Ep 72 The Winding Road to Mowglis Spirit - A Conversation with Tom Lloyd

 

Mowglis Memories Podcast

The Winding Road to Mowglis Spirit

A Conversation with Tom Lloyd

1982-84, Staff and crew coach 1993, Trustee - Holt Elwell Memorial Foundation

Swing Together

Tom came to Mowglis in 1982 with his best friend from elementary school Michael Lampson and he remained through his Toomai year. Michael convinced him to come and it was only later that he learned that his family had a long history with Mowglis.His Grandfather also attended Mowglis (1910 & 11 camper and in the 20’s as camp doctor) as did his great uncle, though he didn’t discover it until after he was already a Cub.

After a stellar high school career at the Shipley School where he helped power one of the best high school crew teams in the US, including being invited to race at Henley in England, Bob Bengtson convinced him to return to Mowglis as crew coach in 1993. It didn’t take much convincing, Tom was already a loyal Mowglis and this was his chance to “give back.” As it turns out, his experience was as transformational for Tom as it was for the boys he coached and within a few years Tom joined the Holt-Elwell Memorial Foundation Board of Trustees, helping Mowglis through a very difficult period, reflecting a changing world transforming from one era to the Internet age. 

Tom’s sons Alexander and Pablo both went to Mowglis, Pablo is now on the staff.

Listen here:

https://feeds.podetize.com/lYXV4hGoV.mp3

Chapel of the Woods, Camp Mowglis

Chapel in the Blue Lupine

Chapel at the Top of the Hill 

Stinson Brook in Winter

Aspen Central

Swing Together

Cloud Abstract

Flying into a Gathering Storm

Ep 71 Alvin Reiff - Joe Mowglis Meets Mr. Chips

 

Al Reiff is a name that spans a lot of time at Mowglis. The tongue-in-cheek title of this podcast really just ties together the Al Reiff we know and love and the long-time teacher of Mathmatics at the Taft School (38 years - though looking at him you'd never know it!). Al remembers his Mowglis experience from his early days in Cubs and Toomai as well as sharing many of his thoughts on the Mowglis experience.

Al is a 1977 graduate of Mowglis. He came as a cub in 1972 under the watchful eyes of Cub mom Lisa Taylor.

I loved this conversation! Al fondly remembers his friend the late Mark Farrington who inspired him at an early age, and how he could tell the Merrill twins apart but kept it a secret. He and I get to joke about the Blue racing crew with the course record as well as my son Zach's three years as the stroke of the winning red racing crew! 

You'll be glad you took the time to listen to this one!

Listen here:

 https://feeds.podetize.com/b-NFFfLa9.mp3

Links and notes:

https://www.taftschool.org/athletics/coaches/profile/~const-id/2907

https://www.facebook.com/al.reiff.9

https://www.linkedin.com/in/al-reiff-35151b36/

Buy a beautiful piece of signed art for your home or business and we’ll make a 100% contribution in your name to Mowglis. (Less the production and shipping costs!)

Wind on the Rails at Livermore

Reaching into the Past at the Powwow

Maple Moon Mindscape

Maples in the Wind

Willing Workers Red White and Blue - Study No 2

Panted Skies over Lake Umbagog

Ep 70 Dr. James Bradbury - Mowglis Leads to Climate Change Policies that Look to the Future

 James Bradbury

Mowglis Leads to Climate Change Policies that Look to the Future

James came to Mowglis in 1980. His dad is Arthur Bradbury who was a camper and staff member including a number of years as Mowglis Watermaster.. James rose through the ranks to become tripmaster for 2 years.

Listen here:

https://feeds.podetize.com/ep/jNsUutTn-/media 

From his position today at the Georgetown University Climate Center James Bradbury takes the science that he has learned over the years, beginning here in New Hampshire and later at Colorado College (BS), the University of New Hampshire (MS) and UMass Amherst (PhD) and turns it into policy and strategy to help the states address the many challenges of Climate Change. 

James attributes his love of the natural environment to his years at Mowglis, School of the Open, where he developed skills that have paved the way for a life of purpose bringing him to today when he is a leader in environmental policy around the challenges of Climate Change. 

Links and notes:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-bradbury-729a0b4/

Buy a beautiful piece of signed art for your home or business and we’ll make a 100% contribution in your name to Mowglis. (Less the production and shipping costs!)

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Episode 69: Jeff Gilfoy, Den 1965

 

Jeff and Pamela Gilfoy

Jeff Gilfoy

Jeff Gilfoy came to Mowglis in 1962 and graduated from the Den in 1965  

Living at the time in Needham, MA and Jeff and his dad went to a Mowglis presentation, probably by then-director John Adams. He was enthused by what he saw and signed up immediately. The following summer he beganis Mowglis years in Toomai when it was the second youngest dorm in the pack.

