When Andrew was a young lad, his father Randy Bowden took on a job at Birch Rock as the Head Cook. As part of the deal, Randy wanted his two sons to take advantage of our great summer program. Andrew and his brother Pat both loved the place immediately and seemed to thrive here. Andrew is the camp's current Whale record holder and one of our most superb waterfront instructors.

A senior at Greely High School, Andrew is an accomplished swimmer, baseball player and Eagle Scout. He is in the process of applying Maine Maritime Academy for the fall of 2008. Andrews hold certifications in ARC Lifeguarding, First Aid and a variety of wilderness scout honors.

Andrew's favorite book is Wheel of Time series and his favorite movie is Iron Will.

"Duty is heavier than a mountain, death, lighter than a feather."- Robert Jordan

Aidan attended Birch Rock for 8 summers before taking his CIT summer off. In the off-season, Mike Mattson contacted Aidan to find out if he had any interest in returning to camp as a first time staff member, Aidan accepted. Aidan's skills as an artist were talked about for many summers, and he managed to earn his advanced artist badge during his senior camper year. Now Aidan will teach what he has learned about Art to a younger generation of Birch Rockers.

Aidan graduated from Gould Academy this past season and will attend the Naval Academy Prep School in Newport, RI.. Aidan is First Aid and CPR certified.

Aidan really liked the movie The Departed, and his favorite song is probably "Smells Like Teen Spirit"

"A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do."- Bob Dylan

Andrew was a camper and CIT at the Rock for 8 seasons before moving into the staff ranks in 2006. He was a "renaissance" type camper during his camper years, signing up for every activity and broadening his skills all over. Now as a counselor he can do just about anything for the camp but focuses his skills at Mountain Biking and this summer will also help at Lacrosse. Andrew has always had a sensational attitude and will do a terrific job with the youngest campers again.

Andrew has just graduated from Falmouth High School and looks forward to attending the University of New Hampshire this fall. He is a certified Lifeguard.

Andrew's favorite movie is The Patriot, and he truly enjoys the book Of Mice and Men.

"A good conscience is a continual Christmas"- Ben Franklin

Clifford joined the Birch Rock community in 1999 as a camper in Cabin 3. Over the course of the next five seasons as a camper, Clifford learned to appreciate the value of all the activities which originally seemed so foreign to him as a kid from New York City. Clifford was always - and continues to remain - an avid fan of the waterfront, and earned his 2nd badge in kayaking, his 3rd badge in sailing, and swam his Whale. This season, Clifford will be moving along the waterfront from kayaking to his new position as head of Birch Rock's American Red Cross swimming program.

Clifford just completed his first year as a freshman at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. He plans to dual-concentrate in East-Asian Studies (Japan) and Hispanic Studies (Language and Linguistics) and is eager to encourage a love and appreciation for foreign language and culture at Birch Rock. Clifford holds certifications in Lifeguarding, Small Craft Safety, and Water Safety Instruction with the American Red Cross, and is a Level I instructor with the Professional Ski Instructors of America.

Clifford's favorite book is Shogun by James Clavell and his favorite movies include The Matrix, Love Actually, and El laberinto del fauno.

"Nosce te ipsum (Know thy self)." - Cicero

At the suggestion of his good buddy and head counselor, Mark "The Weaz" Sutherland, Todd visited Birch Rock last summer and discovered how awesome this camp is! Now he is back as a counselor to teach kayaking and primarily rowing. Todd has three years of experience rowing with the Duke Men's Crew Team, which he hopes to put to good use at the waterfront. Todd is a recent graduate of Duke University with a degree in Environmental engineering. In addition to rowing, Todd was a member of a fraternity and coached a local debate team to national level competition. He also won a research award from Duke his senior year. Todd is certified in small craft safety.

Todd's favorite book is Robert Warren Penn's, All the King's Men, and he is a big fan of classic rock including Steve Miller Band, Supertramp, and the Rolling Stones.

