Inspiring confident, kind kids & forever friendships
Winter Weekend wrapped a couple of weeks ago. And I’ll ditto so much of what Jack said last week about it being awesome. It really was.
And while the whole energy brought basically the perfect camp vibe even in the middle of winter, there was one moment that I’m still thinking about that says a ton about how Evergreen girls show up here.
Juniper lodge sits unheated during Winter Weekend. It’s (an almost cheesily) symbolic space. The highest level of camper leadership at Evergreen.
Every year, the outgoing Juniper girls write a message on the whiteboard inside for the incoming Juniper, who will be the oldest girls at camp. This isn’t listed on the official schedule, but it always just happens.
This year’s Juniper bundled up in winter layers, went inside, and read what was left for them. They also just like to look around and imagine the summer. Some took photos. Some took videos. It was really fun to watch them laugh with each other and start to find their identity as Juniper 26.
Earlier in the weekend, we sat down with them to talk about what being Juniper actually means.
What Juniper said
We asked them pretty simple questions:
What’s important about being Juniper?
What kind of Juniper do you want to be?
What should never change about camp? What could we do differently?
Their answers were thoughtful and specific in ways that surprised me.
They said things like we lead the vibe. We lead assembly. We lead songs and cheers. We set the tone for spirit.
When Juniper participates fully, camp follows. When they commit, others will commit. If they hold back, others hold back. They get that.
They said it themselves: when Juniper is involved, camp is better.
They want everyone to know the songs. They want assembly to feel energetic and real. They want to support their little sisters. One idea that came straight from them: expanding on the camp songbook so everyone actually knows the words to camp songs (which I love!).
One of them, Gigi, started and runs a nonprofit in Boston, Red Umbrella Project. Hygiene kits for homeless women and girls. She’s thinking about leadership and impact all year long, not just at camp.
I told them they are my very first Juniper ever, and I will remember them forever. That I’m learning what this looks like right alongside them.
That felt right to say out loud.
These girls don’t just participate in camp culture. They set it.
And I’m positive this only works in a long-session camp. Short-session camps rotate leadership every few weeks and then the culture has to rebuild constantly, or is left more to the staff.
At Kenwood & Evergreen, leadership accumulates, deepens, and then transfers forward even in little ways like those notes on the whiteboard.
Winter Weekend is when you take your next spot. There’s no dramatic ceremony. You arrive, and YOU ARE Juniper.
K&E is a brother-sister camp because we recognize that leadership looks different for boys and girls. Hut 6 leads differently than Juniper does.
Both matter. Both are intentional. Juniper’s focus is relational. It’s about culture, spirit, and supporting each other. And in case it’s not totally obvious, this is a very rare thing for a group of teenagers.
Why this matters for kids and camp
Some of the most important parts of camp aren’t on the printed schedule.
The whiteboard blessing. The Juniper meeting. The quiet conversations walking slowly around the plowed circle on the frozen lake.
These moments teach that leadership is inherited. That culture must be protected. That responsibility increases over time. That belonging deepens with years.
I’m so excited to see what they’ll do this summer. Running opening campfire, getting their little sisters, leading the Green and Gold teams in Color War, and so much more.
Your daughter will be in Juniper someday. Or maybe she already is.
Either way, she’s stepping into something larger than herself.
Which is pretty much the whole point.
Best,
Sylvia
PS – Let’s talk camp! I love answering parent questions and seeing how K&E can work for your family. Let’s meet!
Sylvia van Meerten
Evergreen Director
[email protected]
114 Eagle Pond Rd, Wilmot, NH 03287
Camps Kenwood & Evergreen Snapshot
- Location: New England overnight summer camp
- Philosophy: Growth through community, independence, and belonging
- Structure: Unified camp mission with gender-specific campuses
- Outcomes: Confidence, leadership, friendship, identity growth
