival activities. We also want to thank our staff for their outstanding dedication and contribution on that day and throughout the entire summer, as it was truly a memorable one!
Camp Reunion
Reunion this year will again be held at the New York Society for Ethical Culture School, at 2 West 64th Street in New York City on Saturday, December 1st from 2:00 to 4:30 PM. As in the past, we anticipate over 300 campers and counselors to attend. There will be refreshments and a showing of the 2007 Memories DVD, as well as the chance to visit with friends. As requested by the School of Ethical Culture, please socialize only in the Social Hall and do not congregate inside or outside the building on the sidewalk. Those of you who have come to previous reunions know how enjoyable the afternoon can be. We hope to see you there and have the chance to speak with everyone! The 2007 Summer Compilation CD and 2007 Memories DVD will be available for purchase.
2007 Financial Aid
As in past years, we are so pleased to have been able to financially assist over fifty eligible families this past summer. Also, in partnership with “Street Squash,” an urban youth enrichment program in NYC, and S.T.E.P. “I have a Dream Foundation from Washington DC, we provided scholarships for several childre n who equally contributed and appreciated the new opportunities Buck’s Rock offered the m. We also sponsored a camper with Friends of Buck’s Rock who had a great summer with us. We would also like to thank those families who made donations as well as those who donated the remainder of their child’s camper account to the Buck’s Rock Scholarship Fund which will help us sponsor other campers in the summer of 2007.
Memories 2007
Our 2007 Video Shoppe Staff and CITs produced another exceptional Buck’s Rock Memories DVD. Featuring most every camper and staff member, the DVD should not be missed! See it again at Reunion.
2007 Compilation CD
Buck’s Rock’s 2007 Compilation CD is a wonderful collection of camper music, professionally recorded, mastered and engineered in our Recording Studio by Studio 59's 2007 engineering staff and CITs. Sample tracks can be heard on Buck’s Rock’s website.
Projects and Plans for 2008
We have exciting projects planned for this upcoming summer. All of which we believe will significantly enhance the program and our campers’ experiences at Buck’s Rock.
• The old Photography Studio will be renovated into a new Culinary Arts Studio. The program will be hands-on and we hope to feature a variety of chefs throughout the summer. Please feel free to email us with ideas and recipes that you would be interested in preparing.
• We are switching from 35mm photography to digital photography and the medium will be incorporated in the Publications Shop where an additional space is currently under design. Campers will be able to work on personal projects in addition to making submissions for our various publications and our website.
• The Computer Shop will be expanded to include the space previously used by the Leather Studio. The additional room will allow the shop to be more user friendly an d will also accommodate the growing interest among our campers in animation and game programmi ng.
• The Leather Shop will be relocated across from Computers and will have its own new building.
New Buck’s Rock Website & Face Book Profile Coming Soon
The Buck’s Rock website is currently under new design and construction. Please look out for an email regarding its debut shortly. We are also asking any campers or parents who will like to submit testimonials about their experiences at Buck’s Rock or images of their Buck’s Rock created artwork, to please email them to us at bucksrock@bucksrockcamp.com.
We are also very excited about our soon to be presence on Face Book with an official Buck’s Rock page. We look forward to as many campers, parents and alumni joining as our “friends.” You will receive a Face Book invitation very soon.
Animal Farm Update
Our two camp tortoises, Speedy and Tiny Turtle, have produced potential offspring and we are currently incubating 3 eggs that Speedy laid in October. If we are lucky, the eggs will hatch and we will have baby tortoises to share next summer!
Buck’s Rock’s 65th Anniversary Reunion
The summer of 2007 marked Buck’s Rock’s 65th season! In collaboration Lew Frish & Friends of Buck’s Rock, our Alumni Organization, we so enjoyed hosting alumni back to Buck’s Rock on July 28. We hope that many of our campers and staff were able to meet some of our alumni and participate in various events that were scheduled that day. Lew did an amazing job coordinating the events of that day and we are grateful to him for his marvelous efforts.
2008 Enrollment
We are pleased to see so many campers returning and welcome the many new campers who will be joining us this summer. It is also clear that many staff had wonde rful experiences with us, as many are already committed for the summer of 2008! We would like t o remind those campers interested in the First Session in particular to send in your enrollment forms soon, as typically there is a wait-list for girls for the First Session by January. Please be reminded that the Early Enrollment Discount is applicable up until December 15, 2007 and the first 100 campers to enroll will receive a limited edition Buck’s Rock black, hooded sweatshirt.
