Alum Spotlight

We’re thrilled to announce that this quarter’s Alumni Spotlight features someone who has been with us almost from the very beginning. You can still find him around the Forest Lake grounds most mornings, riding a lawn mower with a cigar in his mouth as the sun rises over camp.

Well, we managed to get him off the mower long enough to ask him a few questions and let me tell you, he is full of knowledge, memories, and stories that bring Forest Lake Camp’s history to life.

You may have guessed it… GARY CONFER!!!

Where do you call home now?

I live in Chestertown, which is about seven miles directly north of Forest Lake.

Your family helped build the foundation of Forest Lake Camp, quite literally! What was it like growing up so connected to the camp’s history and legacy?

Talk of Forest Lake dominated our home life. The winter office was in our basement, and every meal seemed to include something camp-related. It was always part of our family rhythm.

Do you know what the original vision or goal was when your family first opened Forest Lake Camp? What did they hope the camp would represent or offer to campers?

My grandfather patterned the camp layout and core program after two highly respected camps, at the time, the YMCA at Silver Bay on Lake George and Camp Dudley on Lake Champlain. He wanted to create a place that reflected those same values of community, growth, and character.

What were your favorite camp activities? Were there any particular experiences or challenges at camp that influenced your personal growth?

As a younger camper, my favorites were baseball and tennis. As I got older, it shifted to horseback riding. Each stage offered something different…teamwork, patience, and a good dose of friendly competition.

Looking back, which counselors or mentors at FLC had the biggest impact on you, and why?

If you were a camper in Ollie VanCise’s junior camp, you couldn’t help but be influenced by his sense of humor, his sense of fair play, and his decency. He left a mark on everyone he met.

Maintaining camp grounds and landscape is no small feat, especially in the Adirondacks! What’s your favorite time of year at camp, and what part of the property feels most special to you?

Although I don’t maintain it regularly, the Chapel to Lookout Loop has a special feel with its enormous boulders, the unchanged view, and that unique ravine. It’s a peaceful place that holds a lot of history.

You’ve seen FLC through so many changes, from generations of campers to evolving programs. What’s something that, in your eyes, has never changed about Forest Lake Camp?

The overall atmosphere, the pine-scented air, and the sense of seclusion. Those things have always been at the heart of the Forest Lake experience.

From all your time at FLC, what is your best or most meaningful memory?

A spectacular shooting star that crossed the entire horizon during the candlelight ceremony right on cue at the conclusion of taps. That was in 1972, and it still feels like magic.

If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?

Pay better attention in school!

Outside of your professional life, what are your interests or hobbies?

My interests and hobbies as a younger man are no longer possible, but now I spend my spare time helping out with townwide holiday events. It’s a wonderful way to stay connected to my community.

For the most important question… Red or Blue?

Blue!

And lastly, if one of the bunk beds you built could talk, what do you think it would say after all these years of summer adventures?

It would be curious about how life turned out for all the young people who rested there.