Dear Alumnae:

Lochearn is alive and well. We just completed a terrific session and we thank those of you who chose to visit and take a walk down memory lane.  We are attaching an article that Ginny wrote at the end of the session just to let you know that the major tenets of Lochearn today are the same as those you knew as a camper and staff.  We hope it brings back wonderful memories of your time here.  Please enjoy and stay in touch!

All the best,

Rich and Ginny

Growing Up Strong

Now is a particularly challenging time to raise daughters and keep them on a safe and positive path. Much of our media culture overtly conveys negative messages to our children, encouraging them to behave in ways that are inappropriate and self-destructive. Children are led to believe it is “normal and cool” to be mean or use foul language as a typical form of expression. The social networking proliferation enables girls to be secretive in their actions and associations, leaving parents uncertain of their children’s involvements.  Between the enticement of contemporary media messages and the difficulty parents face maintaining a close watch, how does one keep their daughters on a safe and positive path? 

At Lochearn, we have long believed that building a strong sense of identity helps girls develop the confidence and strength to stay the course no matter what direction their peers may take. Any camp can teach girls archery, swimming or tennis, but at Lochearn, amidst a very strong teaching program of 45 different activities, girls learn something more. They enter a community committed to kindness, inclusion and integrity. There are no cliques at Lochearn; these are simply not allowed because cliques are hurtful on both ends: the girl who is left out aches from humiliation and questions her own self-worth; the girl who is unkind to another is conflicted, knowing this is not how she was raised to behave, yet enjoying the attention she gets as girls flock around her taking great interest in her ability to debase another. Cliques are part of a culture where it is “Cool to be cruel”; kindness and inclusion are part of the Lochearn culture where it is “Cool to be kind”. Unlike some school administrators who have given up on our children, assuming there is nothing they can do to change the inevitable, at Lochearn we strive to help each girl be the best girl she can be.  

Our camp motto gives us constant reminders and guidance on how to treat one another while keeping friends with ourselves “but to do so without surrendering our ideals”. The motto, in essence, helps to keep us strong by providing common themes and standards that we discuss regularly at campfires, Sunday morning community meetings, during cabin life and at Senior Council (a time for our 14 year olds, about to enter high school, to take stock in staying true to their ideals). Beyond these public occasions to embrace our community of goodness, everyday girls meet challenges that help them gain personal strength. For some it can be basic skills such as adjusting to living away from home, learning to make and to keep friends, mastering skills in their activities or taking on larger challenges such as qualifying for and running a 10K race around the lake or swimming a one or two mile open water swim. Imagine yourself anywhere from ages 7 to 15 performing a song, dance, dive, or gymnastic routine with poise and confidence in front of over 175 other girls. Only a community of affirmation would enable this level of confidence in girls. A girl’s life at Lochearn is immensely fun, filled with song and humor with hundreds of positive interactions, moments of encouragement and a host of emotions converging at any given time. Recognizing that every moment is a teachable one, we are committed to helping girls practice socializing with others in a positive manner by discovering how to manage emotions and by giving girls the time and guidance to consider how they affect each other through their actions and words.

With the guiding principles of the camp motto and a carefully selected and well trained staff, with the love and friendship of peers and adults, our aim is for each girl to learn on a deep level the importance of being her best self and living comfortably within her own skin. Next, we endeavor to help each girl harness the confidence and strength to stay true to the sound values that make up that best self. This is our mission and the greatest gift we can offer our girls and give to you as our loyal Lochearn parents. This is how we partner up with you to support your efforts in raising strong daughters of sound character.

Thank you again for entrusting your daughters to our care. We hope to be part of their growing up years for many seasons to come.  

On Lake Fairlee, Post Mills, Vermont