Six-Week Enrollment Still an Option
Like this past summer, we will again be offering a Six-Week Session enrollment option on our camper contract, which will allow campers and their families to schedule their summer vacations and make plans without the wait. Six weeks at Buck’s Rock has become increasingly popular among our campers, as it seems to offer a nice balance between camp and family activities. Similar to last summer, campers enrolled for six weeks can enjoy participating in our annual music tribute, which has been coordinated by Ivan Rubenstein-Gillis these past many summers. First Session Campers and their parents should also be reminded that two or four week extensions are still an option once at Buck’s Rock. Since space is limited, however, we encourage campers to have their parents contact Beverley in the Office as soon as a decision has been made.
“A Taste of Buck’s Rock” The Buck’s Rock Experience for Younger Campers
For the summer of 2008, we are thrilled to offer a 2 week introductory program for 9 and 10 year old boys and girls at Buck’s Rock Performing and Creative Arts Camp.
This exciting, new program will offer younger children the opportunity to experience all that Buck’s Rock is best known for, in a more supervised and structured format. Supported by our team of Guidance Counselors and professional instructors, campers will choose and pursue the acti vities, throughout the day, that most interest them.
Campers will be grouped by gender and housed separately from our older campers. In addition to their Guidance Counselors, campers will also have a C.I.T. (Counselor in Training) Big Sibling host who will serve as their mentor while at camp. The session dates are Sunday, August 3 to Saturday, August 16, 2008. The program is limited to 36 campers and the tuition cost is $2,490. Please contact us for further details or enrollment information soon as we expect this program to be popular.
C.I.T. and J.C. Applications
We are accepting applications for our Counselor-in-Training Program from all campers who are 15 before January 1. We remind anyone who is eligible, that applications are due by December 15. Please contact us should you have any questions regarding the program. For those C.I.Ts who wish to be considered for a Junior Counselor position and JCs who wish to return next summer, please write to us at 59 Buck’s Rock Road, New Milford, CT 06776 or email us. There is no formal application for Junior Counselor positions; letters are due by December 15. We will confirm all CITs of their placement and studio assignment and advise JCs of our decisions by the end of January.
Good News from Buck’s Rockers
Richard Simms (lighting and sound) spent the summer of ‘97 working at camp wrote: “I not only learnt many things that summer but made some wonderful friends. As the camp played such an important time in my life I thought I would let you in on some news. Whilst at camp I met a fantastic girl, Bridget Kennedy, who was working as a lifeguard for the summer of 1997. We fell in love and continued our relationship when we both returned home. Well 10 years on, I'm very happy and proud to inform you that we are engaged and due to marry on December 1st this year!!”
On a Personal Note
Emily, Dylan and J ulian have all made a relatively easy transition back to home life and the routine of school. Th ey each had their own wonderful summers. Julian, in particular, thrived and grew so much right before our eyes. Thank you to all of you who interacted with our children, offering them friendship and support in their endeavors. Like so many of us, Emily and Dylan relish their summers at Buck’s Rock. They are all looking forward to Reunion, as are we! We hope to see many of you there or next summer at camp. Enjoy the school year!
Warm Regards,
Mickey and Laura
Directors
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Buck’s Rock's 65th Anniversary Festival Day
8/10/07,
Buck’s Rock's 65th Anniversary Festival Day Schedule
Saturday, August 18th, 2007
11.00am to 5.00pm
View a diverse collection of this summer’s camper art projects at the Actors Studio. Additional camper projects will be on display at the Wood and Ceramic Studios. There will be glass blowing demonstrations throughout the day and a literary and design display at the Publications Shop. An exhibit of staff artwork will be on display at the Painting Studio.
11.00am to 3.00pm
Our Radio Station, WBBC 89.3 FM, will broadcast live. Selections will include camper recordings produced at Buck’s Rock’s very own digital recording studio, Studio 59.
11:00am
Pub Shop campers will read highlights of this summer’s writings on the Sewing Shop porch.
11:30am
Again on the Sewing Shop porch, there will be a camper fashion show, highlighting projects designed and sewn in our Sewing Shop.
Noon
A picnic lunch will be served to all our guests. Circus Arts will take place at Boys House.
12:30pm
Campers and counselors who have taken part in the daily Guitar Snack will jam one more time at the Bulova Memorial.
1.00pm
The Festival Day Show will be performed in the Summer Theatre: A Wolf in Thief’s Clothing, directed by Jason Zimbler.
2.00pm
Buck’s Rock dancers will perform highlights from the summer’s earlier performances at the Dance Studio.
3.00pm
The Clown/Improv Shop will perform improvised comedy in the Dance Studio.
4.00pm
There will be a screening of Jeckles, the 2007 Buck’s Rock movie, in the Dance Studio.
5:00pm to 6:30pm
Hear anything from Jazz to Classical to Rock to Swing and vocal performances at this Music extravaganza at Boys House.
6.00pm
A picnic dinner will be served to all our guests.
8.15pm
At the Summer Theatre, Buck’s Rock presents the 2007 Festival Musical Production of Cabaret, directed by Ernie Johns.
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