Difference between revisions of "Erik Joelsson"

From Birocapedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
(Created page with 'thumb|Head Counselor Josh Church 1993 == Life Before Birch Rock == Being Swedish born, Erik had no concept of summer camp until he met the Weaz aka Mark …')
 
 
(25 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
[[image:HCJoshC.jpg|thumb|Head Counselor Josh Church 1993]]
+
[[image:ErikJ1.jpg|thumb|A true sailor]]
  
 +
Erik Joelsson has been a member of the Birch Rock community since 1999.  Erik has been primarily seen down at the boating area for many summers and is the captain of our [[sailing]] fleet.  He has also been training the camp's lifeguards for the last few summers.
  
 
== Life Before Birch Rock ==
 
== Life Before Birch Rock ==
Line 6: Line 7:
 
Being Swedish born, Erik had no concept of summer camp until he met the Weaz aka Mark Sutherland in fifth grade in Wayne, Pennsylvania.  After several years of convincing, the Weaz finally got Erik to come to Birch Rock in 1999.   
 
Being Swedish born, Erik had no concept of summer camp until he met the Weaz aka Mark Sutherland in fifth grade in Wayne, Pennsylvania.  After several years of convincing, the Weaz finally got Erik to come to Birch Rock in 1999.   
  
 +
==Camper Year: 1999==
  
==Camper Year==
+
Erik arrived at camp the day before opening day in 1999.  The staff were all finishing up Orientation week with a staff soccer game on the hill.  As they played,  Erik and his friend Mark Sutherland (the guy who recruited him) arrived from the airport.  Upon rolling out of [[Mike Mattson]]'s pick up on top of the hill and schooling [[Dave Jenkins]] in staff soccer game, Erik was forever endeared to Birch Rock and vice versa.  He spent the rest of his only camper year soaking up as much of Birch Rock as possible.
 
 
=== Summer of 1999 ===
 
 
 
Erik arrived at camp the day before opening day in 1999.  Upon rolling out of Mike Mattson's pick up on top of the hill and schooling Dave Jenkins in soccer, Erik was forever endeared to Birch Rock and vice versa.  He spent the rest of his only camper year soaking up as much of Birch Rock as possible.
 
 
 
  
 
== Counselor-in-Training Year: 2000 ==
 
== Counselor-in-Training Year: 2000 ==
  
Due to a limited number of staff members, Josh was asked to head up [[Hilton A]] his CIT year, making him the last of the 15 year old counselors (even though he was technically a CIT). In 1990, the swim staff consisted of Josh and [[Waterfront Director]] [[Mike Mattson]].  This was the last summer of a set of old and breaking apart battleship grey catwalks.  Either Josh or Mike would be in the water fixing catwalks almost every period, leaving the other to teach the swim groups solo.  This often meant one counselor had to teach two or three different swim groups at the same time, which left little room for creative teaching. Campers were assigned lots of laps, treading water, and long distance swim endurance work. Josh did such a great job as a CIT and integrating in with the staff that he was asked to return in 1991 as a counselor.
+
Erik entered his second year at Birch Rock as a [[CIT]] under the fruitful tutelage of Dave Jenkins as CIT Director with fellow CIT's Nate Wetzel and Pete Callanan. He focused mainly on [[soccer]] on the field and sailing on the waterfront.  He gained cabin experience in two cabins that summer, [[Cabin 6]] in the first half and [[Eagle's Nest]] during the second half of the summer.
 
 
 
 
==Staff Years==
 
 
 
===Summers of 1991-1992===
 
 
 
[[image:JoshC2.jpg|thumb|Chuck Hatcher and Josh, Swim Instructors]]
 
 
 
Josh spent much of his time on the waterfront.  In the early years he leaned more towards [[sailing]] and [[canoeing]] but it wasn't long before he was teaching full time at [[swimming]]. Josh was the head of Hilton for a few summers and was known for his antics with the camp's youngest campers.  Josh was also a keen contributor to Birch Rock's [[Biroca Blast]] newsletter (??) during those summers.  Josh and Justin Ingold would take all night at the end of the summer finishing up the Biroca Blast with the help of lots of coffee and loud music. Many remember the all-nighter Josh and Justin spent in the [[Infirmary]] writing articles for the Biroca and the following morning when they were seen dancing about on the Infirmary deck to Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit.  The parents were visiting camp that day and many were full of smiles watching the craziness at the top of the hill.
 
 
 
Another fond memory of the craziness between Josh and Justin involved the two playing pranks on each other every morning.  They would alternate whose morning it was to get something creative in his morning cup of joe. It started tamely: one morning Josh added a little salt to Justin's coffee, and the next morning Justin added honey to Josh's cup, and so on. The battle ended with Justin waking up early and boiling a cup of soy sauce and serving it to Josh as coffee. Josh surrendered quickly.  
 