"Be the change you wish to see." - Gandhi

The early story on Sam goes like this: Sam signed up for BRC his first summer as a part season camper. After 3 weeks at Birch Rock, Sam knew he had to stay and started wheeling and dealing to make it happen. Within a day, we had permission from his parents for him to stay. Sam ended up coming every summer for the next 4 years as a full season camper. Sam was always into the Campcraft program where he spent much of his time, as a senior camper, preparing to solo in the woods. Some day Sam will likely take over the reins from Ryno down at Injun Joes'.

Sam will be a senior at Falmouth High school this Fall and looks forward to graduation. Sam is a certified Lifeguard.

Sam's favorite song is "The Only Living Boy in New York" by Simon and Garfunkel.

"Childhood is the wonderful time of life when all you need to do to lose weight is take a bath."- Richard Zera.

Rich started attending Birch Rock at the age of 9. His mother was sure that he would come running home and instead he signed up for more. Rich was a camper for 6 summers before he moved into the staff ranks. He worked his way up from Swimming to Waterfront Director to Head Counselor. Then, after a few summers off, Rich returned as Assistant Director for Brad Smith in the mid-'90s. In 1995, Rich took over as the Camp's Director and served as the Camp Director through 2001. At this point, Rich used his amazing business skills to turn the organization of the camp's business and community support around. Thanks to Rich, with help from Mike and others, the camp has never been so strong.

Rich is a Maine native and a graduate of Colby College. He also earned a Masters in Adult Education and Counseling at the University of Southern Maine. Rich is responsible for the marketing, alumni development and helps facilitate the Birch Rock community. He is currently the President of the Maine Youth Camping Association and a long-time member of the American Camping Association. Rich is also a licensed Maine Realtor.

Rich loves the movie Indian Summer because it reminds him of his summer home. His favorite band is Steely Dan.

Roxie, Rich's dog, can be seen around campus barking at the chipmunks and welcoming all who visit. She is an all-black, part flat-coated retriever/part setter

"Put your head where your feet are"- Apicelli

Erik was introduced to Birch Rock by his long time friend Mark Sutherland A.K.A the Weaz at the age of 15. During his only year as a camper, Erik tried to experience everything Birch Rock had to offer but especially enjoyed sailing. As he fell in love with Birch Rock he was psyched to learn that he would be able to continue on as a CIT and then a staff member. After several years of teaching sailing he now is looking forward to meeting the challenge of being the waterfront director.

Erik is just a few credits short of earning his BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Penn State University. However because of his experience as a counselor at BRC he is considering going on to get his Masters Degree in Secondary Education in the next few years. Erik is a Red Cross certified Lifeguard Instructor, a US Sailing Counselor, and certified in Power Boat Safety.

He is a big fan of the Harry Potter series and his favorite movie is The Shawshank Redemption.

"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it."- Dwight Eisenhower

After seven glorious years as a camper, Thomas moved into the staff ranks teaching primarily sailing and lacrosse before becoming the Head Counselor and eventually Assistant Director. During his camper years Thomas made an effort to learn a little bit of everything and soon became a jack-of-all-trades on staff. Need a knot tied? Ask Thomas. Need someone to swim to the bottom of the lake for something? Ask Thomas. Need help with the rules or manners? Ask Thomas. As the Head Counselor, he could do it all and helped train our great staff for many summers.

Thomas graduated from the University of Maryland in 2001. Since leaving camp a couple summers ago, Thomas has become a truly experienced educator at Indian Mountain School in Connecticut where he taught math and coached squash and lacrosse. After camp this summer, he is moving to Tampa to continue teaching and to hopefully begin his master's degree in teaching. We are truly excited to have Thomas teaching in the woodshop during the first session.

Thomas is a fan of the classics, like the Beatles and Beach Boys and will always enthusiastically support the University of Maryland sports teams.

"When the house is on fire, let us warm ourselves." - Italian Proverb

Charlie started at Birch Rock in 1998 as a nine year-old in Cabin 2. During his six years as a camper his favorite activities were all on the field. Last year Charlie spent the summer teaching tennis and lacrosse and he is excited to be back this year as the Field Director. Along with lacrosse and soccer Charlie has a surprise activity he will be teaching to the youngest group of campers.

