LOCATION
A Singular Setting
Camp Kawanhee
Our home is the small town of Weld, a supportive and proud place where time seems to have stood still. This community of 419 year-round residents welcomes Kawanhee campers and counselors each summer, and together we take part in local traditions that celebrate the town’s spirit. Each year, our campers attend Weld’s annual Heritage Days event, joining residents in honoring the town’s rich history and vibrant community life.
History
OUR PAST
An Enduring Legacy
Camp Kawanhee was founded in 1920 by brothers George and Raymond Frank. It has been in continuous operation ever since. Following the Franks’ tenure, a small group of Kawanhee alums and friends purchased the camp in the 1960s. Kawanhee, Inc. was led by Walter and Jane Estabrook, who directed the camp until the end of the 20th century. With a view to a well-deserved retirement, but with concern about securing the camp’s future, the Estabrooks formed the George & Raymond Frank Foundation, a Section 501(c)(3) organization. The Estabrooks and other Kawanhee, Inc. shareholders donated their stock to the Foundation, which has operated the camp for the past twenty years.
Kawanhee has been fortunate to have had careful stewards. Its present is secure, and its prospects are bright.
Campus
OUR CAMPUS
A Sense of Place
The campus proper consists of about 50 acres of lakefront property upon which our camp citizens live, work, learn and play. This partially wooded tract is home to about thirty rustic structures, athletic fields, tennis and basketball courts, rifle and archery ranges, a dining hall, sandy beaches, a state-of-the art ropes course and climbing wall, gathering places and other amenities. The Foundation also owns significant frontage across the lake to the west and across the state road to the east, thus securing an unspoiled setting in perpetuity.
George & Raymond Frank Foundation
May There Always Be a Kawanhee.
A Future Secured
The Frank Foundation was conceived at the beginning of the 21st century as a way to perpetuate Camp Kawanhee over the long haul. The Foundation is a tax-exempt public charity qualified to accept tax-deductible donations. The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors currently consisting of alumni, parents and friends of the camp.
Frank Foundation’s Mission
The Frank Foundation’s mission is to provide boys and young men with experiential educational opportunities designed to encourage self-sufficiency and teamwork and an appreciation of the natural world. Our program consists of a summer session of seven weeks that promotes cooperative living in a safe and nurturing environment. We offer a rustic camp setting on the shores of a pristine lake surrounded by mountains, together with a staff sensitive to the needs of boys and a liberal arts philosophy that has stood the test of time, and yet continues to evolve. It is our hope that members of the Kawanhee community will return to their everyday lives as better, more productive citizens of the world.
Frank Foundation’s Values
A Caring Community: A network of supportive interpersonal relationships are the foundation for all we do. We show the value we place on succeeding generations by establishing for them an environment of acceptance and belonging and by mentoring in the values of fellowship, mutual respect, and service to others.
Character Development: We do not preach leadership; we practice it. We consciously strive to enhance the self-awareness and self-esteem of all whom we serve. We provide opportunities for the kind of personal growth, leadership development and personal enrichment that comes from prudent risk-taking, good sportsmanship and perseverance toward the achievement of a worthy goal.
Integrity: We accept personal responsibility for our words and actions. When we give our word, we honor it. We finish what we start. We treat each other directly and fairly. And we build trust in the community of those we serve by delivering on our promise to provide quality in everything we do.
Environmental Consciousness: Our programs reflect our belief that to appreciate the natural world one must experience it, directly, personally and authentically. We are committed to fostering a sense of personal responsibility toward the natural world and, when appropriate, to taking a hand in preserving what we can.
Freedom Within a Framework: Personal safety is our priority. Within this framework we provide a flexible, open environment rich in self-challenge and self-discovery where all are encouraged to seek out, find and gain acceptance for their own personal best. The lessons learned are for life, and we recognize that some of life’s best insights and memories come from so-called idle hours spent in ideal settings in the company of close friends.
Financial Stability: Financial stability is our way of securing our traditions in perpetuity. Our financial health provides the freedom and the resources to focus on quality programming, share our offerings with those less fortunate, and protect our pristine setting from possible threat.
Board of Directors
Don Casto
Don Casto
Jo Doherty
Jo Doherty
Will Fleming
Will Fleming
Jon Morgan
Jon Morgan
Henry “Butch” O’Neill
Henry “Butch” O’Neill
Kate Estabrook Schoedinger
Kate Estabrook Schoedinger
Will Ryan
Will Ryan
Jacqueline Telgheder
Jacqueline Telgheder
Jacqueline Telgheder lives in Darien, CT with her husband, four children and two dogs. Jacqueline is a certified parent coach, and she is passionate about helping parents create more ease, joy and connection within their family. She is the author of Parenting with Ease, a book to guide parents towards more fulfillment in their parenting. Her sons attend Camp Kawanhee, and she understands the deep value camp life provides her children. She has three brothers whom she is very close with; these relationships help her appreciate boys! She is a strong advocate for delaying screen use, particularly smartphones. She values music and is an accomplished pianist, performing regularly in her community. Jacqueline grew up in Darien, CT. She is a graduate of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and worked as an equity sales trader at Merrill Lynch before having children.
Ben Hoffhine
Ben Hoffhine
Being a former camper (1986 – 1992), current parent, and now 4th generation Kawanheean, Ben has seen Kawanhee positively shape many lives. Currently the Director of Golf at Westchester Country Club, Ben lives in New Canaan, CT with his wife, Zed, and three children, James, Zara, and Charlie.
Dan Alexander
Dan Alexander
A former Kawanhee camper and counselor, Dan Alexander is a senior editor at Forbes. He published White House, Inc. with Penguin Random House in 2020. Dan previously served as a trustee for the Old Bergen Church in Jersey City, New Jersey. He graduated from Brown University in 2012.
Donald Mykranyz
Donald Mykranyz
Annie Mayol
Annie Mayol
Now, in his third summer, my son has been having the experiences I had hoped for and my husband is 100% behind the ‘sleep away camp thing.’ Hearing the triumph in his voice when he ‘finally’ got up on water skis, conquered his fear of the cat walk or discovered his knack for archery has been wonderful. Listening to woes of forgetting his sleeping bag on an overnight or slightly burning a finger when cooking and surviving without us has been equally wonderful. Overall, his growing independence and sense of responsibility for himself and others all while thinking he is at the best playground on earth just cannot be beat.