Peter and Meg back in the day!

Hey there, everyone! Cara B. here back again with an extra special news report.

Today we are celebrating Peter and Meg’s 30th year as camp directors at Hidden Valley! When we walked into breakfast, the dining hall had been decorated with a huge happy anniversary banner and tons of old photographs from camp throughout the years. It was so cool for everyone to see this blast from the past, including old photos of PK and MK and photos of pro staff when they were campers! At Peter and Meg’s table outside, we hung special notes written by campers which included their hand print and their favorite thing about Hidden Valley.

During morning meeting, all of the usual announcements had been transformed to honor Peter and Meg on their special day. We started off with a big round of “Oh How Lovely is the Evening,” a song that Peter and Meg have led us in singing up at Pine Grove for years. Hannah and Hope rode in on horses carrying huge “30” flags, and the ropes list this morning included the names of all the past ropes directors. The birthday announcement was in celebration of their 30th anniversary and Peter and Meg got to hear the birthday organ! In the interest groups lineup, all of the activities were themed for the anniversary, including tetherball and ping-pong games that will be played first to 30 points, portraits of HVC llamas past and present, song writing for Peter and Meg, and learning dance moves from 1988- Peter and Meg’s first year at Hidden Valley! The morning was full of love and celebration for our amazing directors who make HVC so incredible.

And now, a special note from Peter and Meg:

…So, as you now know, it turns out that the entire camp CAN keep a secret from us and what an inspired and touching bit of scheming this was. We have been so overwhelmed by the generosity of spirit that went into this surprise celebration.

As we told the camp at morning meeting, these 30 years have been a labor of love. A few thoughts…
…We are so proud of campers and adults who continue to work together in so many areas of camp, from horse riding to the arts. The wonder of learning has been a gift to all of us.
…One of the messages we received today was from a camper who said they like HVC because, “It’s easier to make friends here.” We have found our people here too and know that camp provides connections that are harder to make in the real world which can be less considerate or more competitive.
…And we talked with the camp about the place itself, an amazing corner of the world that has provided space, natural beauty and comfort to so many for so long. Stewarding the land here has been an honor.

More reflections will follow. In the meantime, thanks to all for shedding light on the magic of HVC.
Love,
Peter and Meg

Here’s to 30 years! Enjoy some photos from today and some of the old photos hung in the dining hall!

Forever and always,

Cara B. Ner