In the offseason Charlie is a student at Miami University in Oxford, OH. He just finished his freshman year as a business economics major. Charlie is a certified lifeguard.

Charlie's favorite bands are The Beatles, Phish, The Rolling Stones, and many others.

"Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet." -Bob Dylan

Recruited by our very own Ryan Massey out of the Verde Valley School in Arizona, Zach has been a camper at other camps his whole life and was excited to experience a new place as a member of BRC's kitchen staff. Zach has blended in with our staff well. As a teenager, he loves playing soccer, going skiing and martial arts. Zach will no doubt be playing in many games with the campers and staff this summer.

Zach's favorite book is Legend of Huma.

Ryan was recruited into the Birch Rock community for the summer of 2000, by a long time Birch Rocker named Tyler Johnston. As a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Ryan was our Art counselor his first summer and spent the season teaching 3D art and sculpturing, and having the campers adventure outside the Art building to learn to observe and explore the world around them in an effort to make them better artists.

In 2001, the camp made a brilliant tactical decision to move Ryan over the Campcraft area. After a few seasons teaching Rope Use, Knots, Knife Use, Axe Use, Firebuilding, etc., he has turned Campcraft into one of the most popular activities. Ryan also learned during this phase his love of teaching and returned to school to get his Masters in Secondary Education at Northern Arizona University.

On top of his outstanding educational accomplishments, Ryan is a certified Wilderness First Responder and has a Maine Trip Leader Permit. He has also taken a one week course in Nature instruction. Ryan has been to all 7 continents.

Ryan's favorite books are the Dark Tower series by Stephen King, and he has always been a fan of the Star Wars series.

"Far and away, the best prize life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." - Theodore Roosevelt

Mike has been a member of the Birch Rock community since he was a young lad of 12. As a camper, his greatest award at camp was to get all fifteen archery badges, an accomplishment that has only been done five or six times in the history of Birch Rock. Once on staff, Mike started by teaching Archery, Basketball, Baseball, & Volleyball before moving to the Waterfront and teaching swimming for a number of seasons. Over the years, as he moved up the staff ranks, he was the Waterfront Director and Head Counselor, prior to acting as Associate Director to Rich Deering in the late 90's. For the last 8 summers, Mike has been the Camp's Director.

Mike attended Towson State University, and he is responsible for the camp's summer programs. Mike is a long-time member of the American Camping Association.

Mike loves to paint and woodburn, and a few of the plaques and signs on campus are by his hand. He also loves playing his congas at sunset and gardening. He has always been a fan of the Rolling Stones and R.E.M., and his favorite movie is Star Wars.

Mike's dog Kiko has a major role on campus as the camper's friend and confidant, the camp's welcoming committee, and symbolic pet to all who miss their own dogs. He is part Collie/part Black Lab.

"Help The Other Fellow: We always have, and we always will." - Mike Mattson

Chris has been a member of the BRC community since 2003. He spent much of his time down on the waterfront doing swimming and kayaking but would also be seen all over campus. He has a fairly quiet nature about him but with a fun-loving sense of humor. Chris is looking forward to working with the boys in Cabin 2 and being part of our staff finally.

Chris is going to be a senior at Cardinal Spellman High School in Bronx, NY this Fall. He is also a certified Lifeguard.

His favorite movie is Napoleon Dynamite, and he loves the Harry Potter books.

"Years teach us more than books." - Berthold Auerbach

Ryan too arrived at camp in 2003, with his twin brother Chris. While Ryan liked the waterfront activities, he could also be found in the Art room or on the Tennis court often. He has a terrific humor and a fairly confident way about him. Ryan would sometimes help lead songs last season and will likely be called upon for that kind of thing in the near future.

He just finished his junior year at Pawling High School, and he too is a certified Lifeguard.

Ryan really enjoyed the Spiderman movie. He also loves the tune "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen.

