Dear North Country Camps Campers, Alumni, and Family,

 

We’re writing to let you know that Doug Furman has decided that after 14 years as our Lincoln Director, he’ll be moving on to other adventures after this coming summer camp season. We know that the entire camp community feels immense gratitude and appreciation for Doug’s leadership and hard work on behalf of camp, campers, staff, and families over these many years. He will, of course, always be an essential member of the NCC family.

 

By giving such a nice long notice of his plans, Doug is helping to ensure a smooth transition to the next Lincoln Director. As always, Doug embodies the true spirit of our camp community and we appreciate him for this. Pete Gucker reacted to hearing Doug's news with this reflection:

"Following Frau and Bob's six years as Lincoln's co-directors, Doug slipped into the job as comfortably

as he used to cast a line for bass, string a bow, or shoulder a loaded pack at the head of the trail. A natural

leader, he has led with an unshakable belief in the good intentions of the young."

 

A search committee has already been formed by the Board of Directors to find our new Lincoln Director. We’ll be sharing the opportunity across our extended network of camper and staff alumni and others, and holding conversations with potential candidates. Our hope is that the new director will have the opportunity to overlap with and learn from Doug this summer at camp.

 

You can see the position description HERE. Please share this with those you think could be strong candidates for the role. You can reach the search committee by email if you are personally interested or have insights or ideas to share at the following email address: careers@nccampsfoundation.org.

 

Doug will always be a crucial member of the camp family and tells us: “It’s been an honor to be a steward of Camp Lincoln for all these years. I look forward to helping the new director learn the job and transition into the role this summer. I had a similar transition summer with Bob and Frau.”

 

While many consider camp their “extended family,” for Doug, camp has always been about family. You might know that Doug became a camper almost at birth when his mom was the Lincoln nurse and his dad was a section head. As a camper, Doug was obsessed with fishing and would beat the waterfront head down to the docks almost every evening. He started serving as a counselor right after his high school graduation and has held camp roles from dishwasher to cabin counselor, section head, trip leader, and for the last 14 years, camp director.

 

Reflecting on his most valued aspects of camp, Doug recently said that one of his favorite moments each summer is dinner on the evening of the campers’ arrival. He said: “I think it’s the energy. Seeing kids you’ve known and who’ve grown, seeing kids you’ll get to know this summer, and just that feeling of knowing that all the possibilities of the summer are laid out in front of you. You know a lot of great stuff will happen, but it hasn’t happened yet.”

 

Doug shares: “Camp is something that Emily and the boys and I have done together, so I’ll miss having that shared experience.” Any of us who have interacted with camp in the past 45 years are likely to have encountered and appreciated Doug’s smile somewhere along the line! Campers, families, staff, and alumni have all come to value and cherish Doug and his even-keeled leadership.

 

The North Country Camps Foundation Board of Directors is working with camp leadership and listening to many voices as the Search Committee progresses in their work to ensure a smooth transition from one leader to the next. We agree wholeheartedly with Doug, “a lot of great stuff” is on the horizon with the arrival of each summer, and we celebrate the future of NCC as we share our gratitude for Doug’s role in the successes of the last many years.

 

Warmly,

 

The North Country Camps Foundation Board of Directors