  
=== Summers of 1993‒1994 ===
+
== Staff Years: 2001-2013 ==
  
[[image:JoshC1.JPG|thumb|Josh Church 1993]]
+
Entering the most recent decade Erik moved into the staff ranks and began with splitting his time between the field and the waterfront teaching soccer and sailing.  After several years on staff he moved exclusively to the waterfront to focus on the boating area and managing the new [[boat house]]. In 2007 he took over the [[Waterfront Director]] position from [[Carl Finnson|Carl "The Captain" Finnson]].  He can still be seen cruising the waters of [[Lake McWain]] in the Boston Whaler keeping all the campers safe on the waterfront.
  
In 1993, Josh moved into the [[Swordfish]] and became the camp's [[Head Counselor]]He was one of the younger counselors on campus and commanded a highly experienced groupJosh worked closely with then [[Camp Director]] [[Brad Smith]] and his Program Director [[Mike Mattson]] in organizing more events off campus and purchasing new equipment for both the field and the waterfront.
+
==Summers of 2014-2017==
 +
After 7 summers as the camp's Waterfront Director, it was time for a change.  Erik has always had the mind of a puzzler.  He loves crosswords and other puzzle games.  After a couple years helping Ryan Massey and Mike Davis with the camp program, it was obvious that Erik's mind was meant for the Program Director positionErik has a great ability to look at the needs for the upcoming day an fill in the holes like a puzzleHe knows how to strategically use the staff he has to work with for the good of the camp program each day, an excellent Program Director.
  
The summer of 1994 marked the first official BRC pep-rally the night before an inter-camp soccer game.  The stump that sat in the middle of the old grove was layered with logs and set ablazeThe senior staff, in face paint and tribal-like clothing did a dance and began chanting around the fire shortly after lights out. Drums (pots and pans) were banged and the campers were called to the grove.  The soccer team was brought forward and blessed by Josh and Mike Mattson and shamans of weather and victory.  The team captains were brought forward and praised for their leadership.
+
Erik is not only our Program Director, he also trains our lifeguards and manages our American Camp Association standardsAt this point, Erik is doing more and more often season work and has become a strong third man to Mike and Rich.
  
== Josh's Summers at the Rock ==
+
== Erik's Summers at the Rock ==
  
[[Image:JoshC3.JPG|thumb|left|Who's the real Burger King]]
+
[[Image:Erik2.jpg|thumb|left|Enjoying a windy day]]
[[Image:JoshC5.jpg|thumb|Josh's first camper year 1987]]
+
[[image:2007-07-14 2.jpg|thumb|Indiana Joelsson and the Temple of Doom 2007]]
  
 
<div align="center">
 
<div align="center">
Line 49: Line 36:
 
!Note  
 
!Note  
 
|-align="center"
 
|-align="center"
|1987
+
|1999
|Eagles Nest
+
|Pete's Palace
 
|Camper
 
|Camper
|with Counselor Ron Mattson
+
|with Counselor Brandon Murray
 
|-align="center"
 
|-align="center"
|1988
+
|2000
|Buzzards Roost
+
|Cabin 6/ Eagle's Nest
|Camper
+
|CIT
|with Counselor Chris Cogswell
+
|Soccer & Sailing 
 
|-align="center"
 
|-align="center"
|1989
+
|2001
|Pete's Palace
+
|Cabin 2
|Senior Campers
+
|Counselor
|with counselor Joe Curry
+
|Saling & Soccer
 
|-align="center"
 
|-align="center"
|1990
+
|2002
|Hilton A
+
|Cabin 5
|CIT
+
|Counselor
 
|Sailing, Canoeing & Swimming
 
|Sailing, Canoeing & Swimming
 
|-align="center"
 
|-align="center"
|1991
+
|2003
|Hilton A
+
|Eagle's Nest
|Junior Counselor
+
|Counselor
|Sailing & Swimming
+
|Sailing & Soccer
 +
|-align="center"
 +
|2004
 +
|Pete's Palace
 +
|Counselor
 +
|Sailing
 
|-align="center"
 
|-align="center"
|1992
+
|2005
|Hilton A
+
|Pete's Palace
 
|Counselor
 
|Counselor
|Swimming
+
|Sailing
 
|-align="center"
 
|-align="center"
|1993
+
|2006
|Swordfish
+
|Pete's Palace
|Head Counselor
+
|Counselor
|Program
+
|Sailing
 
|-align="center"
 