"A leader is a dealer in hope." - Napoleon Bonaparte

Doug was coerced into the Birch Rock community by a couple of his New Orleans friends who already worked for BRC, one of whom was Ryan Massey. He started as a kayaking instructor and was arguably the primary reason that our Kayaking program, new at the time, was able to get off the ground and truly function with the same commitment to excellence found in other areas of our waterfront. After a season as a Trip Leader, Doug finally took over as the Head Counselor and was the "foreman" of Birch Rock for 3 seasons before the switch this summer. While Mark Sutherland takes over as Head Counselor, Doug will help by managing the Camp Program, as well as the Trip Program, and will also take charge of the Riflery program.

Doug is graduating from the University of New Orleans with a BS in Computer Science, and has used his skills to manage the camp's website. Doug is a certified Wilderness First Responder and also a certified Riflery Instructor. Doug has also received a Maine Trip Leader Permit for trips this year.

Currently, Doug's favorite band is Thievery Corporation and he is a big fan of The Gunslinger by Stephen King.

"To do great things is difficult; but to command great things is more difficult." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Mike was turned on to Birch Rock by his cousin Todd Nordblom. He was a camper and CIT for five summers before he joined the staff ranks. As a first year counselor, Nordy was trained to run our Archery and Sailing activities, and he has basically been teaching them ever since. Nordy loves to get out on the lake on a nice windy day and just let the sail do the work. He also has very positive spirit about him which helps the camp energy keep going through the whole summer. We were extremely excited to have Nordy back this summer, and know he will have a big impact on the Senior campers living in Pete's Palace.

Mike is currently attending UMASS at Amherst. He is a certified Archery Instructor and US Sailing Instructor.

Nordy's favorite movie is The Hunt for Red October, and he loves the band Goo Goo Dolls

"Wherever you go, go with your heart." - Confucius

Sean came to camp with his older brother David, and they both spent many summers here but after David moved on, Sean kept right on coming. After six years as a camper and one CIT year, Sean is truly ready to leap into the staff ranks. We know Sean understands camp and how it works and will do a terrific job keeping the new staff and campers on track.

Sean just finished his junior year at Pinkerton Academy in New Hampshire.

Sean loved the movie Remember the Titans and would recommend any book by R.A. Salvatore for boys of the appropriate age.

"A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval." - Mark Twain

Every summer, BRC recruits at least one counselor from another country. This summer, we decided to recruit from Down Under. Lang has lived near the beach his whole life and loves to surf and swim. Also, Lang has been playing on many sports teams for sports like rugby, soccer and basketball, and has coached a few teams. Lang loves to travel; and has been to Indonesia, Thailand and now, America. We, the staff, have enjoyed getting to know him, and we are confident he will be an excellent counselor.

Lang has received several certificates of Merit from his schools, and graduated from Terrigal High School last year. He is spending a few years traveling and experiencing the world before he decides exactly what he wants to do.

Upon arrival, Lang asked if there are many bears around camp and dreams of seeing one before his return home.

"Learn from your experiences and be safe while having fun." - Lang Robson

In the winter of 2003, we were seeking a nurse for our camp's summer program. Our local pediatrician suggested we speak to Cathy Roland. When we met Cathy, we knew right away she'd be great, and signed her up. With each summer, Cathy gets more and more used to dealing with a bunch of young men. She has a sensational motherly way about her. She is our camp's Wonder Woman!

Cathy is a certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and graduate of Northern Arizona University, and she received her Masters from Arizona State University. Cathy currently manages the school based health center for the Oxford Hills regional school system.

Cathy likes to bike, go berry picking and tend to her chickens. She's an outdoorswoman and loves to keep moving.

Walter's mother Cathy signed him to be a camper at Birch Rock, when she signed on as the camp's nurse in 2003. Walter enjoyed the camp and life as a camper so much, he decided to apply for the CIT program and was accepted. Walter had a strong CIT summer, especially as a sidekick to counselor William Rounds last year at Windsurfing and was 'apprenticed' into taking over the Windsurfing program. This season Walter will head up Windsurfing 3 periods a day and spend a period in the art room with the young guys.

Walter has just completed his junior year at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School. He is a certified Lifeguard.

Walter loves to read and truly enjoyed the book A Brave New World. He is also a big fan of the band Pink Floyd.

