Independent Lake Camp
The Directors of ILC: Dan Gould, Anne Gould and Nigel Watson
Dan and Anne had 10 children, and therefore had no choice but to found a summer camp. Wouldn't you?
The vision, programming and conceptual block-busting which it took to create Independent Lake Camp are Dan's original and ongoing gifts to the industry. He came to this work via every possible avenue: personality, job experience, volunteer work, education (M.B.A. in Business Administration and M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology with emphasis on children), and even DNA-his parents owned or operated several of the most notable camps of the last three decades. (Ironically, he will tell you that it was observing a few aspects he didn't like about his parents' camps that taught him the most about how to give a child the gift of an immortal summer.) Appropriately, it was during his stint as camp counselor that he met Anne, and he has coached young athletes in various sports for over 32 years. The camp directing experience Dan loves most occurred at the beginning and end of each session: Welcoming and calming the nervous first-time campers, then watching them leave two weeks later, begging parents for extra sessions and having to be dragged the their cars. "My biggest joy," says Dan, completely failing to contain a satisfied laugh, "is the transition."
Anne's bailiwick is the informed care and nurturing of each individual camper's health, heart and social progress. When you have concerns or questions in these areas, call her. It is Anne, who takes your child for the strep test, encourages the couch potato to try tennis, does tuck-ins for younger bunks, and oversees the infirmary and personnel. Having studied nursing and sociology (B.A.) not to mention being the serene mother of more kids than most of us can hand a glass of water to, she is a pro in emergencies and is scrupulous about communication with parents. As a certified Master Gardener, she is responsible for horticulture at ILC. Under her care, the rose and kitchen gardens, the moving memorial called the Forget-Me Not Garden, and all your children bloom.
Nigel read a newspaper advertisement 22 years ago: "Come to America and work on a summer camp." Beginning with a job as bunk counselor and progressing through positions of department head, head counselor, program director, everything in-between, and on into his current directorship, Nigel holds an unparalleled range of hands-on experience which equips him ideally for being in charge of camp operations: managing the facility, bunking, session changes and day-to-day planning and implementation. Mies van der Rohe said his famous, "God is in the details" about architecture, but that was because Mies never ran a summer camp. At ILC, Nigel is the earthly detail person, which is how the grand philosophies of creating one's own summer and celebrating human diversity are finally actualized.
A Note on Grand Philosophies: They are never grand if they are grandiose. ILC is able to celebrate human diversity daily and naturally because that is how Dan and Anne have built their personal, family, camp and non-camp lives. And because Nigel (whose itinerary reads "Europe-Indonesia-the South Pacific-India-Russia-Asia-Central and South America-Orson PA") possesses a level of work, travel, and cultural experience unsurpassed in the camping industry. And because ILC counselor-hiring criteria are exacting: dedication to children, a passion for a field of expertise and a passion to share it, and the gift of their own diversity-counselors come from all over North America and many other continents.
Please Call Us : 1-800-399-CAMP
Please Call Us : 1-800-399-CAMP