|-align="center"
|1994
+
|2007
 
|Cabin 8
 
|Cabin 8
|Head Counselor
+
|Waterfront Director
|Program
+
|Sailing
 +
|-align="center"
 +
|2008
 +
|Cabin 8
 +
|Waterfront Director
 +
|Sailing
 +
|-align="center"
 +
|2009
 +
|Denault's Den
 +
|Waterfront Director
 +
|Sailing
 +
|-align="center"
 +
|2010
 +
|Denault's Den
 +
|Waterfront Director
 +
|Sailing
 +
|-align="center"
 +
|2011
 +
|Denault's Den
 +
|Waterfront Director
 +
|Sailing
 +
|-align="center"
 +
|2012
 +
|Denault's Den
 +
|Waterfront Director
 +
|Sailing
 +
|-align="center"
 +
|2013
 +
|Denault's Den
 +
|Waterfront Director
 +
|Sailing
 +
|-align="center"
 +
|2014
 +
|Deneault's Den
 +
|Program Director
 +
|
 +
|-align="center"
 +
|2015
 +
|Deneault's Den
 +
|Program Director
 +
|
 +
|-align="center"
 +
|2016
 +
|Deneault's Den
 +
|Program Director
 +
|
 +
|-align="center"
 +
|2017
 +
|Deneault's Den
 +
|Program Director
 +
|
 +
|-align="center"
 +
|2018
 +
|New Cabin
 +
|Program Director
 +
|
 
|}
 
|}
 
</div>
 
</div>
 +
 +
[[Category:People]]

Latest revision as of 11:53, 29 March 2018

A true sailor

Erik Joelsson has been a member of the Birch Rock community since 1999. Erik has been primarily seen down at the boating area for many summers and is the captain of our sailing fleet. He has also been training the camp's lifeguards for the last few summers.

Life Before Birch Rock

Being Swedish born, Erik had no concept of summer camp until he met the Weaz aka Mark Sutherland in fifth grade in Wayne, Pennsylvania. After several years of convincing, the Weaz finally got Erik to come to Birch Rock in 1999.

Camper Year: 1999

Erik arrived at camp the day before opening day in 1999. The staff were all finishing up Orientation week with a staff soccer game on the hill. As they played, Erik and his friend Mark Sutherland (the guy who recruited him) arrived from the airport. Upon rolling out of Mike Mattson's pick up on top of the hill and schooling Dave Jenkins in staff soccer game, Erik was forever endeared to Birch Rock and vice versa. He spent the rest of his only camper year soaking up as much of Birch Rock as possible.

Counselor-in-Training Year: 2000

Erik entered his second year at Birch Rock as a CIT under the fruitful tutelage of Dave Jenkins as CIT Director with fellow CIT's Nate Wetzel and Pete Callanan. He focused mainly on soccer on the field and sailing on the waterfront. He gained cabin experience in two cabins that summer, Cabin 6 in the first half and Eagle's Nest during the second half of the summer.

Staff Years: 2001-2013

Entering the most recent decade Erik moved into the staff ranks and began with splitting his time between the field and the waterfront teaching soccer and sailing. After several years on staff he moved exclusively to the waterfront to focus on the boating area and managing the new boat house. In 2007 he took over the Waterfront Director position from Carl "The Captain" Finnson. He can still be seen cruising the waters of Lake McWain in the Boston Whaler keeping all the campers safe on the waterfront.

Summers of 2014-2017

After 7 summers as the camp's Waterfront Director, it was time for a change. Erik has always had the mind of a puzzler. He loves crosswords and other puzzle games. After a couple years helping Ryan Massey and Mike Davis with the camp program, it was obvious that Erik's mind was meant for the Program Director position. Erik has a great ability to look at the needs for the upcoming day an fill in the holes like a puzzle. He knows how to strategically use the staff he has to work with for the good of the camp program each day, an excellent Program Director.

Erik is not only our Program Director, he also trains our lifeguards and manages our American Camp Association standards. At this point, Erik is doing more and more often season work and has become a strong third man to Mike and Rich.

Erik's Summers at the Rock

Enjoying a windy day
Indiana Joelsson and the Temple of Doom 2007
Year Cabin Role Note
1999 Pete's Palace Camper with Counselor Brandon Murray
2000 Cabin 6/ Eagle's Nest CIT Soccer & Sailing
2001 Cabin 2 Counselor Saling & Soccer
2002 Cabin 5 Counselor Sailing, Canoeing & Swimming
2003 Eagle's Nest Counselor Sailing & Soccer
2004 Pete's Palace Counselor Sailing
2005 Pete's Palace Counselor Sailing
2006 Pete's Palace Counselor Sailing
2007 Cabin 8 Waterfront Director Sailing
2008 Cabin 8 Waterfront Director Sailing
2009 Denault's Den Waterfront Director Sailing
2010 Denault's Den Waterfront Director Sailing
2011 Denault's Den Waterfront Director Sailing
2012 Denault's Den Waterfront Director Sailing
2013 Denault's Den Waterfront Director Sailing
2014 Deneault's Den Program Director
2015 Deneault's Den Program Director
2016 Deneault's Den Program Director
2017 Deneault's Den Program Director
2018 New Cabin Program Director