"When all else fails, put on a costume and sing a silly song. Then make everyone else sing with you." - Sam Walton

Ryan was recruited this summer by his friend and one of our long time Birch Rockers, Mike Nordblom. He is really excited about the upcoming summer and is newly trained in swimming and archery. With three Ryan's on staff, he has been given the nickname 'The King', because of his last name.

Ryan is a Math Major/Education Minor at the University of Massachuesetts, Amherst. He is certified in Lifeguarding and EMT, and will be found both on the waterfront and the field.

'The King's' favorite movie is Gladiator, and he loves the Red Hot Chili Peppers. LONG LIVE THE KING!

"The greater a man is in power above others, the more he ought to excel them in virtue. None ought to govern who is not better than the governed." - Publius Syrus

Pam has become an anchor in the Library and book reading part of our camp program. When she arrived here at camp 14 summers ago, her goal was to rejuvenate a library and a program that had dwindled to almost nothing in a ten year span. Pam dusted off the book shelves, organized the books, sold the repeat copies and then purchased more modern books and games for the campers to enjoy. In her time here, Pam has completely turned the Library activity around. She has also reinstituted our tutoring program that was originally run by one of the camp's founders for many summers. Pam's enthusiasm for education and reading can easily be seen in what she does in 'her' corner of camp.

Pam has a Bachelors degree from the University of Mass., Amherst and a Masters from St. Joesph's College.

Pam enjoys the movie Sleepless in Seattle and is a big Otis Redding fan. As for a good book, they're all great! Aren't they, Pam?

"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man (or woman!) is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude...Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles."- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Mark arrived at camp in 1994 at the age of 10. As a somewhat small camper with a zesty taste for life, The Weaz was a staff favorite and was immediately awarded the nickname 'the Weasel'. He enjoyed six fantastic camper years in which he focused primarily on tennis, canoeing and volleyball. After taking the summer of 2000 off to tour Europe, he returned as a junior counselor and has been on staff each summer since. Here at camp he has served as a counselor in various cabins, taught canoeing, volleyball and tennis, and headed up tree talk as well as our behavior modification program. He is very much looking forward to the new challenge of head counselor this summer

After growing up outside of Philadelphia, The Weaz attended Duke University where he graduated in 2006 with a Bachelors degree in Psychology. For the past year he has been working for Duke's Insomnia Research Program where he is a sleep technician and research coordinator. He plans on applying to medical schools in the next few years to pursue an MD/PhD.

The Weaz's favorite band is Steely Dan and he is slightly obsessed with the movie Top Gun.

"Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me and I may not like you. Ignore me and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I may not forget you." -William Arthur Ward

Alasdair's first year at camp was in 1998 at the age of eight years old. He attended the Rock for eight years as a camper and enjoyed many actives including Baseball, Art and Volleyball. His ninth year Alasdair spent his time as a CIT, learning the ropes from various counselors and trying to adjust to the staff lifestyle at BRC. Alasdair is back for his tenth straight year and will be teaching a plethora of activities.

Alasdair lives in Westport CT and boards at Lawrence Academy in Groton MA, where he is looking to finish his senior year.

Alasdair's favorite band is Black Sabbath and he has always loved the movie Finding Nemo.

"Commitment and perseverance make me a better man."- Unknown

Sebastian started at camp with his older brother Will many years ago. They were brought into the Birch Rock fold by their father David Weeks, who was the Head Counselor and Camp Director in the late ‘70s & early ‘80s. Sebby arrived at camp already knowing the songs and having knowledge of many of the traditions, as if BRC was in his blood. During his camper years, Sebby excelled all over the hillside from Field to Water and in between. He seemed to gravitate a lot towards canoeing and it was a logical direction for him to head once on staff.

Sebastian has just graduated from the Glenelg Country School and will be attending American University in Washington, D.C. this fall. Like many of our staff, Sebby is also a certified Lifeguard.

Sebby has always enjoyed the Harry Potter books.

"Anything worthwhile takes hard work."- Unknown

Ruth joined our ranks at the beginning of last summer and seemed to settle right in. She was recruited into BRC by our long time Librarian Pam Stock and, with help from Pam, quickly strengthened our Tutoring program and Library activity. Ruth is a special education teacher during the school season.