Den 1965:  Jim Edwards, Sam Bettle, Jon Feuer, Worthy Johnson, Robert O’connor, Scott Gibbs, Sam Hertzler, Chris Howard, Jeff Gilfoy, Chris Spindler, John Ross, & Dave Beall

Listen here:

https://feeds.podetize.com/4DNfyV5HF.mp3

Jeff was a very successful camper, as a Denite he played against Worthy Johnson in Tennis finals, he prevailed though he says Worthy was a much better tennis player. With Tennis or any other game there are always days when lightning strikes and the weaker competitor wins, this was one of those cases says Jeff.

Pemigewasset Wilderness Trip was a favorite of his along with his two years on the Washington Squad.He made  Inner Circle in his Panther year and was one of those rare campers who was chosen twice for both the Red Racing crew (his second as stroke) and two years on Washington Squad. His love for hiking led him to pursue the sport during his life including a clim to the summit of Mt.Ranier in Washington state.

He spent one year as a member of the Jr. Staff, ending his Mowglis career. After college in Boston, Jeff did a stint at Coopers and Lybrand in the Boston area following which he moved west. During a visit back in the Boston area he was recruited by a Navy recruiter and discovered that he had a real aptitude for several of the especially areas within the Navy and shortly thereafter he began submarine sonar school and was soon in the Navy where he had a 21 year career, rising to the level of Master Chief as a sonar operator.

An accident aboard the Submarine, deploying a towed array, put him in the hospital but after months of rehab he was back at it.   

Today he lives in Florida with his wife Pamela and remembers his Mowglis experience very fondly as very formative.

Will Scott - Paying forward the Scott family Legacy

 

Will Scott - Paying forward the Scott family Legacy

Will and his dad John Scott (2002)

Listen here:

https://feeds.podetize.com/5ggH7cskD.mp3

Will Scott is part of a long Mowglis Legacy. Both his father and his uncle attended Mowglis as did his cousin Jon and his nephew Ethan. 

His first visit to Mowglis found him sitting at the “Household Table” under the watchful eyes of Irene Gibbs with John Woods (Den 1969) as table boy.

While today Will is an aavid hiker he did not start out that way and he recounts the journey from reluctant hiker to Washington Squad in this podcast.

Will has returned to Mowglis regularly and has served as a member of the Holt Elwell Board of Trustees most recently. 

Swing Together

Panted Skies over Lake Umbagog

Seeonee Sunset

Autumn Leaves in a Pool

Chapel of the Woods, Camp Mowglis

EP 67 Lockwood "Woody" Merriman - Committed to the Mowglis Spirit

 Lockwood “Woody” Merriman: Den 1961

10:31 AM

Woody Merriman comes from a long line of Mowglis men. His dad and his uncles all attended Mowglis and his father (also Lockwood Merriman) was a member of the Holt Elwell Memorial Foundation Board of Trustees, as was Woody.

Like many Mowglis alumni Woody can rattle off all of the important, and prestigious, institutions with which he has been associated in his life and adamantly states that Mowglis was the most important source of who he became as a person.  Who he became as a person is a fellow that everyone is fond of, who still hikes and camp but eschews the limelight (if you wondered why we used a 1961 Red Racing crew photo for this podcast it’s because Woody is a very private fellow and shies away from having his picture taken!). 

We caught up with one another at the Mowglis work weekend where I interviewed Woody, with some “help” from my Belgian Shephard Kodi - no all that panting you hear in the background isn’t Woody, but he was kind enough to say that it helped create an air of authenticity so we went with it.

Listen here:

https://feeds.podetize.com/-fKwzQxJJ.mp3

66 Sandee and Jay Brown, Cub Parents 1977-1987

 Jay and Sandee Brown Cub Parents 1977 - 1987

 

Sandee's family - the Wooleys - were close friends with legendary Mowglis Director William B. Hart Sr and his college roommate Harvey Russell who wrote the Jungle Song and the Mowglis Goodnight song.

 

The Browns came to Mowglis in 1977 and were Cub parents for 10 years. 1977 was not their first visit to Mowglis which came in 1963, on their honeymoon trip. 1963 was year 1 of the Holt Elwell Memorial Foundation and Director William B. Hart. 

 

Sandee and Jay had 25 Cubs in their first year, likely a record number and those numbers remained fairly consistent throughout their tenure.

 

Sandee was named US Conservation Teacher of the year in 1990, she credits her Mowglis experience with inspiring her understanding of the natural environment and her love for it that led her to receive this national recognition. 

Listen here:

https://feeds.podetize.com/ep/TMXEAWTdX/media

For that special someone who loves Newfound Lake. Purchase smaller prints, framed or a poster. Order here

Rowboat at Wellington Beach

Gazing at the Newfound Moon

Painted Sky Over Newfound Lake