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| THE REUNION- 2001
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| Through the efforts of many former camp staff, the first Cornplaner Reunion was held in Warren, and at camp
itself, from June 29th- June 30th,
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| We traveled from all over the country to return to those warm memories, to visit camp as it was for the last
time, and, to see those who were so influential in our development. The commemorative sign was unveiled and fundraising was held for The
Scholarship Fund. The Bollinger family was present and shared many memories and fine words. We came from Warren, Bradford, Kane, Jamestown,
and Olean. We came from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. We came from Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Ohio. We came from
Washington, Colorado, Indiana, Michigan, and, many other communities in Pennsylvania and New York.
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| The Cornplanter story is unique- a rugged mountain setting which was exquisitely beautiful, a family who
desired such a setting for their son and, an extended family shared by all those who attended and worked at Camp. In a way, the Bollingers
have one of the largest families on earth; campers who adored them, families who took their children there for entire summers, and, staff who
learned how to live from them. We learned that life can hold the simplest of pleasures, we learned that life is full of hard work, we became
disciplined, we became more compassionate, we were humbled, we were embarrassed, we sang, we danced, we acted in plays which we created. We
went to sleep listening to frogs and crickets and awoke to the calls of birds and deer snorting in the woods. We watched fireflies dance in the
ball field and picked bugs out of our juice (and eventually gave up and just drank them). We ate lima beans for a snack at night and inhaled
deeply on the aromas of coffee and apple butter in the morning. We bared ourselves for polar bearing and hiked mountains we never thought we
would climb. We gave of ourselves 24 hours a day- we never stopped giving. We learned about the portable potties and the morning emptying-
someone had to relieve the cabin of the brimming bucket. We worked through hot, dry summers and cool, rainy weeks. We had food and programs
delivered on those rainy days- how we looked forward to them in a way, and, how happy we were when they were over. We learned how to make the
most of any situation, how to make the most of any activity. We labeled clothes, we packed up laundry, we put away laundry and we packed up
suitcases. We monitored everything in daily correspondence and we submitted accomplishments for daily recognition. We wiped pine needles off
of the cook out food, we comforted those scared during sleep outs, we got up with those who were homesick during the night. We fought off
porcupines, bats, bugs, bears, vultures, and the latrine winds. We learned the most creative ways to dispose of underwear that no parent would
want to pick up in a suitcase.
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| We made toothbrush buckets out of bleach bottles and made every single craft project imaginable out of the never
ending egg cartons. We left our small town growing pains behind and developed our camp persona. We were young, tanned, healthy, and beautiful.
Our outward beauty came from the fact that we evolved at Camp Cornplanter, we matured, we became part of the Camp family. We said hello to everyone,
we shared stolen moments, and we were inspired by each other. We listened to each other’s music, we appreciated our differences, and we argued
and made up.
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| We took pride in our camper's accomplishments, we took pride in our ability to keep everything organized, and, we
took pride in our new sense of responsibility. On our days off, we frequently spent our entire paycheck in a few hours of revelry.
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| We all had our favorite places- the Pines, the Rock, the Dungeon, the split Hemlock tree outside the Mess Hall,
the towering Oak tree in front of the Director’s lodge, the Infirmary Porch, the Quiet Nature Circle, the Filter Room, Mudlick Road, and others
which each of us know as our own.
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| We learned how to live at Camp Cornplanter. We all became better people. There is no further way to describe
its effect on each of us. We can only remember. We can picture the last campfire; the awkward silence, the lights extinguished, the candle fire
passed from one person to the next, the final appearance of the Chief, the closing fire, the candles blown out individually in the August darkness,
the tears held back, the longing to stay, the understanding that we had grown even more, the wondering why we had to leave. As we sang, "God Bless
America", for the last time each year we knew that we had been part of something that will never end- our life in that sweet green valley which
will live in each of us, forevermore…………………………..Dave Mack- Hardiman
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