Ruth has her Bachelors from Northeastern University and her Masters from Bentley College. She has also taken the Extended Teacher Education Program at the University of Southern Maine.

She loves Led Zepplin, and her favorite song of theirs is "Battle of Evermore."

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."- Eleanor Roosevelt

Sam has been in the cooking industry since he was 16 years old, including working in our kitchen last summer as the Assistant Cook. This summer, Sam will be moving up ranks into the Head Cook position and is excited to take charge of an all-star kitchen team. Sam is an excellent cook and hardworking individual, and we are glad to have him in charge. In the off-season, he runs his own painting business in the Albany area.

Sam likes to garden, hunt and fish. He also loves playing with his dog Albany.

Recommended to us by our friends locally at Springer's General Store, Joe has worked in camps for decades as a counselor and cook. He has enjoyed hearing tales of Birch Rock lore and telling tales of his own experiences. Joe has been cooking his whole life, and his specialty is Latin food. Joe is excited to be relocating to Maine permanently and hopes to open his own Cuban restaurant.

Joe enjoys music and playing percussion drums.

Eliot was a camper at the Rock in 1999. His grandparents live down the street from camp and have always been wonderful neighbors. This winter, he contacted us about working in the kitchen this summer. He has experience working in kitchens in Ohio and has managed one as well.

Eliot is currently a freshman at Miami University.

Eliot enjoys biking and windsurfing. He has expressed an interest in perhaps helping out in those activity areas, so we might see him out of the kitchen once in a while.

Erin worked in the BRC kitchen in the summers of 1998 and 2001, and she has returned again. She is amazed to find many of the campers she knew in the past as tiny little Hiltonites are all young men on staff now. How time flies, right Erin? Erin has worked in a few other kitchens, most notably another local camp called Camp Encore/Coda. Erin has also worked in a hospital and a school.

Erin just completed her first year at the University of Maine Machias. She enjoys reading, watching movies and hanging with her friends.

Don started out as a local dairy farmer and resident jack-of-all trades. In the early ‘80s, Don and Janice owned Springer's General Store, the local store. The staff would visit them every day for supplies and developed a relationship. Pretty soon Don was working at camp and a few years later so was Janice, and they have been here ever since. Don and Janice are the symbolic Grandparents on campus and loved and respected by all. Don is a hardworking maintenance guy who has held the camp together with band-aids in the past. Janice was the camp's Head Cook for years before moving outside to help deal with the lawns and gardens, she's the resident green-thumb on campus.

Don & Janice travel to Florida in the off-season but come back to us every summer. We love them! They are Birch Rock's golden couple.

Charlie joined us a few summers ago to help Don with the maintenance and upkeep. Charlie has owned his own excavating company for the past 25 or so years and it is quite handed having his big rigs around to help with major projects. Charlie hauled bulk milk for years and helped Don with the cows on his dairy farm. Charlie has a wife Linda and three children: Charles Jr, Morgan and Catherine.

He loves racing and has recently experienced his first trip in a plane. He enjoyed the plane ride so much he will probably start traveling more. But not too much, Charlie, we need you here!

Dave came to Birch Rock in the summer of 1983 as a young camper of 12. After a few years as a camper and young counselor, Dave moved into the Trip Leader position where he stayed for many summers leading trips and eventually heading up the in-house trip program. After a few summers off, Dave returned last summer as our MWA Director. Last summer was a success, but now with a summer of experience with the MWA program under his belt, he is excited to make a couple adjustments and do it again with the latest batch of MWA questers.

Dave is a graduate of Towson State University with a Masters from University of Maine in Education and has been teaching for the last 10 years. He is a certified Wilderness First Responder and has a Maine Trip Permit.

Dave enjoys hiking, sports and spending time with his dog Rye.

Benton is the son of Dave Jenkins' next door neighbor. After a few conversations, Dave was able to get Benton to sign on as our second MWA leader. He is hard-working and should act as a sensational help to Dave.

Benton is currently attending University of Maine as a Marine Biology major/pre-Med Minor. He too is a certified Wilderness First Responder and has a Maine Trip Permit.