When you speak to any alum about FLC, you often hear them refer to FLC as their “second home”. It is this community that FLC has built and nourished over the past 90 years that makes FLC so unique and special to so many of us. In this effort, we have decided, with the help of Gary Confer, to reach out to some of our alumni to highlight their role at FLC and to learn what they are up to these days. This month we are featuring a 1990 Girls’ Camp Counselor.
Kate Wilson
The FLC directors approached the 1990 camp season with some trepidation as it was the maiden year for the girls’ camp. Those apprehensions were soon dispelled when the staff arrived and the directors witnessed the enthusiasm and competence of Jane Bernstein and her core counselors. Among those counselors was Kate O’Rourke who was assigned to Cabin 2 and worked mainly on the waterfront.
Kate was referred to FLC by Jennifer Bahr (see picture) who had worked in the camp office the previous summer. At the time, Kate lived in Pittsburgh, PA and attended Westminster College (PA). The other core counselors who worked alongside Jane and Kate that summer were Cathy Bennett (horsey girl), Chrissy Katchen, Kathleen Treanor, Judith Christianson, Bari Lynn, and Nicola McAuley. Right from the start, the girls’ camp exuded a spirit of adventure and comradery. According to Jane Bernstein, Kate O’Rourke played a major role in developing that atmosphere.
FLC was fortunate to employ Kate for the summers 1990-1992 until she entered the full time workforce where she did government consulting and proposal writing in the Washington, DC area. More currently and now that she is married to Reid Wilson and has three children (all FLC campers), Kate stays at home to tend to all manner of family duties. Once again, FLC is fortunate to have Kate as part of the summer staff as she manages the camp office each first session.
In the off-season and when she finds time, Kate enjoys skiing with her family, outdoor adventures, reading, family time, volunteering, and writing. The Wilson family also includes a pet dog, Zoe, and Emma the tortoise. Kate stays in touch with a number of FLC alum namely- Jane, Kate, and Keith Bernstein, Jennifer Bahr Daku, Nicola McAuley Jamison, Brett Booker, Gary Confer, Mike Clarke, and Dan Combs.
Kate lists her favorite FLC memories as: waterfront with Coach Pariseau, campfires with Mike Clarke, hikes with Judith, shopping with Jenn, laughing with the mess hall staff (Ethel, Bert, Louise), singing with Jane Bernstein, Sally Confer in the office window, the horsey girls, night skies from the boys’ camp, the northern lights, rove and cabin time with all those sweet campers and super athletic and creative counselors.
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